Stirling Ridge Walk
Stirling Range National Park
Directions - Being a one way hike, you can do it in either direction but unless you are using a shuttle service (the Stirling Range Retreat offer one), you will need to organise a car drop at either end. The Bluff Knoll end is easy with a large car park at the base with the Ellen Peak end requiring a bit more navigation. From Bluff Knoll Road, turn right onto Chester Pass Road until you reach the turn for Smith Road. Turn right and follow all the way to Sandalwood Road, turn right again and keep following until you see the sign for Gnowellen Road. Turn right and keep driving until you reach the Stirling Range National Park sign. There is plenty of room to park here or you can turn right onto the vehicle track and keep driving until you reach the gate and Leave No Trace sign for the walk.
Warning/Advice - This is not a marked trail plus it's a different physical challenge to anything else you'll get in WA and as such you will need to be an experienced hiker of good fitness with proper navigation skills. There is no source of reliable water along the trail so to be safe it is recommended you take 4-5L per day, more if the weather is warm as you're quite exposed. Check the weather closely before setting off (this site is the most accurate I've found), sign the logbook with your intended plans on the other side of Bluff Knoll Rd from the cafe and make sure you know all the exit routes. Respect the environment by keeping to the existing walk pad, pack out what you brought in and bury all human waste in a hole at least 15cm deep. The files on the Stirling Ridge Walk FB Group are very useful for preparation for this walk. Don't underestimate this walk, the terrain or the changeable weather.
Day One
The Stirling Ridge Walk, an icon within the WA hiking community and what is fast becoming a bit of a rite of passage for the more experienced hikers/trail runners in the state. This was my return after a previous visit in 2017 ending up with our group camping overnight at Eucalyptus Col before a bigger than forecast weather front rolled in and we turned back the next day given the white out conditions and strong winds. I had meant to return not long after that but the area was hit with a couple of major bushfires that ravaged the route so I wanted to give the place some time to recover a little before getting out there to photograph it. With the trail getting more and more popular, the FaceSpace group is awash with photos from spring to autumn and it looked like the area was doing better than I thought it would post fires. This was something I had pencilled in as a nice to hike in late 2022 but when hiking friends Bronwyn and Lou leaked their plans to attempt it in autumn, I politely asked if I could join them. Plans were made for the last weekend in April and while I was excited to be heading back to finally complete the trail, part of me expected poor weather to cancel the whole thing.
Fast forward to the week leading up to our departure and things were looking like perfection so I hastily requested a day of leave and started getting serious about planning out my gear, food and travel arrangements. Bronwyn had booked a caravan at the Stirling Range Retreat for the night before so I started my work day early and finished at 3pm on the Thursday, all excited to drive the 4.5 hours down to the Stirling Range. Lou had the whole day off so was waiting there, while Bronwyn finished work late and only arrived well after 10pm. The cramped bunks didn't make for a great sleep but it didn't matter once I woke up and the excitement of doing the SRW in near perfect weather took over. It was a leisurely start to the morning with time for a coffee, prepping of rolls for dinner and packing the large quantity of water we were all carrying. I had packed 8L for the planned two days and given the cooler temperatures that were forecast, I was confident this would be sufficient. Heading off from the Stirling Range Retreat, we first headed to Bluff Knoll to drop off Bronwyn's car and also sign the walkers register at the entrance of Bluff Knoll Road.
Although it was a misty morning, I was hoping it would clear by the time we started hiking but the thick fog we drove through leading up to Bluff Knoll wasn't great to see. Luckily it cleared before we reached the car park and we were presented with stunning views looking up to Bluff Knoll and across to the western peaks of the Stirling Range. The drive to the Gnowellen Road end of the hike was full of anticipation as we skirted the farmland areas around the national park and were occasionally treated to some magical views of the side profile of the ridge. Of course we stopped for photos and to trace the routes in our minds of where we would be walking over the next two days. Eventually arriving at the edge of the national park and the vehicle track that is home for the first 6km of the route, we unloaded our bags and did our last gear checks. I decided to take a wander around to see what I could find and was excited to see plenty of wildflowers including some little Bunny Orchids right near where my car was parked. I called Bronwyn over as she is an iNatualist nerdburger like me and it was a good sign that there would be plenty to see along this first section.
