A worthwhile diversion

On the same day as I climbed Crockdooish ( 18 May 2010) I also climbed Loughermore. Once at the crossroads on the A6 H (C546 084) I headed NE on the B69 signed for Limavady. The start of the walk was from the small car park for Loughermore Forest (already idenified by three5four0) at I (C58400 12600) following the same route but with one variation. From the car park I walked NE along the road and turned left onto the Slaghtmanus Road. The forest track at B (C583 129), provided a little care is taken at various junctions, leads directly to the top and the Trig. Pillar.Although this is a walk on forest tracks it has the advantage that there are frequent cleared areas with views across to the main Sperrin ridge and beyond. At J (C58299 13721) I kept to the main track as it swung left across a small bridge and up to a meeting of four tracks at K (C58273 13976). From here I kept to the right on up the hillside. At L (C58502 14183) I was faced with a choice of route to the top. (1) I could follow the main track to the left and then some way along take the first right turn and follow same to the top or (2) Continue straight ahead uphill on a good track which evenually peters out to become a long grassy spongy ride of approx 500m before once again becoming a forest track which then leads straight to the top. This latter route is the one I choose to give some variety from forest track walking. In view of the dry conditions it was not too difficult to cross but I would not advise it as a route after a period of heavy rain! On the way to the top I met the main track coming in from the left at M (C58901 15174). The high point of this hill lies a few metres to the W (left) of the Trig Pillar N (C589 157). Comment by three5four0 on the view from the top is spot on, especially that down over Lough Foyle and across to Binevenagh (Keenaght's lowest hill). To the East I could see the large Windfarm on nearby Altahullion Hill. On my descent I decided to stay with the main forest track turning right at M (C58901 15174) and walking a long straight line down to a T junction where I turned left and walked out to L (C58502 14183) where I joined the track I had been on on my way up. From here I turned right and continued down back to the start. A satisfying walk of 7k easily completed in one and a half hours. This is a hill that can be walked as a break from driving on a journey to the NW (see also my comments on Crockdooish). It would also be possible to make a more circular and longer route by a selective choice of tracks, all of which seem to be accurately marked on OSNI Sheet 7. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/845/comment/4751/

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Forest hill

Took the route described by Peter Walker and followed a gravel path up through the forest which takes you right to the top. A gentle ascent for the most part, even for my whinge-prone five-year old. Loughermore can be completed quickly by this route and feels like a stroll rather than a mountain ascent - the way up is rather uninspiring but there are good views from the top. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/845/comment/14736/

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three5four0 on Loughermore

With a dreicht day in the offing, a short walk with some shelter was called for & Loughermore was the answer.

After parking the car in the forestry carpark, marked on the map, at O (C584 126), we surveyed the scene (warning climbing onto hobby horse!), it appears several people had confused the sign carpark for that of one of local dump. Litter of various types including condoms, tins of beer, bottles of wine and general takeaway detritus was strewn all around. One wonders what type of visitors / tourists would be enticed to stop in such a place, if any were still around, that is, and had not returned home, after finding the quality waymarked way they came to walk, was in fact a busy road.(rant over)

Anyway back to the walk, a short walk down the road to the junction with the Slaghtmanus road (there is a track shown on the map, which cuts a bit of the road walking out, but there was 2 unfriendly looking dogs there on our visit), turn left along the Slaghtmanus road to the track beside a house at B (C583 129). Follow this track, over a locked gate (beside a static caravan) into the forest.

This is one of those rare times when the tracks on the map actually match those in the forestry, so need for a detail description to reach the summit. On arrival at the trig point, which is on the right hand side of the track, the ground on the left looks slightly higher, but this is not what holds your eyes. The view out over Lough Foyle to the Inishowen hills then round to Binevenagh & the northern sperrins is quite superb, its one to keep for a crisp cold winters day, when the view would be further enhanced. For us though, we could see the darkening clouds & rain heading towards us, so it was time for a quick return to the carpark, with its litter. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/845/comment/3522/

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Timber!

I took a different, slightly shorter (although I suspect rather similar in character) route through the forests that drape the southern slopes of Loughermore. It's possible to park just SW of the road junction on the minor road on the E slopes at (P (C602 148)); the forest road indicated on the map heading NW from here is easily traced on the ground once one has negotiated the two piles of earth placed here to make it inaccessible to vehicles.

The pedestrian should turn right at (Q (C599 151)) and then right again at (R (C588 154)); arrival at the summit (which is indeed on the other side of the road from the trig point, a couple of hundred metres after leaving the forest) is inevitable. As previously noted, the view over Lough Foyle is very fine from here. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/845/comment/6379/

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The shorter route

17/05/2-19 We used the route suggested by Peter Walker. Very pleasant apart from the drizzle which limited views where the forest allowed them Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/845/comment/20555/

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