What a dreadful hillwalk (the fourth of the day, so energy levels were not great). I parked a little east of Point A, further up the boreen. Here there is a simple wooden backless bench with room for one car alongside it. I then walked over 100m further east the road again and found a gate on my left, grid reference 39006 10181 A. I hopped the gate and from here it was no bother getting up onto the ridge, but then my troubles started.
There were nine obstacles to surmount (counted them on the way back): a stone wall near the summit and eight wire fences – most with barbs that snagged lace-hooks, the back of my shirt, the skin of my leg (blood) and when I slipped and instinctively grabbed for support, a barb punctured the ball of my thumb (blood everywhere). This was in stark contrast to the previous day’s proper wild and free hillwalking in the high mountains of the Conor Pass.
As you can tell, Pepé was really annoyed by Leataoibh – in fact, he’s going to start a petition to have it removed from MV! If you insist on tackling it, keep east of the long ridge fence (yes, that’s yet another fence). There’s a path or a semblance of one most of the way on the eastern side of that long fence.
The three previous walks of the day had only one fence between the lot of them (that was on Binn Mór). As regards Leataoibh, this abomination of a hill has so many fences to surmount Pepé at times felt he was auditioning for a bit-part in a remake of The Great Escape.
Do yourself a favour and avoid Leataoibh despite its fine views from that ridge. If it’s views you’re after you’d be better off buying yourself a postcard and staying indoors in Foxy John’s in Dingle: anything to save yourself the infliction of this tortuous hill. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/934/comment/23983/