As you can see from the map above, the first section is walking in a straight line along the edge of a farm and the national park. Representing a quarter of the 24km route, it's not an entirely uninteresting walk, especially for those of us that enjoy spotting a wildflower or two. Even though spring is the most magical time to be in the Stirling Range for the quantity and quality of wildflowers, there is typically a lot more to see down here in autumn than there is in the Perth Hills. Hoping to find some Leafless Orchids, both Bronwyn and I were scanning the edge of the scrub for different varieties of flowers plus searching for the early season orchids. Lou wasn't too fussed so kept a steady march on as we headed towards Moir Hill, a smaller hill that you scoot around. With the distant views of the ridgeline providing motivation and a small amount of trepidation, the sunny skies were a big positive given the forecast had the weather improving the following day. On a rest/sunscreen stop along the edge of the fence it was revealed that Brownyn and Lou had teamed up and forgot to tell me the SRW uniform of choice was red and grey day, causing flashbacks to when this last happened to me heading up Boonering Hill. After an hour and forty minutes of walking we arrived at the creek that marks the turn into the national park and the start of the proper hiking.
This is where the real fun began and after initially losing the track, we soon located it and were excited to be finally heading towards the ridge instead of alongside it. With some flat land between us and the steeper parts, Bronwyn and I started scanning the edge of the trail for wildflowers and it didn't take long before I found a Leafless Orchid. Bronwyn had walked straight past the first one so I called her back just in case it was the only one we found. As it turned out there were plenty around, along with copious amounts of Bunny Orchids hiding in the undergrowth. This slowed progress as we both were stopping a lot to photograph everything we saw while Lou continued on, not phased by the wildflower commotion. Around this time we finally caught up to a group of three we had seen in the log book and spotted as we made our way along the fence line. We all said hello and they admitted they were novices to the hiking game, something that was a little bit noticeable from the gear they were carrying. Looking back down at the track as we ascended Ellen Peak, I couldn't see them so I hope they realised they were a bit out of their depth and turned back as the terrain only got trickier and harder to navigate from there.
Spotting many new wildflowers after we overtook that group, we started a gentle incline as it heads towards the first of the steep climbs for the day. The unnamed hill is visible at the foot of the imposing Ellen Peak and doesn't look very hard as you're walking towards it. This turned out to be untrue as once you start climbing the gradients reach 30-35% for a while, a good warmup for the rest of the route. We all hiked at our own pace and being at the front, I was lucky enough to come across an oddity that I didn't expect on the SRW, an Emu. I looked up on one of the steeper sections and made eye contact with a fully grown Emu but unfortunately couldn't get my camera in the right position before it scurried off. I'm not sure what it was doing near the top of this steep hill and I wonder if it got up here and didn't know how to get back down (they aren't the smartest birds in the world). With that odd encounter over, I continued on and reached the summit of a hill I'm now going to refer to as Emu Knob (a few hills around here are given the title of Knob). Reaching the summit, I rested up on some rocks and waited for the others. Bronwyn came first but Lou was a long way behind already. This was a bit concerning but we had made good time so far and up to Ellen Peak was the biggest climb we would have to face for the whole journey.
While Bronwyn and I were waiting, a trail runner passed us on his way to the summit of Ellen Peak and back. We watched him run into the distance and also kept an eye on the dark clouds gathering behind Ellen Peak. Lou popped up from the climb and as she caught her breath, we fished out our rain gear as it had started to drizzle. With just cloudy weather forecast, this was a reminder that the weather can be unpredictable up here. Moving on, we had a small descent towards the saddle and then another steep climb up to the base of Ellen Peak. This is where the almost manicured trail disappeared and was replaced by shoulder high regrowth but it wasn't too hard to navigate between rocky sections that were trail like. As we approached the ascent, the path became clear again and we just had to worry about putting one foot in front of the other. For about 700m the gradient averages 35% so with a fully loaded pack it wasn't a fun ascent and we slowed up quite a bit here. This allowed me to stop and appreciate the landscape a little bit more as we had decided to stick together as a group.
