| Brief Description This is probably the easiest of the walks in the twelve bens. It is a short walk, only 1.5 to 2.0 hours. This route begins with a gentle ascent over boggy underfoot followed by a drier steeper route over rocky ground towards the summit.
Route Description From the old metalled road near the Youth Hostel at L777483, cross the gate beside the old bridge and follow a gravel road which turns around an old cowshed. Continue uphill beyond the trees and cross the fence to gain access to the lower slope of Binn Leitrí. The ground is usually considerably wet and boggy from here to your halfway point. Ascend diagonally towards the centre of the spur. At approximately 350 meters the ground becomes drier and more rocky. Aim towards the West side of the ridge. You will pick up a sheep trail at about 450 meters which zig zags towards the final, easy scramble to the summit at L776496. The view from the summit includes, the Gleann Chochán Horseshoe to the East, the grounds of Ballinahinch Castle to the south, and Cliften to the West. I recommend a visit to Ballinahinch Castle, former home of Richard Martin (Humanity Dick), founder of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for tea and great sandwiches. The decent is back the way you came. As I have already mentioned the
lower section of this slope can be extremely wet and slippy, so be careful! |
