Mount Brandon

Peaks: Brandon (952m)
Area: Dingle, Kerry, Ireland
One of the finest mountains in the British Isles, Brandon rises directly out of the Atlantic at the end of the wild Dingle peninsula. I've wanted to come here for years, but ran out of time (and weather) on our last visit to Kerry in 1999. This morning, we drove from Killarney to Tralee then along the coast of Dingle to the Gaeltacht and finally Cloghane in constantly changing weather under huge skies. This remained the day's theme, although we had glimpses of the upper ridge as the mists shifted in and out, particularly early on, as we set off from the small Faha car park above the sea. Hail, sleet and rain swept in for the initial contouring slopes to gain the spectacular 'paternoster' lake valley which marks the entry into the wild upper reaches of the mountain. Behind, wonderful ever-changing light as showers swept over the Slieve Mish range from the Atlantic. As we got higher, the path kinks towards the upper cwm, a superb hanging valley, and a spectacular hailstorm swept down - backlit by the sun over the two lower lakes of Lough na Lice and Lough Cruttia. The terrain changes at this point, and the route reminded us of the Pyg track in the sense that it picks through moraines and rivulets before climbing the headwall, which looks steep from below but actually has a zigzag path up it. The rock scenery is tremendous, with the Faha ridge above and the tiny lochans hidden between boulders and ridges. Rain showers kept sweeping in, then disappearing equally rapidly. There seemed to be blue sky above, so we hoped for a Fohn effect clearance, but it never came. We emerged above the headwall into another predictable galeforce westerly and an immediate and complete change of scenery. Indeed, Brandon is famed for its east-west contrast: the eastern approach is rocky and dramatic (the route we took), while the west is just a grassy slope. We ploughed up to the cold and windy summit, before taking our time back down to the notch - hopeful of a clearance and even taking a very wet and cold lunch sheltered from the wind just below the notch. Finally, we were rewarded with a brief clearance and misty views down to the Atlantic crashing onto the beach 2500ft below. It was only a matter of seconds, though, and the weather then closed in for almost the entire descent: steady rain and thick clag. The changeable theme continued as we drove to spectacular Brandon Point: stunning play of light and shade with rainbows and showers tracking in off the ocean and Slieve Mish appearing then disappearing in minutes. A quick coffee in Mullally's Pub, then back for another pleasant evening in Killarney.