County High Tops - completed

Jimbob1977

After ten years of chipping away, I have finally completed Ireland's "32 County High Points". There are 27 mountains to climb, because ten counties are shared summits.

In most cases, I took the easiest and most straightforward routes. Consequently, some of the lesser "climbs" only took fifteen minutes. I'm a bit of a fraud

Two things are very important to remember:

o Ireland's weather is very changeable. Have suitable clothing and footwear to cover hail, rain or shine. You might leave your car in warm sunshine, but end up shrouded in a cool mist at 600 metres. Respect the mountains

o Understand how to use a compass and map. Another extra safety feature is to save the car park and summit coordinates into Google Maps. If you are unsure of your location, the "blue dot" on Google Maps can be a godsend.

In case anyone is interested, here is a brief description by county. Mountainviews.ie is another great resource

Munster

Carrauntoohil, Kerry (1,039m) - I was lucky to climb this mountain on a warm and dry day. Started out in Cronin's Yard and took the traditional route through Hag's Glen. The steep Devil's Ladder holds some danger with the loose scree and uncertain hand grips. It must be respected. I saw a tourist wearing runners and jogging down the Devil's Ladder. If he slipped, he was dead at worst... and broken limbs at best. After the Ladder has been navigated, it's a steep trudge to the summit of Ireland's highest mountain. Those two lakes are breathtaking. Expect a round trip of 8-9 hours.


Knockboy, Cork (706m) - I took the "path of least resistance" on this mountain. I parked my car at Priest's Leap (500 metres ASL) after giving my clutch a good workout. As I had already gained 75% of the altitude, the remaining portion was a 50 minute trudge through the dense mist to the trig stone.


Knockmealdown, Waterford (794m) - I parked at the Bay Lough Car Park, about 3km south of The Vee. A strenuous 20 minute ascent to Sugarloaf Hill, where you pick up the stone wall towards Knockmealdown. It's a broad mountain and the wall makes a good companion and navigation aide. Note that the summit plateau is quite small, with a sheer drop off its eastern side. On a windy day up top, it can be dangerous.


Galtymore, joint Tipperary and Limerick (919m) - I parked up at the farm outside Skeheenaranky on a glorious day. It's a modest trek along relatively flat and broad ground to the base of Galty Beg. Then walkers make a beeline for the col between Galty Beg and Galtymore. People with vertigo might not fancy the sheer drop of c. 600 metres overlooking the small lake, but you don't have to go near the edge.... and there's a wide berth. There's great views from the top of Galtymore. On a fine day, it's a walk for all the family.


Moylussa, Clare (532m) - Parked in Ballycurrigan Forest outside Killaloe. There were plenty of walkers on its many established trails. The path is well-worn, until you have to duck into a gap at the Coillte "Do Not Enter" road. To preserve the flora and fauna, a wooden boardwalk has been laid on the final approach. Commanding views on Lough Derg on a fine day.

Leinster

Arderin - joint Laois and Offaly (527m). The lay-by carpark on the Glendine Pass is a perfect staging post. It's a gentle 30 minute stroll to the summit. The area is eerily quiet and lonely.


Mount Leinster - joint Carlow and Wexford (796m). I parked at the Nine Stones and simply took the tarmac road to the RTE mast at the top. It's a steep ascent, but it's made easy by the paving.


Mullaghmeen, Westmeath (258m). Ireland's lowest highest point, if that makes sense! The forest is supposedly Europe's largest beech plantation. After a gentle stroll through the cool beech forest, the summit is a collection of rocks that overlook Lough Sheelin.


Corn Hill/Cairn Clonhugh, Longford (278m). Another transmission mast. Eleven minutes up and eight minutes down. Not much else to say.


Slieve na Calliagh/Lough Crew, Meath (276m). This hill is popular with tourists as it is also the site of a megalithic tomb. If the OPW staff are present, you can access the tomb. The summit itself is 15 minutes from the car park. The rolling plains are like watching Kate Bush's Cloudbusting video.


Brandon Hill, Kilkenny (515m). The hill is best reached at a car park off the Inistoige to Graiguenamanagh road. The initial walk is fairly easy through the woodlands. The final ascent is straightforward to the cairn and cross on the summit.


