Cork hillwalkers are so used to heading west or east out of city that they sometimes forget about the fine route up Musheramore, just 30km to the northwest, writes TONY DOHERTY
MUSHERAMORE, which rises 644m, is the last big peak of the great arc of hills and mountains that run from the Caha ridge, on the Beara peninsula, through the Shehy and Derrynasaggart ranges and end in the Boggaragh Mountains. Cork hillwalkers are so attuned to heading west or east that they sometimes forget a fine mountain walk is available just 30km northwest of the city, making it easily doable in a morning or afternoon.
Heading west out of the city along the N22, turn north at Carrigrohane on to the R579 as far as the turn for Rylane. Sixteen kilometres along this unusually straight third-class road you’ll come to the car park between Seefin and Mushera. This was the old butter road between Cork and Kerry. A panel at the car park explains the history of this remarkable route.
The first section of the route is on the Duhallow/Blackwater Way and follows an old bog road on open moorland along the northern slopes of Mushera and Musheramore.
The second stile is at the head of a ravine that marks the start of the forested area. At first the trees are well below you, as the slope is steep, so you have great views across the Blackwater Valley and away into Limerick. The trees gradually encroach on the track, and soon you are walking through the usual green tunnel of conifers. The track is wetter here, because of the faster run-off of water from the forested slopes above you.
Ignore the stile on your right on this section. It crosses no fence and appears to lead nowhere. Continuing on the track, a metal stile brings you out to a forest clearing that leads down to another car park. Keep straight on, along the top of the clearing, to where a small stream has to be forded. The track beyond this has been newly excavated, and I imagine it could be fairly muddy in wet weather.
At the final stile, the Duhallow/Blackwater Way veers away to the right; turning left, you can now start your ascent of Musheramore. The terrain here is low grass and heather, and there is no obvious path to the summit.
The small plateau on the summit has three distinctive features: an Ordnance Survey trigonometrical marker, a large cairn of stones and another cairn topped by a cross.
Musheramore is a great training mountain for people who are amused by the constant stressing of the need for proper gear. On the day I was there it was warm and sunny, with a moderate northwesterly breeze, when we left the city. It was a different story on the summit. At 600m the winds are half as strong again as they are at sea level. On mountains such as Musheramore, where there is no high land to impede it, a northerly wind is compressed when it reaches the slopes, making the air currents – and so the wind-chill factor – even stronger on the summit. Add the heavy showers we had and you wouldn’t be too comfortable in shorts and T-shirt.
The route down from the summit is quite straightforward. Head in a northeasterly direction for spot height 486, which will bring you to the stile where you will rejoin your outward track. You will need to be careful on the descent, as there are many old bog cuttings overgrown with grass and heather. In other words, real ankle-twisting ground if you’re not wearing mountain boots.
Musheramore, Co Cork
Start and finishCar park at grid reference 350 862.
How to get thereFollow the N22 out of Cork city as far as Carrigrohane. Turn right on to the R579. After 19km you will come to the turn for Rylane. A further 16km brings you to Musheramore car park.
TimeFour hours.
DistanceEight and a half kilometres.
Total ascent550m.
MapOrdnance Survey Ireland Discovery Series sheets 79, for Musheramore, and 80, for approach roads.
SuitabilityRoute is easy, but compass, map and raingear are essential.
Food and accommodationCork city.