Get Lost Mountaineering

Slieve Bearnagh from Meelmore Lodge

Start/Finish

Meelmore Lodge (lots of free parking plus a cafe and toilets) at J 306 308 which is on the High Scenic Mourne Route from Newcastle to Kilkeel.

Distance/Time

8 km     About 5 – 6 hours

Peaks

Slieve Bearnagh, 739 m, J 313 280. (Irish National Grid System)

Irish OS Discovery Series Map 29: The Mournes (1:50000)

Harvey Superwalker XT25: Mourne Mountains (1:25000)

OSNI Activity Map: The Mournes (1:25000)

Introduction

This is a fairly easy walk to navigate as the Mourne Wall is a good guide to the summit area of Slieve Bearnagh. The summit of Slieve Bearnagh is the highest of several tors to the SE of the highest point of the Mourne Wall. The NW tor, left, tor seems to be the highest. It isn't easy to reach the top of this tor and scrambling experience will be needed. In clear weather, there are excellent views in all directions. Despite the Mourne Wall helping considerably with navigation, the ground is very rough and rocky in places not to mention steep.

Route

(1) Walk down the obvious lane away from Meelmore Lodge heading SSE. Reach a stile. Cross over and go left, following the Ulster Way until the track coming from Trassey Bridge is reached. Turn right and follow the track uphill or follow a path which cuts out some of the track before rejoining it further on. Follow the track until it turns right below steeper slopes. Go right with the track and follow it a little further until a path goes off left towards Hare's Gap which is the dip in the ridge ahead and is obvious in clear weather. Reach Hare's Gap where there is a stile and gate to cross the Mourne Wall. Cross the wall and follow it SW to reach some steps which climb steeply. Reach easier, but still fairly steep ground, and continue up with a choice of paths. The N top should be fairly obvious as it is on the wall. The main path goes left and misses this before continuing up to the highest point of the wall where there is a rocky outcrop. There are some significant tors roughly SSE from here. The highest and therefore the summit seems to be the one nearest to the wall. Walk over the easy grassy plateau and find a path going below the tor. It crosses an easy angled slab then cuts back left up an easy, short groove to put one on the other side of the rocky crest. A path then goes left to the bottom of a short groove. Gain a small grassy platform on the left. A longer groove goes ahead from here but don't attempt it. Instead go through the narrow gap, like a crevice, on the right which is awkward but not too difficult if dry. Once through this, work your way around to the left and cautiously gain the highest point which is the summit of Slieve Bearnagh, 739 m.

(2) Retrace back to the Mourne Wall then follow it down W. Easier ground lies away from the wall but it still a fairly steep descent. Reach the col between Slieve Bearnagh and Slieve Meelmore. Cross the stile and follow the path which is quite rough in places but leads back to the outward track and on to Meelmore Lodge by retracing the outward route.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 12^th May, 2019.