Slievelamagan

About Slievelamagan

Rising steeply between the Annalong Valley and the Ben Crom Reservoir, this granite peak is the stony heart of the Eastern Mournes. Its distinctive, cone-like profile offers a rugged ascent over rock-strewn slopes, rewarding climbers with an exceptional, unobstructed view directly down onto the Silent Valley and across to the jagged ridge of Binnian.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Irish Sliabh Lámhagáin, meaning 'mountain of crawling' or 'creeping.' It refers to the steepness of its boulder-strewn slopes, which supposedly forced early climbers to ascend on all fours. An older name, Slieve Snavan, shares the same meaning.
• •At the southern foot of the mountain sits the Blue Lough, a quiet pool that serves as a landmark on the approach from Carrick Little. Nearby is a distinctive rock formation known as 'Percy Bysshe,' named after the poet Shelley.
• •The summit provides one of the most comprehensive views of the Mourne Wall as it tracks across the high peaks, specifically showing the stone boundary as it climbs the steep flanks of Slieve Donard and Slieve Commedagh to the north.
• •It is a central link in a popular high-level circuit of the Silent Valley, usually tackled alongside Slieve Binnian and Cove Mountain, providing a rougher, more elemental feel than the more trodden paths on Donard.
• •Despite the name suggesting a hands-and-knees struggle, most walkers will find it a steady, if breathless, pull rather than a literal crawl, as long as they avoid the most chaotic sections of scree.