Sampling The Delights Of Leenane. The Best Of The West

The Leenane Hotel had a superb offer for dinner bed and breakfast and as there was no single supplement I decided to head to the west once again and enjoy the marvels of this wonderful area. It had just been a month since I stayed down at Clifden and enjoyed some wonderful biking and hiking around the Twelve Bens so this time I wanted to avoid the bens and tread some places new.

Monday November 18th;

I didn't rush things but this time I was a little more organized than normal. Packing being pre-done, it meant that I was ready to roll by 09.30 in the morning. I was debating with myself what I would do as an opening outing and I decided that the southeastern section of the Maumturks would make a great start to the trip. The drive went well and I parked up half way between Peacocks Hotel and Maam and I was on the move at just after 12.30. I reckoned that I had lots of time to get a good hike in before darkness fell. I had originally thought to drive to the northern side of the group and try and make a horseshoe walk from Maumeen over Binn Mhór as far as Corcegemore but as I didn't have the map for this corner of the range (a total of four Ordnance Survey maps are needed) I opted for the (hopefully) simpler option of a straight forward out and back route from the Maam road.

Gaining height looking towards Maam

Back to the start..Parked at the highest point on the road

Towards Oughterard

Though the mountains are not high, the fact that practically everything surrounding them is as sea level makes them look and feel big. It certainly felt big enough when I was climbing the 520 metre plus climb to the first summit Corcegemore (609 metres). Wet bog sapped the energy but I was able to break the monotony by heading for some of the rocky crags that barred the way and these offered some very nice scrambles. Cloud covered the tops and as I rose higher the wind gained in significance as well. It felt great to be out. Upon reaching the summit I enjoyed a quick energy bar for lunch and wasted no time in setting off for the next top. One benefit of not having a map and never having set foot here before it that it is all something of a venture of discovery and it is exciting and new. In the mist the views were limited but I must confess to using Google Maps (a first time for me) to navigate and it actually proved quite easy as I was blessed by good phone coverage. It is not something I could recommend because of the many things that can go wrong but it served my purposes this one time and I was prepared to turn back at any time should things go wrong.

Leaving Corcegemore..Looking magical towards the south

Plenty of cloud on the tops to come

South

North

Mullach Glas rises ahead

It was really only the top fifty metres that were in the cloud so before too long I was in the clear and I could see the way ahead to the next top Mullach Gleas (622 metres). Unfortunately it meant a drop all the way down to 380 metres which meant a substantial climb lay ahead. Not that things were all bad as now I had the benefit of atmospheric views to the north and south which proved ample distraction to the rigours of the climb. The climb itself was in places steep but a wire fence acted as a guardrail (and at times something to haul on) and before too long I was once again in the cloud and I reached the summit. I should perhaps point out that saying summit might give the impression of a single shapely peak when the reality of the Maumturks is that the tops tend to be wide, rocky, hillocky areas that usually offer several places that could be the summit. The cairn I reached was the only real indicator of the summit so I checked my phone (weird or what) and headed off towards Binn Mhór. A short drop (under the cloud again..briefly) before a climb to another plateau-like top saw me need to once again use the phone for directions. The next section is a long and (in the cloud) convoluted route over several false tops before I reached the true summit of Binn Mhór at 661 metres. Not that I had a lot of time to enjoy my achievement as I had passed my "turn-back time" of 15.00 by five minutes so I turned and hot footed it back the way I had come. In the mist and given the nature of the terrain the phone proved invaluable and I was able to quickly correct a couple of navigational errors on the way back to Mullach Glas. After that it was a case of following the fence to the col and then the 240 metre climb to Corcegemore before descending to the car. I opted to descend via a slightly less craggy route and it went very well and before too long I was crossing the bog back to the road in the gathering gloom. Once on the road I was acutely aware of the fading light as the occasional car passed with full beams on. I reached my car at almost 5 pm.
It had been a worthy outing....over 14 kilometres..over 1300 metres climbing and all in 4 hours 20 minutes.

Finally back under the cloud..starting the descent to the car...the light was fading fast

 As I was less than 10 miles from the hotel and I was basically dry and clean I didn't bother changing and simply sat in and drove to the hotel. Check in was seamless and before too long I was showered and changed and tucking into a sumptuous 5 course dinner. As someone who loves nothing more than setting off on a hike with my tent and food on my back and gladly suffering the occasional hardship that this entails it felt a little alien but nevertheless wonderful to merely discard the used clothing and change into fresh clobber and then beautiful food served up with no more effort than looking at a menu...I must be going soft..but it was very nice.

