MountainViews: Info on Ballycurragh Hill (536m) in area Dublin/Wicklow

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Dublin/Wicklow Area Wicklow Mountains Subarea

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Maximum height for area: 925 metres

Summits in area: 89

OS Map(s): 28B, 49, 50, 55, 56, 61, 62 for all tops

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Ballycurragh Hill Mountain	Wicklow County
Height: 536 metres	OS 1/50k Mapsheet: 62 for top
Grid Ref: T05700 82300	Latitude: 52.881540 Longitude: -6.430670
ITM: 705626 682337	Prominence: 221m Isolation: 2.2km
Also known as Rathhinder. Ballycurragh Hill is the 383rd highest summit in Ireland. Our data has reached 51% of the goal for this summit. (Details)

COMMENTS for Ballycurragh Hill

MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Ballycurragh Hill in area Dublin/Wicklow, County Wicklow, Ireland

Picture: View SE to Blackstairs Expand pics.

by padodes 21 Apr 2008 At first sight, Ballycurragh seems no more promising that its forest-infested neighbours, Ballyteige and Carrickshane, but I found it a lot better than its reputation.
On the one hand, if you are only intent on bagging another top, it has got a lot easier of late. Starting at the forest entrance at T075 823 (Point A) (unmarked on the OSI 1:50,000, but detectable on the Healy map), head upwards until you reach T073 820 (Point B). Here the main forest track turns sharply right, into the forest interior, but to the left a relatively new track now goes straight to the top of the hill between the edge of the forest on the right and fenced pastureland on the left. I would be inclined to place the summit – a rather pretentious word here – just to the right of where the track meets a wall of forest at the top, but a small mound of stones about a hundred yards to the left of this, at T0567 8229 (Point C), obviously enjoys greater favour (see photo).
If, on the other hand, you want to get the best from this 500+ hill, I would suggest a circuit that follows at first the Wicklow Way, starting either at T074 843 (Point D) (limited parking by the roadside) or higher up at T070 836 (Point E) (better parking) where the route enters the forest. The zigzagging forest trails on the OSI map are still accurate and allow one to plot the best course to the top without difficulty. I saved a GPS track of my walk and found, when later seen on the computer against the calibrated background of the scanned OSI map, that it followed the forest trails perfectly until it reached T063 828 (Point F), approaching the top. Then, however, the track looped more widely around to the southwest. The forest trail now continues on beyond what is indicated on the OSI and soon begins to descend, so at some point there is nothing for it but to brave a prickly climb through the final few hundred metres of forest to the left. I branched off myself at T055 824 (Point G).
When you emerge by the summit, just follow the track between forest edge and fence down to the road, as described above, turn left and walk the final two or three kilometres back to your starting point. All in all, the hike amounts to 11 or 12kms. It’s true that the view from the top of Ballycurragh is slightly disappointing, since it is really only clear to the SE, but the wider circuit of the mountain will not disappoint. It offers a fine view of Croaghanmoira to the NE and of Lugnaquillia South Prison to the NW from unusual angles.

Point A: T075 823	Point B: T073 820	Point C: T0567 8229
Point D: T074 843	Point E: T070 836	Point F: T063 828
Point G: T055 824	(turn area map On)

(Comment Rating 4.50) Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

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by simon3 1 Apr 2003 I think I would recommend Ballycurragh Hill only to the most dedicated summit bagger. For a start as of 2003 much of the summit is covered by adolescent (very prickly) Sitka spruce. The summit itself is marked as being within these trees, though whether it is really there is hard to determine. As you can see from the 1:50k map the summit area is only partly unforested giving you at most a 90 degree view. None of the main southern Wicklow mountains are visible.

Our trip to the summit was marred from the start. Although we had tried to start further south, we found a noisy scrambler competition in full swing so we actually started at the entrance that the Wicklow Way uses. There’s space for one or two cars here, at T 070 836 (Point E). There is a zig-zag pattern of forest roads represented on the map. The map turned out to be accurate as to the relative position of these tracks (though GPS showed absolute errors of as much as 300m). It should have been easy to walk up these zig-zags, if tedious. But we found the scramblers were using an unpredictable mixture of roads and routes through the trees.
Having decided that discretion is the better part of valour during scrambler races we found ourselves walking up one narrow ride (unplanted linear gap in the forest) which abruptly stopped leaving us with a hands and knees route under the lower branches of the said Sitka. Finally emerging bedraggled from the trees we found that we were once again in the midst of the scramblers! Hurrying from them and with the help of the GPS we eventually found our way to the summit. Although the summit was part of the scramblers route, by the time we reached it, they had packed in for the day.
The photo shows the small cairn near the top. The faint summits on the skyline are the Blackstairs to the South West. The ground rising to the left is part of the unnamed hill at 431m.

Point E: T070 836

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(Comment Rating 4.40) Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

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by csd 2 Nov 2003 We managed to gain the summit by following the Wicklow Way as far as the ride at 054 835 (Point H), where we turned south and followed it most of the way to the summit. It gets very wet underfoot, and there is a small amount of pushing through dense forestry. Despite Simon's rather negative comments, I think the view from the summit is worth the bother. The fact that none of the major south Wicklow mountains is visible even adds to the attraction, making this mountain somewhat unique. The view extends from Croghanmoira and the Irish Sea in the east (where the new wind farm is visible) over to the Blackstairs and Mt Leinster. The picture shows the summit cairn and the view over to Croghanmoira and Ballinacor.
Note that the Healy map is not accurate with regards to the forest tracks on Ballycurragh Hill - the Sheet 62 OS map is better.

Point H: T054 835

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(Comment Rating 4.00) Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

by mneary34 10 Oct 2004 We started at the Wicklow Way entrance to the forest T 070 836 (Point E). After taking the first turn left on forest tracks we proceeded for 330 metres from the turn and ascended through a fire break to meet the next forest track up on the 340 contour. From there we followed forest tracks to the end point as shown on sheet 62 close to the summit at T 057 824 (Point I). This track actually continues further than the point shown on the map and it divides into a higher and lower option. Taking the higher and left of the two options we walked for 150 metres before heading left and directly uphill to the summit cairn as shown in Simon3's photo. I agree that the point shown on Sheet 62 as being the summit appears to be slightly lower that the area where the cairn is located. Thankfully our route did not require any difficult negotiation of Sitka and there are good views south from the summit area.

Point E: T070 836

Point I: T057 824

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(Comment Rating 3.33) Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

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by csd 2 Nov 2003 Slieve Maan, Carrickshane, and Croghanmoira, viewed from the NE shoulders of Ballycurragh Hill.

(Comment Rating 3.00) Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

Picture: Swarming with deer... Expand pics.

by colin Murphy 13 Jul 2009 The most interesting thing about Ballycurragh was the fact that I spotted no less than 5 separate deer (see photo). Otherwise this was a relatively easy walk up a not terribly interesting mountain. Started where the Wicklow way leaves the road at T045 825 (Point J) and zig-zagged up the forest track to point T048 819 (Point K). Although not marked on the OS map, the track continues SE at this point then swings NE to take you directly to the top. One hour and fifteen minutes had me back at the car.

Point J: T045 825

Point K: T048 819

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