UKC

Hello everyone,

I'm in Ireland at the moment and about to have a flying visit of a day and a half in Donegal, and we are hoping to go up Slieve League very, very quickly. It is my understanding that there are two routes to the top, but unfortunately I am mapless until tomorrow morning, and we are a little blind of info at the moment. Is anyone capable of telling a short story or sharing any recommendations for a lunchtime/early afternoon jaunt up it? We are hoping to travel light, in running shoes, carrying only a thermos of tea, a whole fish bought in Killybegs, and a tube of wasabi.

Thanks for any suggestions chaps.

In reply to Pete Houghton:

1. It's a bit of a wasted opportunity unless you have decent clear weather to enjoy the dramatic cliff and seascapes. And watch out if it's windy - it's a long drop into the sea, and the ridge is narrow in places.
2. The quick way up is by the 'Pilgrim Way' from above Teelin, which takes a track most of the way up the eastern glen to a col east of the top. A backdoor route which misses out most of the best of the cliff experience, but can offer a quick way down as a circuit.
3. Classic route starts from the roadend carpark at Bunglas (Carrigan Head); may now offer a shuttle bus from slightly further down. Goes right round the cliffs, a bit up and down, some deep peat sections, currently untidy with incomplete path repair works. But it's quite a long way round to the top, around 6-7km. as I recall, so perhaps 14km return. Not just a quick outing, requires a long half-day to enjoy.

Bags of information available locally in nearby public and private visitor centres.

Good luck -
Bob

In reply to Pete Houghton:

Well worth going. One of the most spectacular cliff/hill/sea views in europe

In reply to Bob Aitken:

Many thanks for the replies, the both of you, sorry for the late response! I've been in and out of the UK and Ireland for the last few weeks, but I am now safely home in front of a reliable internet connection.

We had absolutely perfect weather as we were in the middle of a ten day high pressure system, the Atlantic was as calm as a millpond, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. However, my better half had made us plans to go and spend time in a big fancy "hotel", which is a brilliant idea, you give a stranger a few days' wages and in return you get to treat this big building like your own home, except you aren't allowed to walk around naked or raid the fridge or drink reasonably-priced whiskey or anything like that. So we had to stop just a couple of KM from the car park at the last obvious summit before the ridge proper begins, scoff the sashimi we had brought, and then run back to the car to go and look for a monastery that didn't exist before high-tailing it to the other end of Donegal and the lovely grounds of a country house hotel.

Will definitely be back in the future, Donegal looks like a smashing place to spend time. Will bring kayaks, trad rack, running shoes and tent for sure.

PS - anyone ever skied Errigal?

In reply to Pete Houghton:


tube of wasabi.


I suggest you leave that affront to the taste buds behind.

In reply to aln:

Well, each to their own of course, but in fact that day we didn't bring any wasabi. Instead, I minced a garlic and a chilli, sliced a few leaves of mint and basil, chopped a couple of well-ripened tomatoes, and mixed the whole lot with the juice of a lemon and a good glug of olive oil. This was poured into a jar and wrapped in a sock.

Later that day, we pulled into Killybegs, the largest commercial fishing port on Ireland's Atlantic coast, hoping to find somewhere to buy the rest of lunch. Worried that we were in for a repeat of the time when we drove through Arborio, Italy, in search of a good risotto, finding only farms and factories and nowhere actually cooking the stuff, our fears were allayed when we found a van at the side of the road selling fresh, perky-fleshed fish, so we got a piece of salmon and a piece of cod, covered it with ice, carried it up the hill, chopped it up a little bit and tossed it with the chilli-lemon-tomato mixture, before spooning it into our mouths with rough chunks of dense brown bread.

Kind of an Italian-Irish ceviche. Would definitely recommend for a lunch on the go.

In reply to Pete Houghton:

Now that sounds more like it.