Tuesday November 19th;

One of my favourite mountains in the country is Mweelrea and I decided that the Mweelrea-Ben Lugmore horseshoe would make a nice outing for today.The weather was quite good. While cloud covered the tops, there was little in the way of wind, large patches of blue sky could be seen and it was dry. In late November, in the west of Ireland that is what I would call a result. I drove to the Delphi resort and parked my car and I was on the move at 09.15. After a short walk through the woods I exited onto the open boggy ground and took a direct line to the summit of Teevnabinnea. This hill is just 379 metres high but as it sits above Killary harbour it offers lovely views in all directions. It is quite tough to climb as well as it gets steeper the higher you get and underfoot the ground is super boggy. Once I reached the top I was able to enjoy a lovely long hike on easier ground all the way to the saddle below the slopes of Mweelrea's South East Spur. There is a 340 metre climb required to reach this top and the first seventy or eighty metres is steep and requires some care. After this things ease back before another steep pull see you reach the 495 metre summit. The views just keep getting better and better and I could see beyond the mouth of the harbour that it was mostly blue skies over the sea and I hoped they would come in my direction. Not that things nearby were too bad as the cloud seemed to be lifting and fleeting glimpses of the higher tops could be seen. Even though I was only at a modest height I had climbed nearly 700 metres by now and most of that was on soft energy sapping ground.

Not a bad view from my hotel room

Beautiful light looking back to Leenane

Go home Yank..for the love of God go home..Ashleagh Falls

On top of Teevnabinnea and what an inviting way lay ahead

In all directions the views were great

A drop of seventy metres means that there is a 400 metre climb to reach the summit of Mweelrea. Thankfully the angle is easier and the ground is better so it passes quite well. Once you reach the rim of the coum that forms the east face of the mountain there are some serious drops on the right hand side and things take on a more high mountain feel. The cloud was now almost insignificant and by the time I reached the 814 metre summit I had views across to Ben Lugmore and to my left the golden sandy beaches and the blue ocean far below looked wonderful. I was loving my outing. Next came the drop to the wide col and the gradual pull to the broad stony summit of Ben Bury. Here more delightful views emerge. Croagh Patrick looked regal to the north and the views down towards Doo Lough, beyond which the Sheefry Hills and Ben Gorm soared. I was really looking forward to traversing the airy ridge of Ben Lugmore but frustratingly some cloud swept in and obscured the views. On the ridge some quite heavy rain arrived and stayed around for about an hour. It meant that it wasn't until I was down at about 400 metres that I re-emerged from the clag. I crossed the expanse of bog in a direct line for Delphi, then crossed the river via the footbridge and soon I was back at my car.

The sumit starting to clear

The second half of the trip..Towards Ben Lugmore

After the rain towards Ben Gorm

5 hours 20 minutes...16 kilometres and 1450 metres of climbing made it a good effort.

Wednesday November 20th;

After two substantial hikes I decided that today I would change tack and head for a cycle. The forecast was pretty good and it was supposed to stay dry until the afternoon. I reckoned that something around the 40 miles would be ideal. I had checked the maps and settled on a loop that went towards Kylemore, took in the beautiful Inagh Valley, then headed to Maum Cross before returning to Leenane. This should fit the bill nicely.

Looking back over Lough Inagh

I wasn't in any great hurry so I didn't leave until after 10am. There was a stiff breeze by the water so I decided to start with it at my back in the hope that it would be behind me for my final miles later on. It was a delight to cycle the first few miles alongside the sea. Even though it was much cloudier than yesterday it was still lovely and being dry was the big bonus. My legs felt fine and the going was easy. The first hill that rose gently enough towards Kylemore soon dissuaded me of any notions I had that I was a good cyclist. It wasn't too bad in truth and I was in no rush. I was determined to enjoy the trip. The Inagh valley was its usual lovely self but my progress was hampered by the fact that I was now cycling into the breeze. The road was lovely and quiet and I was able to amble along and take in the views. When I reached the main road and turned for Maum Cross I feared that there would be heavy traffic but in the main it was really quiet and the only two sections of road works I reached spoiled the flow. The 8 kilometres to Maam was great. A steady climb to the point where I started my hike on Monday was followed by a delightful descent on the excellent road to the little village.

Starting down to Maam

The first climb on day 1

Now I'm not sure why I chose to turn right instead of left at Maam but I will put it down to the exhilaration of the descent. I decided to extend the outing by adding a circuit of Lough Nafooey. I hadn't travelled that road in more than a decade when Margaret and myself used to holiday every year in Mayo. I was looking forward to re-discovering the area. Well I kinda regretted my decision straight away as I was immediately struggling into the wind. Mind you the views onto Lough Corrib were great and once I crested the hill a nice downhill section followed. I entered Cornamona and here I turned left and headed across country towards Lough Mask. The worst section for traffic was when I passed the large sawmill after a few miles and for the next few miles there was a steady stream of timber trucks on the road. I reached a T-junction where I turned left and thankfully normal empty roads again became the norm. Shortly after that I reached a lovely spot by the shores of Lough Mask, one of Irelands biggest lakes where I stopped for a rest and a bite to eat. Not long after that when I passed the curiously Spanish style little church in Finny I reached the shores of Lough Nafooey. I was delighted by the beauty of the place and the cycling was pretty easy as well. That is until I reached the far end where a stiff climb saw me reach a wild gap and let's just say my ever so weary legs were really glad of the downhill section that followed. It wasn't long before I reached the road for Leenane and once again the following breeze helped me finish the remaining few miles back to the hotel. I was a weary bunny as I climbed the stairs to my room but it was lovely to change in comfort and relax a while.