Lou had some doubt over whether she would be able to finish but Bronwyn and I kept reminding her that this was the biggest climb and things would get slightly easier once we reached the top. With the sunshine now out, we steadily made our way to the hunk of rock that is Ellen Peak and Bronwyn had planned for us to take an easier route around the northern edge of the base rather than follow the official route over the top. Reaching the junction, we turned right and headed off to follow a trail that hugs the edge of the gigantic rock face. Trying to keep as close to the edge as possible, the path was obvious in most places and this area seems to have recovered well from the burns or were a little protected. It dips down before climbing back up and the She-Oaks through here were really enjoyable. As we started to climb back up, I spotted some fungi in some of the damp places and this had me excited that we were getting to that time of the year again. It's another steep climb of 100m vertically to get onto the next saddle but the views looking back at Ellen Peak make it all worthwhile. Ahead of us was an open saddle section between Ellen Peak and the start of Pyungoorup Peak but knowing the trail heads to the south of Pyungoorup, we were on the lookout for the turn.
The turn is very obvious with one of the few yellow markers you'll see pointing you to the left along an obvious walking pad. Bronwyn regaled us with tales of tricky Sword Grass and mud through this next section but the first part rounding the edge of the peak was really pleasant. The views were spectacular and it finally felt like we were on the proper ridge walk. On the south side of Pyungoorup is a really cool area full of grasses, ferns and the rocky cliff face leading up towards the summit. We missed the track leading down from the cliff edge and eventually came to an obvious dead end but given the stunning views on offer, it wasn't a bad detour. We backtracked maybe 50m and found the track leading down towards the infamous Sword Grass. Trying to follow what looked like a trail was difficult given how thick the vegetation is and eventually I reached a point where I decided to head straight up the hill to get us back on track. Lou and Bronwyn had fallen over several times trying to navigate through the vegetation and after one last struggle they joined me against the cliff where a small cave is located. Although we were well behind our planned schedule of reaching at least the Third Arrow camping cave, the saddle before Bakers Knob was now a more realistic target for the evening. The going was still slow along here as the rocky trail soon ended and we were back in the Sword Grass.
A benefit of this was I had a lot of time to admire the stunning views looking south towards Quarderwardup Lake, Mount Manypeaks, the Porongurups and eventually off to East Peak, the final big climb of our adventure. The afternoon lighting was looking a treat as we ploughed on and although the pace was a lot slower than I was expecting, there was no need to rush once it was agreed we would camp on the saddle before Bakers Knob. The last little section involved some steeper parts but eventually we made it to the grassy saddle right before the sun was about to set. Choosing our tent sites for the night, I regretted my decision to leave my tent pegs at home (thought we would be camping in one of the caves) but I managed to secure my outer layer using rocks and tying it to the tent inner. With my home for the night set up, I put on some warm clothes, dug out my salmon and avocado rolls I had prepared that morning and sat on one of the many rocky platforms to watch the rest of the sunset. I really enjoy this spot as you get the western edge of Pyungoorup Peak as a dominating presence and some lovely views looking to the north and south. Bronwyn and Lou eventually joined me and we enjoyed a cold dinner together, discussing plans for the next day to see if we could manage to stick to the planned two day schedule. It was a restful night with light winds and no rain and a much different experience to the last time I camped on the SRW.
Day Two
With near perfect conditions forecast for our two days on the Stirling Ridge Walk, I was pleased to enjoy a relatively peaceful sleep in my Nemo Hornet. Leaving the tent pegs at home didn't end up biting me as there was only the occasional gust of wind to stir the outer layer. My biggest issue in getting comfortable is that my feet took forever to get warm but once they were, it was a cosy rest. I had an alarm set for 6am so I could be up to start the packing up process and be in the best position to photograph the sunrise if it was a stunner. The plan over dinner the previous night was to be away from camp early and see what time we arrived at Isongerup Peak. Opening up my tent fly to check the lighting, there was a slight pink hue on the horizon so I put on my jacket and grabbed my camera for some photos. The light show didn't get much better thanks to the clear skies so I got back in my tent and started he process of deflating and rolling everything up. With no setup to heat water as we were saving pack weight, it was a cold wait for Bronwyn and Lou as they finished up their packing.
