Mt. Warning

March 12th, 2017 - 2 am, or as they say here: 2 a.m. - The journey can begin!

Even though it's been almost a month now, I still remember our trip to Mount Warning very well. The hiking trip was organized by the Outdoor Adventure Club. To make sure we arrived on time, we met at the university at the specified time.

In small groups with self-organized cars (we were about 30 people), we drove towards NSW in the middle of the night. The drive took about 1.5 hours and mostly went on the highway. The latter part of the way led through the forest and was a bit spooky at this time of night - at least if you think of horror movies like 'Wrong Turn'...

After some winding paths, we arrived at a parking lot where we met the other members of our club. It was so pitch black here in the middle of the forest that you would be lost without a flashlight. As we set off, the large group split up as expected. The uphill path was narrow and you had to watch your step. Steps were built in at times, but for the most part, the path was rocky. Many animal sounds could be heard from the surrounding trees and bushes, rustling and chirping here and there. We also spotted large ants and a mouse.

The higher we went, the more challenging the path became, especially due to its winding course. The steps varied in height. You had to watch your step as the paths were sometimes very rocky and unstable. ...and after a while in the dark, they seemed to go on endlessly...

After what felt like an eternity, I caught the first glimpses of the surrounding landscape. Nothing but green. Only the sky slowly changed from night black to a gentle pink. I hurried because there was a platform at the top from which the sunrise could be better observed. So I walked a bit faster for the last 1.4 km (!!!) and thought I was at the end. The path ended but there were no people and no viewing platform in sight. I briefly wondered if I had taken the wrong path, but then I discovered a steep ascent to my right. Very steep. So steep that it had to be called climbing rather than hiking! Luckily, the club had prepared us for this... With slightly wobbly legs (from all the hiking beforehand), I climbed the last part. I filmed the path with my GoPro, a total of 12 minutes. There was a metal chain next to the climbing section, which provided additional support. Otherwise, you only had your hands and feet to try and find a grip on the various rock ledges.

After 12 minutes of climbing, I made it. Sweaty and exhausted, but the whole ascent was still worth it. The sunrise was incredible. Simply beautiful. All around, only the tropical rainforest could be seen. Nothing but green. The landscape was marked by several mountains and a light mist hung over the hills, making the sunrise even more picturesque. According to the signs, on good days you can even see Byron Bay from this point! Many people were on the platform and, fittingly for the view, some tourists played the opening song from The Lion King ;)

After a while, we made our way back. As expected, the downhill climbing was a bit more difficult, and it took longer due to the crowd of people.

Going downhill through the rainforest, we could now see the nature that remained hidden in the dark. Huge trees, lianas, bushes - everything seemed like it was from another time or another world. There was a slight dampness in the air, which made the descent challenging. Every now and then, we spotted birds in the branches or turkeys in the bushes - we even saw a possum climbing a tree :)

After 2.5 hours of descent, I finally discovered a sign at the entrance of the park that was not visible in the dark.

9 km back and forth: 5 hours! No wonder it took so long.