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Caha Mountains Area   E: Glengarriff Subarea
Place count in area: 58, OSI/LPS Maps: 83, 84, 85, 88 
Highest place:
Hungry Hill, 682m
Maximum height for area: 682 metres,     Maximum prominence for area: 400 metres,

Note: this list of places includes island features such as summits, but not islands as such.
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Sugarloaf Mountain Mountain Gabhal Mhór A name in Irish, also Slieve na Goill an extra name in Irish (Ir. Gabhal Mhór [OSI], 'big fork') Cork County in Munster Province, in Arderin List, Purple & green sandstone & siltstone Bedrock

Height: 574m OS 1:50k Mapsheet: 85 Grid Reference: V87376 52952
Place visited by 135 members. Recently by: JohnFinn, Peter Walker, DeirdreM, Kirsty, maoris, frostie89, hoppy78, Krzysztof_K, John.geary, mountainmike, garrettd, annem, eiremountains, daitho9, jackos
I have visited this place: NO (You need to be a logged-in member to change this.)

Longitude: -9.630382, Latitude: 51.718221 , Easting: 87376, Northing: 52952 Prominence: 126m,  Isolation: 1.1km,   Has trig pillar
ITM: 487350 553019,   GPS IDs, 6 char: SgrlMn, 10 char: SgrlfMntn
Bedrock type: Purple & green sandstone & siltstone, (Caha Mountain Formation)

The Irish name Gabhal Mhór may seem odd as a name for a mountain, but it appears to have developed from Sliabh na Gaibhle, 'mountain of the fork'. This accounts for the anglicised form Slieve Goul found in several 19th century sources. It is unclear what exactly the fork is, but it may be a confluence of streams referred to in the name of the nearby townland, Kealagowlane (Ir. Caol an Ghabhláin, 'marsh/narrowing of the little fork'). Gabhal Mhór stands in contrast to Gabhal Bheag, Gowlbeg Mountain, its lower neighbour. For the origin of the English name, see Sugarloaf Hill in Wicklow for an explanation of hills called Sugarloaf.Claude Wall [Mountaineering in Ireland] suggested the name ‘Slieve na Goill, “the misty hill”.   Sugarloaf Mountain is the 352nd highest place in Ireland.

Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/319/
COMMENTS for Sugarloaf Mountain (Gabhal Mhór) 1 2 Next page >>  
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MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Sugarloaf Mountain (<i>Gabhal Mhór</i>) in area Caha Mountains, Ireland
Picture: View from the SE
 
Feels higher than it is
Short Summary created by simon3, thomas_g  3 Jul 2021
Access is possible from the old Beara way track which can be reached by parking at V91700 54569 starA (1 car) and following the track for about 5km. The turn to the old track is easy to miss it's at V888 536 starB. The summit can be reached via the spot height 316m in what can be a slippery climb, it gets less steep the further west you go. Access is also straightforward from Sugarloaf West.
There are great views in all directions from the trig point which for some reason is painted white.
I would not recommend a descent to the east or especially the north - stick to the ridge or go S/SW.
Due to the way the peak sits above the valley to the north, it feels much higher than its 574m. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/319/comment/5079/
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Sugarloaf Mountain (<i>Gabhal Mhór</i>) in area Caha Mountains, Ireland
Picture: Loooking over Bantry bay, Whiddy island in the centre
Shipwrecks and the French
by jackill  15 Aug 2011
The Sugarloaf with its whitewashed pillar stands sentry over Bantry bay.
The bay itself has seen the devils own share of history and tragedy.
The town of Bantry was the place where an attempt to land and launch a rebellion was made by a French fleet, with Wolfe Tone, in December 1796. The French fleet consisting of 43 ships carrying 15,000 troops had divided mid-Atlantic into smaller groups to avoid interception by the Royal Navy with orders to reform at Bantry Bay. The bulk of the fleet arrived successfully, but several ships, including the flagship Fraternité carrying General Hoche were delayed. While awaiting their arrival, bad weather intervened and the lack of leadership, together with uneasiness at the prospect of being trapped, forced the decision to return to France. Tone wrote of the expedition in his diary, saying that "We were close enough to toss a biscuit ashore." The square in Bantry is today named after Wolfe Tone.

On January 8, 1979, 50 people were killed when the French oil tanker Betelgeuse, offloading at Whiddy Island caught fire, exploded, and broke into three pieces.

The bay has had numerous shipwrecks over the years. In 1981, while clean up efforts using sonar sweeps for the Betelgeuse were under way, the wreck of the French frigate La Surveillante, which had been scuttled during a storm north of Whiddy Island on 2 January 1797, was found Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/319/comment/6074/
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Sugarloaf from the west
by liz50  22 Jun 2015
On a bright clear day in June we decided to climb Sugarloaf mountain in West Cork. Initially our intention was to access it from the south west spur at V859 516 starC but were confronted by a No Entry sign on a gate. Travelling west along the road we came across a forestry road running uphill at V84955 51210 starD. There is parking for a couple of cars by a brown sign for Leitrim Beg standing stone. Following the track height was gained quickly and easily to V84939 52151 starE where the track ends. An old fence runs north for approx 500m where it joins the re-routed Beara way at V84950 52612 starF. Follow the well marked (with yellow posts) Beara way for about a km with short diversions to take in the summit of Nareera SW top by Lough Keel and Nareera before leaving the Beara way at V86229 53270 starG to the South East and over the summit of Sugarloaf west top. Drop down to the col at V86770 52799 starH before the final ascent to Sugarloaf and spectacular views over Glengarriff, Bantry Bay and beyond. We retraced our steps taking the opportunity to 'bag' Sugarloaf mountain far west top on the way back. A round trip of approx 10km Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/319/comment/18156/
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MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Sugarloaf Mountain (<i>Gabhal Mhór</i>) in area Caha Mountains, Ireland
Picture: Sugarloaf from the west
 
A superb route that deserves to be better known
by IainT  6 Feb 2019
I followed Liz50's description (below) from the west, starting up the forestry track from the Leitrim Beg standing stone (V849512 starI). This takes you quickly up onto the higher reaches of Nareera, where sheep tracks run up to the SW Top above Lough Keel, a brilliant viewpoint. I detoured north to take in Nareera N Top for bagging reasons, but it's probably a better walk if you don't. A cornucopia of rocky lumps and bumps and wild perched lochans takes you round to Sugarloaf itself and another stunning summit view. Because of the access problems lower down it's best to retrace your steps over the first two bumps then use the re-routed Beara Way to get back to Nareera N Top and an easy descent. As good a way of spending a (longish) half day as you're likely to find anywhere. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/319/comment/20409/
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MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Sugarloaf Mountain (<i>Gabhal Mhór</i>) in area Caha Mountains, Ireland
Picture: View from Sugarloaf Beara
Bantry Bay View
by davsheen  1 Jan 2017
View from Sugarloaf Beara over Bantry Bay with Doughill, Douce and Shehy Mor hills visible in the distance. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/319/comment/18758/
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MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Sugarloaf Mountain (<i>Gabhal Mhór</i>) in area Caha Mountains, Ireland
 
simon3 on Sugarloaf Mountain, 2003
by simon3  27 May 2003
When you finally reach Sugarloaf's top you find that it has this unusual brightly painted white trig pillar shown in the picture. The mountain in the background is Toberavanaha, almost as high as Sugarloaf, but not nearly as well known. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/319/comment/517/
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