Dooish/Muckish

paulocon

Hi all,

In Donegal for a few days at the end of the week - just wondering if anyone on here has been up either Dooish or Muckish and if they have any comments on routes etc.

I've heard that the route up Dooish from the valley road can be very wet and boggy so not sure how suitable it is for this time of year (especially after all that rain today!). Looks quite a short walk so should be possible to fit it into a morning. I am thinking of doing Muckish from Muckish Gap having heard mixed reports of the Miners route.

Cheers,
Paul

Hi

Muckish is a handy walk from the gap, park your car near the grotto, and it's straightforward enough.
Interesting plateau top, lots of stones, nice views, of Tory island etc

paulocon

Deleted User wrote: »

Hi

Muckish is a handy walk from the gap, park your car near the grotto, and it's straightforward enough.
Interesting plateau top, lots of stones, nice views, of Tory island etc

dursey.. thanks for that, much appreciated.

hopefully the weather will be a bit nicer than the last time I was up that way and ended up crawling up the last few metres to the summit of Errigal due to the wind!

Glenalla

paulocon wrote: »

Hi all,

In Donegal for a few days at the end of the week - just wondering if anyone on here has been up either Dooish or Muckish and if they have any comments on routes etc.

I've heard that the route up Dooish from the valley road can be very wet and boggy so not sure how suitable it is for this time of year (especially after all that rain today!). Looks quite a short walk so should be possible to fit it into a morning. I am thinking of doing Muckish from Muckish Gap having heard mixed reports of the Miners route.

Cheers,
Paul

Muckish fairly easy from the gap, good path up to fab views. Yes park at grotto and go from there. Would love to join you, Muckish or Dooish but away until sunday, how long you in DL until?

paulocon

Glenalla wrote: »

Muckish fairly easy from the gap, good path up to fab views. Yes park at grotto and go from there. Would love to join you, Muckish or Dooish but away until sunday, how long you in DL until?

Glenalla,

Will be heading away either Saturday night or Sunday morning. Hoping to get up Muckish or Dooish either Friday or Saturday morning depending on when I can sneak away from the clan!!

Have you been up Dooish?

Glenalla

paulocon wrote: »

Glenalla,

Will be heading away either Saturday night or Sunday morning. Hoping to get up Muckish or Dooish either Friday or Saturday morning depending on when I can sneak away from the clan!!

Have you been up Dooish?

Hi Paul
Haven't done Dooish yet but on my list. Only done Muckish from the gap, fairly easy and straight forward but very rocky on top.
Unfortunatly wont be back in Donegal until Sunday.
Available most weekends in Donegal if you want to walk sometime.

paulocon

Glenalla wrote: »

Hi Paul
Haven't done Dooish yet but on my list. Only done Muckish from the gap, fairly easy and straight forward but very rocky on top.
Unfortunatly wont be back in Donegal until Sunday.
Available most weekends in Donegal if you want to walk sometime.

Cheers Glenalla,

I'll certainly be back up that way in the near future so I'll drop you a PM prior to doing so - would be nice to have some walking company!

Trying to do all the 2,000 footers in Ireland (long term goal) so will probably take a weekend walking up in Donegal come spring next year. I've done Errigal, am hoping to do Muckish and/or Dooish this week and will try and do both Slieve Snaghts at some stage next year.

hmmm

Muckish is probably one of my favourite mountains. The route up from the Grotto is definitely one of the easiest, but for me the Miners path is the most enjoyable route. It is steep (and forbidding to look at) but the path is of decent quality. As a route itself it can be hugely atmospheric. Imposing steepish cliffs which can have you scratching your head wondering how they are climbed, on a misty day it is very eerie, particularly when you arrive at the point where the old mining equipment remains.

I wouldn't do it coming down the mountain, only up - come down at the Gap, you'll need two cars. Personally I'd avoid it on very wet, very windy or icy days, too much of a drop for me. I'm afraid of heights and have no problem doing it most of the time.

There's one or two spots you need to be careful. At one point (about a 3rd of the way up) there is a small set of stones on the path, so small that every year even while looking out for them I somehow manage to walk over them and ignore them. The (seeming) path then curves around a narrow ledge with a big big drop to the left. Most sane people realise that can't possibly be the route and instead ***many try to take the gulley just before it. Bad move***, go back to the stones and you'll notice the path continues just above where the stones are located over a short rock step (which isn't all too obvious).

At the old mining equipment, the path is obvious (if you know where to look) around the left of the mountain. After that it's an easy path to the top of the hill.

Be very careful picking your point of descent for the Gap. Most of the times I've been on Muckish it has been misty, stick to the left of the ridge and you'll eventually see a clear path leading downwards to the left. Go on too far and you'll find a cliff.

paulocon

hmmm wrote: »

Muckish is probably one of my favourite mountains. The route up from the Grotto is definitely one of the easiest, but for me the Miners path is the most enjoyable route. It is steep (and forbidding to look at) but the path is of decent quality. As a route itself it can be hugely atmospheric. Imposing steepish cliffs which can have you scratching your head wondering how they are climbed, on a misty day it is very eerie, particularly when you arrive at the point where the old mining equipment remains.

I wouldn't do it coming down the mountain, only up - come down at the Gap, you'll need two cars. Personally I'd avoid it on very wet, very windy or icy days, too much of a drop for me. I'm afraid of heights and have no problem doing it most of the time.

There's one or two spots you need to be careful. At one point (about a 3rd of the way up) there is a small set of stones on the path, so small that every year even while looking out for them I somehow manage to walk over them and ignore them. The (seeming) path then curves around a narrow ledge with a big big drop to the left. Most sane people realise that can't possibly be the route and instead ***many try to take the gulley just before it. Bad move***, go back to the stones and you'll notice the path continues just above where the stones are located over a short rock step (which isn't all too obvious).

At the old mining equipment, the path is obvious (if you know where to look) around the left of the mountain. After that it's an easy path to the top of the hill.

Be very careful picking your point of descent for the Gap. Most of the times I've been on Muckish it has been misty, stick to the left of the ridge and you'll eventually see a clear path leading downwards to the left. Go on too far and you'll find a cliff.

Well, I headed up this morning. Having read some varying reports on the Miners Path and given the fact that I was on my own (and the fact that I am a bit of a coward), I went up from the Gap. Like you said, a handy walk but it's a smashin' place. The tock-strewn summit really is otherworldly. Great nugget of advice you gave anyone who is coming from the other direction as regards finding the patch back to the gap so it's worth reiterating, stick left on the ridge and you'll pick the patch up after the large cairn.

From Muckish, I went onto Dooish which is a pretty tough walk despite it being quite short. Ground is steep and very boggy almost to the top making it a bit of a slog but the views from the top across to Errigal and the Aghlas are superb.

Very enjoyable morning and great walking country!