A Cool Ox

From the carpark at the northern end of Easky Lough there is a stunning drive along its shoreline heading south. A couple of isolated dwellings are passed and then drop downhill to find the little layby at C (E (G445 200)). This is an excellent point from which to tackle the steep hillside of Clonnacool.

Drop from the roadside and cross high tussocky grass, easy going and unusually dry. Head straight for the crags and boulders and a steep climb through them. This is great fun with no great difficulty. A natural shelter which could be used for a couple of people to bivy stands at D (G44879 20246). Nice views reach up north to Easky Lough as climb.

Above the crags and boulders there is a somewhat more ordinary and level area before another couple of rises to the summit area. This took a measly half hour. A fox quickly disappeared through the peat hags as i approached the summit. A good dander about brought a few spots where the height was 448m.

Sharper air than the previous day allowed views to extend out over the plateau and i was able to spy three of the numerous loughs around Clonnacool - they certainly look to be worth exploring further. Views cast out over the Atlantic through all the big hills of Mayo to Croagh Patrick, the high line of the Sheefrys with the plunge to Doo Lough. Slievemore was impressively visible in the col between Slieve Carr and Nephin Beg. To the N the top of Truskmore rose above the Oxen

Return was a drop down on very steep grassy slopes to the south of the ascent. Hard going to keep the brakes on and would be a nightmare in wet weather, but was good today. Great perspective on the valley cutting through the Ox and the change in nature as it drops height and levels off. Easily contour across the hillside to the starting point.

Around an hour of movement with some more time for lunch and the views west and south, 300 m ascent, so easy to fit in with other exploration of the area or perhaps a more strenuous approach along the plateau from the north which would take in the loughs? Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/658/comment/14692/

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Fabulous views

There is a layby south of Lough Callow on the single track road at E (G445 200). I left the car here and headed roughly east up the steep slopes of Cloonacool. The views out across the valley are simply breathtaking the higher you climb. Eventually the slope eases off to a summit plateau composed of bog pools, tussocks and a curious rock perched on the edge of a small cliff. I wandered around a little seeking a high point or any summit feature and settled on a little rocky outcrop in a peat gully near the actual summit. I retraced my steps back down, not wishing to do a bog trot in a featureless landscape to the other Ox tops. About an hour and a half. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/658/comment/6707/

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THE LAST OX

On 8/05/2012 I completed my ascent of the 12 summits which make up the Ox Mountains, a journey which started with Largan Hill on 07/08/2011 athough this mountain range is small in size the highest summit Knockalangy at 544 meters the views from most of the summits are truly fantastic.
Views vary from Slieve League across the Donegal Bay to the Pantry Mountains with the Nephin Range and Croagh Patrick inbetween - you can stroll up Knocknarea, visit Queen Maeve's Grave with great views over Sligo or sit in solitude beside the cross on Carranarah Hill with views across to Lough Conn and Nephin.
Cloonacool The Last Ox parked at GlenWd (G44472 18803) an old gravel dig and headed for the summit. You can choose from a variety of sheep tracks and hopefully you will have a clear sunny day to experience the occasion Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/658/comment/6795/

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A dull top with some lovely surrounding views and walks

A bit of a rounded top, with no major draw other than the pleasant walk up there from the south. I don't recommend approaching from the north or West, as the going is rather unpleasant with unrelenting peat hags, heather and general marshy swampy land.

Peak-bagging in this area is not always as rewarding as you'd think it could be. These mountains look fantastic as you drive through them, but the going can get a bit rough on the way to the summits, with views obscured by unremarkable boglands and hundreds of peat hags to slow you down. But see my track for this route, and you'll discover a joyful diversion to tullyvilla lakes to vary things a bit.

I'm starting to feel that the best routes in this area actually avoid the summits altogether, so I'll set about putting together a route from a lovely forest up to the "stirring rock", then on to Tullyvilla. Coming soon, stay tuned! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/658/comment/18151/

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