With everyone ready to go at 7:30am, I was keen to get going as the best lighting was up the top of Bakers Knob and we also had a lot of technical hiking to do before we reached Isongerup Peak. First up was the gentle trundle to the tip of Bakers Knob (yes, I'm childish) and it was really nice to reach where the sun was shining as it meant warming up a bit (temperature dipped to about 5C the previous night). Looking back at Pyungoorup Peak, the hefty monolith was standing tall and made for some nice photos when my camera lens wasn't fogging up. As we walked up and over Bakers Knob, there is a moment when you see the Arrows laid out before you for the first time and it's a truly awe-inspiring sight to behold. After appreciating the jagged formations ahead, my thoughts were along the lines of "how are you meant to cross those?" given the seemingly impossible terrain. I knew the route took us to the right/north of each arrow so tried to visualise where the track would go and after a while it sort of became clear where we could possibly go. As we walked towards the first technical descent of the day, I couldn't stop taking photos of the eastern face of Third Arrow.
The gentle walking eventually stopped as we had to make our way down from Bakers Knob to the small rocky ridge linking up to Third Arrow. As I was busy taking photos, Lou and Bronwyn started the descent, which was fantastic as I got some shots of them climbing down for perspective. Being 6ft1, the rocky ledges weren't too bad to reach and observing Lou powering down, it was just a case of taking your time and picking the right step each time. I'm not the biggest fan of heights (getting better with age though) but this kind of scrambling doesn't trigger the same anxiety despite the views looking down at where I would end up if I slipped up majorly. Slowing down and enjoying the descent, this was going to be a fun day of picking the right route through the peaks and savouring the challenge of climbing up and down these steep sections. Reaching the saddle section, the elevation levelled out and the gap on the north side of Third Arrow where you are meant to go is visible. Following the rocky saddle, this is where we made a slight navigation error as we continued to the right along an obvious path. I had noted seeing a separate trail heading uphill maybe 50m before we stopped to check our maps and that turned out to be the right one. Given we stopped not long after realising it might not be the right path, we didn't lose much time.
The trail leading up the rocks ending up leading to the first of two channels carved into the rock with the first one requiring much more scrambling. After some butt scooting, lowering ourselves down onto rocky platforms and plenty of big steps, I reached the bottom and proceeded to take some photos of Lou and Bronwyn descending the chasm. One of my worries about photographing this hike was the steep bits wouldn't look as daunting in the pictures as they felt in real life so it was nice to have some humans for scale. It still doesn't do it justice but it helps a lot. After the steep down there was another climb up as you are sandwiched between the rock wall and a grove of She-Oaks. Our pace wasn't great to start the morning but with a lot of technical scrambling and steeper bits, once we were past the Arrows, I was expecting us to move at a quicker pace. In the end it was decided that we didn't have the time to visit the Third Arrow Cave so I will have to take that detour on my next outing here. Waiting at the top of the little climb, the views looking back towards Pyungoorup and the north side of Third Arrow were spectacular. While we had perfect weather for hiking, the clear skies and bright sunshine wasn't ideal for photography in the shady parts thanks to the contrast between light and dark being so high. I shouldn't really be complaining about this as it doesn't get much better than this weather wise on the Stirling Ridge but it presented a challenge when shooting.
Continuing on, we arrived at a place I was looking forward to visiting after seeing many photos of it on the Stirling Ridge Walk FB Group. The final cavern section of Third Arrow sees you walk down a grassy patch between two imposing rock walls but the effect is simply magical given the views ahead. Unfortunately the extreme difference between light and dark meant the photos don't do this place justice but it was a wonderful experience walking down the grassy path. With the final obstacle of Third Arrow completed, we set about tackling the much gentler Second Arrow. Looking a lot friendlier with a green top and less jagged rocks, we ambled down the rocky descent from Third Arrow and I couldn't stop looking back and admiring the views of what we'd just come through. Looking like a cracked and broken version of Weathertop from Lord of the Rings, we were lucky that no Ring Wraiths crossed our path. The relatively gentle ascent of Second Arrow provided some time to reflect on how amazing this hike had been already and to look forward to what was ahead. With an easy walking pad to follow, I kept an eye out for wildflowers and anything else that might peak my interest and was happy to find what looked like a Damperia, a Southern Cross and the first of many orange snails I would see for the day.
