More than 110 people have been rescued from the Glass House Mountains on the Sunshine Coast in the past two years — 10 times more than any other mountain in Queensland.

Emergency services have been called out 112 times to the three peaks — Mount Tibrogargan, Mount Beerwah and Mount Ngungun — in that time, according to new data from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES).

Tibrogargan and Beerwah are considered the more treacherous and require some climbing ability and scrambling to reach their summits.

Vertical rescues by suburb since 2017: Glass House Mountains: 112

Glass House Mountains: 112 Mt Coolum: 10

Mt Coolum: 10 Kangaroo Point: 5

Kangaroo Point: 5 Tamborine Mountain: 4

Tamborine Mountain: 4 Kuranda: 1 Source: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

Last year a 23-year-old man fell to his death on Mount Tibrogargan, and his stranded partner had to be rescued.

In January 2016, a man died after falling from a cliff on the same peak. His body was recovered from the base of the mountain.

Ngungun (pronounced N-gun-gun or Noo-Noo) is more straight-forward, with a walking trail to the top.

Despite that, a woman fell to her death from a cliff face while on the mountain in July 2017.

Rescuers have helped climbers more than 110 times in the past two years. ( Supplied: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services )

Fatal false steps

The trails on Beerwah and Tibrogargan can be navigated safely by experienced climbers when conditions are clear.

But novices can put at risk of serious injury or death by a wrong move.

QFES expert rescuer Greg Toman, an elite climber who coordinates a team from Caloundra, said going up Tibrogargan or Beerwah was hard, but coming down could be tougher, particularly for amateur climbers.

How to prepare before climbing Glass House Mountains: Check park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions

Check park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions Pay attention to on-site information and signs

Pay attention to on-site information and signs Be prepared. Parks are natural environments and conditions can be unpredictable

Be prepared. Parks are natural environments and conditions can be unpredictable Always walk with a group or in sight of another group and walk in daylight hours only

Always walk with a group or in sight of another group and walk in daylight hours only Stay on the track and away from cliff edges Source: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

He said a section of Tibrogargan was known as 'Chicken Rock' to climbers because it was the place where people might 'chicken out' of the climb, and was the point where trekkers needed to start climbing and scrambling.

"You can get someone who's not used to moving around that terrain — it can be extremely frightening for them," Mr Toman said.

"That might scare a few people off straight away.

"Some will push through that and then keep going up, but they still need to get back down through there."

Queensland Fire rescuers climb a trail on Mt Beerwah as part of their training in the Glasshouse Mountains. ( Supplied: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services )

Mr Toman said some climbers who had fallen from Chicken Rock had died or suffered critical injuries.

"There could be head injuries or spinal injuries because the rocks below are protruding from the ground, because the soil is eroded," he said.

Steep, slippery and hot

On Tibrogargan, the climb is steep and perilous even on a clear day and the sharp, rocky terrain can get hot enough to melt the soles of shoes.

Veteran climber David Reeve said the climb becomes "1,000 times harder" if the weather turns.

"If it rains, the rock becomes slick and really slippery, so if you're up there and it rains, you're in trouble," Mr Reeve said.

Mr Reeve has spent the past 50 years climbing all over the world, including the Glass House Mountains.

He said the summit trails had been worn smooth by climbers, which made it harder to grip to the stone.

Mr Reeve said there was no point trying to find another way down because the lesser-worn paths were coated with "diabolical" black algae, which is as slick as oil.

"As a rock climber, it stops us dead," he said.

"It's like being on ice — it's unreal."

Looking to the sky for help

Along with a team from QFES, there might be State Emergency Services, police and ambulance teams heading up the mountain to help climbers in trouble.

Rick Harvey from the Sunshine Coast Lifeflight Rescue Helicopter service is often called into action. ( ABC News: Owen Jacques )

If the rescuers know where the climber is during daylight, a rescue can be achieved in two hours.

But if climbers are lost in the dark, it could take up to 12 hours.

Rick Harvey, who is an air crewman with the Sunshine Coast Lifeflight Rescue Helicopter, has often been called to airlift climbers from the mountains.

He said some were injured in falls or unable to find their way back down, while others were overcome by dehydration or a medical episode.

The crewman said rescuers were highly trained, but every mission had its risks.

"We certainly appreciate that every winch [rescue] has an element of danger," Mr Harvey said.

"That's why we do a lot of training.

"We eliminate the danger and problems that can occur by ensuring that we're undertaking the task as safely as possible."

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 7 seconds 1 m 7 s A man is rescued in January 2018 after slipping down a steep section of Mt Tibrogargan ( Rescue 500 Brisbane )

'No more dangerous than driving'

Expert climbers know the risks involved when climbing the Glasshouse Mountains, but said respecting the mountains was the answer, not restricting access.

Mr Reeve said climbers would fight any attempt to ban access, and said climbing is far less dangerous than the Bruce Highway that runs alongside it.

"More [people] have an accident on the highway than have an accident on those mountains," Mr Reeve said.

"We've got to keep that in context.

"Going up those mountains is exciting, beautiful, uplifting, and yeah, there is an element of danger."

The Department of Environment said it had no plans to reduce or cut access to the climbs but advised anyone attempting the trails to be prepared and not stray beyond their limits.