At Lough Mask

Lough Nafooey

59 miles and 750 metres of climbing in 4 hours 40 minutes made it a big cycle for me but I was very satisfied with my effort.

The colour is from the seaweed..no really 😀

Once I was sufficiently recovered I ventured down to experience, for my first time, a seaweed bath. My father used to visit the Kerry seaside town of Ballybunion way way back in the seventies and he used to regularly partake of seaweed baths there. It was therefore as something of an homage to him that I decided to have one. Boiling seawater is poured onto seaweed and while this infuses I rested awhile in the steam room. Once the pores are open I entered my bathroom and immersed myself in the fragrant oily water and lay back and thought of dad. It was a little emotional but very nice and an experience I would recommend. It was also quite restorative.

Thursday November 21st;

My good fortune with the weather was to run out today and rain was forecast from the late morning onwards. Looking out my window over the water I could see the cloud hung thick and low on the hills so I reckoned that the climb up and around the Maumtrasna plateau wouldn't be the most enjoyable route in the conditions so I decided instead to walk along the Western Way as far as Letterbrecaun, this I would climb and I could follow the mountain tops back to Leenane. This would at least mean that I would spend some of the day in the clear. So I donned the mountain clobber and set off on today's adventure at 09.20.

Cloudy but dry..so far

A very nice metaled road. It would make a lovely run.

To the mouth of the harbour

It is always nice to be able to start a route from the front door and today was just such a route . I walked for about 400mtrs along the road before the Western Way joins a green road that gradually traverses the spur of the mountain. It was a delightful section as immediately the road is forgotten and it offers wild unencumbered views along the harbour and to the mountains all around . It really surpassed my expectations and I was really enjoying my day. After several kilometres you round the spur and turn south and head towards the Inagh valley. Once you cross a laneway the way follows a forestry road for several more kilometres before you finally join a trail that crosses the wide wild expanse of bog. This section is truly beautiful and even on a cloudy day like today I found it enchanting. It leads directly to the base of Letterbrecaun and my excitement built as I got nearer. Alas the rain also arrived so I donned the full rain-gear and resigned myself to the weather for the rest of the day.

Across to "The Bens"

What a beautiful trail...heading straight towards Letterbrecaun

About to let the views behind

After a relatively flat 11 kilometres it was a sharp shock to face into the steep 600 metre climb to the summit. The climb went well and before too long I was entering the mist. Some greasy scrambling has to be done at the steeper sections but eventually things lay back and a long slog ensues to the top. It seemed to take forever but eventually the cairn loomed out of the dense mist. I didn't linger however as I still had a fair way to go and as visibility was no more than 30 metres I had to get the map and compass ready to make progress. The nature of the ground with its rocky outcrops and hollows made it very difficult to keep to a bearing and made it difficult to gauge distance covered so it was a relief to see the slopes of Ben Briochain loom ahead. For the rest of the journey is was a case of total reliance on my navigation skills. I basically just did it one top to ridge to col at a time. To be fair the ground, once I was beyond Ben Briochain was more straightforward and I was able to relax a little more.
Though the mountains are not high there were a couple of stiff climbs to be covered before I finally reached the low pass before Leenane Hill. Here I briefly emerged from the cloud and I was assaulted by strong winds and heavy rain. I enjoyed the still lovely views into the valleys on either side. All that was left now was the 400 metre climb to the summit and the descent on the far side back to the village. I had been so engrossed in my work that I had not eaten anything thus far but I had eaten a rather substantial breakfast in the hotel😀. A protein bar sufficed for now and I was on the move up into the clouds again. After a steep few hundred metres I reached the ridge and after turning right it was straightforward to follow it to the broad grassy summit. One final bearing saw me find the ridge that heads down towards the village and this eventually took me back under the clouds. The evening gloom had arrived and the lights of the hotel and houses below looked very inviting. One advantage of the mountains not being very high is that the descents aren't very long so it wasn't too long before I reached the road just on the eastern edge of town. After about a further kilometre or so I strolled into the hotel and into the warm room. I was able to quickly discard my sodden clothes and rucksack and enter the welcoming warming shower.
Dinner tasted mighty fine that evening.
26 kilometres....1600 metres climbing in 7 hours 20 minutes.

Briefly under the cloud..wild and wonderful

It's not all sunshine and views...still good fun tho

Friday November 22nd;

It had been a pretty full few days and this morning I confess to being quite tired. If the morning had been fine I had planned to do a short cycle but when I looked out and say drizzle and cloud I found that only my appetite for breakfast was all that remained. Another full Irish breakfast followed and after leisurely completing my packing I set off for home . I was really pleased to have gotten another break in this year. The hiking and biking had been great and the hotel was a luxurious bonus for me. It made a big change from my tent but I guess a bit of luxury can mix with mountain adventures as well. Mind you if I stayed any longer and ate any more I could have rolled home. Some fasting and simple food is required methinks .