Brief Description Binn Bhán (the White Peak) is the highest peak of the Beanna Beola (the Twelve Bens). It is composed entirely of quartzite which gives its East face its distinctive pale or white colour. Access to this peak is on the small road off the main road in the Inagh Valley at L820562. This road has been recently resurfaced, and is much improved. There is no longer any parking available on this small road. You must park along the main road near the junction at L820562.
Route Description The route begins beyond the gate which is west of the farm house. Follow the path below the stone sheep fold at L813564 and continue along the valley floor of Gleann Eidhneach, for another 2 km. You then ascend the ridge between Binn Charrach (Knockpasteenmore) and Binn Bhán. This takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Once on top of the ridge, continue in a South Westerly direction towards the summit of Binn Bhán. Eventually, you will come across a small mountain trail which zig zags on the right hand side ( the North side) of the summit, before turning South high up, the final one hundred meters or so to the summit. The view from the summit is excellent. One can admire the beauty of the surrounding areas, the entire Twelve Bens, the Maamturk range on the North Eastern side of the Inagh valley, and on a clear day, the Aran Islands to the south and Inish Bofin to the West. The decent is down the South side, avoiding the crags at L788535. Care should be taken here, particularly when walking on the scree slopes in bad weather. Once below these cliffs, drop down towards the col between Binn Bhán and Binn Dhubh, known as Mám Eidhneach. Continue Eastwards and pick up the sheep trail which hangs on the lower slope of Binn Bhán. This leads you across a deep river bed, which was severely deepened during Hurricane Charlie a number of years ago. The sheep trail leads you to a moraine below the East face of Binn Bhán. It is advisable to keep to the moraine and the Northern side of the valley (away from the river which flows along the floor of Gleann Eidhneach), as it is much drier there. However, it is difficult to return to your starting point without getting wet here. Eventually you will come across the stone sheep fold, where you can pick up your original track back to the farmhouse from where you started from. Continue along the botharin (small road), to the main road, where you parked your car. |
