While we were spending some time in the country Dixie and I left the kids with the Grandparents and headed off to climb Castle Rock. This is the first date night (or is it date day) that we have had in a year. I think other couples would choose to go to one of the wineries located near by for their date night.

The Porongurup Range is 12 kilometres long and is located 24kms from Mt Barker or 48kms from Albany in Western Australia. There are 4 different walks you can take in the park and we opted for Castle Rock which had a Granite Skywalk at the top.

At the base of Castle Rock there are picnic tables, bbq’s and long drop toilets so you can enjoy the area before or after your climb.

It is a 2.2 kilometre walk to the top of castle rock. The first kilometre is a steady incline and the path is wide enough for two people. After that the path becomes narrower, rockier and steeper. During the walk you pass through jarrah and marri forest before reaching the intriguing Balancing Rock.

The Balancing Rock is a giant sculpture shaped by natural forces. The Range started as a huge bubble of molten granite that hardened deep below the earths surface.

Just past the balancing rock there is a Karri Lookout which is for people who may not be able to climb to the summit or who don’t like heights.

To reach Castle Rock Summit you need to climb over and between boulders. There are handles to help you climb and the trickiest bit is working out the best place to position your feet. At certain parts you need to walk close to a steep cliff edge and then climb a 7 metre ladder to the summit.

Once you make it to the top there is a skywalk where you can take in the view of the land down below and see Stirling Rangers in the distance.

We walked the whole way up without stopping and it took us around 40 minutes. There were certain points where I could really feel my heart rate rising and knew my lungs were getting a decent dose of that country air. Dixie told me that he didn’t stop as he thought a freight train was coming up behind him! I am sure my breathing was not that bad!

I am glad that we had our date night climbing castle rock. Would you take the climb or head to a winery in the region?