Maghancoosaun

Introduction

On the way to glencar from killorglin is a mostly unexplored series of crags and boulders at Maghancoosaun Discovery Series sheet 78 ref V87 75. To get there park at the hydrotrack carpark and make you way down into the valley and across the river. If you go direct you will pass through an abandoned series of farm houses and old fields.

There are 3 main areas and numerous boulders and smaller areas. Most of it is covered in grass and muck and needs lots of tlc but some routes have been cleaned by us in spring 2020.

Since I cant find any names for the individual crags I have name them here. From the picture above - Eagles crag is the top most one, Buzzard Crag is the middle and Hawk Crag is the lowest one visible in the photo, there is also Ravens crag which is obscured by the trees in the shot. Not to mention a bunch of bouldering areas and other crags.

Eagles Crag

As mentioned this is the top most crag, there is potential for trad or toprope routes to the west end and more boulder problems in the middle. On the east end we cleared away all the dirt and found an amazing boulder problem.

White Tree 6a/6b traverse and 3m up. Traverse and up over the top. Start on the right side using only the crack and surrounding features for handholds (dont go above the crack), use a delicate series of footholds and crimps to get over to the verticle crack under the tree and go straight up from there. Don't use the obvious handhold above before you get the the verticle crack for added challenge.

Buzzards Crag

The high main face of this crag, at the the west end, has not been explored yet at all really but a smaller section on the east end has been cleaned off and revealed a series of very technical and interesting climbs as well as a boulder problem on the extreme east end.

Dirt in your eyes 6a traverse and 5m up. Traverse from the left and up and over the top. Sit start on the big jug on the far left, use a series of powerful moves to make your way along the ledge until you reach the corner and climb up to the top, it gets nice and easy towards the top.

Further to the right past the tree there are a few larger climbs, none of these have been trad climbed yet and are probably on the order of HS to VS.

The North Face *not traded yet, maybe HS to HVS grade, about 13m. Start on the blank face and make your way up to the ledge, do not use the big piece of rock sticking out from the right (note that this is quite loose and is best avoided). From here move up through the crux staying in the middle or right of the obvious crack. Once you get past this it eases off a bit but a series of interesting moves to the top.

And even further to the right is the main face of the crag, there seems to be some kind of nest here so we completely left this area alone, definitly potential

Hawk Crag

This is one of the most overgrown crags in the area and so far nothing has been developed here

Ravens Crag

This crag is located north east of Hawks crag about 300m away. This crag has potential for a series of shorter harder routes and isnt a overgrown as hawks crag, minimal cleaning here should reveal a number of interesting climbs.