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Hike the Bald Head Walk Trail

Torndirrup, Western Australia

Details

Distance

7.8 miles

Elevation Gain

2063.6 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Mark Pybus

A short drive from Albany in the South West of Australia is an opportunity to immerse yourself high above the unweilding power of the Southern Ocean on an ancient peninsula in the Torndirrup National Park.

In Western Australia it’s not unusual to have to travel long distances to experience something out of the ordinary so when you can travel 20 minutes from a city centre and be immersed in a different world, you take advantage.

The Bald Hill Walk Trail is a short drive from Albany in the state’s south and is right at the edge of the rugged Torndirrup National Park. While the park may draw plenty of tourists to see natural attractions like The Gap, Blowholes and the Natural Bridge, it’s the Bald Head Trail that is the true star of Torndirrup.

At 12.5km out and back, the trail straddles the ridgeline of the Flinders Peninsula straight into the unrelenting wildness of the Southern Ocean. For most of the hike you are trekking a narrow limestone path up and down the ridge taking in the sweeping views north across King George Sound and south towards the frozen lands of Antarctica.

Starting with a small climb up to Isthmus Hill, you quickly leave the civilised world behind and can truly connect with nature as you scamper up and down the bright white paths. After the main climb up to over 200m above the crashing waves below, you come out of the spider infested tree line and onto a pinky/orange granite plateau.

Interesting geological formations scatter the landscape and you are free to pick your own path for a while until rejoining the trail for the last stretch to the pyramid at Bald Head, The final point before turning around and heading home. Find the paper filled container and write your own message for the ages or just stare out into the vastness of the Southern Ocean contemplating life, love and your own existence.

It may look like an easy trek but the terrain can be tricky, especially in the wet and exposed to the elements. Your reward is an experience you will never forget and the knowledge that you worked hard to see something a bit special rather than walk a few steps from the car park.

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