Frenchman’s Peak, Cape le Grand NP, Western Australia

Australia is well known for its’ gorgeous beaches, pristine blue waters, jaw-dropping hikes and blissful weather. We spent a year travelling to all edges of the continent and this national park still stands out as one of my favourite places.

Just 45 minutes driving from Esperance in Southern WA is Cape Le Grand National Park, a haven for swimming, bush-walking, fishing and camping; there’s something here for everyone. When you arrive in this wild corner of the country, you will feel as though you’ve reached nirvana. Rust red dirt edged roads lead you down towards the sea as though you are a magnet being pulled there with no way of stopping it. The sight of the harsh clash of turquoise waters against red dirt and green bush is still vivid when I close my eyes as if it’s been burned onto my retinas. The large granite outcrops of this ancient place contrast magnificently with white sand beaches; both looking out of place and right at home here.

The national park is home to a mob of western grey kangaroos, possums and a diverse range of wildflowers. If, like us, you like to conquer a few peaks whilst you holiday, Le Grand Coastal trail leads you to several hiking trails, but the most spectacular panoramic views can be found at the top of Frenchman’s Peak. At only 262m it is relatively small, but the smooth granite surface makes this more of a challenge than several other peaks we’ve summited.

Halfway up the peak, with great views of the coastline already emerging, and in the foreground, our campervan Fabio!

Start/end point: Frenchman’s Peak car park

Average duration: 2-3 hours

Distance: 3km return

When to go: Shoulder seasons February-May and September-November. Australia’s summers are boiling hot and hiking in extreme heat is not recommended. This walk is not recommended in wet or windy weather due to the slippery surface of the rock.

Difficulty: Moderate-hard, wear sturdy walking boots

Maps/Info: The walk is signposted and in shoulder seasons there are usually other hikers around. Follow footpath from the car park to the signposted east slope; do not attempt a short cut as the rock is deceptively steep, especially on descent.

All trails provides an in depth guide of the walk here: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/australia/western-australia/frenchman-peak-trail#:~:text=Head%20out%20on%20this%201.5,encounter%20other%20people%20while%20exploring.

The hike:

The peak is located within a much loved national park in Western Australia and so is suitably ready for tourists. There were some information boards in the car park which informed us that John Forrest, a prominent explorer in Australia in the 1800’s, had led a party through the area in around 1870 in search of good pasture country. During the expedition, Frenchman’s Peak was named by his brother Alexander because he said the shape resembled a man wearing a Frenchman’s cap. The Aboriginal name for the peak is Mandooboornup.

For the first half of the pathway up the peak, the route is steady and actually quite gentle on the incline. You start the walk from the car park directly south of the peak but the trail soon takes you east to skirt the peaks’ steep and insurmountable side. After the trail has been kind to you and eased you into the walk, you begin to really climb on the Eastern front of the peak.

If you have both strong and sturdy footwear and lungs you will overcome the obstacle of the steep ascent with minimal effort but the difficulty on this peak is the surface you are climbing on. Smooth granite is a slippery surface on any day, and with a severe lack of foot and hand holds it would be easy to slide down the peak as if you’d stepped on a snake in snakes & ladders.

Tom and I standing on a rocky outcrop near the system of caves

Quite close to the top, about two thirds of the way up the peak are a series of caves which are very special to go inside and provide a bit of shelter on a windy day. Make sure you take the time to go inside the cave system; the natural formation of the rock is incredible and in some section of caves you can see through the peak entirely, providing great views over the coastline and the rest of the national park. This is also a good spot to bird watch as they swoop and dive nearby, at heights similar to your own.

On the peak

After leaving the safety and shelter of the caves, we slogged onwards and upwards for the last 10 minutes of the hike; the final section near the peak is a sort of scramble to the top. Once you arrive you will be glad of the effort you put into climbing this short but steep peak; the views down over this corner of WA are astounding. On a clear day you can see an archipelago of islands such as Woody, Gunton and Sandy Hook, as well as all the way to Esperance across the bay. You will be able to see the reefs bursting with life below the surface of the water, protected by beautiful beaches and coves.

What goes up must come down, I’m afraid! In one way the descent was much easier and quicker than the ascent; we basically ended up on our hands and knees and then deciding we may as well just bum shuffle. This was mainly to prevent from slipping completely off the Eastern face of the peak, and it was great to be facing forwards to make sure we didn’t take anyone else out who was ascending or descending.

Once back at the car, we decided we simply had to go and find some of the beaches and coves we had seen from the peak, and spend the rest of the day sunbathing. I encourage you to do the same; Hellfire, Thistle and Lucky Bay are all within easy reach and all absolutely resplendent in their colourful shades. The national park is also known for it's population of kangaroos which frequent the beach to sunbathe nearly as often as the tourists do, and an encounter with these chilled-out beach marsupials is something you won’t forget quickly.

Me with a kangaroo friend in Lucky Bay