Granite Skywalk - Porongurup NP

"Let go for a hike she said , it will be a good idea she said!"

I saw this trip to the Granite Skywalk and had this ridiculous idea of trekking up a mountain , didn’t realize at the time when i booked the walk it was a Grade 5!

Castle Rock Walk and Granite Skywalk, a challenging 4.5-kilometre return hike nestled in Western Australia's stunning Porongurup National Park. With a Grade 5 difficulty, this trail promises rugged terrain, steep inclines, and some exhilarating rock scrambling. Start at the Castle Rock picnic area and navigate through a picturesque mix of Jarrah, Marri, and Karri forests, pausing to marvel at the gravity-defying Balancing Rock before conquering the summit for breathtaking panoramic views. For seasoned bushwalkers, this trail is a must-do. Grade 5 (Difficult) Walks for the Most Experienced

None the wiser off we went.

We travelled to ‎⁨Porongurup National Park⁩, to where the Granite Skywalk was, i’d booked a guided tour( very unusual for us!) but we needed to leave Billy in a safe place and at the time we had rented a cabin on the caravan site because we needed some work done on the mystery bus and the timing all fell into place.
Armed and dangerous with a rather big walking branch off we went up the steps, it soon accrued to me that the only way was up , up steps that just kept going , at first me face went red , then me breath went , Paul and his new friend casually strolled up the steps “don’t you just hate tradies, fit as f..f” mean while that sickness feeling hit me , i really thought i was in trouble and i wasn't going to able to pull this off, even with my trusty branch!
As the breath got shorter and occasionally needing a stop suddenly i had a second wave and from no where my breathing started to calm , i could hold a conversation and the others were starting to lag behind , i had this amazing feeling of release , like i could run up , not that i did but i did catch up to the Olympic tradies upfront. Now to think i hadn’t done any exercise since leaving the house in March 2024 , not bad for someone who had been enjoying themselves with the added baggage round the waist , just it’s so much harder lugging a heavier version of one’s self.

We got to the scrambling part of the climb and me legs didn’t seem to stretch to each foot hold ,so the flexibly wasn’t present but of course you find a way and the final ladder was like going up to decorate the living room wall. You walk round this man made bridge to an incredible view over Porongurup NP.
And yes it was a great idea!Læs mere