Continuing to look back at Third Arrow as we got near the summit of Second Arrow, it was a captivating view that was about to be trumped as we got a glimpse of First Arrow. There is an optional path around the summit of Second Arrow that Lou chose to take while Bronwyn and I continued up to the summit cairn. The difference isn't big and eventually we joined Lou as we headed to another tricky descent leaving Second Arrow. Given how round it looks as you hike over it, leaving Second Arrow is a bit of a shock as you reach a point where you are staring directly down at First Arrow and once again bemused at how to get around it. The reality is that you just follow your nose about where the trail leads (along with checking your maps and GPS) and the way forward appears as you need it (for the most part). The descent looked pretty harrowing from the top but after staring at it for a while, I realised that the super steep valley had no way of connecting to the saddle up to Isongerup so deduced the correct route must take you along the north face of First Arrow. Dropping down off Second Arrow was good fun and we were soon in another rocky cavern lowering ourselves onto platforms and trying to select the right way down. After a while you exit the shadowy world of the cavern and are on the exposed northern flank of First Arrow.
From here the views are focussed to the north and the vast farming lands that extend beyond the park. It's sad that the Stirling Range National Park is limited to the mountain peaks and a small section of flat land as I often wonder when I'm visiting here what it all looked like before the mass clearing occurred. We had a light-hearted moment as we made our way along the exposed top of First Arrow with Lou getting the cord of her hat stuck on a branch. Bronwyn came to the rescue as I took helpful photos before we got going again. From the top of First Arrow you can see the start of the climb leading up to three peaks of Isongerup but it looks a long way down to reach the She Oak Col at the base of the saddle. From here there is only one way to go and that is straight down arguably the sketchiest section of the whole Stirling Ridge Walk. The photos sort of show the steep drops that you must negotiate as you clamber down the rocky ledges and Lou provided some great action shots once I'd successfully negotiated each section. Some people advise to bring rope for this section so you can lower packs down the narrow and steep parts but only once did one of us remove our pack to safely get down a passage. I love this sort of scrambling so was in my element as we descended the first section down towards the edge of the northern most spire.
Looking down into the valley was awe-inspiring and again, it was quite obvious that was not the way as it leads all the way down to near the base of First Arrow/Isongerup. Instead you turn to the north-east and follow what looks like a gully as it heads downhill on a similar gradient to what you've just done. It's slippery in the sections without rocky footholds so care is needed and the elevation chart on the map above is nowhere near detailed enough to show what it's actually like. Continuing to descend, it feels like you've gone too far down but the trail eventually turns to the north and then west as you make your way around the edge of the rocky spire. You do have to climb back up and I went ahead here as I was keen to see what the views were like at the top of the climb. Reaching a collection of rocks, this was a good place to stop for a rest so I waited for Lou and Bronwyn to catch up. We all enjoyed a break before the final technical section of the day and the end of the Arrows. We missed the turn that heads north and descends down another tricky section and instead headed along the flat-ish path that takes you to the edge of a tall spire that provides views looking down towards She-Oak Col but no access. Doubling back we found the route and clambered down the last of the steep drops before marching on towards one of the more popular places to camp along the SRW.
Powering through She-Oak Col as we'd just had a break, exiting these informal campsites proved to be the trickiest part of navigating sometimes given the multiple paths leading to different tent sites. I picked the wrong exit path but it was easily fixed after a quick glance at the GPS. Beginning the climb up Isongerup to the north peak, the most technical parts of the SRW were over with and we could concentrate on making up some time. We were a little behind schedule but with no more scrambling, it would only be the tougher gradients that would slow us down from now on, rather than scrambling and navigating. The first part of the climb here is relatively steep and progress was slowed when we came across a section of regrowth that was over head high. It didn't last too long and was where we met the first of three groups going the other way. We exchanged hellos before moving on and eventually reaching low scrub that had been typical up to that point. Along with the great weather, also working in favour was the well worn pad that has developed post fires that is combined with the recovering vegetation not getting too overgrown just yet. With more traffic on the SRW thanks to Covid increasing the appetite for exploring our own backyard in WA, it seems that the days of multiple trails leading to dead ends is a thing of the past, at least for now.
