Tievecrom

Arrived at the gates (A (J025 146)) mentioned by Wicklore, by following the minor roads and the Slieve Gullion Way from Croslieve, well prepared for my forth coming battle with Tievecroms infamous summit slopes.

Followed the track to the second set of locked gates, then to the forestry track turning left along this to Wicklores grid ref at B (B (J022 151)). This spot is easy to recognise, as the forest boundary breaks left, creating a corner in the field, on your left & there is a bank running up hill on your right, pay attention as this is the key.

Now follow this bank, on your right up hill, it turns into a wall and after a short distance it turns right creating a corner. From this corner strike up hill, first through short patches of brambles but more importantly good stretches of grassy hillside and wait for it, a faint path! As you reach the forests end, you will pass round a tree only being held up by its neighbouring trees, as its trunk has been severed. Try not to be around it on a windy day, past this a very faint path (other MVrs wanderings?) winds round the last of the trees and you arrive in area of dead bracken below the small out crop mentioned in previous postings. Here a small trench through the bracken has been created by those hardy souls seeking the summit, it makes straight for the rock band, where it ascends a gap in rock. This feels a bit insecure, due no doubt to the bracken, heather, on deer grass being attached to a light coating of soil on rock, now some more dead bracken, wind bush with some heather and a rock slab is negotiated before arriving at the summit. Return was by the same way, taking care through gap in the rock band (kick those heels in).

Harry Goodman called it right about this hill, as I had found on a couple of Donegal hills the week previous, climb now before the new plant growth starts for spring / summer and it will only be a mild inconvenience, leave till the summer and the route will be choked by brambles, bracken and other soul destroying thorny under growth. The choice is yours! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/989/comment/4656/

Read Less

Do it Now or Be Damned!

Reading through the other comments on this hill you would be forgiven for having a feeling of trepidation about tackling it! Indeed most who have stumbled around its lower slopes in the dark while completing the 100k Oxfam Trailtrekker will have cursed this sometimes unwelcoming hill as well. It is one that I had been on a few times before, but had never made an attempt on it’s summit until now. Bolstered by three5four0’s encouraging comments, which I took with me, I made my attempt on the summit.

Having concerns about access from the Forkhill House side, I choose to approach the hill from the North. Kitted in old jeans, gaiters and a big stick, I parked up in Forkhill village. This is no hill to tear good walking trousers on and no area to be seen walking around with fancy walking poles! I walked the short distance out the B113 to Frkhill (J01867 16048), where there is a lane leading up to the hill just before a small bungalow, I followed the track up into the forest. While you are on the hill it is worth taking the short detour onto the unnamed summit that stands at 188, just west of Tievecrom. There are the remnants of the old watchtower that used to watch over this once very troubled area, now claimed by a ragged Armagh flag that looks like its been up there since 2002. The smaller hill is easy to access from the wall along the forest.

I made for B (J022 151) and struck uphill, soon finding the wall three5four0 had mentioned, the corner of it and indeed some grassy slopes. I tackled this on a perfectly dry day and found the ground underfoot to be good. As I saw the edge of the forest coming near I stopped suddenly on hearing voices! If there was one hill where I had expected to be alone, it was this one. I came to edge of the forest at C (J02352 15267), there was no sign of an unsteady tree, but what was in front of me were a young couple, happily sliding down through the ferns in their tracksuits and with their dogs. Not MVers, but locals who visited the summit regularly. I asked their advice and they told me to head for the lone green tree sticking out of the rocks. The route between the edge of the forest and this tree was the only part of my walk that involved ferns, bracken or brambles and were fine to negotiate, they may not be so when summer growth kicks in. From the tree you scramble on to the rocks and it is five minutes to summit, watching out for some slippy underfoot conditions in areas where a thin coating of moss lay over rocks.

From the summit I retraced my steps to point B (J022 151), from here I decided to follow the track back towards the lane along side Forkhill House, out on to the Captains Road, heading west to cross the Kilcurry Road and join the Gullion Way at D (J01854 14827). This is a lovely walk which will bring you back into Forkhill. Anyone who follows this route should also take another detour and take in the beautiful old Urney Graveyard. For me I left the car where it was and walked up the road to Crosslieve. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/989/comment/6772/

Read Less

How the mighty fall !

