Get Lost Mountaineering

Croaghaun & West Top from Lough Acorrymore.

Start/Finish

Car park by Lough Acorrymore. Stay on the main road across Achill Island. Go through Keel then pass Dooagh. Soon after, the road starts to climb. Pass a turning with a large information sign and many standing stones. Within 200 m, turn right onto the road for Lough Acorrymore and follow it to its end. There is usually plenty of parking.

Distance/Time

7 km.    About 4 hours.

Peaks

Croaghaun, 688 m, F 559 060

Croaghaun W Top, 664 m, F 553 058 (Irish National Grid System)

Irish OS Discovery Maps 30

A much better map, at a larger scale, is Achill & Corraun and Clare Island published by East West Mapping.

Introduction

This is a lovely walk with excellent seascape views on a clear day. One can also see some of the higher peaks on the mainland if it is very clear. The path on the crest is above some steep cliffs so care is needed as it is a long way down.

Route

(1) Walk across the dam and continue on a vague path, roughly N, towards Keel West. After about 1 km, start climbing up W on mainly steep grass until the gradient eases. Continue W to reach the edge which looks down cliffs to the sea. Follow this edge up, roughly SW. There is a path higher up. Pass what seems to be a collapsed trench, after which there are even better views. The path steepens and leads up rocky ground to the medium cairn which is the summit of Croaghaun, 688 m.

(2) Descend SW, still following the edge and soon passing a very steep gully on the right. Continue following the edge to a low point then ascend W up a well defined edge to reach a small plateau where there is no cairn but the highest point is an obvious rock. This is Croaghaun W Top, 664 m.

(3) Retrace back along the path until it starts to ascend then traverse easy ground below Croaghaun and reach the plateau on the SE flank. Continue down, almost due E on a mixture of grassy and stony ground to reach the road close to the car park.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 4^th September, 2018.