Stirling Range

From Wild Southwest Wiki

The Stirling Range viewed from the south

The Stirling Range is a range of mountains stretching for almost 70km east and west along the northern borders of Porongurup and Pallinup States. The tallest mountain range in the entire Southwest its higher peaks can be seen from the ocean over 60 kilometers to the south.

A notable obstacle to travel, there are two major passes through the Stirlings. Chester Pass Road in the east - which is the main trade route between Albany and the Eastern Settlements - and the far less used Red Gum Pass road in the west. A heavily overgrown road runs through the centre of the range, marking much of the northern Porongurup border.

The highest point of the Stirlings is Bluff Knoll at 1,095 metres above sea level. Other notable peaks include Toolbrunup (1052 metres) and Ellen Peak (1012 metres). The height of the range has an orographic effect, with much more precipitation falling on the south side than the north. This is the major contributor to the dry climate of the Eastern Settlements.

During winter the range is often snow covered from late June to early September. In particularly bad winters the snow cover may last until late October. During the worst years of the Winter the mountains were under continuous cover, and almost completely impassable.

There have been sporadic reports of pre-war sites hidden within the Stirling Range, however these claims are regarded as dubious at best.