Beautiful Views but BEWARE of BOG

Climbed Slieve Elva in May 2016, on two occaisons. Slieve Elva is very spongey as many have mentioned previously, this is due to the fact it is a peat bog. Peat is very wet meaning sphagnum moss is primarilly the main vegetation as well as in parts heather and grass. The moss makes walking feel more difficult as you are having to push yourself upwards and forwards with every step. It can get particularly boggy in areas, usually around the lighter green mosses. If you see any bright green moss walk around it as you could be waist deep in brown sludge (peat)! Slieve Elva is cut for fuel production in certain areas so be particularly careful for crevasses in the ground. I would walk around these too as vertically below the edge of the cuttings, is more bog that you don't want to be stepping in. I would advise walking on the dry grass areas and heather areas as the rooting is much deeper than moss making it more stable for walking. However, when at these crevasses grass may cover bogs so jump a few feet over the edge to the middle and similarly when getting out. Beautiful views from the summit; the Burren, Aaron Islands and Cliffs of Moher. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/906/comment/18521/

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Boggy Burren

Parked car at A (M162 035) where there is a small layby opposite an entrance gate with piers engraved with Slieve Elva. Walked up forestry track past shed with badly weathered red corrugated iron doors. Took a left uphill on side track through trees which leads to bog area and onto summit plateau with old machinery mentioned by mindhealing. Trig is visible on rise roughly North from here. It's a short boggy walk to trig. About an hour up and down with time for snaps. Sadly I had no views through low mist but they should be fabulous in clear weather. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/906/comment/6450/

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Spongy, even in dry weather.

Climbed this summit as part of a backpack. We camped at the holy well about 1km to the north of the summit beside a green road contouring around the northern fringe of the peak. The ground is very soft and although reasonably dry, it took great effort to trudge through spongy moss and heather. There is very little exposed limestone on Slieve Elva, unlike some of the other peaks nearby such as Gleninagh or Cappanwalla. I would avoid this area after heavy rain if at all possible. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/906/comment/15230/

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mindhealing on Slieve Elva

I walked this hill on A clear December day from the south-east. A road runs up to the masts and then it was flat across the bog towards the north and the trig point. Good views of the Burren, the Aran Islands and the mountains of Connemara. The lake marked on the OS map is very small (10*30 feet). Could this be the smallest lake to appear on the OS? A rusting turf cutting machine is abandoned up here, otherwise it is very quiet and untouched, in recent times. (I am reminded that the Burren was presumably tree covered at one time, so the 'pristine' nature of the landscape may be an illusion of sorts!). A faux trig point is positioned on the northern slope, which is about three times the usual size and made of loose stones. There is no indication of its significance, but it is very neatly built of stones that were carried some distance, and doesn't seem like the usual new age graffiti. Dropping down this slope there is a green road which makes a convenient walk out. It is very wet on top being bog and not Burren limestone. This circuit took 3 hours and was easy to moderate in effort. Given the soft terrain, it is good exercise. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/906/comment/4294/

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buny clare on Slieve Elva

Climbed Slieve Elva yesterday 08/1/09. Left car at Faunarooska above Fanore and approached
Slieve Elva from the North East ...a comfortable 3 hour trek, Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/906/comment/3517/

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