I always find hiking more fun when we need to use our hands or navigation skills. So the volcanic plug Pages Pinnacle and its razorback ridge were really tempting. I’m scared of heights but always keen to challenge my fears. So after checking a few photos online, I accepted the challenge. But it didn’t go as expected! Still, we had a good time at Pages Pinnacle.
Summary
Distance: 6 km
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: moderate/hard
Disclaimer: The hiking time and difficulty are based on our experience. We are experienced hikers with a good level of fitness, used to hiking long distances and scrambling. We possess good navigation skills and use a Garmin watch* with a GPS navigation map. Always check the park alerts and notes, as trail conditions change over time, which may affect the hike’s level of difficulty.
Some say they got lost on their way to Pages Pinnacle.
We found the walk to the start of the ridge easy; we were there in less than one hour. There are some steep sections, but nothing too hard. It’s not a very interesting path, so we didn’t really take breaks. However, if you don’t have a GPS, you may miss a turn and walk for a lot longer than expected. There are a few non-official markings to help you find your way, but most are easy to miss.
Responsible travel tip: Leave no trace. This tip is often mentioned when you do outdoor activities. Even if you struggle to find the path, do not carve more markings on the trees…
The razorback ridge is not technically hard, but it was more exposed than I imagined.
We found the ridge was technically easy to conquer on a dry day. The rocks are not slippery, and the grips and platforms are easy to find. The angle makes you feel like you’re climbing (I wouldn’t call it scrambling anymore), but your body weight is still against the rocks, so it’s not tiring on your arms and not too hard for balance. As you make your way towards the pinnacle, the view gets better and better.
When I saw the photos, I thought the bushes would help me control my fear of heights and conquer the ridge. But they were too small to trick my brain into thinking it wasn’t as exposed as it looked. Halfway there, I had to do a giant step I was really uncomfortable with —nothing technical, but just a little bit too challenging for my fear of heights. So I decided to wait in the middle of the ridge while my buddy checked out the last part of the hike.
As I waited, immobile, not really at ease, a flock of birds flew in my direction and passed so close to me that I could feel the power of their wings. Never had I imagined I would be so close to flying with birds. It was the best reward I could ask for my efforts to try to scramble on the ridge.
When my buddy came back, we had lunch comfortably sitting on the rocks just before the ridge. The views were lovely, and we were the only ones there.
Hinze Dam
After seeing Hinze Dam from Pages Pinnacle, you may want to take a short detour to have a closer look. We went there for sunset after our hike. The colours were lovely, and it was great to see Pages Pinnacle in the background to reflect on the walk we’d just done.
Did you go to Pages Pinnacle? Share your experience in the comments below!
Where is Pages Pinnacle?
Pages Pinnacle is near Springbrook National Park, about 1.5hrs away from Brisbane in Queensland (Australia).
