NIce Hike with great Views

Stoompa has a nice view towards Magnetron North and I believe it must be done in loop walk with reaching Mangeron North as this allow to see Stoompa from another site.
Start with the normal route up to Mangerton and at the hight about 210m take a heading east toward the Horses Glen. This part might be a bit wet. Pass the stream – it seems to me that the best place is near lake Garagarry and fallow the slope to the top. Stoompa has a great views behind over Killarney town, Muckross and the Lakes to the NW and W, with the Paps, Lough Guitane, Crohane and the Derrynasaggart mountains to NE, E and SE.
Then fallow the circle of Glen toward Mangerton. Here you can see the Roughty Valley and Kenmare Bay with the Reeks and Purple. Then I would recommend go to Mangerton North by steeply spur that divides the Devils Punchbowl (on left) and the Horses Glen (on right). And then descend from punchbowl via gentle normal route for our decent
Duration: 5-6h
Difficulty: Moderate
Start Point: it's about 5 miles from Kilarney. From town take theN71 ( to Kenmare).. Look for the signs 'Mangerton' Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/105/comment/17897/

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Coordinate errors

We parked the car at GR Mangerton Walk N CP (V98412 85728) on a fine July evening and walked the first kilometre on the roadway before turning left onto the rough path that follows the side of the Finoulagh River for a time and eventually leads to the Devils Punch Bowl. We pitched the tent at the mouth of the Punch Bowl GR B (V97566 81734) and settled down for the night with the stars overhead and the light of Killarney flickering below in the distance. Up at 6 am for a fry and coffee and walking towards Mangerton North Top by 7.30 am. Mangerton North is rounded and featureless marked by a small cairn. From here we moved on to Glenacappul Top passing a curious fenced off square of overgrown mountain. We guessed this to be an experiment on the effects of sheep on the mountain, all I have to say is that if the grass could get that high with no sheep long live sheep!. I took a GPS height of 702 meters for this top and 686 meter for the col to Mangerton North which makes me ask is it an independent summit?
We then doubled back the way we had came and headed up the steep slope between the Punch Bowl and Lough Erhogh to Mangerton Mountains summit and radio mast.
The summit area is broad ,flat and boggy(in July!). To get any views worth speaking of you have top walk to the edges of the summit area.
We headed down the long sweeping ridge on the well worn track towards Stoompa.
At this stage of the morning the sun was burning off the last of the mist and the heat was rising, out with the factor 30. On the way we passed many rough, angular, loose rock formations with little rounded scallops taken out.
The top of Stoompa is marked by a cairn and excellent views of Crohane, the Paps, the lakes of Killarney and indeed the Glacial Corries of Lough Erhogh, Lough Managh and Lough Garagarry. We descended towards Lough Garagarry from Stoompa passing what looked like a passage tomb on the right( not marked on the maps) and after hopping across the stones at the mouth of the Owgarriff River cooled off with a wash in the lake – I never enjoyed water so much.
We then crossed some rough ground (keeping above the marsh) back to the Punch Bowl path down to the car. 20 kms , 8hrs and two Guinness in Killarney.
The photo was taken on the summit of Stoompa with from the right, Glenacappul Top and Mangerton North Top with their towering walls of lava and volcaniclastic rock facing the viewer, the glacial corrie of Lough Erhogh gouged out under the sandstone cliffs and the broad hulking mass of Mangerton Mountain sweeping down towards Stoompa. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/105/comment/2457/

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dexterg on Stoompa

A cold view of the lake from the top of Stoompa looking west. A contrast with Becketts pic below from a couple of years ago. The Climb up Stoompa in the snow certainly makes you work for your lunch! Fern & Dex Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/105/comment/3619/

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Lynchieboy on Stoompa

Beautiful day today. Took in Mangerton the customary way, then Glencappul SE then motored on to do the two Stoompas to go and see my old friends Bennaunore and Crohane. Views from the Paps to Caher. Beautiful. Came home by descending Stoompa and shot up Glencappul. This is visible as the valley on the right of the picture. From there walked along the ridge until it met the one for the punchbowl and rolled away home. Great day's climbing. Five hours flat out walking, running, jumping, climbing, leaping etc. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/105/comment/2270/

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dexterg on Stoompa

We did the Stoompa/Mangerton walk clockwise on Feb 10th last in the snow. The circuit had good powder all round making for very interesting trip of approx 6 hours It was one of those awesome days where in the cold hard air the views are more striking and the colours are vivid. The Kerry hills never looked better. I have one or 2 more pics that i could post when i work out how to do this. Dex & Fern (Cork) Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/105/comment/3618/

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