Cupidstown Hill, Kildare (379m). The easiest climb of the lot. What can you say? The car can be parked at a metal barrier near Kilteel. It's a seven-minute climb to the mast. The trig stone is behind the mast. Five minutes back to the car.


Slieve Foye/Carlingford Mountain, Louth (589m). This is a gem of a walk. The climb starts in the lovely village of Carlingford, with the Mourne Mountains brooding across the lough in County Down. The initial walk is up a stream bed/rough path from the village and out onto the grassy hills. After a few zig-zag slopes, the walk steepens. The summit sits on a rocky plateau and commands excellent views. It takes about one hour from village to summit.


Kippure, Dublin (757m). There's space for about seven cars at the lay-by at Lough Bray Upper. Start walking across the grass and make for the "Eagle's Crag" in the distance, which hovers over Lough Bray Upper and Lough Bray Lower. The Eagle's Crag looks like it's a tough climb, but the worn path makes it a doddle. Some very minor scrambling. From this lofty perch, you can look down on the lovely and secluded private house that has Lough Bray Upper as its front garden. They like their privacy, so it's better not to traipse across their land. From that point onwards, it's a trudge across heathery and grassy land to the transmission mast. 70 minutes from car to summit. I was lazy, so I returned by the tarmac road.


Lugnaquilla, Wicklow (925m). Leinster's #1 and Ireland's #2, if you exclude all the Kerry mountains. The most popular staging post is from Fenton's Glen of Imaal Bar near Knockannarigan. It was a very pleasant day. There is an initial 30 minute road walk before you reach the base of the mountain. It's a very broad and grassy mountain, so there's no significant danger on a fine day. The uppermost section is quite stony, with loose scree. Eventually, you emerge onto the large plateau. In bad weather, care must be taken as there are sheer drops on two sides (North Prison and South Prison). In good weather, Lugnaquilla is a great 4-hour round trip.


Connacht


Mweelrea, Mayo (814m). It's amazing how many people reckon that Croagh Patrick is Mayo and Connacht's highest mountain.... and they've never heard of Mweelrea. This mountain is a beauty. The car park at Delphi Adventure Centre is a great starting point. After a few hours of trekking along the grass, the mountain proper starts! There's a nerve-wracking ridge (or it seems that way) to traverse around halfway up, with sheer fatal drops on either side. In truth, it's probably 20 metres wide, but a vertigo sufferer would not fancy it. To cap off the climb, Ireland's only fjord at Killary Harbour is spectacular. The round trip is about 7-8 hours.


Truskmore, Sligo (647m)/Truskmore South East Cairn, Leitrim (631m). Once again, Truskmore is the site of a major RTE mast. As a consequence, the best way is to take the tarmac road. It's a stiff climb to the top, but the scenery is beautiful. It's an area where you feel you're the only person for miles. On misty days, the masts and guide wires appear and disappear like giants. Truskmore (just beside the masts) is the pinnacle of County Sligo. If you walk about 500 metres southeast onto flat ground, you will find a pile of stones that marks Leitrim's highest point.


Seltannasaggart, Roscommon (428m). The most surreal climb. Effectively, the walk meanders gently along the route of the old Arigna Mines on a concrete path. Corry Mountain is now the home of wind turbines. It looks like a quarry. You almost feel like a trespasser and that you are going to be challenged by a security guard or Alsatian. On my visit, it was totally unmanned. The Roscommon high point is a collection of stones beneath a the giant blades. If I remember, someone might have sprayed them blue and yellow.


Benbaun, Galway (729m). The Twelve Bens are a glorious area of outstanding natural beauty. Unfortunately, the local farmers seem to be at war with the State. There are signs on the fences that warn land agents to keep off. Anyway, the initial journey is through grassy lands and a steep tough climb up to a ridge. From the ridge, the ground opens out and it's relatively flat. The summit itself has commanding views of the Twelve Bens and Kylemore.


Ulster


Mount Errigal, Donegal (751m). I've seen lovely pictures of this mountain, but I arrived on a foul and misty day. Visibility was poor from 200 metres. The first section of the climb from the lay-by near Dunlewy is very boggy. You follow the stream until it disappears underground. If you take a wrong step, the mud can reach your kneecap and you are messy for the duration. After the first section, take a hard left directly for the summit. Scree begins to appear about half way up the mountain. There are two summits, separated by the delightfully named "One Man's Pass". It's a very narrow ridge, that I wouldn't fancy on a howling day. The general consensus is that the first summit is the higher point. Unfortunately, the weather never picked up, so I couldn't see Errigal's pink quartz sparkling in the sun.


