Benlettery [Binn Leitri]

Guarding the southern entrance to the Twelve Bens, this steep, quartzite peak offers a sharp introduction to Connemara’s rugged terrain. Its scree-laden slopes provide a direct, breathless ascent from the valley floor, rewarding walkers with a commanding perspective over the Ballynahinch lake system and the wild Atlantic coastline beyond.

• •The name Binn Leitri translates from Irish as 'Peak of the Wet Slopes,' a description that becomes immediately apparent to anyone attempting the ascent after a typical Connemara rain shower.
• •It serves as the southern anchor for the Glencoaghan Horseshoe, a demanding 16km ridge walk that traverses six of the Twelve Bens summits in a single, high-level loop.
• •From the summit, the view south is dominated by the sprawling, lake-strewn expanse of Roundstone Bog, contrasted against the pale, shattered quartzite of its immediate neighbours, Benglenisky and Derryclare.
• •A popular An Óige hostel sits at the southern foot of the hill, making this one of the most accessible peaks in the range for those arriving via the N59 road.
• •Despite falling just short of the 600-metre mark, its position rising straight from the coastal plain ensures you will feel every inch of the climb in your calves.