There are very few mediocre climbs in the utmost reaches of Iveragh, and Killelan Mountain certainly isn't one of them. It had been a sodden early afternoon in the hills overlooking Glenbeigh so when the weather cheered up considerably in the afternoon I jumped at the chance of spending some slightly sunnier time aloft.
I also made my way to White Strand, but took a punt on being able to leave the car a bit closer to the ascent. I drove up to the T junction and turned left, making my way to the end of the road where I found the gate open and a couple of cars already parked on the right
B (V422 802). Setting off on a rising traverse line west across the fields, I was soon greeted by a couple of friendly collies so stopped to chat to their owner (who was parked higher up). Aware that I'd parked a bit further on than my MV predecessors I thought it prudent to check that there weren't any issues with parking and access. I pointed down to my car, looked up the hill and said:
'Am I alright to go up there sir'?
Whereupon the charming elderly gent looked me up and down, and with a twinkle in his eye replied:
'Aye, you look like a fit and healthy young man. I'm sure you can do it.'
Suitably endorsed I followed his suggested route through a small gate across and slightly up the field to the west, which led me out onto the hillside and clear of the network of walls that pattern the slope until this point. From here I elected to go pretty much straight up, using the last of the walls as a rough guide. This was reasonably straightforward (although shorts-wearers might like to know that there's a fair amount of shin-height prickliness to cross) and led without incident to the col between the hill's twin tops. Turning left the walk to the summit was easy, with assorted vague trods being scarcely necessary as the ridge becomes reasonably well defined. The top is wonderfully airy, with hints of outcropping rock and a gorgeous 360 degree panorama.
Like everything in this neck of the woods (even Geokaun), highly recommended.
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