Benbeg

This is a Cuilcagh walk that goes via Ben Beg, in County Cavan. Just beyond Ben Beg is Stairway to Heaven on the Fermanagh side, so the two are close neighbours along the ridge.

and just over Ben bag then is Stairway to Heaven from the fir Mana side

Walkers give roughly half an hour from the start to reach the top of Ben Beg before beginning the Cuilcagh section of the walk.

probably half an hour walk up to the top

The climb up Ben Beg is steep, the final section from three-quarters of the way up taking about 20 minutes. Above it the terrain is up and down and boggy in places, with walkers mostly finding their own way.

some of the terrain up here it's up and down really and a little bit buggy at times

Walkers stress waterproof boots, waterproof socks and rain gear because of the boggy ground.

don't forget waterproof boots waterproof socks rain gear

From the top of Ben Beg, Stairway to Heaven is visible straight across the same ridge, roughly 200 yards away.

go look straight across there that's actually Stairway to Heaven

The top of Ben Beg is exposed and freezing, and mist can roll in even when the sun is out elsewhere.

it's absolutely freezing up there

The closing advice repeats the kit list: waterproofs, boots, waterproof socks, gaiters, rain gear, 1-2 litres of water and sandwiches.

Gators is a must and then your rain gear and don't forget your L 2 lers of water

From the top of Bunnacunneen Mountain, Ben Beg is the next peak along the ridge. A group planning to climb both stopped when the descent gap between them proved far too steep.

we're going to see ben begg beyond that we're assuming we're going to be able to do two of them

The walk starts at a picnic area at Bellavally Gap in County Cavan, about a 40-minute drive away. A map board at the picnic site shows the local paths, and the car park sits part way up the hill so some of the elevation is already done.

I've driven for 40 minutes to a place called I think it's Bella Valley Gap

The route leaves the forest at a satellite communications mast, crosses a stile and follows a fence past a bog conservation in progress sign before the open ridge climb.

I've reached this satellite Communications Mast and uh this is the end of the forest

At the summit of Ben Beg the height is given as 1761 ft, described as the highest point of the ridge.

A clear, well-trodden path follows the ridge line from the Ben Beg area on the way towards Cuilcagh. It is muddy and boggy in places but would be a good summer route.

it's a very clear path it's a we bit muddy but in summer this would be a really good path

No other safe descent was found off the summit ridge, so the walker returned by the same route.

just going to head back the same way I came

The walk is praised for its views, described as phenomenal throughout the outing.

the views are phenomenal

There is a good path the whole way to the top of Cuilcagh, though it is not waymarked.

there is a good path the whole way to the top

The Ben Beg to Cuilcagh route is judged a far better hiking challenge than the boardwalk, which makes the going easy rather than a genuine hike.

this is a far better walk than boardwalk in terms of hiking and a hiking challenge

One walker following the original way to Stairway to Heaven over Ben Beg describes the hill as roughly 1800 ft (about 550 m) high.

roughly about 1800 feet high

One outing on the original Stairway to Heaven route totalled about 25,000 steps and took roughly six hours, with the walk itself about 11 km.

it was 25000 steps and we've done it in roughly six hours

Ben Beg is reached fairly quickly from the start, with walkers able to be on the top within about half an hour.

within a half an hour or so you'll be on the top

For this walk a good pair of boots, gaiters and around 1.5 litres of water are called essential.

for this walk you will definitely need good pair of boots and Gators and definitely around a liter and a half of water

The track is fairly good but can be dangerous at times because it skirts the edge of the mountain; it becomes boggy in places once up on top.

dangerous at times because you're skirting around the edge of the mountain

Dogs are not currently allowed on the route, not even on a lead.

there's no dogs allowed not even on a leash

The Ben Beg route is described as the original Stairway to Heaven, the actual route taken before the boardwalk was built. An experienced group met on the hill said the tourist boardwalk from the Fermanagh side only covers about three-quarters of the walk, so you have not truly done Stairway to Heaven until you have done the Ben Beg approach.

if you think that you have done Stairway to Heaven you actually haven't done it until you've done this walk