I know the subject line sounds ominous.....and for good reason
After downloading a GPS file from Wikiloc, a friend & I recently embarked on an overnight circuit taking in the peak of Mt Razorback. With an 18kg pack, the first leg to get to the ridge line, is a real heart starter...and the subsequent traversing of the ridge, a real heart stopper!!! To give you an idea of the ridge line, the narrowest section is blocked by a 700mm wide boulder (see photo) which you need to go around or over. Neither of these options would be palatable to a sane person. Thankfully the majority of the ridge gave you the option of not being so close to a certain-death fall (see photos).
The plateau of Mt Razorback is a verdant rainforest which is spectacular. Due to the density of the forest, no real views are possible of the surrounding valleys & ranges.
The GPS had some ‘issues’ (that is accuracy issues) as we were making our exit off the south-east of the plateau. We were too far south and missed the start of the ridge which meant the descent got
significantly steep (note: after downloading my GPS files later, I now know we were heading for a cliff). Lucky for us the GPS regained its composure (& accuracy) and we backpedalled to a more decent descent. We then discovered Mt Razorback was named for its
pair of razorback thin ridges. Yep, it was back to heart-in-mouth knife-edge trekking. We were treated to many great specimens of orchids and epiphytes, and the views were pretty breathtaking.
We dismounted the ridge at the saddle (between Mt Razorback & Mt Worendo) and made our way down to Albert River (right branch). Energy levels were waning after the morning efforts but we still had 4 hrs of rock hopping (see photo) before getting to the edge of the National Park. The things we do for ‘fun’
We won’t be rushing back to Mt Razorback in the near future but we felt it was a good accomplishment and we saw some great country with the natural beauty of Lost World.
Aside: my GPS registered the trip as ~20km. My advice is:- you need to have a good level of fitness; be confident and comfortable with heights; have some scrambling skills; be prepared for GPS accuracy being variable and do the circuit in a clockwise direction.