Knocknahillion ()
is one of the
Maumturk Mountains
, photo=View south to Knocknahillion from Letterbreckaun.jpg
, photo_caption= Maumturk Mountains: looking south from Letterbreckaun towards Knocknahillion and Binn idir an dá Log.
, country=Republic of Ireland
, region = Connacht
, region_t ...
of
Connemara
Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, ...
in
County Galway, Ireland. At , it is the 210th–highest peak in Ireland on the
Arderin list,
and 256th–highest on the
Vandeleur-Lynam list.
[Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, ] Knocknahillion is in the middle sector of the long north-west to south-east spine of the Maumturks.
The summit is offset to the west of the rocky central ridge of the Maumturks, and its western-facing slopes have a distinctive "diagonal" rock
stratification
Stratification may refer to:
Mathematics
* Stratification (mathematics), any consistent assignment of numbers to predicate symbols
* Data stratification in statistics
Earth sciences
* Stable and unstable stratification
* Stratification, or st ...
when viewed from the Inagh Valley.
Naming
Irish academic Paul Tempan notes that Knocknahillion derives its name from the
townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...
s of Illion and Illion West ().
It is to the west of the central spine of the Maumturks range at a point where the range turns to a more south-easterly direction (like an elbow).
Geography
Knocknahillion is in the middle sector of the long north-west to south-east central spine of the Maumturks range in Connemara.
To the north, Knocknahillion is connected to
Letterbreckaun
Letterbreckaun () is one of the Maumturk Mountains of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. At , it is the second-tallest of the Maumturks, the 129th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, and 159th–highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam li ...
, the 2nd highest peak in the range at , by a high winding rocky ridge that includes the subsidiary peak of Knocknahillion North Top at , whose
prominence
In topography, prominence (also referred to as autonomous height, relative height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop or relative height in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contou ...
of qualifies it as an
Arderin.
Further along this ridge lies the minor peak of Barrlugrevagh at , whose
prominence
In topography, prominence (also referred to as autonomous height, relative height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop or relative height in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contou ...
of qualifies it as an
Arderin Beg.
To the southeast of Knocknahillion is the col of
Maumahoge ( ga, Mhám Ochóige), which then rises up again to the
corrie lake of Lough Maumahoge ( ga, Loch Mhám Ochóige), and eventually to
Binn idir an dá Log, the highest mountain in the range at .
Hill walking
The easiest way summit Knocknahillion is a 5-kilometre 2-3-hour route via the pass of Maumahoge; however, because of its positioning on the high rocky central spine of the central Maumturk range, it is also summited in a longer 14-kilometre 5-6 hour loop-route starting at the col of Maumahoge in the south, climbing Knocknahillion and then along a winding 2-kilometre rocky ridge to the top of Letterbreckaun, before descending via the sharp "v-shaped" col of
Maam Turk
Letterbreckaun () is one of the Maumturk Mountains of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. At , it is the second-tallest of the Maumturks, the 129th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, and 159th–highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam li ...
( ga, Mám Tuirc, meaning "pass of the boar"), from which the entire range bears its name.
Knocknahillion is also climbed as part of the ''Maamturks Challenge'', a 25-kilometre 10–12 hour walk over the full Maumturks range (from
Maam Cross
Maam Cross () is a crossroads in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It lies within the townland of Shindilla, at the junction of the N59 from Galway to Clifden and the R336 from Galway to the Maam Valley
Gleann an Mháma (English languag ...
to
Leenaun
Leenaun (), also Leenane, is a village and 1,845 acre townland in County Galway, Ireland, on the southern shore of Killary Harbour and the northern edge of Connemara.
Location
Leenaun is situated on the junction of the N59 road, and the R336 ...
), which is considered one of the "great classic ridge-walks of Ireland",
but of "extreme grade" due to the circa 7,600 feet of total ascent; however, because the peak of Knocknahillon is offset to the west of the core winding rocky ridge, it is not always summited during the challenge.
Rock climbing
While the Maumturks range is not particularly known for rock climbing routes (unlike
Bencorr and its
Carrot Ridge spur, across the Inagh Valley), some have been developed at a crag just below and west of Lough Maumahoge (L876 532), with routes of 90 to 190 metres at
climbing grades
In rock climbing, mountaineering, and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a grade to a climbing route or boulder problem, intended to describe concisely the difficulty and danger of climbing it. Different types of climbing (such as sport ...
of S to HVS.
