Road up much improved

On my recent walk up, the track is now a road and is very drivable in an ordinary car, with one gravelly corner being the exception, where some momentum would be required. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/686/comment/17596/

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Walk, don't drive!

On 22 June 2011 we parked at L Ben (M09950 94300) (as recommended by three5four0). From here we followed the forestry access road running more or less due N. After an initial gentle walk uphill through the forest the track opened out to a fine view across the valley to Kilhale (384m) which, while only an outlier of Croaghmoyle's summit, is from this viewpoint the prominent hill. To the right mostly out of sight behind the trees we could hear the throbbing noise of a windfarm. Having descended down the track and crossed a bridge over a stream L'Anveny (M10000 96300) the track then rose more steeply all the way to Croaghmoyle top A (M09800 98300). It was at this point, before the start of the climb that we saw the warning notice that only 4x4 access should be used beyond that point. Frankly having seen the condition of the surface to that point I would not even recommend taking a car beyond our start point, unless it really is an old banger, and certainly not beyond the bridge whatever its state. The Trig Pillar stands on a small mound a short distance beyond a Communications Installation which adorns the top. There is a fine view down to Lough Beltra and the Nephin Begs to the W and N and to the large bulk of Nephin more or less due N. All in all we found this a worthwhile walk of some 2 hours with rewarding views from the top. Apart from Nephin I have not walked in North Mayo and found that this short walk, and its overview of the Nephin Begs, has whetted my appetite to make their acquaintence. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/686/comment/6426/

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Landslides

There is room for several cars to park at the road junction at L Ben (M099 943), as mentioned by pj. It's a straight forward ascent, following the track all the way to the summit. There are a few notices along the track, warning of landslides in heavy rain, and several are visible on the slopes of the small 384 pt top to the west of the track. Some debris has reached across the track, so not a route for a rainy day then.

On the return, the views open out towards Clew Bay, Nephin Beg range and Croagh Patrick, which were hidden from view, behind you, on your ascent. The GPS gave the return distance as 8.82 km and a time of 2 hrs 13 min. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/686/comment/5942/

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Easy walk up to great views

Low lying cloud/mist/fog discouraged me from putting the effort into going up Nephin today. On the way home I parked at the start of the Croaghmoyle service road and followed it past a wind turbine, past some beautiful woods and over turbulent streams all the way to the summit. The mist cleared as I reached the summit and once I got past the ugly masts to the trig pillar, I was rewarded with wonderful views of Birreencorragh (left) and Nephin (right) floating above the mist. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/686/comment/18718/

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pj on Croaghmoyle

Croaghmoyle is the site of an RTE/Emergency Services/Dept of Justice/Defence telecommunications mast and therefore has a road running right to the Summit. It has excellent views overlooking Beltra Lake and out to Croagh Patrick and the islands of Clew bay. Looking east on a clear day one can see all the way to Roscommon and to the north all the way to Downpatrick head. The access road (partially surfaced but lots of chippings and badly detioriated in places) is accesable off the R312 Castlebar to Belmullet road or beter still to approach from the Castlebar to Glenisland road via Rathbawn rd in the town, proceed out about 4 miles past the water tower on your right and take a right just beyond the lake at the misdirected sign for Nephin Drive. The summit walk from the parking space at this junction (approx 5 miles round trip) is very popular with Castlebar walkers. Watch out for the boy racers (for which this is a popular congregating point) and the midges on summer evening. The forestry in here used be a summer roosting point for cuckoos but in recent years with extensive tree harvesting their presence hasn't been as obvious. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/686/comment/3280/

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