Brendan777 on Garraun

I climbed Garraun on 8th September 2007 using the ridge leading up from Lough Fee. It was a gloriously sunny day and the views in all directions were outstanding. There are a couple of false summits on this ascent which can be a bit disheartening if you aren't expecting them. As has been said before, the actual summit is a bit featureless but the beauty and solitude make this part of the Northern Bens well worth a visit. See the attached photo, taken from the southern side of the Lecknavarna valley which shows the ridge, with majestic Mweelrea in the top left background. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/2827/

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gerrym on Garraun

Approached from L Fee, first climbing up the steep grassy ridge to the summit of Benchoona. This is a varied and sizable top with a number of small loughs and cairns - in stark contrast with the top of Garraun which is non descript. There is a drop down to the SE to the col containing another small lough. There is a short climb to the summit of Garraun with its two small cairns a short distance apart. The only saving grace in the contrast with Benchoona are the views which open up even further. There are endless swathes of nothingness in the low ground beween the high mountains in every direction. The vista takes in the Bens, Partrys, Bengorm, Sheffreys and Mweelra with the Bens having the strongest magnetism.
Descent was by the E ridge which drops down steeply. I dropped off onto the steep grassy ground heading down to L Fee, heading for an isolated house on the shore and followed a wall skirting around to the track leading to the car. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/2982/

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CaptainVertigo on Garraun

The so-called Northern Bens offer excellent returns for relatively little effort. In August 2006 my teenage sons and I followed the route suggested in WWI No.72 which involved parking near Creeragh Church on the Letterfrack to Leenane road (B (L802 594)), and walking along a boreen which runs roughly parallel to the south western shore of Lough Fee. Circa Fee L (L795 605), almost in front of a lonely but very much inhabited cottage turn left (westerly) and ascend the long spur that narrows as it heads for Garraun (598 m). It was a short hop across to Ben Choona and then back across Garraun to Binn Fhraoigh (of which more anon). Perhaps the most rewarding viewpoint was at the spot height marked 556 on Harvey's Map. During our time on the summits we saw the Renvyle peninsula with Tully Mountain to the west (and on to Inisbofin); Mweelrea and Killary to the north; to the east Lough Fee and the stately Turks; to the south Kylemore lake and the Twelve Bens. We descended another long spur (to the south of Lecknavarna river): the photo shows the great canvas of the northern Inagh Valley , bounded by the Turks and the Twelve Bens. When the Navan Trekkers arrived in Tully Cross for our October Weekend it was decided to repeat the route with all grades participating. Although the morning was wet the day cleared in time for the descent, and I was once again treated to the view in the photo. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/2572/

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simon3 on Garraun

Garraun is roughly as exciting as Lemnaheltia. Which is to say that it is flattish and featureless. The photo shows the two small cairns on the summit. An easy way to get to Garraun is via a distinctive spur that stretches from the summit to the east. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/778/

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Christmas Climb

Climbed Garraun on 27/12/'15. We parked between the two churches on the Leenane to Lettertfrack road as described by WWI and Captain Vertigo in a related post. The house at the end of the farm road is now uninhabited but the people who lived there were remembered in Gaynors bar in Leenane. There is a small gate just before the old cottage which give access to the mountain but the way across the nearby stream is being taken over by Rhododendron and will become impassable eventually. There is a second gate leading onto the spur after the stream and from here it is relatively easy climbing to the summit. We walked in fog for most of the walk over 1000ft and we noticed small steaks have been driven into the ground to mark the trail to the summit and beyond. While I'm not a fan of these, they may be useful to somebody with less navigational experience. We got a viewing window of a bout 15 mins at the top and Inis na Bo Finne , Inis Toirc and the Bens came in to view which were spectacular in the clear winter air. We did a circuit of the aforementioned stream Leicnabhearna and descended the spur south of Binn Fhraoigh.(Heathery Top). The open ground between the spur and the church was heavy going and put a slight dampener on the day. The views from the top although absent on the day are worth the trip. Bain taitneamh as, Maurice Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/18409/

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