Bleck Cra on Slievelamagan

The “Seven Sevens”. The intricacies of which I know nothing, the movers and shakers of which I know nothing and the finer objectives of which I know nothing. Essentially the thing is to ascend all the Mournes over seven hundred metres, in one day - such a day allotted, being evidenced by members of something, standing in yellow jackets at points and ….. pointing.
I expect some people sprint the course - backwards, between somersaults. I myself chose to walk it, in flagrant disregard of the event proper: in secret. It is manageable for regular track rats, but gruelling. Kick off at Carrick Little and zoom up the beautiful Annalong track to the Castles. Legover the Saddle and up/down Donard to Commedagh: blitz the ridge to Hare’s Gap. Wheel round Bearnagh and up Meelmore thereoff to Meelbeg and reverse to the saddle between, down to the bog and up Bearnagh.You may wish to be sick at this point: be it, because in another hour you may be anything (a dandelion or a warthog) and not know it. To the Brandy Pad and up Slieve Beg. Then Cove: breakfast on a hair trigger: but sure there are only two left: ONLY Lamagan, ONLY Binnian! Atop Lamagan and your legs have become candy floss and you’re singing something from South Pacific. Then Binnian like a mirage, edges back as you edge forward. The next hour could be years or seconds then you’re in the car in the passenger seat, hunting for the steering wheel. Take this route, because when you come off, you’re only minutes on a tarred road from the car. All others close in endless trails where you could could easily succumb and wake up looking at a crow with your one good eye. Utterly pointless and maybe obligatory. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/106/comment/1302/

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The Mourne Seven Sevens

I climbed this mountain yesterday as part of the Mourne 7'7s. Started in Donard car park around 7am and followed the traditional route to the summit of Slieve Donard - up to the saddle and left. Upon reaching the summit, it was a case of following the wall back down to the saddle and up Slieve Commedagh. From one summit to the other took me 35 minutes. Hikers are faced with a choice at this stage - either head along the wall towards Bernagh, Meelmore and Meelbeg or head towards Lamagan and Binnian. I decided to head towards Lamagan. So, back down to the saddle and along part of the Brandypad, then turn left just after the castles of Commedagh. There is no need to climb Beg and Cove summits, keep to the right until you find a path, which will lead to the summit of Lamagan. Upon summiting Lamagan, I headed towards Ben Crom Dam. It had been very cloudy and windy until this stage; however for a few minutes the mist cleared and the reservoir appeared out of nowhere! At the point between Lamagan and Binnian, in front of the reservoir, I left my rucksack and headed towards Slieve Binnian via the Back Castles. As always, it was very windy. The trek between Lamagan and Binnian took approx 1.5 hours. Upon returning to Ben Crom dam, try to find a path which leads towards the embankment and cross. This is the half way point; which must be reached by 2.30pm. The mist had cleared by this stage and was replaced by sunshine. I had previously been advised that the trek from Binnian to Meelbeg is the tough part. I would certainly agree. For those considering the walk in the future, do not look at a grid map at the valley between Doan and Ben Crom at the wide contour lines and think that because there is little ascending it must be simple. It is very difficult. The marshy conditions around the river in this valley sap energy. It took 2 hours for me to climb Meelbeg from Ben Crom Dam. Upon summiting Meelbeg, great views were to be had over eastern, central and western Mournes. This was the first time I had got clear skies on this mountain! Follow the wall up Meelmore and Bernagh. If the Binnian/Meelbeg trek is energy-draining, the descent from Bernagh to Donard Car park was even worse! Follow the wall to Hare's Gap and then the Brandypad to the saddle between Donard and Commedagh. Thereafter follow the path towards the finish. All in all, a very rewarding challenge but gruelling in places. Finished at 7.30pm. Advantages of this approach: the trek to Lamagan over Beg and Cove is easier than the ascent of Lamagan from Ben Crom Dam. It is also quicker to reach the half way point. Advantages of the Commedagh-Bernagh route would be the finishing point at Donard Car park is considerably shorter from Lamagan than Bernagh. Also, hikers are walking down rather than up the marshy valley between Doan and Ben Crom. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/106/comment/5992/