As we were climbing up, the gradients started to level out from arduous to manageable so we could truly appreciate the majesty of where we were. I had a sense of relief that the technical part of the SRW was done, not because I found it terribly difficult but because it was a comforting thought that I could picture the rough route in my head all the way to the finish. As we reached the top of a smaller hill before Isongerup Peak North, we were passed by our second group, this time a group of three cheery middle aged men who had done the walk several times. As they headed down the hill I got a few shots of them in the distance providing some scale to the mighty landscape. As we made our way to the top of the hill another two young men passed us but the exchange was brief so we continued on towards an oddity on the trail, a fence. This is not the usual fence to keep livestock out but rather to keep hikers out of areas that are being revegetated. On the other side of the trail it looked like someone had discarded their old lobster pots but these were cages to protect more revegetation efforts. Given the two fires that have swept through the eastern part of the Stirling Range, it has placed a great strain on the unique sub-alpine plants that aren't used to being burnt that close together. After a welcome downhill followed by an uphill that almost felt flat in comparison to what we'd just been through, we reached the summit of Isongerup Peak North at 962m ASL.
The initial aim was to be on Isongerup by 11am and we were 45 mins behind that but given we had a bit of downhill ahead of us and the last campsite was only an hour or two away, we made the decision to keep pushing and finish today. Taking a break on the North Peak, this was my favourite spot on the entire ridge because you are right on the pivot point where you get amazing views looking towards Bluff Knoll and the western peaks of the Stirling Range, plus the excellent view looking back over the Arrows, Pyungoorup and Ellen Peak. Add in clear skies and no wind and this was a memory that will be etched into my mind for a while now. Conscious of time, the break was short as we had to make good time on this next section if we wanted to make the summit of Bluff Knoll by sunset as it was decided that we didn't want to have to navigate any off track sections in the dark (descending Bluff Knoll in pitch black conditions was fine). The trail between Isongerup North, over Isongerup Peak and then towards Isongerup South is a really fun section thanks to the gentler gradients and the sense of space you get from the open landscape. It really feels like walking on grassy hills (although it is low scrub) and connecting up the small peaks felt relaxing.
While the grand views were super spectacular, I didn't want all the galleries filled up with wide shots of essentially the same thing, so it was good fortune that there was a bit of details to photograph up here. Being this high and visiting in autumn, I wasn't expecting many wildflowers but the Gravel Bottlebrush (Beaufortia decussata) provided some much needed colour along with a flowering Banksia. Being a sunny day the skinks were out but I could never spot one before it scurried off, which was a tad annoying as I really wanted a shot of one. The insects were playing ball a little better with a Milkweed reminding me of the first time I saw one of these Darth Maul looking bugs on the top of Boonering Hill. Another cool find was a green and brown grasshopper that was perfectly blended into the scrub when it wasn't moving but it's rapid jumping kind of gave it away when you got close. The further we travelled along this part, the more the views looking towards the ridge connecting Moongoongoonderup Hill and the base of the climb up to East Peak came into sight. Just before reaching Moongoongoonderup Hill (going to use MH from now on) was where we turned around last visit so it was nice to know I would soon be on familiar ground.
Standing on the edge of Isongerup Peak South, the views from here are pretty incredible as you get the entirety of the Bluff Knoll/East Peak block all in one shot, the western peaks in the background and you can trace the path leading down to MH and then back up to East Peak. From here it was a lengthy downhill as you drop down to another informal campsite before negotiating a few bumps leading to Eucalyptus Col, the place we camped on our last trip here. Based on previous visits to Bluff Knoll and looking back at photos from my last SRW attempt, I expected the descent off Isongerup to be pretty gentle and easy going. That didn't end up being the case with 40% gradients to start that eased into 25-30% as you descended further. I love hilly hikes but descending hills is my least favourite part, especially when it's a bit technical and you have to stop your entire body weight plus pack weight on each step. To make up for it, the views continued to be excellent and I was enjoying the approaching Kingia savannah. I'm not sure if they are a different type of Kingia but the silver colour of the Grass Trees found up here always captivate me (as you can see by all the pictures of them in the galleries).
