Critchley Schwartz Film

Anyone planning a walk in the Mangertons will get a wonderful preview by watching Critchley and Schwartz's "Hillwalking in County Kerry: the Mangerton and Dunkerron Mountains" on either YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiovo-tLcp0 ) or Vimeo . Martin and Sharron spread the walk over two days (with an overnight bivvy) in order to take the time to photograph and video the traverse. They have also taken the trouble to write up their experiences (see Martin's notes here at Track 2589 and Sharron's Blog at kernowclimber.blogspot.ie). It's so good to have such an amount of material from two highly experienced walkers whose painstaking attention to detail provides the rest of us with reliable data as well as a real sense of the beauty and charisma of the Mangertons. They began their summer walk just east of Lough Guitane and crossed Crohane 650, Crohane SWT 477, Bennaunmore 454, Stoompa ET 608, Stoompa 705, Mangerton 838, Dromderalough NET 654, Dromderalough 650, Knockbrack 610 and Knockrower 544. Note the second part of this video refers to the Cloon horseshoe which was a separate endeavour. Martin and Sharron have discontinued their previous practice of superimposing names onto peaks, but if you watch their movie, and read their articles, you will have a vast amount of excellent material to help you prepare. By the way, the film music is just perfect. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/258/comment/17704/

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pdtempan on Stoompa East Top

The east top of Stoompa seen from the summit of Bennaunmore, a lower peak to the east. The flat plateau of Mangerton is seen behind. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/258/comment/770/

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simon3 on Stoompa East Top

1.1k East of Stoompa there is this modest cairn for the summit.

A common place to get here from is the road end near Mangerton Walk Start ( Mangerton Walk Start (V984 849)). Be warned. As the crow flies this is 4.4k skirting the northern flanks of Mangerton and passing Loch Garagarry. It is mostly rough unpleasant untracked ground with heather often thigh high. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/258/comment/3500/

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eflanaga on Stoompa East Top

Stoompa East top was the last of five summits in a circuit which began at the viewpoint at Gortagullane (I Mangerton Walk Start (V984 849)) and included Glenacappul Top, Mangerton North Top, Mangerton & Stoompa. As Simon3 suggests the almost 4.5k trek from Stoompa East Top is hard going at times. For my part I descended relatively easily down its northern slope with great views over Lough Guitane before traversing a few minor gullies on Stoompa's northern aspect to approach Lough Garagarry from the east. On this, the return leg of the circuit, I crossed the Owgariff River just below the mouth of Lough Garagarry (IA (V995 835)). From here, I followed a track (shown on the Harvey Superwalker map) for a short distance but this eventually veers north-east rather than the direction I wanted to go (north-west) so I struck out due west across uneven and changing ground (bog to heather) and was gladdend to finally rejoin the Tooreencormick track (at the gate). Ten minutes later I reached the road for the 1k+ walk back to the car. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/258/comment/3728/

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All Stoompas Great and Small

A short route taking in the two Stoompas, two outliers of the Mangerton plateau. There was quite a lot of snow on the summits which really added to the experience although it made for slow and heavy going. I parked at the small cluster of farm houses at the road head above Lough Guitane. I briefly thought of traversing Mangerton too...but sense prevailed! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/258/comment/18444/

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