Mt. Mitchell West Pk (Main Range NP)

[trowland]

Climbed this one today and it was quite an interesting adventure. I couldn't find any track notes or gpx files anywhere online, so had to get a bit creative with the route. In retrospect, I think the easiest way would have been ascending via the saddle between the peaks, however we chose to take a more 'adventurous' route and go directly up to the peak from the regular path. Lots and lots of loose rocks on the route that we took along with some minor scrambling, a bit sketchy in places but nothing too difficult. A fair bit of Gympie Gympie too in places, but it was easily avoidable. There was quite a unique cairn at the summit - haven't seen one like it before. Glimpses of Spicers Pk and Mitchell East Pk on the way up, but more or less nothing to see at the summit. Still, another one ticked off the list.

I'd be interested to hear other accounts of people climbing the west peak, given it seems to be seldom talked about (and therefore presumably seldom climbed!).

[CBee]

I have a couple of gpx I may use to get an approx idea to connect Cunningham's Gap and Spicer Gap as part of a bigger traverse. The routes both go through Mitchell West Peak or near and descend down to a creek following a prominent spur SE. I suspect there is a faint pad through the Gympie Gympie but I need to check it out. I'm not a huge fan of that plant, especially now that everything is growing out of proportion. But if I remember, there is a pad near the East Peak on the RHS to the West Peak (?).

[trowland]

It did look like there was a very faint pad from near the east peak that most likely led to the west peak. We did not thoroughly check it out though. Definitely not a fan of the Gympie Gympie growth at the moment either - seems to be an abundance of it after all this rain we've had.

[Aardvark]

I took a club walk many years ago, from the Mathieson track to the summit of the East Peak via the southeast ridge. A faint pad in places but easy enough to keep the ridgeline. Once at the cliffs below the summit, you can traverse around to the west and link up with the main track. It is also possible to climb the cliff but i would advise only if confident. Plenty of sharpies around the cliffline.
There is another track albeit less obvious now, which takes the spur running SW off the main track as it passes on the south of West Peak. That can be accessed via forestry roads leading up from the back of the rangers quarters near Fischer Park truckstop. At the highest point where the forestry roads meet a fenceline, the road contours around the spur (to the east) and down to Spicers valley. Very overgrown at times. I don't know anyone has the need to bother clearing it anymore. However it is possible to just descend off track direct to the valley floor. Vegetation not too bad down there. Further west the forestry roads also descend to the floor but more and more westward as you descend. It gets to the point where it is tempting to then ascend the west peak of Spicers instead of going up valley to Governors Chair.
The traverse across the top of Spicers from west to east evens it all out because that can be problematic. Mostly due to vegetation when carrying a throughwalking pack.
Some scrambling necessary.
But then, an alternative is to descend directly south of West Spicers into the farm land above Hell Hole Gorge (west of Doubletop). The road can be used to ascend the next ridgeline to gain the track up the SW ridge of Doubletop.