Descending was slow work and we spaced out along here as we continued at our own pace. Given the low scrub it was easy to look back and see Lou and Bronwyn trudging along in the afternoon light. One delight for me was looking ahead and tracing the route as it climbed over smaller hills and then headed towards the base of East Peak. That was the big challenge for the afternoon but if we could make it up there in good time then we might get a cracker of a sunset as we walked down Bluff Knoll. I was a bit ahead when I reached the open space of another informal campsite, so picked a shady spot and had a bit of a lie down to stretch out my weary joints. With such a glorious afternoon and temperatures that would have been in the low to mid teens, I enjoyed the break from carrying my pack and soldiering down Isongerup. The ladies joined me and decided a break was a good idea so picked their own spots nearby. Being about 1:30pm and the last major climb within sight, it was a safe bet that we would be finishing today. Continuing on, the next section to Eucalyptus Col was an enjoyable walk along rocky ledges where Lou and I tried to remember the spot we huddled under last time and made the decision to turn back.
Reaching the edge of a hill and spotting Eucalyptus Col down below, it was a case of making our way through the undergrowth that is starting to get quite thick as it recovers from the fires. We only briefly stopped to admire the tent site we stayed at previously and to laugh at staying in our tents all morning as the weather wouldn't relent. The thick undergrowth continued as we climbed out of the protected spot but towards the top of these little hills was relief as it thinned out. I was relishing the views here with the Kingia providing great foreground objects against the might of the distant view of Bluff Knoll. At one point I heard Bronwyn remark that she could see people on Bluff Knoll and one of the photos in the gallery above the previous one, you can see little specs standing at the summit. Descending down towards the lowest point of the whole SRW at 600m ASL, this also marks the start of the infamous climb up to East Peak (997m ASL). Having done it before in the wind and rain, I remember it being steep in places but nothing to an engine with determination. Unfortunately at this stage Lou was struggling a bit but we were here as a team and Bronwyn and I were full of encouragement as we started the ascent. It was slow going as we all remained within eyesight of each other so we didn't drift apart in the sections where it was overgrown or rocky.
While I stopped and waited every now and then, it was a good opportunity to take photos of the stunning scenery plus some action shots of Lou and Bronwyn making their way up the steep bits. I also managed to get a skink to stay still long enough to be my trail model and the little one did some excellent posing. For the most part the early climbing wasn't too bad in terms of being able to find the track up but there were some sections where you had to take an extra long step up or use your hands to keep balanced as you climbed up. The gradients shown on the map at the top of the page certainly don't tell the full story and as I found with going through the Arrows, the elevation profile is a bit off. We continued on with a couple of short breaks to give Lou a rest and eventually reached another overgrown section that I remember being an issue the last time we did it. Thankfully it wasn't too bad to navigate but it required staying close together as you could pick quite a few paths through the vegetation. We eventually made it through and reached what I called the Dragons Nest on the last trip, a rocky platform with a rocks placed all around it. Last time I was cold and wet so just wanted a place to escape the wind but today I was loving life and soaking up the sunshine.
With the end of the climb in sight, we pushed up the final part of the climb that was fairly steep in places. With plenty of opportunity to stop and take photos, I was keeping a close eye on some smaller birds flitting around one of the rocky outcrops when a much larger bird caught my eye. A Wedge-tailed Eagle was circling up above and it was a great pleasure to watch it glide around looking for prey. It got pretty close to where we were and at one point it was right behind where Lou was climbing up. She jokingly remarked that it knew she was exhausted and was eyeing her up. While I was busy trying to get a good photo of the closest eagle, another appeared further up the hill and added to the majesty. That moment provided a great memory and spurred us on to finish the climb up to East Peak. It took over two hours to do the 2km climb but we made it as the sun was getting lower in the sky. I knew we had one big dip and climb to go before we reached the way up towards the Bluff Knoll summit so pushed on to make it by dark. My Garmin watch was flashing a low battery warning so while I waited for Bronwyn and Lou, I fished out my power bank to charge it. The valley was a really nice place to be in the late afternoon light and climbing up the other side provided some glorious views looking back towards the eastern peaks we had climbed earlier that day. Reaching the final part of the off track walking, I followed what looked like a trail but it eventually led us to an area that clearly wasn't going to connect with the summit of Bluff Knoll. After a bit of course correction in the fading light we reached the Leave No Trace sign overlooking the split between Bluff Knoll and 1057 on the map.
