Where will the road of adventure take you?

Muckish glows in the first snow of 2022. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/163/comment/23380/

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The Gap & Miner's Path

Hi people :)

Walked up Muckish for only my second time yesterday, via the easy route which begins near the grotto. Conditions were clear and sunny for the most part. Made it across the lunar surface to the big cross. After a pick-me-up snack of Tesco BLT and some bits of Belgian choc washed down with 7UP, scrambled down part of the bouldery cross end, to check out if it's possible to scramble *up* without too much difficulty.

Is it possible? Would like to hear from anyone who has come up Muckish this way and if so, how accessible is it by car? Thanks in advance :)

Edit - 6 Jan 2010

My girlfriend and I tackled the Miner's Path today. It was steep, icy and snow-covered in parts and to be honest, we probably should have been wearing crampons. A somewhat nervous ascent for me, personally. She was very brave. Made the summit with every intention of NOT descending via the same route. Instead, motivated by the incoming mist & light snow, we quickly came off the plateau down part of the Muckish Gap path, threw a left and then took a somewhat tiring route round to the North face along the lower slopes of the hill, back to the waiting car. It took at least an hour-and-a-half, but, thank God, we were back in one piece. A descent by the Miner's - in today's conditions - would not have been a good idea.

The Miner's Path is narrow and exposed in parts so, even in good conditions, it should be tackled with caution.

Happy walking! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/163/comment/6021/

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a true monster

Having holidayed in this part of Donegal for almost 30 years I had long wanted to climb Muckish but found it invariably covered in mist or low cloud. Today was one of the few rain-free days you get in Donegal so I decided to take the chance and finally bag this fantastic mountain while the going was good. As I approached the Muckish Gap from the south via the R251 I started to have second thoughts as it really did look enormously high - perhaps too much for a relatively inexperienced hillwalker like myself. Nevertheless I parked up beside the shrine at the Muckish Gap ( Muck Gap (B999 269)) and proceeded up following paulocon's route. Getting up the grassy lower foothills was no problem though somewhat boggy. However once turning the corner onto the vast SE face of Muckish things started to become more difficult - a very long, very steep climb through deep heather. Each step upwards seemed to sap the energy from me. At about 500m I considered turning back as my legs felt like jelly but I pressed on after a short rest. I found it easier going over the rocky scree section near the top as at least it was something to dig into compared to the heather. Eventually I reached the summit plateau where my energy levels lifted to continue the climb to the trig pillar which stands at 666m. I had read about the lunar-like surface of Muckish may times but to actually get up there and see it for myself was fantastic. Unfortunately much of the path on top is starting to become very badly eroded. On a fabulous day like this views extended over much of Donegal - I could easily make out the four other hills I have climbed in this county. The view SW towards Errigal and the three Aghla's was something I will never forget. I returned to the car by way of ascent. Very tired but with an immense sense of satisfaction at finally conquering Muckish. Only my second summit over 2000ft and the most difficult one so far. Total trip up and down - a rather gruelling 2 hours. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/163/comment/6111/

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strabanejohn on Muckish

5 of us did a great climb of Muckish on Saturday. Using OSI Map 2, we had a choice of doing the easier Muckish Gap (starting around C (B993 272)) or the more difficult Miners Path. We chose the latter. Going north through Creeslough, about a mile or so later take a left turn at approx D (C051 329), signposted Derryhariff - there is a graveyard on the right . Follow this road straight on, past a quarry workings on the right, over a cattle grid and keep straight on - the road winds up the mountain, it is tarmac most of the way, the last 200m or so is a bit rough and you'll come to a dead end just below the old quarry workings - there is room here for four or five cars parked on the side.

As you face the mountain you'll see two large concrete slabs, one (on the left) with old machinery and the one on the right with nothing. On the one on the right someone has written in large red letters 'START' (now well worn) with an arrow pointing across the stream - this is the start! Along the way there are a number of these red arrows pointing the way.

The first section is a scramble up to the wooden steps just below the start of the rockface proper - then it's a zigzag up to the top - if you come across a small wall of rocks blocking the path, this means 'don't go this way, you must have missed the main path'.

The top is amazing - a large plateau with, as my sister commented, rocks which appear to have been rained down. Like the surface of the moon! Amazing views all round, in particular Errigal looks splendid.

There is a trig point, a huge cross made from girders (how did they get it up there?), a prehistoric burial cairn (again our forefathers must have struggled to carry bodies up there in bare feet!!), a small stone igloo and any number of cairns.

We saw heavy rainclouds coming in our direction, so decided to get off the top, thankful that we did as half Muckish was covered in cloud. You need to be very careful going down asit is a bit of a scramble. An excellent day out and highly recommended. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/163/comment/2442/

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A summit postponed, but remembered

I photographed the very attractive mountain of Muckish, along with its smaller neighbour Crocknalaragah, late last Summer. It was on a rare dry day of high winds and rapidly moving clouds, allowing the light to give that that lovely dappled end ever-changing look to the landscape.
Irresistible, delightful and frustrating all at once for a landscape photographer if he or she has visualised what they want to show and the elements just won't put that shaft of sunlight where it should be or a sudden squall means "tools down" while the lens cover has to be wiped clean again.
I completed my round of the Aghlas (described on another of my reports) and promised myself that I would tackle Muckish before I had to return home to Scotland, but sadly the rest of the holiday was a return to low, thick cloud and constant rain showers, so it is still on my list...hopefully 2020 will see the weather being more obliging for me and I will get to climb this lovely-looking hill, along with a few more of the peaks in spectacular north Donegal. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/163/comment/20765/

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