Maumturks


The Maumturks or Maamturks is a long, broadly-straight mountain range, consisting of weathered quartzite peaks in its central section, located in Connemara in County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The range lies opposite the Twelve Bens, on the other side of the Inagh Valley.

Hill walking

The walk of the full range, is considered one of the "great classic ridge-walks of Ireland", and since 1975, the University College Galway Mountaineering Club, has run the annual "Maamturks Challenge", a walk covering the entire 25–kilometre range in a single day. Near the centre of the range in a deep valley is Máméan, a site of pilgrimage dedicated to Saint Patrick.

List of peaks

The table below lists some of the highest major mountain peaks of the Maumturk Mountains.
RankMountain peakElevationEnglish Name
1Binn idir an dá LogBenadolug‡
2Binn BhriocáinLetterbreckaun
3Binn MhórBinn Mhor
4Binn ChaonaighBinn Chaonaigh
5Mullach GlasMullach Glas
6An Meall DubhLeenaun Hill
7Binn MhairgBinn Mhairg
8Corcogemore*Corcogemore*
9Cnoc na hUilleannKnocknahillion

The anglicised version is rarely used or marked on any maps; a more common anglicised name is the incorrect name of "Barrslievenaroy", which is a nearby townland on the slopes of Binn idir an Da Log.
Cartographer Tim Robinson notes: "the Ordnance Survey has been incorrectly calling this mountain 'Leckavrea' for a hundred and fifty years." "Lackavrea" is the mountain to the east on the other side of Mám Aodha.
range. Letterbreckaun is the most prominent mountain to the left, followed by Knocknahillion, and then the large Binn Idir an Dá Log summits and ridge. The range then drops into the valley of Máméan, before rising up to BinnMhor to the right

Rock climbing

While the Maumturks are not known for rock climbing, the Loch Mhám Ochóige area of the range has rock climbs in the V-Diff to HVS grades.