gerrym on Slieve Main

Slieve Main isn't much of a proposition on it's own and is best climbed along with it's bigger neighbour Slieve Snaght (see for first part of the walk). From Slieve Snaght it is an easy drop down south to the col with Slieve Main ( pic shows Slieve Main) This is rather wet with some peat hags and it is an easy half hour climb of 300ft over grass to the summit, a little bit rockier at the top. View is dominated by Slieve Snaght and its minor summit Slieve Snaghtbeg to the north, west to the Urris Hills and Ragtin More and south over Lough Swilly. I dropped down and contoured around the western side of Snaght to rejoin the route i had come up. 3.5 hours for the two mountains. Did not meet anyone else in what feels a quite remote area. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/427/comment/1070/

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eflanaga on Slieve Main

Climbed Friday 06.02.24 – My aim was to bag the three 500+ m mountains on the Innishowen peninsula. I started the first leg of the walk at a track in the townland of Fallask (B (C396 369)) on a bright but cold morning. Forecast was for partial cloud and sunny spells throughout the day. At this stage (09.00) the clouds had yet to make their appearance. There’s a helpful sign for Fallask Furniture/Kitchens on the Buncrana – Clonmany/Carndonagh Rd which points the way. The track leads to the Kinnego Rd below Crocknamaddy. You could avoid track if you wished as Fallask lane loops around to this point. Indeed climbing Crocknamaddy is not strictly necessary, but I decided to do it just to add a bit of extra interest to the walk. In hindsight, considering I lost my Tilley hat somewhere on its ascent I’m not sure it was such a good idea. Nevertheless, there are some good views to be had from the summit. It turned out, given the inclement weather which followed, that the pictures taken from here were among the best I was able to manage on the day. From Crocknamaddy summit (C (C400 362)) it’s a short pleasant walk over fairly firm ground to the base of Slieve Main. Then, it’s a relatively easy 194m ascent to the summit. Unfortunately, as I approached the top the weather decided to take a turn for the worse. Heavy cloud swept in making progress slower than I would have liked. To exacerbate things the strong NNE winds which buffeted the summit were accompanied by rain which fairly stung my face, the only part of my anatomy not completely protected. I took shelter beneath a large peat hag which offered a degree of protection. Eventually, the winds abated a little, while the cloud persisted, allowing me the opportunity to set a bearing of 76 degrees NW in order to make for the col beneath Slieve Snaght my next target (See Slieve Snaght for next leg of walk). Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/427/comment/2200/

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