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Bleck Cra on Slievelamagan

There he was, leader of men and lumbering helplessly into me, circa the summit of Lamagan: nasal system at meltdown, sweat beading on each earlobe and doing that thing black dogs do in the sun - human beings think it is a smile, but it’s not: it’s a teeth-filter for bugs, as the critter gags for oxygen. The teeth tried to open, but couldn’t and he made a sort of bleating/pleading/dying noise as he floundered on. The objective was to out-walk his wards - age 15 and such - and at the guts of 50 years despite 30 of them in the hills, he had no chance against elastic legs, balloon lungs and innocent determination. And that in some ways is what Slievelamagan is about. The incline on her sultry Southern face is not to be messed with. An advance and rewarding canter off Binnian puts you in the mood for more. Lamagan disabuses you of that. If you are fool enough to maintain a momentum, you will sicken at best, a third of the way up and wish you hadn’t scoffed the cheese sandwiches 20mins earlier. She’s a big oul girl and only the mad or the bad will do her in one lash, that is to say without dropping to their knees for mercy. Postcard pics of the Mournes tend to hide her behind something else. Here be Binnian, here be Bearnagh, here be Donard. Where be Lamagan? Sure, right here under your feet where those sandwiches have just come up. The slabs off her Eastern crags are stupendous and unsettle the best of us, the damp sandy gullies and red peat plugs off her Northern slopes are odd and wonderful and her Western flanks are generally untrailed. Best from Carrick Little and a protein breakfast, much earlier. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/106/comment/2438/

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Rock on!

Having walked up Slieve Lamagan the previous weekend we decided that a more challenging ascent would be fun. With this in mind an attempt on a rock climbing route was called for and FM on the Lamagan slabs fitted the bill. FM (rated V. Diff) is one of the longest multi-pitch routes in the Mournes with about 160m of direct climbing and another 200m or so of grade 1/2 scambling and walking to reach the top of Slieve Lamagan. The Lamgan slabs can be seen on the walk-in from the Carrick carpark and at first sight appear to rear-up as an amost vertical un-climable wall. Fortunately this is an optical illusion created by the perspective of the view from the footpath for upon reaching the foot of the slabs their true nature becomes apparent.

The start of the climb can be reached by taking the footpath eastwards around the foot of Percy Bysshe before turning northwards to reach a path running along the foot of Slieve Lamagan. Follow this path eastwards again until a faint path at C (J33250 24877) can be taken up the boulder and heather clad footslopes of Lamagan. The rock climb begans at the foot of a white slab in a small gravel floored embayment at D (J33159 25480). I won't describe the climb in detail as there is a good description in the recently published book on 'Rock Climbs in the Mourne Mountains'. But some points to note are: the rock is generally good and clean (mostly 45-55 degree slope), some parts are mossy and rock shoes are recommended; the crux is a step up onto a sloping ledge on the third pitch (this was wet on the day of our climb and I traversed left below the ledge for about 7m and then climbed a short overhanging wall to step back above the sloping ledge); protection is generally good but there are long run-outs on the slabs for the leader (an uncontrolled slide down the slabs wouldn't be pleasant).

There is a commanding view of the Annalong valley during the climb with the floor of the valley appearing almost as a map beneath us. Every so often the minute moving dots of walkers could be seen on the paths below us, occasionaly stopping to watch our progress up the rock face.

FM is an excellent and airy route, perhaps not on the alpine scale of Carrot Ridge, but certainly a bit harder and more commiting that than the latter. A 50m-60m rope and a selection of slings and hexs are required. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/106/comment/6123/

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deelambola on Slievelamagan

After many summer climbs of lamagan, it was decided to tackle a winter ascent. After slipping up the road even on the way to the car park we dawned our wet gear as the mist rolled in and the sky turned dark. Walking up the path along annolong wood it was clear to see winter had taken its toll, what once was a track during the summer was now a full scale flowing river. Wading on we hit the bottom of lamagan and began our ascent which quickly became a climb in two feet of snow. The visibility was practically zero but the adrenalin thrill of the snow made it worth while. The summit was reached but there would be no lunch stop today as the blizzard blinded the eyes and all extremities were frozen. We descended towards Ben Crom and walked along silent valley back towards the car. A cold but enjoyable day. Roll on next week. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/106/comment/2619/

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