Walked up Trestle Mountain from Mountain River today. The walk starts at the end of Mountain River Road. See the walk description and the map. Note that the walk description directions for the final ascent are for the "old" track, the description below, the map and the signs on the track show the new route.
This is a big climb, the summit is about 1160m, and you start at about 210m. You also drop before starting the final ascent, so it's a little more than the obvious 950m. The climb does seem quite unrelenting, so make sure you're fit before trying it. It's hard on the knees on the return, so be prepared.
Hard to lose the track - just walk uphill. The track zigzags uphill, starting out moderate, but becoming very steep in places. There are some notable points, as shown on the map. Eventually you head gently downhill and emerge on the East-West Firetrail in the saddle between Trestle Mountain and Collins Bonnet. This is a quite spectacular place. You turn left onto the firetrail, and walk for about 10 minutes, passing a well signed not-the-track (old badly eroded track). The new track heads quite steeply uphill across boulders and through bush. It is much better that the old track, so don't bother trying to take a shortcut - I reckon it's quicker the new way. The website doesn't have the new track noted, but I'll fix that sometime.
The summit is worthwhile, with great views of the side of Collins Bonnet, Mt Marian, Collins Cap, the Huon Valley, and much else. The actual peak is the top of an awkward dolerite spire. I haven't stood on it.
Anyway, I got the top very late today, because there was so much fungus that needed to be photographed in the forest below. I'll post some of them too. Got back to the car in the gloaming. Had some trouble finding my footing in the dark bits under the trees.
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