Take your time to enjoy

5 years ago this August I climbed Tawnyanruddia on my way to Slieve Carr. I had camped the night before in a dilapidated tin hut on the Bangor trail below at A (F90646 11359) where the Bangor trail contours around the hill. I wrote about that singular experience back then as part of a summit comment for Slieve Carr. It was a hugely enjoyable and challenging way to experience this area of near wilderness. (http://mountainviews.ie/summit/94/comment/6053/ mtn_ct6053)

As isolated as Slieve Carr felt at the time, Tawnyanruddia felt even more so as it lacked a trig pillar and cairn or any other obvious human touches. A small rocky outcrop, eroded bog with granite stones peeking out, and windswept heathery grass marked the summit area. It was a straightforward 380m haul up from the Bangor Trail, with more and more astonishing views of the vast, uninhabited, Owenduff bog opening up as elevation was achieved. The sense of isolation on the slopes of Tawnyanruddia was palpable, and one that I’ve rarely experienced elsewhere. I found myself paying more attention to detail such as where I put my feet with each step or how much water I drank – partly because I was ‘in the moment’ and partly because there was an acute sense of the dire consequences of making a mistake and twisting an ankle or becoming dehydrated in this lonely place. There are some areas of exposed rock and scree on the southern slop which are easily avoided.

While Tawnyanruddia is easily reached from the Bangor Trail, or while descending Slieve Carr, it still requires a huge commitment of time and effort. I see that all other GPS tracks for Slieve Carr bypass Tawnyanruddia which reinforces my view that perhaps this is an area where more time and less haste is recommended. Of course Tawnyanruddia will no doubt now feature on future expeditions up Slieve Carr now that it has been ‘named’ as a summit!

It was with a mixture of entertainment and dismay that I saw the many efforts since 2010 by members to find the quickest and easiest way up Slieve Carr. The reputation for remoteness and near wilderness that this summit area holds was being dismantled gleefully with each new forest track and bridge discovered that would bring people closer and closer to the slopes of these hills. While adding to our options for accessing this area, it also takes something away. I say take your time, explore, enjoy!

I have included the link to my GPS route over Tawnyanruddia here: http://mountainviews.ie/track/1394/ mvtrack1394 Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1457/comment/18171/

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Approach from the south.

Tawnyanruddia (centre of pic) seen from the Bangor Trail. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1457/comment/23631/

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Arderin Beg, but nothing little about getting to it

One year ago, June 2022, I took the opportunity while on holiday in West Sligo to tick this one off. My ambition was much greater than my ability and the dreadful dampness of the Bangor Trail didn't get me close enough, quickly enough to make it in a single day trip.
Fast forward one year, and the dry spell of late May 2023 and I decided to make a weekend of it in the Mountains for the June holiday weekend.
I arrived in Bangor Erris on a Friday evening, parking outside the RC church as the 6pm Angelus was pealing and made camp on Knocklettercuss for my first night.
Next day in the heat, I diverted across to Sheann, then crossed the great bog southwards on its Eastern fringe, very glad of the dry conditions. My plan was originally to go up onto the spur to Slieve Carr and clockwise via Corslieve to Tawnyanruddia, but the heat of the day and the heavy pack on my back decided on the path of least resistance. I lunched and bathed my feet at B (F89122 16150) a few hundred metres upstream of what appears to be an old cottage being renovated (bothy perhaps?).
3 hours later I huffed and puffed my way to the top, dripping in perspiration, really feeling the affect of the heat. Glad to have attained it though, and I dropped back to the NW to a wee tarn where I had the benefit of a peat hags to shelter me for a 2nd night of camping. It turned out a glorious spot and I was treated to a stupendous sunset.
Next day I did the lesser trodden but yet not to be underestimated Sheannmore, followed by the amusingly moniker Slieve Alp. From here I made what I've promised myself is my last trip on the northern half of the Bangor Trail, resting for an hour at the so-called bothy adjacent to the over engineered marvel of the footbridge at C (F868 161). I was glad to get back to civilisation in Bangor 50 hours after I left it. Despite the dry weather, and the fact that the bogs and mountains of the Nephin Beg range were drier than camel's toenail, the trail was a morass not much better than when I trod it a year before.
My advice , for what it's worth to anyone who might listen is don't bother with the trail, wait til good weather and use the high ground, much easier and much better underfoot. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1457/comment/23984/

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