Poor old Commedagh - bass player of the fab five, fronted by Donard and backed by the Bearnagh Sisters.
Dull to look at, heather to trail through, wind to cut you in half. In such wind you can of course open your mouth and do Wallace and Gromit faces - sure we make our own fun.
But …… who gives you baffling volcanic globulets? Binnian and Commedagh. Who gives you glorious views of Dundrum Bay? Donard and Commedagh. Who gives you the wickedest drops (from the track)? Cove and Commedagh. Is a pattern not emerging?
Nevertheless in most aspects one cannot underrate Commedagh enough. She is desperately dull to walk, has a thoroughly annoying incline on the Annalong side and thoroughly annoying terrain on the Newcastle side. She is neither bad enough nor good enough. But if you took her show-off neighbours out of the picture, would we not flock to her? Incidentally there are far too many sheep on her.
She stands a sound Corbett 2517 - every inch from sea level. With a bit of vis - sometimes uniquely absent from her peculiar, lonely top, you can see to just about wherever you like, Wicklow, Ellan Vannin, Scotland and worse: North Antrim.
Her pots, the Pots of Pulgarve, are sensational except to the odd unfortunate who occasionally steps out into their infinity: they present a breathtaking tableau of Eagle Rock, Dundrum Bay framed by her and Bro Donard and thousands of fag-smoking ants scurrying up and down the Glen River. And best of all she is one of only 2 spots in the Mournes expanse where you can see raven junior being taught to fly, the old “spare the rod” way. The other, I keep a guarded secret.
Contributor Craigie’s 2 car contortion is fine, but try also Glen River ascent from Newcastle’s Donard carpark with Beginner Book for Boys stroll on to Donard, back down on to The Saddle and up Commedagh. Follow the pots back down Commedagh’s spine into breathtaking vistas and exquisite Donard Wood and back into Donard carpark. Go to pub and enthuse about Commedagh …. endlessly. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/63/comment/1118/