Colmcille Climbers

Map OSNI 1;50,000 Sheet 13, or Sperrins Activity Map 1;25,000

The Ride

It is sometimes said that “The Sperrin mountains are  better looked at, than looked from”, being rounded, boggy, and boasting arguably more barbed wire than North Korea.  The glens are however lovely, and this route does a traverse above the best of these, Glenelly, via Barnes gap, returning mostly ‘off road’ down Glenlark to the charming sleepy village of Gortin.  Visitors are few, despite being starred as one of the top 50 wild places in Christopher Somerville’s ‘Best 500 Wild Places’ in Britain and Ireland .

Mostly very quiet, minor tarmac roads (part of the Central Sperrins Scenic Route and Ulster Way) with a gradual descent of Glenlark, first on a forestry road and then on a soft boggy and grassy track*.

*This may change as there are proposals to build a big wind farm here.  They are currently being challenged by various local and environmental groups.

Time.4-4.5 hours   Ascent.?      Distance. 45 km

Approach

From Omagh follow the B48 for 14 Km to Gortin Village, and park in the main street.

The Route.

From Gortin follow the Plumbridge road downhill, cross the Trinamadan bridge, and take the first right.  This quiet scenic Gorticashel road follows the course of the Owenkillew River (part of the National Cycling Network) for 6 km to Scotchtown, before leaving the cycle route and climbing gradually to Barnes gap. 

On gaining the prominent notch in this Sperrin Ridge, bear right at Gr 55150 89400 along the right flank of the hill, and keep right again after a kilometre, at Gr 55500  90350, to gain the Corramore Road, and the ‘Central Sperrins Scenic Route’.  And scenic it certainly is, as it weaves its way along an elevated belvedere with stunning views of the beautiful Glenelly Valley below, and its backdrop of the high Sperrins.  After about 9 Km at Gr 63400 93950, just above Sperrin Village, fork right and make a steady climb into forestry.

Forsaking the tarmac, (and the Central Sperrins Scenic Route),  there is a gate on the right at Gr 64700 92900 leading to a level forestry trail which passes on the right the diminutive Lough Lark.   Just over 2 km along this track there is a choice of turning left, downhill at Gr 62850 91600 , crossing a bridge and joining another forestry trail leading back to the Owenkillew valley.

 The other option, is to continue straight on.  The track becomes more challenging, spongy, and sometimes pretty hard work, but stays out of the forestry and therefore enjoys better views. Whilst marked on the map, there is at least one place (just beyond a stream) where it becomes hard to follow.  After about half an hour, you regain a hard track which becomes the Glencullin Road, and after an initial climb, there is a long delightful descent back to the Owenkillew Valley.  You are back on the Gorticashel Road (the other forestry option having joined it about 1.5 Km further back).  Turn left at the crossroads, after a short steep uphill at Scotchtown, Gr 54750 87450, back down towards the river to a left turn at Gr 53100 87350.  There is an option here to take this left turn (signposted Gortin), cross the river, and turn right, but this is the main road, with a level of vehicular traffic to which you will have become entirely unaccustomed, so I would prefer to follow the Gorticashel Road back to the Trinamadan Bridge and Gortin Village.