eflanaga on Crockfadda

(Climbed April 17th – see Crockfadda North-East Top for previous stage in walk). Leaving Crockfadda North-East Top I started to make my weary way south-west towards my final target. While this straight as the crow flies route was not particularly steep, my knee was beginning to act up again making the 60m descent to a narrow col followed by an 87m climb to Crockfadda’s summit a little more difficult than it should have been. Nevertheless, I reached the top in reasonable time. After taking a few photographs of Crocknafarragh, Crockglass and Lough Atirrive to the north-west, Errigal to the north and Slieve Snaght to the north-east I was ready to make for home. I had only walked about 200m when I was greeted by the start of the heaviest drizzle of the day. This was to make the last leg of the walk somewhat miserable. I decided to follow a route along the course of the Devlin River back to Dunlewey. About ten minutes after leaving Crockfadda’s summit Lough Agannive came into view down below me. I had initially taken a bearing, which would bring me east of Agannive, crossing the stream that feeds the Devlin River from the lough. However, I took a little detour to explore one of the small sandy beaches at the lough’s edge. After crossing the stream I decided to keep to the higher ground west of the river as the going along the riverbank was extremely difficult. I maintained a height of about 300 metres for 1K dropping gradually to a height of approximately 220m before reaching the final descent back down to Dunlewey Old Church. The terrain all along this route is rough and uneven bog. The heavy drizzle and recent heavy rainfall had left the ground extremely wet. This final leg of the walk - from Crockfadda to the Old Church ruins seeming twice as long as the 5.7K it actually was. Cold and tired I reached the height overlooking the church and dropped of the final slope crossing the Devlin River and a small stream by way of stepping stones to rejoin the track and little bridge I had crossed earlier in the day. A short walk brought me back to the car where a litre of water and 500mls of energy drinks was greedily consumed. After all that a two and a half hour drive home left me exhausted but delighted about what had proved to be a fairly challenging but largely enjoyable 14K horseshoe walk in my favourite part of the country. I would thoroughly recommend it – but if possible pick a drier and sunnier day if you can! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/396/comment/2288/

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zeaphod on Crockfadda

Fairly easy walk up from the Owencarrow valley road, although the long grass (chest height in places when I last walked here) and uneven ground make it seem much harder. Once onto the tops, the going is much easier, with large slabs of rock, interspersed with bog/water. You have a good chance of spotting herds of deer up here. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/396/comment/865/

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simon3 on Crockfadda

Crockfadda will reward you with a great view of the West Donegal coast on a good day. The picture is a SW view, though further north you should be able to see Aran Island. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/396/comment/1946/

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Just another top.

I came to Crockfadda on 26 July 2012 as the fifth in a round of six tops in the Derryveagh Mts. (For previous part of the route see my comments on Crockfadda NE Top.) From the saddle below Crockfadda NE Top B (B913 140) I continued up and along SW for some 500m to the top, marked by a small pile of stones, on yet another flat topped featureless grass covered plateau not uncommon in these hills. The views were similar to those I had seen from Crockfadda NE Top except that Crocknasharragh the final hill in my round was now in view some 1.6k further SW. I therefore pressed on by continuing down to the saddle with Crocknasharragh C (B906 133). Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/396/comment/14746/

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Boggy Top

Reached from Crockfadda NE Top, which was a short walk, but over difficult ground in places. Very boggy with a lot of tussocky grass. To get back down to the R254 I headed east to near point B from previous comments, made the steep descent beside the waterfall, and had an easy walk from there to the road. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/396/comment/18489/

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