mack bang in the centre of Townsville city (and just outside my kitchen window) lies the granite monolith, Castle Hill, known by the Wulgurukaba people as Cootharinga. Overlooked since a handful of routes were established in the ‘90s, and left to gather cobwebs as the local developers filled their boots at nearby Frederick Peak, Castle Hill is used almost exclusively by tourists driving to the lookout or local fitness fanatics (myself included) trudging up and down the snaking trails and staircases. Only ten minutes from the airport, easy access, afternoon shade, consistent sea breezes and with views across to the magnificent Magnetic Island, you could argue that it’s Townsville's most highly prized climbing real estate. It just took a pandemic for me to
