padodes on Trooperstown Hill

Unlike all too many of the 400m hills in Wicklow, small outliers plagued with dense forest, Trooperstown (Maolín) is well worth the short climb. Any glance at the map shows why. It is like the centre of a fan, with the long ribs of the eastern mountains descending towards it, their colourful valleys in between, especially Glenmacnass, Glendasan and the entrance to Glendalough (visible in the photo). A whole array of well-known peaks are distinguishable, from the white triangle of the Great Sugar Loaf in the north to the equally recognisable triangle of Croaghanmoira in the south, peeping over the shoulder of Kirikee. In between, there are splendid views of Scarr, Tonelagee,Camaderry, Derrybawn, to name but a few. Even the summit of distant Lugnaquillia is within range. It’s easy to get to Trooperstown Hill. Just south of Laragh, take a left turn before Bookey Bridge and about a kilometre on take a left turn up an unsurfaced road (with care, if you don’t want to risk an axle!). Parking at A (T1558 9540), you’ll see a rutted track to the right, that winds up towards the top at C (T1664 9527). The obvious place to go from here is to the connected 396m top at D (T1774 9462) and then on to the 340m top just south, if you contour around the back of the forest. It’s a nice walk down to Clara from here, if you can arrange a second car to meet you. If not, there are so many tracks across these tops that you can follow all kinds of permutations and combinations to get you back to the start without having to retrace your steps. Unfortunately, the terrible quads have also discovered the all-too-accessible beauty of this area and many of the tracks are theirs. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/689/comment/3015/

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An Overgrowth of Furze at Clarabeg

On 21/4/19, our group hiked Trooperstown Hill, followed the uploaded track #868. This was an excellent hike until we reached E (T1842 9268), the point at which the track turns due west. Unfortunately, what had obviously been a track when this was recorded in 2008 is now a very thick growth of furze, and impassable. We were forced to enter the wood, but we progressed with difficulty through the wood for about 300 m. until we reached the clearing. From there, we proceeded without any further difficulty onto the nearby public road, from where we again picked up the track.

On reflection, there seemed to be an alternative option of proceeding straight ahead (southwards) at E (T1842 9268), which led directly to the public road (with a left and then a right just before the end). I must caution that we didn't explore this option on this occasion, but the part of this track that was visible to us appeared to be clear. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/689/comment/20474/

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Vale of Glendasan View.

The cold mists coiling around the trees and slopes of Glendasan provides the midground for this view of Trooperstown from the North West. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/689/comment/6175/

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Trooping to the WAI Winter Talks

Simon - fabulous pic - as always. I hope all mountainviewers coming to to the WAI Winter Talks do at Bewleys Leopardstown on Feb 25th will see this and much more like it. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/689/comment/6177/

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Reuniting with an old friend

A live post from Trooperstown Hill.

I'm sitting here at the summit of Trooperstown Hill admiring the views. I can't really add anything new that others haven't already said, I took the track at Troop (T163 961) and rambled up in about 25 minutes. The north slope of the hill I walked up is a mixture of bright green ferns and brown heather. The angle of the sun was making the green of the ferns shimmer in a remarkable way that contrasted sharply but beautifully with the surrounding dark heather. These earthy colours are at their best in todays sunshine, and as I look at all the hills and mountains to the south, west and north I see these brown and green colours reflected on every summit far and wide.

The views include distant Tara Hill to the south in Wexford all the way to Kippure in the north west on the Dublin/ Wicklow border. I can identify 35 or so summits, and amongst these I can identify 9 of the top 10 highest mountains in the Dublin/Wicklow range. (I can't see Slievemaan as it is on the other side of Lugnaquillia)

Being a peak bagger too long could make one a stranger to old mountain friends. As I reach the point where unclimbed summits recede to the western and northern fringes of the island I have been turning once again to my own backyard - these Dublin & Wicklow hills. I am delighting in rediscovering these old friends, some of whom I haven't visited in 10 years. But they have remained true and Trooperstown Hill here is one excellent example of a small summit with outstanding views. I'll ensure it's not another 10 years before I am back.  Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/689/comment/6395/

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