Discovering the Horse Line (it's 380 metres)

Using csd's directions I headed up the wet track. After weeks of freezing weather the track was hard, but only just. It had been churned to mud by a myriad of hooves, and the grooves and muddy ridges had frozen in place like a snapshot. Though the ground crunched underfoot, I sensed that this frozen veneer was fickle; that at any moment it could crack, plunging my feet into the boggy marsh below. Brown muddy water oozed upwards through the ice where my feet landed, but it couldn't penetrate my trusty boots. I imagine it’s a nightmare on a wet summer’s day

Soon I came to the Coillte track and turned right. As I reached it I heard snorting coming from behind the bushes to my right. I saw several plumes of warm breath billowing into the icy air, as no less than 8 horses stepped out into my path. Or more correctly they stepped out into 'their’ path!. We all stood and regarded each other for a moment. Memories of being chased off Tory hill in Wexford in July by a herd of feisty cattle came to mind. Would these horses also like to escort me off their hill? It was 8000 pounds of raw muscle verses my steely determination and two good walking sticks. Everything I knew about judging horse’s intentions - flared nostrils, laid flat ears, rolling eyeballs, snapping mouth and flailing hooves - deserted me as I stood transfixed. There was no horse whisperer moment, but after what seemed like an age they turned and ambled off up the track ahead of me. I followed them.

They led the way and made all the same choices at junctions as I did, as if knowing my intentions. I grew wary when two of them split off from the main group and disappeared into a messy section of deforestation. I now had to watch two fronts. I’m not sure if I've reached the age where a good kick from a horse will break me or splatter me!

The remaining 6 horses led me up and up, until they suddenly stopped dead at the side of the track. Just like a tree line above which trees don't grow, perhaps there is a horse line above which horses don't go in the cold depths of winter? At about 380 metres the trees were frozen white and the trackside grass was disappearing under deeper snow. This was where the horses and I parted company. I circled around them and continued on to a small junction at G (S05377 78693). A few minutes up this track brought me to a fence, where another tough few minutes through deep snowy heather led to the featureless summit. There were fine views across to Keeper Hill and the Silvermines, and nearby Gortagarry. Far away I espied a white mountain to the NE, which I took to be a snow covered Lugnaquillia in Wicklow. Everywhere around was frozen white and not a creature stirred in the frigid air. Even at 450 metres the cold was intense, and I couldn't stop for long. Retracing my steps I enjoyed the ramble back to the car. The horses had disappeared. A 2 hour walk during which I didn’t discover whether I would break or splatter! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/603/comment/6176/

Read Less

YoungJohn on Benduff

We, my 'old' friend and I, set off on thursday for Ben Duff having cancelled on wednesday due to heavy rain. Thursday was just scattered with heavy showers. Take the road nearly opposite Moneygall Garda Station on the N7. Turn left after the row of two story houses. Travel uphill for a mile or so. Take the first right. Follow the road until a fork, turn right. We parked at a wide clearing on the left after a mile or so. We felt we were cheating as the views were good already and we were 200 to 300 feet above the expanse. We headed through a grass field full of inquisitive cattle. Then we got over a fence on to the fire break in the forestry. The fire break was slightly soggy and overgrown in parts. We paused to look back at the flat plain below and the other mountains in the distance to the west, the Aughty's and Clare, to the south Keeper and the Silvermines(Slieve Shallee). We feared the tree line but were rewarded for our so far dry climb with a heather and grass summit and a wonderful vista from the cairn. Loughderg lay to the west with Clare and its mountains beyond. The compass told us the aughty's and the south showed us the 'Bit', Borrisnoe and Knockanora with its visible cairn, down to the Slieve Felims, Keeper etc. The mighty Shannon in flood stretched to the north. To the east lay the Slieve Ardagh hills and beyong the Wicklow Mountains and Mt. Leinster. The Sleive Blooms lay to the north east. Clouds had rolled by but we did catch a shower though our spirits were not dampened. A hawk caught our eye and we followed its patrol along the tree line as it hovered and hunted. We lingered a while before heading onto Borrisnoe(Which is not listed on MV yet and in fairness with some justification). We went down a ridge to the edge of the tree line/grass land. We traversed a small steam, under some wire over a fence and out through 2 grass fields and home. Ben Duff was worth the climb of about 1100 ft of its 455 metres. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/603/comment/4075/

Read Less

csd on Benduff

Approaching from the east, the biggest challenge I had was trying to find an access to the hill. The road ending at a track at I (S068 781) is actually someone's driveway, so I retraced my wheel tracks and tried the access further north. Eventually I parked off the narrow road at J (S06681 78459) (where there's room for three or four cars). Ignore the gated track beside the parking spot, instead go a little further along the road and turn right onto the overgrown track. After a mucky, unpromising start, the track eventually comes out onto a standard Coillte forestry track, and you can follow this using Sheet 59 up to the summit of Benduff. The summit is fairly unremarkable, but has some nice views SW to the Silvermines. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/603/comment/3888/

Read Less

simon3 on Benduff

Going south from the marked and megalithic summit of Benduff you will visit a high ridge. GPS measurements suggested that it was much the same height as Benduff. Go further south and you will see this vista in front of you. If you visit you will see the summit of Devilsbit, Little Rock to the right of it and the "Bit" inbetween, though this is not so easily distinguishable in this small version of the wide panorama. To the right and not in the picture are, as of 2008, two small groups of wind-turbines. Curiously the telecoms towers of Kilduff Mountain are not visible.
The bunch of trees in the centre of the picture on the skyline is marked as Borrisnoe Mountain on the OS. This is not included in MV's lists for lack of prominence reasons. The central path in the picture continues right through the trees ahead eventually coming to a road which leads to Kilduff Mountain, thankfully bypassing Borrisnoe which is probably covered in trees. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/603/comment/3119/

Read Less

Firebreak, heartache?

Wed 25/9/2013. Looking for a short easy way up Benduff I followed Young Johns directions from Moneygall. When Benduff comes into view on the left as one travels upward from Moneygall the firebreak in the woods is very obvious to see. I parked at a set of rusty double gates room for one car here K (S041 783). Climbed the gates and crossed the field to a ditch I followed this in a leftward direction until I reached a small stream I crossed this and over a small wire fence and followed this fence uphill keeping the forest on my immediate left. The ground was steep and churned up by the passage of many cow hooves, followed the fence all the way up to an old stone bridge in the corner of the field, crossed this and the going got very rough plenty of wild briars and the odd bit of gorse to contend with, headed for the firebreak and came to a blackthorn tree and lots of gorse blocking the entrance to the firebreak higher up. I was able to crawl under the low branches of the tree and get into the firebreak and onto easier ground, this took about 15mins from the car. Plenty of heather here but a path was visible under the heather and this made the climb a bit easier. No problems form here on up to the summit which I reached in about 25mins from the car, nice views to be had in all directions, returned by same route Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/603/comment/15196/

Read Less