CaptainVertigo on Ben Lugmore

I walked the Lugmore Ridge from west to east on a perfect sunny but cold day in March as part of the Mweelrea horseshoe. The rim was covered in frozen snow that seemed firm underfoot, and that gave me some comfort. Digging my heels in hard, and using my walking poles, I literally edged forward one step at a time, terrified that I might slide to my death into Glenconneely to the south. The knowledge that the walls of the corrie to the north were even steeper made me worse. I kept thinking "Thank God I'm not leading a group" because I would be sick at the thought of one of them taking a dive. I resolved to warn my children NEVER to THINK of going near the place . Comrades, there was no mist and no wind, and yet I quaked. If you must attempt this traverse please wait for perfect conditions. At one stage I thought about going back, but when I turned around, the way I had come seemed worse than what was in front of me. I struggled on, and felt totally elated when I made it to a kind of plateau circa E (L8155 6720). Sure the views were equally stunning on Lugmore West Top, and Lugmore itself: but one does not have much time for beauty when one's buttocks are in jeopardy. (I ask my reader to Google Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to learn more about "priorities"). But from the safety of that little plateau twixt Lugmore and its East Top, and in my solitary state, surrounded by exquisite sights from Achill to Croagh Patrick, to the Sheefrys, Devil's Mother, Maumtrasna, Bens Creggan and Gorm, Killary, Maamturks, Twelve Bens,Northern Bens and Mweelrea itself, I felt momentary mastery of the universe. How quickly we forget mortal terror, and the half whispered prayers for safe passage when once again our buttocks run free. See my trail of liquid manure at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDcb1BKeNmE Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/38/comment/4528/

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gerrym on Ben Lugmore

Ben Lugmore and its outriding tops to the E and W, form a high level ridge which has sheer drops to the left down into the corrie to end all corries and long scree covered slopes to the right ,dropping down less dramatically into another corrie with a lough. There are drops of up to 150 ft between the tops which doesn't present too much effort, but they do look good as the picture shows. Ben Lugmore is by far the most impressive of the three tops in looks and when standing on its small top, just past a precariously situated outcrop of rock you certainly feel the 803 m below you. The walk to the top is easy enough on grass from the little col of the W top to a little pile of stones. The views from this height are obviously far reaching - along the wide Inagh valley with the Mamturks and Bens either side, to C Patrick with its white chapel easily visible and Nephin looking like a mirror image just beyond, to the Nephin Begs and the mountains of Achill. There are also good views down to the double corries to the SW with thier loughs. I definitely would not be comfortable here in wind or mist, okay i would not be here at all. There is no need to walk along the very top as there is plenty of opportunity to walk on the less severe slopes to the right, but the corrie does demand your attention and popping up to the top to peer down is a must. From the top can appreciate that there is quite a wee drop from the other tops to here. The walking along this ridge is definitely one of the better aspects of visiting Mweelrea and should be included for a complete experience of the mountain. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/38/comment/2461/

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madfrankie on Ben Lugmore

From cloud-covered Ben Lugmore East Top, the route is obvious, but alarming, as a steep and narrow ridge slopes off west to reascend to a soaring pinnacle. Okay, perhaps it's not that bad in good visibility, but that's the way it appeared to me in that cloud-distorting way. Mind you, the ridge is pretty narrow, but it doesn't seem to take long before you arrive at the summit, a small pile of stones teetering on the cliff edge. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/38/comment/2468/

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Bogs your Uncle!

Leaving Mweelrea summit we walked in a northeasterly direction along a relatively easy crest, branching northwards to go down towards a gap. Following this descent there is a rugged slope to climb to bring you to the summit of Ben Bury, there are a number of Cairns near the top but the summit lies on an area of boulders. About half way up I realised that if we continued to the summit of Ben Bury we would be doing the Ben Lugmore ridge primarily in the dark and felt it would be better to carry on across the coll and head directly for the ridge. No matter it gives us a good excuse to return!

This ridge has a number of peaks the highest of which is 803m and follows a southeasterly direction for the most part, suddenly taking a northeasterly direction. In some points you may look from left to right and there is nothing but a sheer drop to either side - indeed at some points it narrows to about a meter in width. Possibly not a walk for those inclement Irish days.

As darkness descended we neared the end of the ridge and set out across the bog towards Delphi Adventure Centre and the Owenaglough River. It was fairly rough going and there were quite a few occasions where I ended up sitting in a freezing pool of boggy water as grassy tussocks were not always what they appeared to be. Doing this with a head torch did not make that last hour any easier but the views from the ridge made it all worth it. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/38/comment/6230/

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Nice peak

Our party of 6 took the Lugmore ridge home after a visit to Mweelrea via the ramp on a sunny and calm October day. If we had taken a short-cut back down the ramp we would have missed out on this fantastic peak and an exhilarating ridge walk.We found the descent off the end of this ridge to the sluice gates at the southern end of Doo Lough quite tricky and time consuming as there are a lot of crags to avoid. But this peak and its ridge were definitely worth the extra effort. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/38/comment/18652/

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