Luggala
| Luggala | |
|---|---|
| Log an Lágh | |
 Luggala behind Lough Tay. |
|
| Elevation | 595 m (1,952 ft) |
| Pronunciation | Irish: [ ˈl̪ˠɔɡ ə ˈl̪ˠaː ] English: / lʌɡəˈlɑː/ |
| Location | |
| Location | County Wicklow,  Ireland |
| Range | Wicklow Mountains |
| Coordinates | 53°06′21″N 6°17′01″W / 53.10583°N 6.28361°W |
| Topo map | OSi Discovery 56 |
| OSI/OSNI grid | O178103 |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Wicklow Way, from R759 north |
Luggala (Irish: Log an Lágh, meaning "hollow of the hill"), also called Fancy Mountain (from Irish: Fuinnse meaning "ash tree"),[1][2][3] is a 595 metres (1,952 ft) mountain in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland. Its cliffs are situated above a lake, Lough Tay, and are a popular location for rock climbing.
Luggala is about 45 kilometres (28 mi) southwest of Dublin.
Contents |
[edit] Luggala Estate
The mountain forms a part of the 25 km2 (9.7 sq mi) Luggala Estate (also known as the Guinness Estate), which is owned by wealthy arts patron Garech Browne, a member of the Guinness family. The buildings on the estate, including the luxurious Luggala Lodge (aka "Luggala Castle"), are rented commercially year-round.[4] The estate has been used as the location of some major films, including Zardoz and Excalibur.
In September 2007, it was incorrectly reported that Michael Jackson had purchased the estate for €20 million, after an extended three-month stay there with his children in 2006.[5]
[edit] Rock climbing
The granite crag on Luggala has been popular with rock climbers ever since the first routes were established by members of the Irish Mountaineering Club in 1949. It is, however, not as popular as Glendalough, despite being of comparable quality and size, and closer to Dublin. The current guidebook, published in 2009, lists 188 routes; grades go up to E5 and lengths up to 160 metres (520 ft), but 60 metres (200 ft) (two pitches) at HVS/5a is fairly typical. The climbing is generally good quality, with excellent friction, but the routes can often follow meandering lines and be hard to find. Protection varies; in accordance with Irish climbing ethics, bolts are not used.[6]
The crag can be approached through the main entrance of the Luggala Estate, skirting the lakeshore.[clarification needed] However, many climbers, not wishing to intrude on the residents' privacy, prefer to approach from the high-level road at the back of the mountain, doing a short uphill hike before descending a gully to the base of the crag.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Placenames Database of Ireland
- ^ Luggala
- ^ KaraNagai.com : Lough Dan
- ^ Luggala Lodge
- ^ Michael Jackson buys €20m castle in County Wicklow RTÉ.ie. Published on 09-19-07. Retrieved on 06-07-08.
- ^ Lyons, Joe and Fenlon, Robbie (1993). Rock Climbing Guide to Wicklow. Mountaineering Council of Ireland. ISBN 978-0-902940-11-6. http://www.climbing.ie/isbn.html#wicklow.
