no bovver!

This somewhat underrated hill has recently had a name change on MV with 'Top' being added to its previous name. Much like its neighbour Benbradagh which I climbed earlier in the day, Boviel Top's splendid views can be attained for very little effort as there is a road which take you most of the way up it. There is space for one vehicle to park at the top of the Boviel road off the Glenshane pass (B (C738 086)). Climb over the gate at the end of the road and follow the grassy track up past an old telegraph pole and on to the 454m summit. Like so many of the Sperrins, the summit is unmarked on the ground. It was a case of finding what looked like the highest peat hag and standing on it. In contrast to the dull and rather boggy climb, the view from the top of Boviel was very good indeed, particularly to the higher Sperrins. On the NW horizon I could just make out the distinctive profiles of Muckish and Loughsalt Mountain in Donegal through the haze while Slieve Croob was peeking through the gap between Carntogher and Corick Mountain. All in all this hill is worth visiting for the views but I would only climb it on a good day. I returned to the car by way of ascent, an easy 20 minute trip. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/607/comment/6290/

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A Bit Of A Slog

I reached Boviel Top from Benbradagh, and had been a little spoiled by the easy walking on its higher neighbour, over dry, level ground with short grass. Boviel was a different proposition. After an initial, short easy stretch, it quickly turned into one of the wettest, boggiest hills I've been on. There were numerous pools, and several deep, water-filled ditches, requiring constant little detours. Even in the best patches, the going was hard with deep tussocky grass and heather, that demanded lifting the feet high, and placing them carefully again on uneven ground. The summit itself was hard to determine, and I had to visit a few of more prominent bumps on its flattish, indistinct top to make sure I had stood at the highest point, which meant more trudging about. The flat nature of the top also cut out a lot of the views. It had been my plan to continue on to Carn Hill and return over the same route, but I was short on time, and this terrain was slow going, so I had to abandon that plan. Instead, I returned to the car, parked at the top of the Curragh Road, between Boviel Top and Benbradagh. Benbradagh had been a much more pleasant and rewarding experience, and Boviel was only really a bagging exercise, unless hills like this are character building! Maybe it would be better approached from the east. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/607/comment/17985/

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Not that bad

Had a go at this today using route given on walkni website starting at C (C7519 1124) but found description very vague, mentions posts but never saw any. Followed stream up past ruined house with tree growing in it - hard to imagine what it would have been like to live here - up to fence and along to top of Boviel Road. Went to the end of the rough track then onto open moor, boggy but not too bad and the views make it worthwhile. Seemed to be a lot of fences to cross on the way down to American Road. Raining hard by this time so saved Benbradagh for another day. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/607/comment/18181/

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eflanaga on Boviel Top

Reached from Carn Hill (See for first part of Benbradagh Ridge Walk). From Carn Hill the terrain worsens (deep bog trenches) at first and then improves somewhat after crossing fence. The heavy gorse/heather dissipates and the going gets a little easier as you drop down onto col ID (C74391 08475). After crossing another of the many fences on the route the remains of a low level wall can be followed up hill for a time as it is roughly in line with a direct bearing to Boviel's summit. Ground gets heavier as you ascend. Eventually reached the series of tracks clearly shown on OS Map, one of which wends its way up to within a short distance of the un-spectacular summit atop a peat hag. The track provides a degree of respite from the heavy underfoot conditions endured previously but peters out and deteriorates as you near the summit area. As with Carn Hill it is possible to take a minor road from the main Derry-Belfast route up to the tracks mentioned above and this would certainly make for a much easier route. Because of the incessant rain and low cloud visibility was very poor throughout. Despite this Boviel doesn't appear to have a great deal to offer for any effort expended in reaching its summit. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/607/comment/2907/

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three5four0 on Boviel Top

Parked at B (C738 086) (only room for one car), in a small bay cut out of the side of the hill on the minor road for Boviel, off the A6. You have to park tight into the bay to allow for vehicles turning. A couple of metres down from the bay is a large stile for crossing the fence, from which you can walk up hill or follow the fence, for a very short distance, back past your car to where the bog track reaches the road end (by a gate), and then follow the track up hill past a small cairn. As eflanaga points out, it is a rather unspectacular summit with old overgrown peat cuttings covering the summit area with one small but deep bog hole fenced off. The views however are good, and over reward you for very little uphill effort from your parked car.

We continued over to Carn Hill and again eflanaga's description of the terrain is spot on, the views out over the Roe Valley compensating for the final section through bog.

The chambered grave, marked on the map (E (C730 077)) beside the minor Boviel road, is worth stopping at too. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/607/comment/3535/

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