Sawel, joint Derry and Tyrone (678m). This is a very remote and rural part of Ulster, but the climb is grand. I left my car on Sperrin Road, between the settlements of Sperrin and Park. There is a high wooden fence that guides you vertically from the base towards the summit. The only issue is that the ground is very boggy and muddy. When you see the perpendicular fence cutting across your walk after 45 minutes, take this perpendicular fence for 200 metres. You'll find the cairn in a few minutes.


Cuilcagh, joint Cavan and Fermanagh (665m). I approached the climb from the Coillte barrier between Swanlinbar and Glangevlin on the Cavan side. The initial fifteen minutes' walk in a woodland track on the Coillte land. Then the mountain opens out magnificently after the mast. It's a broad shoulder all the way to the summit of Cuilcagh, with great views of Fermanagh's lakes. A very rewarding walk that is never difficult. The Fermanagh side of the summit plateau is almost a sheer drop of 600 metres. It's the Fermanagh side that has the Marble Arch UNESCO Geopark and the Legnabrocky Stairway to Heaven.


Trostan, Antrim (551m). This mountain was shrouded in the worst fog I have ever experienced. Visibility was down to 20 metres. Trostan doesn't look like it's the highest mountain in Antrim. Its neighbour Lurigethan seems more imposing and spectacular over the village of Cushendall, yet the facts don't lie. After parking near Glenariff Forest Park, I trudged through the gloomy forest. The walk was mainly an indistinct route that followed a stream, a minor waterfall and across spongy moss to the back fence of the forest. At this stage, I had to rely on Google Maps because the fog had upset my sense of direction and position. The walk to the top of Trostan's plateau is through boggy grass and heather, but it's not far. On a fine day, I'd expect the scenery is excellent.


Slieve Gullion, Armagh (573m). While most climbers would attempt the ascent from the Forest Park to the south, I tackled Slieve Gullion from Ballard Road to the north. The opening stage is a gentle meander through some fields. As the ground becomes more hilly, there are occasional metal poles to guide walkers. Unfortunately, some of the poles are slumped or fallen, so it's possible to head off course. The grass and bogland becomes longer and wetter. Either way, the next stage is obvious - you need to mount the ridge that stands ahead. At the top of the ridge is a reasonably sized lake that serves as a good navigational marker. You can walk around the lake in either direction and the summit is a few minutes further.


Slieve Beagh South East Top, Monaghan (373m). One of the lowest County High Points, Slieve Beagh SE Top can be reached down the Three County Hollows road near Knockatallon. When the road is blocked by a metal barrier, there's a small car park. There was a good hard path for twenty minutes before I had to strike out directly over the bog. It's very grassy, heathery and rushy, with a bouncy feel to it. After traversing the relatively low horizon for another twenty minutes, I emerged at a small lake. The high point is situated near the lakeshore. However - it is not marked. No trig stone, no cairn, nothing! It's just a random small hummock on an otherwise flat landscape. As a result, you'd need to have the coordinates nailed down on Google Maps or Sat Nav to get the precise hummock. It is slightly elevated. To finish the day, I walked another 400 metres to The Three County Hollow. It's a dip where Counties Monaghan, Tyrone and Fermanagh meet by a ramshackle fence.


Slieve Donard, Down (850m). This mountain is Ulster's highest peak and popular with walkers. I parked up at Donard Park in Newcastle. The first section is a walk through a forest, before emerging back in the open. The Mourne Wall remained at my side throughout the walk. Flagstones are placed in such a way that it's almost like walking up a stairs. It's a high mountain, but it can be tackled by all ages with little difficulty. The vista at the summit is excellent.

Longest climbs (duration): Carrauntoohil, Mweelrea

Boggiest mountains: Mount Errigal, Sawel, Slieve Gullion

Best scenery witnessed: Carrauntoohil, Mweelrea, Benbaun, Cuilcagh

Quickest climbs (<30 mins round trip): Slieve na Calliagh, Corn Hill, Cupidstown Hill.