Black Mountain cooler peninsula

bitethebullet

Hi. I'd love to do the cooley peninsula on my road bike sometime soon and would like to incorporate the black Mountain. I'll be driving up from drogheda. Probably park the car outside Dundalk. I was wondering which way would be best. ..maybe out the carlingford Rd towards the ballymascanlon hotel ? Any suggestions welcome

Eamonnator

I keep saying it, autocorrect's a bummer!

bitethebullet

Eamonnator wrote: »

I keep saying it, autocorrect's a bummer!

Agreed

mr spuckler

might be of no use to you but i had posted here when heading up to carlingford a few weeks ago.

Pantanifan84

A few options. If you park as you said at Ballymac hotel. Cycle towards carlingford and aprox 2 or three kilometres down the road you'll see a sign saying Omeath 11km and signaling a left turn. Take said turn and follow the road passed mccrystal garage til you come to a staggerd cross road. Turn right then left (so effectively straight through the staggerd crossroad) and up jenkinstown hill. Climb to the top (aprox 5km) til you get to the long woman's grave). Turn left at t junction passing LWG on your right. Stay on said road and take your first left which will lead you nicely up to the mat atop black mountain. Take note, gradient and road surface mean descent is very dangerous. Enjoy

petethedrummer

Was up around there yesterday on my MTB.

This will give you two good climbs on the road.
https://goo.gl/maps/Boqj8uzWnto

I can make a simpler route if you only want Black Mountain. There is a new gravel cycle path between Carlingford and Omeath down along the sea but it might be full of walkers and prams etc...

bitethebullet

cheers lads....would those routes be suitable for a road bike?

bitethebullet

Pantanifan84 wrote: »

Climb to the top (aprox 5km) til you get to the long woman's grave). Turn left at t junction passing LWG on your right.

Is this the T junction?

https://www.google.ie/maps/@54.0600951,-6.2741669,3a,75y,18.02h,63.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgNGUx5EZa_u8i4ADFvnuuA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

traprunner

bitethebullet wrote: »

Is this the T junction?

https://www.google.ie/maps/@54.0600951,-6.2741669,3a,75y,18.02h,63.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgNGUx5EZa_u8i4ADFvnuuA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

Yes. If you hate midges then don't stop at the Long Womans Grave. I got eaten alive. Never seen them swarm so much before.

bitethebullet

traprunner wrote: »

Yes. If you hate midges then don't stop at the Long Womans Grave. I got eaten alive. Never seen them swarm so much before.

I do with a vengeance

bitethebullet

[QUOTE=petethedrummer;100766975
I can make a simpler route if you only want Black Mountain. There is a new gravel cycle path between Carlingford and Omeath down along the sea but it might be full of walkers and prams etc...[/QUOTE]

I'm going to go left at the T junction at the LWG and head up the mountain that way instead of turning right and heading to Carlinford. Might go that way another day

traprunner

How much do you like climbing? You could do the Black Mountain from the northern side. Park at the Carrickdale hotel and head north and take the first right before Morgan fuels and then it's the second right.

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Carrickdale+Hotel+and+Spa/@54.1040242,-6.354869,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x9b50d5489ddd807b!8m2!3d54.1003833!4d-6.3603758

bitethebullet

traprunner wrote: »

How much do you like climbing? You could do the Black Mountain from the northern side. Park at the Carrickdale hotel and head north and take the first right before Morgan fuels and then it's the second right.

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Carrickdale+Hotel+and+Spa/@54.1040242,-6.354869,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x9b50d5489ddd807b!8m2!3d54.1003833!4d-6.3603758

Have it in my head now I'm going to park near the ballymac hotel. Might do it from the North another day.

traprunner

bitethebullet wrote: »

Have it in my head now I'm going to park near the ballymac hotel. Might do it from the North another day.

Tha Carrickdale is only 8.5km from the Ballymac

petethedrummer

bitethebullet wrote: »

cheers lads....would those routes be suitable for a road bike?

Yeah, that route I linked you to is all roads. I do it all the time on the road bike. I've guided you off the worst roads traffic wise. (The Bellurgan straight is the worst part, but you can mount the path). It's also easier to find where you're going if you do it from Omeath or the LWG rather than coming from the North.

bitethebullet wrote: »

I'm going to go left at the T junction at the LWG and head up the mountain that way instead of turning right and heading to Carlinford. Might go that way another day

Yeah, you could do that. But there's something about doing it from Omeath that makes it very challenging, it never really lets up.

Shoco83

The best way/ hardest way up it is from the centre of omeath, from ballymac you could stay on the main road through Carlingford to omeath, or as suggested you could take a turn off and go up the mountain that way, or turn off on the mountain and head back to Carlingford before omeath

bitethebullet

OK thanks everyone. I'll let yiz know how i get on.

Pantanifan84

North side climb is a bitch. Also alternative route from Omeath side if interested?

bitethebullet

https://www.strava.com/routes/6250882

This is the route i'm going to take tomorrow morning

Pantanifan84

Good route.

bitethebullet

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bitethebullet

[IMG][/img]

Pantanifan84

How did you get on?

bitethebullet

Pantanifan84 wrote: »

How did you get on?

Great. ...some day for it. Had a look on Strava at some of the segments I completed and they were quite slow. Jenkinstown hill was tough enough. Stopped at the long grave and headed up to the maSt. Found it tough getting traction on the first hairpin but after that not to bad. Beautiful area. Might try it from the carlingford side next time. Breathtaking view from the mast. Thanks again to all for directions.

petethedrummer

You were up the magic hill. Did you notice that lack of effort going up hill?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHqE3ng4EdQ

bitethebullet

Didn't notice tbh

Shoco83

Took a wee spin up it tonight myself, first time this year, got a pb!

That's the first time I seen the benches up there, super view on a day like today

Pantanifan84

Shoco83 benches have been up there since late last year I think.