Gallery
File:Lough Inagh, Letterbreckaun (left) and Knocknahillion (right) from Inagh Valley.jpg, Looking north to Letterbreckaun
Letterbreckaun () is one of the Maumturk Mountains of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. At , it is the second-tallest of the Maumturks, the 129th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, and 159th–highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam li ...
(left), and Knocknahillion (right), across Lough Inagh
Lough Inagh () is a freshwater lake in the Inagh Valley, in Connemara, Galway, in the west of Ireland.
Geography
Lough Inagh is located about east of Clifden on the R344 road in the Inagh Valley. The Twelve Bens range lies to the west of the ...
File:Knocknahillion from Bill idir an da Log.jpg, Lough Maumahoge, Knocknahillion (left) and the ridge to Letterbreckaun
Letterbreckaun () is one of the Maumturk Mountains of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. At , it is the second-tallest of the Maumturks, the 129th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, and 159th–highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam li ...
File:Knocknahillion and Binn idir an da Log from Letterbrackaun.jpg, Letterbreckaun
Letterbreckaun () is one of the Maumturk Mountains of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. At , it is the second-tallest of the Maumturks, the 129th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, and 159th–highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam li ...
to Knockhillion ridge (middle, right), with Binn idir an dá Log (centre, back)
File:Knocknahillion and Binn Bhriocain, Maumturks, Ireland.jpg, Looking north to Knocknahillion (left), and Letterbreckaun
Letterbreckaun () is one of the Maumturk Mountains of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. At , it is the second-tallest of the Maumturks, the 129th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, and 159th–highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam li ...
(middle)
File:Maumturk Mountains.JPG, Maumturks range from the Inagh Valley, with Knocknahillion (centre)
Bibliography
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*
*
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*
See also
*
Twelve Bens
, photo=Boats and mountains, Roundstone (6047965086).jpg
, photo_caption= View of the range from Roundstone village.
, region = Connacht
, region_type = Provinces of Ireland
, translation = The peaks of Beola
, language = Irish language
...
, major range in Connemara
*
Mweelrea
Mweelrea (; ) at , is the 26th-highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale, and the 34th-highest peak on the Vandeleur-Lynam scale.Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Co ...
, major range in Killary Harbour
*
Lists of mountains in Ireland
In these lists of mountains in Ireland, those within Northern Ireland, or on the Republic of Ireland – United Kingdom border, are marked with an asterisk, while the rest are within the Republic of Ireland. Where mountains are ranked by heigh ...
*
Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles
The mountains and hills of the British Isles are categorised into various lists based on different combinations of elevation, prominence, and other criteria such as isolation. These lists are used for peak bagging, whereby hillwalkers attempt ...
*
List of Marilyns in the British Isles
This is a list of Marilyn hills and mountains in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Ireland by height. Marilyns are defined as peaks with a prominence of or more, regardless of height or any other merit (e.g. topographic isolation, as used i ...
*
List of Hewitt mountains in England, Wales and Ireland
This is a list of Hewitt mountains in England, Wales and Ireland by height. Hewitts are defined as "Hills in England, Wales and Ireland over two thousand" feet in height, the general requirement to be called a "mountain" in the British Isl ...
References
External links
The Maamturks Challenge University College Galway Mountaineering Club
The Maamturks Challenge: Routecard (2015)MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website Knocknahillion
the largest database of British Isles mountains ("
DoBIH
The mountains and hills of the British Isles are categorised into various lists based on different combinations of elevation, prominence, and other criteria such as isolation. These lists are used for peak bagging, whereby hillwalkers attemp ...
")
Hill Bagging UK & Ireland the searchable interface for the
DoBIH
The mountains and hills of the British Isles are categorised into various lists based on different combinations of elevation, prominence, and other criteria such as isolation. These lists are used for peak bagging, whereby hillwalkers attemp ...
{{IrishTrails
Marilyns of Ireland
Hewitts of Ireland
Mountains and hills of County Galway
Mountains under 1000 metres