Ben Crom

About Ben Crom

Rising steeply between the Silent Valley and Annalong Valley, this rugged granite peak offers one of the most dramatic profiles in the Mournes. Its sheer southern face towers over the Ben Crom Reservoir, providing a relatively short but punchy ascent with a summit view that captures the heart of the range.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish 'Beann Crom', meaning 'crooked' or 'stooped mountain', a reference to its distinctive leaning profile when viewed from the surrounding glens.
• •The summit provides an exceptional vantage point over the Silent Valley Reservoir and the massive granite tors of Slieve Bearnagh and Slieve Binnian, which frame the skyline to the north and east.
• •Below the southern slopes lies the Ben Crom Reservoir, completed in 1955; the construction required a fleet of tractors to be dismantled and carried piece-by-piece into the mountains before being reassembled.
• •The hill is centrally located near the 'Brandy Pad', a historic track once used by smugglers to transport tobacco and spirits from the coast at Newcastle into the heart of the mountains.
• •While the climb is short, the walk-in from the main car park is long enough that you will likely be overtaken by a shuttle bus full of tourists before you even reach the base of the hill.