Dart Mountain

Rising as a broad, peat-covered dome in the heart of the Sperrins, this Hewitt offers a classic bog-trotting experience. The ascent is often soft underfoot, but the payoff is a sense of immense isolation and a summit panorama that spans the wild, undulating moorlands of Tyrone and Londonderry.

• •The name derives from the Irish Sliabh an Daimh, meaning 'mountain of the ox'. This likely refers to the historical practice of booleying, where cattle were driven to the high Sperrin slopes for summer grazing.
• •It is most frequently climbed in tandem with its higher neighbour, Sawel Mountain. The two are connected by a high, notoriously marshy col that sits at the very centre of the range.
• •The summit marks the county border between Tyrone and Londonderry, offering a vantage point that looks deep into the glacial trough of the Glenelly Valley to the south.
• •On a clear day, the view extends well beyond the Sperrins, reaching northwards to the Atlantic coast and the distinctive silhouette of Binevenagh on the North Derry plateau.
• •The terrain is a masterclass in Sperrins peat hags; a 'direct line' to the summit is usually a creative suggestion rather than a reality, requiring constant tactical detours around dark, bottomless-looking pools.