For anyone considering a visit to Tievecrom, be advised that there is a widescale tree felling operation uunderway at the moment, Mon to Fri. The result of this is that Tievecrom is almost completely forest free on its SW side. [Ed.: This access point is no longer available to the public according to signs on the gate.] I started at A (J025 146) walked on good forest track to E (J02469 14977), and easily headed uphill on a rough machine track through recently clear felled area to the wall mentioned by other MVrs at F (J02412 15266), crossed the wall and had no difficulty attaining the summit from here. It took me about 18mins to get to the trig point from the car, and was even quicker on the return journey. Poor old Tievecrom has lost its air of impenetrability. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/989/comment/17794/

Read Less

pdtempan on Tievecrom

Carrauntoohil - a doddle. Mweelrea - a piece of cake. Tievecrom? Probably even more difficult than Cairngaver. The first thing to say is that you should not feel obliged to climb this hill at all, unless you're an MV completist. A more enjoyable walk (and certainly much less masochistic one) is to circumnavigate the hill on the good forest track which loops round it at half height. However, if you must, then you must, but you should bear two pieces of advice in mind. 1) Gaiters are an absolute must, and a machete would be an advantage. This peak is surrounded by forestry with a dense undergrowth of bracken hiding brambles and no rides or paths through to the top. You will actually be relieved when you have fought your way through this and the brambles are replaced by waist-high heather! 2) You will save yourself some difficulty by starting from the end of the road at G (J028 148) near Forkill House. Do not be tempted to take what looks like a shorter route by starting from the Forkill village side, as this will only add to your misery. On the way up we tried an approach from the NE side, which has gentler slopes. As we were beating our way through the brambles and ferns, we were convinced we would emerge on the top and find some good path coming up from another direction, but no! On the way down we made a beeline for the circular forest track by taking advantage of a gap in the forestry on the steep SW slopes. There are slightly fewer brambles here, and to start with there are some slabs of rock which make progress much easier, but these disappear when you reach the forestry. Due to the steepness this is probably much more suitable for descent than ascent. So, in fact, it turned out that we probably had taken the best possible route, incredible as it seemed. The summit itself is pleasant, has a trig point and a 360 degree view of South Armagh and North Louth, with Slieve Gullion featuring prominently. Go enjoy! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/989/comment/3831/

Read Less

Harry Goodman on Tievecrom

I climbed Tievecrom with a friend on 3 Dec 2009 by following Wicklore's route and agree fully with pdtempan that gaiters are essenial for this walk. However the one big difference that we found from earlier comments was that, given the time of year, mid-winter, the extensive bracken (fern) cover found in high summer had virtually disappeared, though there was ample evidence of what it must have been like earlier in the year. Gone too was much of the thick bramble and other vegitation and there was a clearer visability within the trees that would not exist in summer. As a result we found it much easier to make progress than did pdtempan and wicklore when they climbed the hill in June. I would therefore suggest that anyone wishing to climb this hill should do so in the winter months before the vegitation has its spring and summer growth. When leaving the summit it is very sensible to carefully follow wicklore's directions SSE to avoid a sharp stony face on the descent route to the wall described. Once at the wall there is a short stretch of heavy undergrowth. Follow this down initially on the right side to a gap and then, for easier terrain, on the left side down to another gap before crossing back again to the right side. Where the wall takes a sharp right turn H (J02350 15126) continue straight on for about 200 metres or so to meet the path taken at the start of the walk I (J02314 15067). Turn left and return to the start. This point, clearly marked by a large holly bush between two trees, could also serve as a start point for an up and down ascent of the hill.
We also climbed Croslieve the same day to extend our walk. I would recommend that anyone thinking of doing the same should climb Tievecrom first as the walk on Croslieve is over much easier terrain. Furthermore for anyone on a peak bagging trip it is a short drive from Forkhill to Carrigatuke where you can stand on the highest point by simply getting out of your car and walking a few yards to the trig pillar. (See my summit comments on Carrigatuke) Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/989/comment/4285/

Read Less