Overview
The Glendahurk Horseshoe links three summits of the Nephin Beg range on a loop of about 15.7 km (9.7 miles) above Newport, and the narrow ridge that joins the two Corranabinnia tops is as exposed as anything you will walk in County Mayo. Total climb is around 1,000 metres. The reward is a crowd-free round over bare quartzite with the whole sweep of Clew Bay at your back – and the catch is that the best of it is also the most dangerous of it.
This is a walk for people who are comfortable on steep, unmarked ground. If that is not you, read the ridge section below before you commit.
The route and the summits
Most walkers start from a small lay-by off the N59, roughly 8 km north of Newport on the road towards Achill; a gravel track leads in for about a kilometre before the climbing begins. Both directions work – some guides send you clockwise, others anti-clockwise to get Bengorm’s boggy slopes over first – so pick your line by the wind.
- Bengorm (An Bhinn Ghorm, ‘the blue peak’) – the lowest of the three, just under 600 metres, and usually the warm-up. Its cairned top opens the full run of Clew Bay, Croagh Patrick and the far, jagged line of Slieve Carr.
- Corranabinnia – the high point of the round at a little over 700 metres, marked by a trig pillar. The view runs out to Achill Island, Clare Island and the empty interior of the Wild Nephin.
- Corranabinnia South-West Top – reached across the arête, a touch lower again, and the turning point before the long descent into the boglands.
The arête
The narrow ridge between the two Corranabinnia tops is the reason people come, and the reason to take the day seriously. It falls away steeply on both sides and involves a short section of rock scrambling where you will want your hands. In frost, after heavy rain, or in strong wind it becomes genuinely hazardous. Do not cross it if the wind is up or snow is hiding the ground – turn back rather than push on, because there is no easy way off once you are on it.
Geology and landscape
The Nephin Beg mountains are built on hard Dalradian quartzite and schist, which has resisted erosion into sharp, weather-worn tops. Glaciers carved the deep valleys and U-shaped troughs that frame the ridge. The contrast is stark: bare, rocky summits above, deep peat hags below. Spring brings a flush of cotton grass and bog bean; winter puts frost and snow on the quartzite.
What you will see
The higher slopes are blanket bog, the classic covering of west Mayo’s uplands, and support hardy upland birds – meadow pipits and skylarks among them. Lower down, the Glendahurk River valley softens into wetland and rough pasture. Keep dogs on a short lead near the sheep on the higher ground, and off the fragile peat.
Getting there and staying safe
- Time – allow 5 to 8 hours depending on pace and conditions; guided groups tend to take about six and a half.
- Navigation – the route is not waymarked. Bring a map and compass, download a GPX track in advance (there is one on Wikiloc), and do not count on mobile coverage along the ridge. Tell someone your expected return time.
- Gear – waterproof boots, layers and a proper daypack. In winter, microspikes help on the boggy start and the ridge.
- Parking – the N59 lay-by holds only a handful of cars. Arrive early in summer and do not block the road.
- Facilities – none on the mountain. Newport, about 6 km south, has toilets, cafés and beds.
Guided walks
If you would rather not take on the arête alone, Tonnta Adventure runs a guided hike of the horseshoe for €35 per person, taking around six and a half hours. A guide is worth it in autumn and winter, when the weather on the ridge can turn without much warning.
Nearby
- Wild Nephin (Ballycroy) National Park – just north, protecting some of Ireland’s largest tracts of blanket bog and native woodland.
- Owenduff Blanket Bog – flat, easy walking and good birdwatching below the ridge descent.
Check the Met Éireann mountain forecast for ridge winds the night before, and if it is blowing hard, save the arête for another day – this walk is only worth doing when you can trust your footing on that ridge.