BHGL #03 – Knockbrinnea West Summit Traditional Geocache
BHGL #03 – Knockbrinnea West Summit
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Knockbrinnea West Summit is with her 854m the 16th highest summit in Ireland. Some serious views of the Glen including the lakes and Carrauntoohil too! This part of the loop can be still tackled by sturdy Reeks rookies. Steep elevation gain from Lisleibane car park..
This is less than 300m from Knockbrinnea East nad only several meters higher. This part of the loop is rather a rough hike than a scramble and is therefore relatively safer than its latter parts.
Knockbrinnea's West Summit is somewhat higher than her East sister, she offers spectacular views of the Glen and Carrauntoohil. You can also see the infamous Hag's Tooth significantly lower to SSE.
If you are Reeks rookies you should seriously consider going back to the Lisleibane car park from here. Only continue towards #4, which is also #4 of the Coomloughra Horseshoe, if you are an at least moderately experienced party of hikers/scramblers.
Within 10 meters to WWS from the summit reference point with cairn is a geoobvious rock chambre. The cache is a small transparent freezer box with a transparent lid. Beware, the holes in those outcrops are deeper then they seem, so be careful not to slip the cache too far at rehiding.
General advice to the whole loop
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Print the spoilers in advance to speed up your search. All caches either small or micro are masked with smaller loose stones, usually under a larger boulder or slab.
Safety warning regarding the whole loop.
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The loop contains extremely dangerous portions that require scrambling (levels 2 to 3) and should not be taken at all by inexperienced parties.
Numbers #01, #02, #03, or even #04 can be collected by sturdy Reeks rookies, but they should definitely back up before #05 to remain unscathed, unless led by someone very experienced.
Moderately experienced parties can make #1 through #10 or even #11 BUT then they should get back to #7 and get down to the valley via zig zags, which is the safest way down in this part of Reeks.
I myself though that the way down from #10 via the ridge called The Bone is safe, yet very nearly killed myself on The Bone after placing #10 of this series..
Beware, there is no direct safe way down to Hag's Glen except from #1 #7 and #13. If you have crossed the arete between #11 and #12, you should continue to #13 for safe descent.
Descent through O'Sheas' Gully, Heavenly Gates or Devil's Ladder is not advised. Descent from #10 via the Bone is valid although not as safe as the advised descent routes from #1, #7, and #13. Please remember that descent is always more dangerous than ascent and that 90% of injuries happen on descent.
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The Big Hag's Glen Loop
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BHGL #01 – Break Fast on Knockbrinnea North Plateau (visit link)
BHGL #02 – Knockbrinnea East Summit (visit link)
BHGL #03 – Knockbrinnea West Summit (visit link)
[BHGL #04] – Coomloughra Horseshoe #4 – Beenkeragh (visit link)
[BHGL #05] – Coomloughra Horseshoe #5 – The Bones (visit link)
[BHGL #06] – [Coomloughra Horseshoe #6 – Honorary Member] Corran Tuathail (Ireland's Highest Cache) (visit link)
BHGL #07 – Cnoc na Toinne (visit link)
BHGL #08 – Cnoc an Chuillinn (visit link)
BHGL #09 – Cnoc an Chuillinn East Top (visit link)
BHGL #10 – Maolán Buí (visit link)
[BHGL #11] – [Honorary Member] Serpent Hill (visit link)
[BHGL #12] – [Honorary Member] An Gunna Mór (visit link)
BHGL#13 – Cruach Mhór (visit link)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
frr fcbvyre cvpf