Surprising Weather in Dingle

To say Easter weather this year (2011) was unusual, is a bit of an understatement. It has proved to have been our summer with temperatures hitting 28/29 for several days in a row. August on the other hand more resembled autumn!

Here on Mt Eagle with the Great Blasket Island in the background, we all came kitted out in Paramo, expecting the usual sleet, mist and rain of Easters past. Not the positively Mediterranean weather we got. However, 3 weeks later I was camping in snow in Scotland!

Needless to say our Traverse of the hill from Ventry Harbour car park, to Slea Head and the Dingle Way back round to Ventry was superb. With only the small redirected section of the Dingle Way, along the Slea Head road, spoiling it slightly.

That section needs sorted, as the tour buses going along that road will eventually wipe out a couple of walkers there. If you find yourself getting pinned to the hedges here by fast moving and inconsiderate traffic, Carry your walking sticks in your hand, as the sight of a sharp pointy object tends to make the most severe road hog move out. Not out of consideration for you, you understand, but out of consideration for his cars gleaming paint work! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/419/comment/6496/

Read Less

skyehigh on Mount Eagle

This view is taken from the edge of the north eastern corrie, showing the side of the broad north ridge and Eagle Lough below. The zigzag path ascends the side of the ridge from the television mast. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/419/comment/1822/

Read Less

gerrym on Mount Eagle

Starting from amazingly scenic carpark at Slea Head ( CumNool (V318 975)) with views to the Blaskets. A short walk on the road brings a green stile to go off road on the Dingle Way - away from the hordes of stop snap and go tourists, and the sheep size hares crazily crossing the road!

Climb steeply above the road clinging to the cliff face below, either by following the track or going up more directly. Another stile brings around the headland and more and more hills across Dingle Bay, including the well defined jaged tops of the Reeks. Follow the stone wall as it contours around the waist of Eagle, cutting a good track through a sea of gorse. Foxgloves parading colourfully among the greenery. A number of beehive shaped Clochain dot the hillside below. Sheep and horses graze the marginal land and perhaps explain the charges to visit the Clochain.

Climb to reach a stream falling steeply to the ford on the road below (A (V335 974)) - a cracking place to stop for lunch, with swallows darting about over the pools of water. Continue with Dingle town in the distance and surf pounding the steep line of cliffs across Dingle Bay. The track is great following the wall and with plenty of markers. Another stile brings a lane hemmed in by heights of fushia and houses with stupendous views. This brings the main coast road which isn't great walking. Follow until B (V363 992) where turn left onto minor road and then head for the track accessing the communications mast. This also brings Eagle Lough nestled beautifully in the big eastern corrie. A flock of seagulls were using the lough as a base for sorties and they let everyone (well me) know! A strong wind blowing down off the mountain chopped up the water.

A clear path zig zags up above the corrie and picks up a track heading for the top, with good views down into corrie lough. The mist that had been spilling over the corrie rim enveloped me and brought out compass to reach the trig point. Views great i am sure!! A discernable track heads SW down and then up to Binn an Choma (424). Drop by wall passing stone shelters as ridge narrows and then drop off hillside to N, meeting up with track which brings back to carpark. vViews opened up again below cloud to spectacular beach and sharply profiled islands of Blaskets good company on the drop.

A walk of around 10 miles and 4 hours covering most of waht the hill has to offer. Very quiet throughout, except for time on road. Fantastic views from all levels. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/419/comment/4534/

Read Less

clasach on Mount Eagle

June 14, 2005 Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/419/comment/1988/

Read Less

Coordinate error

I climbed Mount Eagle with a group of friends to finish off a weekend on the Dingle peninsula. We started at the track GR Kl'Dur (Q352 003) and followed it to the lake and then just to make it a bit more interesting I went up the steep zigzag path while the others followed the other track around. The views to the islands are exceptional. However the view inland is quite something as well. I took this photo from the summit looking back over the peninsula towards the Brandons on the left, Connor Pass in the centre and the Central Dingle Mountains on the right. On the left is Smerwick harbour and on the right Ventry harbour with Dingle harbour behind. I descended towards Baile an tSleibhe and across a boggy area to meet the track down.
It was a somewhat satisfying end to a slightly disappointing weekend.
I had a mishap while climbing up Baurteguam from the Derrymore Glen the day before where a gust of wind took my feet from under me and sent my spectacles flying. Despite the best efforts of my “sighted” companions we could not find them, and after a jam tart and some soup, we decided to head down. Our trip was not totally in vain we did get some very nice purple stones for Margaret’s flowerbeds and I did manage to make it up Mount Eagle! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/419/comment/2028/

Read Less