The alarm went off in the dark and I nearly turned it off. Mount Coolum is one of those walks that is easy to put off because it is always there. It sits right behind the beach, it does not take long, and so it becomes the thing you will do next weekend.
This time I went. The car park was already half full of headlamps.
The climb
There is no gentle warm-up. The track goes up from the start, first on built steps and then over rock that is uneven enough to slow everyone down. In the dark it is mostly a matter of watching the circle of light in front of your feet and listening to the people ahead of you breathing hard.
It is short, but it is steep. If you are not used to steps, take it slowly and stop when you need to. Nobody minds. Half the fun on the way up is the little conversations that happen at every place where people stop to catch their breath.
Everyone on that summit was watching the same thing, and nobody was talking.
The top
I made it with a few minutes to spare. The sky over the ocean had gone from black to that deep blue that comes just before the colour starts, and there were maybe thirty people spread across the rocks with their phones out and then, one by one, put away.
When the sun came up it lit the coastline in both directions: the long beaches running north, the towns along the shore, and behind us the hinterland still in shadow. It does not last long, which I think is part of why it works.
Coming down
The descent is harder on the knees than the climb is on the lungs. In daylight you can finally see the rock you were scrambling over, and it is a little alarming. Good shoes matter here more than on most short walks.
I was back at the car before most people had finished breakfast, which is the best feeling a Saturday morning can offer.
If you go
- Start in the dark if you want the sunrise, and bring a head torch.
- Wear shoes with real grip. The rock can be slippery after rain.
- Take water, even though the walk is short.
- Check Queensland Parks for any track closures before you leave.
