Kings Mountain

Kings Mountain, Sligo rests on the southwest corner of the Dartry Mountain range and acts like a gate post to the famous Glencar valley. The mountain rises steeply out of the surround flatlands dotted with features like the Great Crack, Balcony Cave, and Kings Gully finished off by the tabletop summit of Kings Mountain. King’s Gully was formed by meltwaters following the most recent ice age and is the route of our ascent into the mountain. This striking feature brings home the full force of nature as our guides safely guide you along the upper edges of this deep gully which leads us to the site of the Great Crack. The Crack like the gully was formed during the last ice age, this geological wonder takes on the shape of a giant gorge running through the mountain, walking within the crack huge walls envelope us and provide the opportunity to step inside the mountain and see the rock layers laid down over millennia in what was then, a shallow sea. Feeling small, standing between these giant walls always brings out an “awe” moment to all who are lucky enough to visit here. From the crack we move higher up the mountain to our first summit and Balcony Cave, another rock feature that takes on the shape of a balcony and towers mere meters away from the sheer rock face of the mountain. Enjoying views of Glencar far below before we turn and aim towards Kings summit. Along our way we stop at the Sligo Nobel 6 Monument, a Celtic cross erected to honor some of the men who lost their lives on the mountain during the Irish civil war, take a brief rest here while our guides recount the story of the 6 and take in views of the final leg of our day, Kings summit. The final approach to Kings summit takes us up a moderate slope adorned with heathers that leads to the tabletop summit where our views switch to a truly stunning panoramic over the Atlantic coastline and surround countryside. Kings Mountain, also knowing as ‘The Kings Table’ is where the famed guardians of Ireland, the Finna, came to dine following their days hunting on the nearby Benbulben plateau. Lunch here amongst the echoes of warriors as our guides bring their stories and the story of the mountain to life before exploring more quirky features in the mountain that are unique to this area. Our return leg see’s us backtrack down Kings Gully to our lowland start point.