Australia

Lord's Table Mountain, Peak Downs

Character: A mid-length walk to the top of The Anvil, the peak separated from the bulk of the mountain, and closer to the road (and also, for a peak bagger, the highest point on the mountain!). Ascent involves a rock climb up a rope already present. If you are not happy rock climbing, even for this short easy stretch, or you are wiser than me and will not trust a rope someone else has put in place at some unspecified time in the past, then DO NOT DO THIS WALK! The rope was not placed by me, and if you do follow this walk and go up the rope it is expressly AT YOUR OWN RISK! An alternative, if you are sensible, is to follow this route to the foot of the rope, which is placed at the saddle joining The Anvil to the bulk of the mountain, and simply ignore it and go off the other side of the saddle and return to your car without summitting. A third alternative if you are a skilled rock climber is to take your own rope and gear. Your last alternative may be to do a much longer walk in to the north western base of the main part of the mountain, where apparently there is a break in the formidable ramparts that crown this mountain (unfortunately you won't have reached the highest point on the hill if you do this (by around 2 metres - big deal!)). I have not gone on this route. No ropes are required if the correct spot is found, although apparently scrambling abilities will still be needed.

*Remember to take plenty of water and to tell someone of your plans!*

Ascent: ~1500 feet

Time: 3 hours

Map: No good ones found - in good conditions a map is not necessary as the peak is on the road. If going to more distant parts of the hill, a map would be a good idea as would a compass.

The area between Clermont in the west, Dysart in the east, and Moranbah in the north is home to an amazing set of volcanic plugs called the Peak Downs. These are the remains of volcanic activity from millenia past. They number perhaps as many as 20 tops, if you count some of the lesser peaks, and vary in shape from the conical (like Wolfang, above) to almost totally flat topped, like Lord's Table Mountain to the unique, like the twins of The Gemini Mountains, Castor and Pollux, also on The Peak Downs Highway, a few kilometres north of Wolfang. None are that high, but most reach close to or above the 2000 foot contour. However, much of the surrounding land is 1000 feet anyway, so big ascents are not the order of the day.

Lord's Table Mountain is a very distinguished peak, easily identifiable from considerable distances by its almost totally flat summit. It can be seen easily from near Capella, also on The Peak Downs Highway, and even from near Dysart. The flat top is actually divided in two, with the smaller plateau, Anvil Peak, marked at 737 m, or 2419 feet, presumably being the highest point, as the rest of the plateau is not given a summit height.

Take the dirt road from about 10 km south of Clermont towards Dysart. Around half way through (35 km) you find yourself at a National Park sign for The Peak Downs National Park, Lord's Table Mountain Section. Park up here, leave a note in your windscreen, and head for the western side of the mountain that is north of you. A fence can be followed. Where this fence turned into a barbed wire one, perhaps 1.5 km from the road (just as the saddle connecting Anvil Peak becomes visible), head straight up the hill side to the base of the walls around the summit. If you go the same way I did, you will be following a (hopefully dry) creek bed, steeply going up the hillside. There was even a VB stubby on the way, so I guess others have had a similar idea!.

The base of the cliffs are loose rock and covered in undergrowth, vines, and scrubby trees. Follow thebase around to your left (north), and admire the huge cliffs that tower above you. The going is not easy, but in around 20 minutes or so you should find yourself on the southern end of the saddle. If you are sensible, this is where you will ignore the rope that comes down a rocky cleft on your right hand side, and simply head to the low point of the saddle and start your descent around the other (eastern) side of Anvil Peak and back to your vehicle.

Or you could take the rope. This is quite easy in ascent, but you are relying on an old rope placed by someone else. Read my warnings above!

The rope only goes for 5 metres or so, and although the rest of the climb is easier, it is still very exposed and dangerous. I found it all the more so in descent, particularly the small step back down to the top of the rope. When you find yourself on a shelf, head around to the left, keeping close in to the rock on your right. After a few metres an easy scramble to your right brings you on to the top.

At the top of this climb you find surprisingly thick vegetation, and this exists in patches all over the very flat top. In the centre, however, it seem less dense. Head to the southern point, and admire the views from near the edge to the other peaks to the south east.

Return to the top of your ascent and reverse it to the saddle. I had left myself a marking rock at the top of the climb, and at one other point, to help me in descent - these were a good idea! There are no trail markings painted on this route!

Once back on the firmer and saner ground of the saddle, head to its low point and go straight off to the right (eastern) side of the saddle to do a complete circuit of the peak.

The going is tough, and the scrub reasonably thick. Try and contour around and down to the south to bring you back out to the road close to your vehicle. Thats the plan anyway!

Another great afternoon out in The Peak Downs!