Mullaghcleevaun – Wicklow's second peak

Overview

Mullaghcleevaun is Wicklow’s second-highest mountain, and a lot fewer people stand on top of it than on Lugnaquilla. There’s no clean path to the summit – just blanket bog and a long, exposed ridge – which keeps the crowds off. At 849 m (2,785 ft) it ranks 15th on the Arderin list of Irish summits and 20th on the Vandeleur-Lynam. The Irish name, Mullach Cliabháin, means ‘summit of the cradle’, and it points straight at the mountain’s best feature: the deep corrie scooped out below the top.

The summit and Cleevaun Lough

The cradle in the name is the corrie that holds Cleevaun Lough, at 686 m (2,251 ft) the highest natural lake in County Wicklow. The summit above it is a flat, pebble-strewn plateau with a concrete trig pillar and not much else – the reward here is the walking and the view, not a dramatic peak. West, the Blessington Lakes spread out below; east, the ground drops hard into the Glenmacnass valley; and on a clear day you can pick out the Irish Sea and the Dublin hills to the south. If you make it up, walk the rim of the corrie rather than heading straight for the pillar. The lake is the reason to come.

Near it, a memorial plaque remembers three An Óige hikers – Peter Purfield, Joseph O’Gorman and Matthew Porter – who drowned at Clogher Head in 1945. The lough itself is deep, cold and a long way from help; it is not a place for a swim.

Walking routes

Mullaghcleevaun is a hub for several of Wicklow’s high-ridge walks, from a half-day out-and-back to full traverses:

• Carraigshouk to the summit (half day): From the small ‘Oasis’ car park on the R115, about 8.5 km climbs over Mullaghcleevaun East Top (790 m) to the main peak, roughly 3 to 4 hours. The simplest way up, and the one to pick if you only have a half day.
• The Sally Gap ridge: A longer, tougher traverse along the high ridge from the Sally Gap, crossing Carrigvore, Gravale and Duff Hill before the east top. Boggy and exposed the whole way – for experienced walkers with map and compass.
• Mullaghcleevaun to Tonelagee: A strenuous loop of about 16 km (6 hours) linking the two peaks. It drops into the Glenmacnass valley past the Glenmacnass Waterfall before climbing Tonelagee (817 m).

A second car park at Ballynultagh Gap, to the north, gives an alternative start for the ridge.

History and landscape

Classic Wicklow ground: granite, peat hags and deep blanket bog. The corrie under the summit is a textbook piece of glacial erosion, gouged out when ice flowed south through these mountains in the last ice age. The whole area lies within Wicklow Mountains National Park, and the 18th-century Old Military Road runs through the foothills to the south. The mountain sends water in two directions – the Glenmacnass River rises on its south-eastern slopes and becomes the Glenmacnass Waterfall downstream, while the King’s River rises here and runs west to the Liffey near Blessington. With a prominence of 374 m (1,227 ft), Mullaghcleevaun clears the bar for a Marilyn, which is why it turns up on so many peak-bagging lists.

Practical information

Safety and preparation

The terrain is uneven, with deep peat hags, steep descents and loose stone that turns greasy in the wet. Carry a map, compass and a charged phone; the summit plateau is featureless and easy to lose in cloud. The relevant map is the OSi Discovery Series sheet 56. Waterproof boots, gaiters and layers are sensible, because the weather at this height changes fast. Dogs are welcome but should be kept on a lead near the ridge edges and the lake.

Nearby

• Glenmacnass Waterfall – a big cascade on the road down, easily reached from the Tonelagee loop.
• Blessington and its lakes – a scenic run after coming off the western slopes.
• Glendalough – the monastic valley, with a visitor centre, cafés and beds.

Come in late spring or early autumn, when the bog is firmer underfoot and the light lasts, and check the mountain forecast before you set off – at 849 m, Mullaghcleevaun makes its own weather.