Hulking Monolith

Maumtrasna is a hulking monolith of a mountain that is primarily a large plateau of broken uneven ground of rock and bog the stretches for over 3 kilometres. The deep corries and lakes around the mountain make for far more interesting hikes than the summit itself. This hike takes in the lakes on the Eastern side of the mountain with a trip in to the centre of the plateau top bag the summit. If bagging summits is not the name of your game then don't bother and stick with a ridge walk overlooking the lakes. My route starts at a bridge at OwBrin Brg (M02973 64246) where there is room for one car but with the route I ended up taking I would suggest parking at the car park at Lough Nadirkmore. I followed the farm track for about a kilometre until I came to a section of the road where the small bridge has collapsed. From here head West onto the open ground aiming for either the spur to the North or South of the lakes, both of which involve a steep climb. After this the hard climbing is done. From here handrail the ridge overlooking the lakes, and if you must bag the summit head West across the sprawling plateau for about 2 kilometres before swinging back around to take in the highlight of the walk overlooking Lough Glenawough. I had planned to head to Barnahowna and follow the ridge from here back to the start but looking out at the stream flowing along the valley I decided to drop down some steep ground through the forestry and follow the stream back to the farm track from the start of the hike. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/132/comment/20629/

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lewvalton on Maumtrasna

Driving north along the N59, the craggy and deeply corried frontage of Maumtrasna presents a very different aspect to the other (splendid) Connemara ranges, one ripe with gully and buttress scrambling potential. We had a crack at the very obvious gully (OSi 38, 65/94) running down Luga Kippen above Houston's Bridge. Anyone familiar with 'gill' scrambling in England's Lake District will recognise its appeal immediately. By contrast with many popular Lakes gills (ravines/gullies), care was needed with some loose rock and handholds, a sure sign of little if any previous human passage. The first half up to the obvious fork in the stream offers very enjoyable Grade 1 scrambling, with a fair volume of water on our day making a drenching unavoidable. However, great care was needed on a wholly speculative venture not to get into a situation we couldn't retreat from. At around the half-way point, despite this, a detour out onto the innocuous-looking left hand side of the ravine to avoid a shortish but very wet and greasy pitch resulted in us getting stuck on that wall where the heather, grass, mud and rock were all shockingly loose, and much steeper above than expected. A very awkward bit of self-extrication with the rope (thank God we'd brought it) was needed to get two of the three of us back down safely to the stream bed, from where a safe retreat back down and out on to the hillside was possible. The photo shows us at roughly that point (nb the slopes to figure's right are in reality v.steep) The upper gully shown is much more enclosed, with sheer inescapable walls on either side and signs of steep impassable falls. The entire route looks to require near-drought conditions and full gear for belays and possible abseil retreat. But parties with rock climbing or high-grade scrambling experience should definitely note this route, and indeed take time to explore the largely undocumented possibilities Maumtrasna and the Partrys hold. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/132/comment/1172/

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Mikek on Maumtrasna

With a few hours to spare on a trip to the Nephins I decided to try a walk N of Lough Nafooey. My plan was to follow the skyline above the Dooletter Valley taking in Skeltia on the ascent and Leynabricka on the descent. I parked the car at the carpark overlooking the lake (Ref: Larches (L983 603)) and headed up the hill. On reaching Skeltia my curiosity was aroused when looking at the map by the deep valley running SE from Mám Trasna summit, and from which the Srahnalong River flows. I headed E to have a look and once I had sight of this magnificant valley from above my route plan immediately changed. It is narrow, deep, with tumbling streams, and layer after layer of craggy edges running up the NE face of the valley. I decided I simply had to descend through this wonderful place. I first headed NW and then made my way into the head of the valley N of the major stream feeding the river below. The descent was steeper than it needed to be,as I made my way to the NE side of the valley to the foot of the craggy edges before dropping down to the river. Once the river was reached it was a pleasant walk out the valley. It was well worth it, and it reminded me of a scaled up craggy version of the Macha na Bo/Glennahoo valley E of Beenoskee on the Dingle Peninsula. Stay on the L bank as the land the right has been broken up with loads of fencing at right angles to the river. Returned to the car via the bog roads and col at Ref: B (L99111 60648) and a heathery descent to the road (not recommended). Plan to return. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/132/comment/1104/

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simon3 on Maumtrasna

HC Hart [Climbing in the British Isles 1895] gives an alternative name for this summit of Formnamore. He wasn't overly impressed with it, saying of this and the Devil's Mother (they) ".. form a series of high barren tablelands, dotted with pools, and of no interest whatever". But then he was looking for climbing.
The picture is of the eastern side of Maumtrasna. Although not particularly tall at 682m this mountain covers a vast area, being about 7 by 8.5 km in extent. There are at least ten corries all around with, as usual, the north and east facing ones being the biggest.

If you are interested in the geology of a place near the area, have a look at this
this in which you can find out about an ancient volcano to the south of Maumtrasna on the east spur of Ben Beg.

The panoramic photo shows the eastern side of the mountain, the summit being nearly 4km behind Binnaw. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/132/comment/637/

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Trig pillar

Unusually, Maumtrasna's trig pillar is not at the summit proper as marked on MV and OSI 38. The trig pillar is at around C (L974 645) (OSI point 673), sitting above the head of the Srahnalong valley. Approaching from the south or south-east, it seems to be oddly situated in the middle of a boggy plateau. But just as you reach the pillar, the view opens up to the north to include a large chunk of Mayo - Croagh Patrick near at hand, Achill in the distance, Nephin and the Nephin Begs, etc.

The summit proper is 1.5 km from the trig, going roughly south-west over initially boggy ground which eventually becomes mostly bare rock. Impossible to tell which point on the huge, cairn-littered plateau is the real summit with the naked eye, so map is necessary to find it, even in clear weather. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/132/comment/19620/

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