Montserrat Lookout + Upper Portals circuit

A relatively easy overnight circuit to take in stunning views of Mt Barney at sunset and sunrise followed by the refreshing cool of the Upper Portals the next morning. Starting at Cleared Ridge carpark and camping the night at the Montserrat Lookout Remote Campsite. The route could also easily be done as a day walk in ~5-6 hours.

Photos:
https://www.facebook.com/andrew.wilson/posts/10155543764069862

Access notes:
Travel from Boonah or Rathdowney along Boonah-Rathdowney Rd, turn onto Newman Rd, and then sharply onto Waterfall Creek Rd. Follow this until Waterfall Creek Reserve Camping Area is reached. This point marks the start of the steep, rough ascent to the Cleared Ridge carpark area. This road is advised as 4WD drive only and lives up to that reputation due to the lack of traction in some areas. We managed to (barely) get to the top in an AWD soft-roader (Subaru XV), but it was rough and sketchy, with one very steep and rough section in particularly taking some time to negotiate. It is unlikely that this road would be passable in wet conditions. The 4WD ascent is around 5km and will take 20-30 minutes due to condition of the road. If unable to drive to the top, walking the road would add up to 2 hours each way, and probably not be very pleasant either.

Trail notes:
From the informal carpark, follow the signs to Upper Portals. Specifically - head south-east along the access track on top of Cleared Ridge, passing an open area just past the first gate with great views to Mt May and Mt Maroon. Grass was high along here at the time of writing, so be mindful of snakes. Follow the road down the first steep hill to the National Park gate and Mt Barney sign. Turn right at this point and head south-west steeply downhill along a fire trail. You will reach Yamahra Creek at the bottom.

At this point a National Parks sign advises that Upper Portals are found by heading to the left. Ignore this and head right, crossing Yamahra Creek just after this sign (water was knee deep at time of writing after some heavy rain in previous days). Follow the access trail for several hundred metres, which had long grass at the time of writing. You will reach the remnants of some old cattle yards, and a view of Graces Hut ahead. You will be ascending the obvious ridge located to the south-west of these yards. We had difficulty locating the start of the discernible access road that heads up this ridge, as it is noted in most guidebooks that this road starts *before* the cattle yards (if coming from the Yamahra Creek crossing). Due to concerns about the boundary of the Private Property (you will see the cabins of Mt Barney retreat just beyond the Cattle Yards) we did not go past these yards, and instead bush bashed through some long grass to gain the ridge crest (seen on map). Once on the ridge crest, the access track was easily located. It appears that it actually starts *after* the cattle yards, close to the cabins, but we did not investigate this further.

Once on this ridge, it is relatively easy to ascend (although steep on legs at times with a fully loaded pac) with the old access road at gradually fading into a footpad that is only lost in a few instances due to windfall. After several kilometres, the rocky slabs marking the summit of Monserrat Lookout will be reached. We easily scrambled up these using an obvious break to the left once we reached the base. Once on top the full majesty of the view will be immediately apparent.

The Montserrat Lookout Remote Campsite is located about 50 metres below the rocky slabs of the summit to the south. It is a lovely flat grassy area with some shelter from the wind due to surrounding vegetation. You would probably fit 3x two person tents in this area. Set up camp, hike back up to the summit and enjoy the colours of sunset on the peaks of Barney and Mt Maroon. Similarly, set your alarm for before first light, as you won't want to miss the perspective this spot provides for sunrise (see photos).

The next morning, locate a relatively easy to find footpad to the south of the campsite and follow this down the south-east ridge towards the confluence of Mt Barney Creek and Yamahra Creek. This footpad is probably more distinct than that of the north-east ridge you ascended the previous afternoon, although windfall does require some small detours and the going is steep right near the summit. You should reach the creeks within an hour.

Find a point to cross Mt Barney creek so that you are on it's southern bank. Follow this bank downstream for a short distance until you reach the obvious start of the Upper Portals, marked by a narrowing of the creek banks to sheer rock and a large rock slab in the creek bed. This rock slab is a great spot for breakfast and a base for exploring further down the Portals. Unfortunately high water flow impeded our ability to swim or rockhop much further downstream.

When ready to head back to the car, cross Mt Barney creek back again to it's north bank at the large rock slab at the top of the Portals. A break in the cliffline almost directly opposite this rock slab marks the start of the ascent up the ridge. Although it can be a little hard to spot at first, the footpad is obvious once located. Follow this steeply uphill until a high point is reached and it becomes obvious the track is levelling off and following the creek line (this is the Upper Portals bypass track). At this high point, look for a large round boulder and follow a relatively faint footpad behind it roughly north. You are now ascending to the high point of Cleared Ridge. A footpad can be found for most of this ascent, although windfall, rocks, and a recent bushfire mean you can loose this at points. If in doubt, just keep ascending the ridge line. Eventually you will reach some large boulders which represent the high point of the ridge, and also offer some great close up views of Mt Barney.

Continue down to a saddle and climb up briefly again. After this point, the footpad will hit an obvious access trail. The end of this access trail is what I assume is called the 'Cleared Ridge Remote Camping' spot, although it is notably unimpressive compared to the alternative at Monserrat Lookout. Route finding once on this road is straightforward, with the exception of one point where the road you are on joins a more distinct track, with the option of either continuing straight up hill or heading downhill to the right. Take the option to head straight ahead and uphill. You will eventually come out at the Mt Barney park sign and gate that you passed on the first day when heading downhill to Yamahra Creek. Retrace your steps back to the car from this point.

Time splits:
(average fitness with overnight packs)
*Cleared Ridge carpark to Yamahra Creek - 30 minutes
*Creek crossing to Montserrat Lookout summit - 2 hours
*Montserrat Lookout summit to Mt Barney Creek/Yamahra Creek confluence - 1 hour
*Mt Barney Creek/Yamahra Creek confluence to head of Upper Portals - 15 minutes
*Head of Upper Portals to Cleared Ridge high point - 1 hour
*Cleared Ridge high point to Cleared Ridge carpark - 1 hour