King’s Mountain
Step back in Sligo history and hike to the magical summit of Kings Mountain overlooking Glencar and Sligo town while visiting the site of the Sligo Noble Six tragedy.
The Glencar Escarpment is often referred to as one of county Sligo’s most beautiful hiking routes.
Quick Details
What makes this tour unique?: This incredible hike will bring you to the Barytes Mine and across the Dartry Mountain range overlooking the picturesque glacial valley of Glencar, home to the famous Glencar Waterfall and the more recently noted Devils Chimney Waterfall along with the Swiss Valley, Glencarbury Barytes Mine and Glencar Lake. Beginning our day at the Glencar Tea shed we hike high into the mountain where we follow a cliff side route to the Devils Chimney Waterfall or ‘Sruth in Aghaidh An Aird’ as it’s known locally.
About
This waterfall is famed for its waters defying gravity giving the correct weather conditions it blows back uphill into the air and surrounding mountain, a truly majestic sight to see and great fun trying to get that perfect picture without getting soaked. The views from atop the cliff edge span from the Mayo coastline back through Sligo bay and city, the Glencar valley and lake lay hundreds of meters below our feet boasting its own natural beauty.
Our guides will explain how this valley and surrounding mountains formed and the human stories of how a group of Cromwell’s forces where cruelly tricked to their deaths in the hills opposite us as well as more recent discoveries by the shores of the lake itself that show a large ancient human settlement resided here in the past. Having our fill of admiring the views here we turn deeper into the rolling hills leaving the cliff edge behind as we make our way through a karst limestone landscape to the site of the now abandoned Glencarbury Barytes Mines.
Barytes is not commonly found throughout the planet making Glencarbury well knowing globally as a prime location for this resource. The abandoned buildings and machinery now sit in an eerie silence as nature now rules this once industrialised mountainside. The mines which operated here for over 100 years saw generations of locals climb the mountain on a daily basis to mine this raw material, Barytes has many use’s and our guides will talk you through these as well as the incredible feats of engineering that the workforce carried out here to extract this rare material.
Enquire about this tour
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Areas this adventure covers
Barytes Mines
Glencar Valley
Barytes Mines
Glencar Valley
Our Happy Visitors
Organised two hill climbs with North West Adventures. I was part of a club booking of 17 people. Two guides accompanied us each day. They were professional, friendly, knowledgeable and always had safety to the fore. Thoroughly recommend this company for your walks.
John
Group Booking
Our Happy Visitors
North West Adventure Tours surely have the best mountain tour guides in Ireland. We had 3 guides over a two-day hiking tour of the Dartry Mountains in Co Sligo. All were professionally trained, experienced, safety conscious, friendly and helpful. Above all, they demonstrated an intimate knowledge of the terrain, its history and culture
Colm M
Dartry Mountains
Our Happy Visitors
Went to Mweelrea on a guided tour, the guides (Barry and William) were well-organised, friendly and helpful. Pace was good, conditions were tricky in parts and were handled well and we were guided through them. A very professional outfit and they knew exactly what they were doing. Ar fheabhas ar fad.
Rob
Mweelrea walking tour
Our Happy Visitors
Had an amazing hike last Sunday up Benbulben, so enjoyable, we would highly recommend a hike with North West Adventure Tour, Barry and Trish great fun and very informative of local knowledge. Thank you for a great day trip. Caroline and Damien
Caroline C
Benbulben Hike
Our Happy Visitors
Thoroughly enjoyed my day on Croagh Patrick climb. Very friendly experienced guides .Cloudy evening blocked the sunset but what an experience to be under the stars on Croagh Patrick …thank you to all the team and fellow hikers …looking forward to more hikes ….
Passenger706319
Croagh Patrick March 2024
Explore the North West with us
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need hiking boots?
Yes, for most if not all of our hiking tours boots are essential. See the hike page you are enquiring about for full suggested list.
What clothing to bring?
Rain jacket/leggings. Warm layers, hats, gloves etc. Each hikes page has a full list of recommended kit.
How long is the hike?
Hike distance and estimated times are listed on each hike’s description page.
Can I bring my dog?
As much as we love our own doggie’s company, all our hikes are strictly dog free.
Is there age restrictions on hikes?
Yes, please see the hike description page that you are interested in for full info on age limits.
Can you run a hike that's no listed on your site, or can you run a hike in my area.
Yes, we can tailor hiking tours anywhere in Ireland UK and beyond.
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