I raced ahead to the summit as I wanted to take photos before the light disappeared and was fortunate enough to get the last of the post sunset light. Unsurprisingly there was no one around apart from a local marsupial that was racing between the rocks. I tried getting a photo but the best I got was a blurry mess where you can only just make out it is a mouse like creature. Bronwyn and Lou soon joined me and there was a sense of relief that we had made it to Bluff Knoll with some light and just had to tackle the marked descent back to the car. Retrieving our headtorches and lanterns, we started on the 3km downhill march to finish the two day epic. I'll be honest and say it wasn't the most fun experience as I hate descents with lots of stairs and Bluff Knoll has more than enough steps. It was cool switching off the lantern every now and then and staring up at the clear skies and passing the waterfall was a highlight but I really just wanted the descent to finish. Eventually it did and while Bronwyn was finishing packing away gear, I propped my camera lens on my power bank and pointed it at Bluff Knoll for a quick astrophotography shot. It's far from the best but a good memento from the finish. We didn't reach our accommodation at the Porongurup Inn (Stirling Range Retreat was fully booked with a private event unfortunately) until after 9pm as we still had to retrieve my car from Gnowellen Road. A hot shower was a delight, along with dinner of cheese and crackers but the real treat was the deep sleep I had that night. While we may have finished in the dark, I was happy to have finally completed an E2E of the Stirling Ridge Walk to chronicle for the website as the uncompleted post wasn't ideal.
Final Thoughts - As I mentioned before, I really didn't expect this trip to happen as you never quite know what the weather will be. So to enjoy such amazing conditions was a treat and made for a pretty awesome adventure.
With limited terrain like this found in Western Australia, it's cool that we have at least one rugged mountain walk to enjoy. It may not be the Western Arthurs in Tasmania but as a bite sized version, I've heard it is pretty similar in terms of navigation and technical terrain.
I was a bit hesitant to visit the Stirling Ridge Walk post fires as I wanted to allow the landscape to recover so I'm happy Parks and Wildlife kept it closed for as long as they did (only re-opened in Feb 2021). That being said, I think the increased foot traffic since hasn't been a bad thing as for the most part there is a well worn pad that is much different from what I remember from my pre-fire visit in terms of having multiple paths trampling off in different directions.
There is an ongoing debate as to whether this needs to be a maintained and semi-marked trail so I'll add my two cents in. To start with, it's already marked in some places so adding a few more markers to navigation pinch points won't take away from the experience and will protect the environment from unnecessary trampling.
I was relatively pleased with the state of the informal campsites when it came to visible rubbish although it was still an issue at Eucalyptus Col. Installing toilet pods, similar to those found on the more remote walks in Tasmania is one solution but cost will always be an issue when a helicopter is required to remove/replace them. Having a reliable source of water that doesn't involve a bit of rock climbing to a barrel would be a nice addition but I don't think it's a big issue carrying your water supply for the two days (it gets lighter as you go along anyway).
I'll reiterate that this walk is not for novice walkers and definitely shouldn't be your first or second overnight hike. At the very minimum you should be able to navigate by map and compass and know all the exit points along the way. Check the weather before you go as navigating in white out conditions is difficult and the rocky parts get slippery when wet. If you can, try and go with someone who has done it before and don't be blasé about the risks involved.
Looking back at my 2017 attempt, I had doubts whether we made the right call given the weather cleared up but now I realise that it was the correct decision. I would not have wanted to tackle the Arrows in the conditions we had and we certainly would have had to complete it in three days.
This time it was a fantastic adventure that I'm really happy to have completed and a big thank you to Bronwyn for organising and both Lou and Bronwyn for being excellent adventure buddies. I look forward to returning in Spring one year and seeing all the amazing wildflowers along the ridge.
Thank you to everyone who read all 7800 words and looked at all of the 300 photos. I think this is by far my longest post ever.
If you've found this page or the website helpful and you want to show your support then consider making a small donation by visiting our Ko-fi page. You can give as little as a dollar with no sign-up required and everything will be put towards the website, creating new content and promoting the trail community.
Click for more Stirling Range Hikes
Click for more South West Hikes