Depending on the direction taken, Cnoc Iochtair is either the first or last nail in the Coomloughra Horseshoe. Park off road near V77150 87050 A the start of the concrete Hydro Road leading up to L. Iochtair V777 856 B. From the W end of the Loch go NE steeply up the hillside watching for a path to help the initial climb up through the thick heather before breaking out on to stoney/rocky ground. Cnoc Iochtair is the sharp pointed top immediately above and is first in line of three 700m+ tops leading up to Beenkeragh, Ireland's second highest mountain. From its summit there is a fine view SE across the Coomloughra Glen and if conditions are right NW to Brandon and the Slieve Mish mountains on the Dingle peninsula. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/78/comment/4838/

View from the dam at the mouth of lough Eighter, showing the start of the slope up to Cnoc Iochtar on the left. The horseshoe is behind, showing Beenkeragh on the far left, Carrauntoohil in the centre, with the ridge sloping up towards Caher on the right. We had come up from Lough Acoose & were pretty hot already ! Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/78/comment/660/

While starting ascending Caher W Top (in May 2015) on my way to complete the Coomloughra Horseshoe, I noticed that Cnoc Iochtair shows a delightful triangular face, but this impression disappears as you get higher. This summit has great views as it stands at the end of the ridge. The ascent is quite short if you are coming from Skregmore. As I wanted to avoid difficult terrain in the descent, I chose to zigzag down the grassy slopes (right of the photo), heading SSE first, then SSW to reach the track near the W end of Coomloughra Lough, instead of descending somewhere along the W or SW sides of the mountain. This was a good choice as I avoided some steeper and rockier ground, and I would highly recommend it -even though it adds a little bit of distance. It might be slippery when wet, but under dry conditions and after having completed the horseshoe, this was perfect for the legs !! Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/78/comment/18429/

This shows the profile of the first climb on the Coumloughra horseshoe, which takes you from Lough Eighter north east up to Cnoc Iochtar. We headed up from Lough Acoose on a beautiful August day, and the going seemed easy on this section, with fairly short heather giving way to rocky ground towards the summit Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/78/comment/652/

Cnoc Iochtair is the first step on the 'staircase' to Beenkeeragh, and as such, not many will approach it as we did, from northern outlier Skregbeg. From Skregbeg's saddle to Skregmore, veer SW, and although this approach looked steep and scrambly, it's a straightforward ascent to the rocky summit. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/78/comment/2307/

Cnoc Iochtair is a short distance west of Skregmore IV 79211 86035 C (see for previous stage of walk) there is a fairly sharp drop onto a narrow col before a steepish climb up onto the smallest and final summit of this anti-clockwise Horseshoe Walk - Cnoc Iochtair, the name coming from the lough at its base. The ascent was quite easy to the usual small cairn. The lough is not visible from the summit but again the view across the distant bay to the Brandon Group of mountains was noteworthy. From the summit I took a sheep track to the left (south) travelling west down towards the Hydro Road and the river which I had used earlier in the morning as a guide to Spot Height 404m. Tired but happy I passed over Loch Iochtair and descended the very steep slope, eventually finding a track which, I followed down to the hydro Road. I noticed the couple from Hull whom I had met earlier on top of Carrauntoohill making their way back to their tent which they had pitched a short distance from Loch Iochtair as I made my descent. Upon reaching the Hydro Road I crossed a fence and followed sheep-tracks and the river back to the initial trail I had used earlier that morning. Descending it alongside the waterpipe, I edged the farmer’s field with care before reaching the short track leading back to the derelict building, the road & car at Breanlee. The ‘Coumloughra Horseshoe’ with the addition of the Knockbrinnea tops and the hour spent on Carrauntoohill (waiting to take photos) took about seven and three quarter hours. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/78/comment/2430/