wicklore on Binn Mhór

The col between Binn Mhor and Binn Chaoinaigh is called Maumeen (pass of the birds). I reached it after descending from Binn Mhor at the end of a hike over from Corcogemore. What would have been an otherwise careful but straightforward descent of the 36 degree slope was made more hazardous by ice and snow. However I had Simon Stewart’s Maumturk Walk guide downloaded onto my gps and I followed his route to get down safely. Simon’s route can be downloaded onto gps units and is available from his website at http://www.simonstewart.ie/Turks/turk_nw.htm.

The annual Maumturks Walk blazes a trail across these mountains, covering 24 kms and a total ascent of 2336m. These walkers must be ultimate athletes because, according to the route card, it takes them just over three hours to reach Maumeen. It took me 5 hours 40 mins! No doubt they don’t stop to take 139 photos along the way or pause for breath every 10 steps on the steep ascents. Even so when I reached Maumeen I couldn’t help wondering if it was they who are too fast or me who is too slow. But I walk with the idea of ‘Take your time, have a good time’, whereas when they reach Maumeen the marathon walkers would have another 14kms to go across tough terrain so they wouldn’t be hanging around!

There was great comfort in reaching Maumeen for me – not only in having completed my first hike in the Maumturk, but also because the Western Way passes over the col meaning that there is a decent track to follow back down to the roads to the west. As I reached the col from Binn Mhor I could see a figure standing at the Oratory and Holy Well. It was the first person I had seen in the lonely mountains that day. As I approached them I was practising my patter to blag a lift all the way back to my car miles away to the east of the mountains. I was a bit embarrassed to discover that I was about to make my pitch to a statue that faces out over the col! For my sins I had an added hike of over 1 ½ hours before I hitched a lift far along the N59. Not the perfect end for tired feet! However I look forward to returning to continue the hike another day. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/172/comment/4451/

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csd on Binn Mhór

Binn Mhór and friends, viewed from Binn Chaonaigh. The lake at Maumeen is also visible. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/172/comment/404/

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Silver on Binn Mhór

26.12.04 View from top of Binn Mor looking down on Binn Chaonaigh and Western Way Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/172/comment/1388/

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csd on Binn Mhór

Seven years to the month, I return with a different perspective on Binn Mhór. I parked at D (L893 492), where there's space for a couple of cars in case the main car park up the road is full. Heading northeast, I skirted the north of the forest (shown on the Harvey map), before heading for open ground, approaching Binn Ramhar, the smaller top west of Mhór itself, from the west. It's an unforgiving slog if you're any way out of shape, but once up at Binn Ramhar (worth making a stop at on the way to Binn Mhór), the views on a clear day make it all worthwhile. I was blessed with perfect weather, and in these conditions the views are spectacular.
The area around the summits of Binn Mhór and Binn Ramhar is dotted with rocky pools, which peer over the edge of jaw-dropping views over to the Bens and the main ridge of the Maamturks to the north. Further distant, Mweelrea itself was visible, still capped in snow as the recent cold weather extends into spring. My (careful) descent was via Mam Ean and I then followed the Western way west back to the road and my car.
I'm sure on a cold wet windy day with no visibilty Binn Mhór is as miserable as the next Irish mountain, but today it rewarded me with possibly one of my best days in the hills ever. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/172/comment/4483/

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Some cliffs !!

Thought I should share this pic of the N cliffs of Binn Mhor, taken from the Western Way, on the way back from my walk along the Eastern Maumturks (see track 3238). No wonder its name as this is an impressive mountain from both S and N sides. An interesting feature of this ridge is the contrast between the green pastures and hills to the N and the immense surface of rough bogland and its myriad of lakes to the S. Note that the light was much better on the way back from that angle. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/172/comment/18562/

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