A 10-strong group from QUBMC climbed Slievetooey on a breezy Sunday in November. As time was limited, we took one of the shortest routes available, approaching from Maghera Strand on the NE side. The views were fine, except during a couple of squally showers. The views took in Loughros Beg Bay, the Loughros peninsula, Aranmore and the vicinity of Ardara. From the summit we could also see Errigal and neighbours and the Blue Stacks. The surf in the bay below us was very impressive. We later found out that the huge swell and sea-spray prevented other members of our club from getting any climbing, both at Muckros Head and at Malin Beg. Bring the surfboards next time lads!

From Maghera access to the mountain is straightforward. There is a car park beside a small group of houses. Signs on a cabin indicate that there is a fee for parking, but it seems that money is only collected in the summer season. Tracks bring you to a height of around 150m. When you cross the top fence and enter open ground, you can follow a track climbing gradually beside a blue plastic water pipe for a few hundred yards, before heading off to the left (south). After this there are only faint sheep tracks until you approach the summit. However the way is fairly clear if visibility is good. The ground is somewhat heathery, but the growth is not too high.

N.B. The name Slievetooey is misleading placed some distance to the west of the summit on the OS map. Locally Slievetooey is the name applied to the whole massif, of which the 511m peak is the highest point. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/430/comment/2039/