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One Man's Pass, Slieve League Cliffs, Co Donegal

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  • 10-08-2017 12:46pm
    #1
    Greg81
    Registered Users Posts: 1,222 ✭✭✭


    Next weekend if weather permit I am planing to hike One Man's Pass.
    My plan is to park at Slieve League Cliffs and hike from there.
    Does anyone hike that trail before? Is the path marked somehow? Any tips?

    Thank you.


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    #2
    Peter Walker
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭Peter Walker


    It's tricky to offer advice without knowing your level of experience, but I'll try. I've been hillwalking for 35 years, so bear that in mind!

    If you are inexperienced I'd not bother with this if the weather's bad.

    When you say 'park at the Slieve League cliffs' I assume you mean the Bunglass car park at the road end to the south of Slieve League...if you're going at the weekend that car park will be full very early in the day, so you'll probably be parking in the much bigger car park (with toilets) about 1km back down the road. Once you get to the upper car park the initial section is on a very obvious and engineered path (most of those who use this section are tourists just walking a short way for the views of the cliffs). Route finding is easy...even without the path there's the cliff edge to point the way.

    Further on the bulk of the ascent is the pull up to the intervening height of Cnoc Ramhar...hereabouts there are several paths messily eroded into the peat (path restoration was put on hold because of the visual impact of the works being done). Also the seaward side isn't as sharply defined on this section, and it could be a bit confusing to the inexperienced if the cloud is down. 

    Once over Cnoc Ramhar there follows the climb up over the section known as Kerringear. If you stick to the ridgeline on this bit (the ocean side is once again a cliff at this point) there is a short knife edge of rock (this is called One Man's Pass in some books, confusingly, or these days more likely One Man's Path, or 'that knife edge at Kerringear'). This is probably best avoided by the inexperienced, or even by the experienced if they don't like heights...most folk need to use their hands here, and you're looking down 450m into the sea on the left. The drop on the right isn't especially appealing either, but there is an avoiding path down from the crest on this side which is rough but straightforward. The lower summit of Slieve League isn't far beyond this, and to gain the main top you'll need to cross what is generally known as One Man's Pass.

    This is a narrow-but-not-THAT-narrow ridge with steep (but not craggy) slopes falling away on both sides, around 400m long. I'd have thought that someone would have to have a very bad problem with heights to find it genuinely scary, and there's a path a metre or two wide along it. This leads to the summit area.

    Walkers are asked to descend via the Pilgrim's Route rather than the cliffs so as to manage the erosion...to reach this you go back over One Man's Pass to the SE top and continue along the plateau a bit before turning left (north-east) along a spur. You descend steeply for a few hundred metres and then the route (turning right down the valley) is very obvious. There's a bit of road walking on quiet lanes at the bottom to get back to the car park. 

    This route is described in a lot of books, for instance Helen Fairbairn's 'Ireland's Best Walks' and Adrian Hendroff's 'Donegal, Sligo & Leitrim: A Walking Guide'. Best map to carry is the OSI's Sheet 10 for SW Donegal.

    A lot more detail here: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/285/


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    #3
    Greg81
    Registered Users Posts: 1,222 ✭✭✭Greg81


    I am hiking for few good years also so there should be no bigger issues. Got the map No 10.

    'that knife edge at Kerringear' is exactly what interest me the most. No vertigo so there should be no problems.

    Hike is weather dependent. Rain and fog is no go for me.

    Thank you. That was the info i was looking for.


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    #4
    EndaHonesty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,544 ✭✭✭EndaHonesty


    Greg81 wrote: »
    Next weekend if weather permit I am planing to hike One Man's Pass.
    My plan is to park at Slieve League Cliffs and hike from there.
    Does anyone hike that trail before? Is the path marked somehow? Any tips?

    Thank you.

    Peter Walker's post above has everything covered.

    The path is very worn and obvious so little or no navigation is needed in clear visibility.

    The "knife edge" is a very short (20m-30m) scramble and is rather underwhelming considering it's name.

    The actual "one man pass" is again not what you might be expecting.

    Overall Slieve League is a pleasant walk with dramatic scenery but it's not an exhilarating challenge, if that's what you are expecting.

    The requested return route is a bit of a dull slog, much of it on road too, which I personally hate.

    In Donegal Errigal & Muckish are much more satisfying, IMO.


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    #5
    Greg81
    Registered Users Posts: 1,222 ✭✭✭Greg81


    EndaHonesty wrote: »

    The "knife edge" is a very short (20m-30m) scramble and is rather underwhelming considering it's name.

    The actual "one man pass" is again not what you might be expecting.

    Overall Slieve League is a pleasant walk with dramatic scenery but it's not an exhilarating challenge, if that's what you are expecting.

    In Donegal Errigal & Muckish are much more satisfying, IMO.

    I was looking at those clips:

    https://youtu.be/2Z4EYKEeIYg

    https://youtu.be/uWUu7iYh36c

    And that is was I am really exited about.


    Errigal & Muckish looks great. Thanks for the tip.


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    #6
    Peter Walker
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭Peter Walker


    I think those clips are shot on GoPros, which tends to compress the image horizontally. So the sides aren't QUITE that steep. (Notice how thin the people are on the longer clip).

    It's still quite exciting though, don't worry ;-)


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    #7
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,427 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Peter Walker wrote: »
    I think those clips are shot on GoPros, which tends to compress the image horizontally. So the sides aren't QUITE that steep.
    Yes, I've seen lots of these types of videos shot on GoPros that make even the mildest of ridges look absolutely terrifying.


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    #8
    Greg81
    Registered Users Posts: 1,222 ✭✭✭Greg81


    Peter Walker wrote: »
    It's still quite exciting though, don't worry ;-)

    I believe it will be grand. Can't wait until next week.

    Tomorrow heading to check out CUILCAGH WAY loop.

    http://www.marblearchcavesgeopark.com/cuilcagh-way/

    An about those Go Pro's i know they changing perspective a little bit. Looks cool anyway.

    Once again thanks for all tips guys.


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    #9
    Losty Dublin
    Registered Users Posts: 13,000 ✭✭✭✭Losty Dublin


    I did part of the Sliabh in 2014 and Peter sums it up nicely. It is not a killer climb but the state of the path is ropy in places. It is definitely not one for a bad day, that's for sure but as views go its one of the very best in Ireland. Enjoy :)


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