Twelve Bens


The Twelve Bens or Twelve Pins is a mountain range of mostly sharp-peaked quartzite summits and ridges located in the Connemara National Park in County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The widest definition of the range includes the Garraun Complex to the north as well as several isolated peaks to the west, and is designated a 16,163-hectare Special Area of Conservation.
Topographically, the range is partnered with the Maumturks range to the east of the Inagh valley ; and both share a common geology being largely composed of metamorphic marine rocks, being predominantly resistant quartzite but with deposits of schists in the valleys. The highest point is Benbaun at. The range is a popular location for hill-walking activities with the 16–kilometre 8–9 hour Glencoaghan Horseshoe, considered one of the best ridge-walks in Ireland.

Naming

"Ben" an anglicized translation of the Irish language word "Binn", meaning "peak". According to Irish academic Paul Tempan, "An odd thing about the Twelve Bens of Connemara is that nobody seems to know exactly which are the twelve peaks in question", and noting that there are almost 20 peaks with "Ben" or "Binn" in their name. Tempan notes that term "twelve peaks" can be at least dated to the Irish historian Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh, whose writings in 1684 said: "On the north-west of Ballynahinsy , are the twelve high mountaines of Bennabeola, called by marriners the twelve stakes , being the first land they discover as they come from the maine ", but he did not list them.
The most common list of the twelve peaks in question are the peaks with an elevation above 500 metres in the core range, and that are not considered subsidiary peaks.
Tempan notes the issue of "twelve" does not arise in the Irish language name as they are simply labelled "Na Beanna Beola", which translates as "the peaks of Beola". Beola was a leader of the Fir Bolg, and a giant; his name appears in the Connemara village Toombeola, or Irish language "Tuaim Beola".

Geography

The Twelve Bens range is a core massif of 22 peaks above 100 metres in elevation, centred around the highest peak in the range, Benbaun. To the north of this core massif lies the separate subsidiary massif of the Garraun Complex with 9 peaks around Garraun. To the west of the core massif lies 7 other isolated or subsidiary "outlier" peaks, thus giving a total of 38 Bens with an elevation above 100 metres.
While the Bens are not as high as those of the ranges in Kerry, their rocky peaks and ridges contrast with the surrounding sea-level landscape, and give the range an imposing feel.
The range is bounded by the Inagh Valley and the R344 road to the east, while the N59 road, circles and bounds the core massif, from the southerly, westerly and northerly directions. The Garraun Complex lies to the north of the N59 road at Kylemore Lough.

Core massif

The 22 peaks in the core massif of the Twelve Bens range naturally split into three sections:
The core massif is also known for its deep glaciated U-shaped valleys, around which groups of Bens lie in a "horseshoe formation":

Geology

The core massif of the Twelve Bens range are largely composed of metamorphic marine rocks, being predominantly resistant quartzite but with deposits of schists in the valleys.
These rocks derive from sediments that were deposited in a warm shelf sea some 700 to 550 million years ago. Movements in the earth's crust, and the closure of the Iapetus Ocean, transformed these sediments into crystalline schists that lie underneath the base of the mountain range, which local erosion and uplift then brought to the surface. The summits of the core massif are made of weather-resistant quartzite, while the sides of the peaks are composed of schists and grey marbles.
In contrast, the mountains to the north of the core Twelve Bens massif, the Garraun Complex, have a different type of geology, that is composed of gneiss and different forms of sandstones and mudstones.
Scattered throughout the range are parts of gabbro, mica schist, and outcrops of marble.
The final Ice Age, circa 10,000 years ago, also sculpted the landscape leaving behind deposits of sand and gravel; there are widespread boulder-clay and erratic boulders across the range.

Special Area of Conservation (SAC)

The entire Twelve Bens range is a Special Area of Conservation , as selected for a range of habitats and species listed under the Annex I / II of the E.U. Habitats Directive. The items of note on the SAC habitats list includes: Oligotrophic Waters, Alpine Heaths, Active Blanket Bogs, remnants of Oak Woodland, Rhynchosporion Vegetation, and Siliceous Scree and Rocky Slopes; while the species list includes: Freshwater Pearl Mussel, Atlantic Salmon, Otter, and Slender Naiad. In addition, the 16,163-hectare site includes a some of the rarer Red Data Book species of plant. The SAC directive on the range describes it as "One of the largest and most varied sites of conservation interest in Ireland".

Climbing

The range is popular with hill walkers, fell runners, and rock climbers,

Hill walking

The Irish Times outdoors correspondent, John G. Dwyer, said of the Twelve Bens, "These are true kickass mountains, with criminally stunning views ".
The 16–kilometre 8–9 hour Glencoaghan Horseshoe is noted as providing some of the "most exhilarating mountaineering in Ireland", and is called "a true classic" by guidebook authors. Other similar distanced "horseshoe" loop walks are the 19–kilometre 10–12 hour Owenglin Horseshoe, the 15–kilometre 8–9 hour Gleninagh Horseshoe, and the 14–kilometre 6–7 hour Glencorbet Horseshoe.
However, an even more serious undertaking is the 28–kilometre Twelve Bens Challenge, climbing all 12 Bens in a single 24-hour day.

Rock climbing

The Twelve Bens have a number of rock climbing locations, the most notable of which is in the Gleann Eighneach valley at the eastern spur of Benncorr. The climbs vary from Diff to Very Severe and range from 150 metres to 320 metres in length, with notable routes being Carrot Ridge, and Seventh Heaven.
In addition, the large easterly corrie between the summits of Derryclare and the summit of Bencorr, known as Log an Choire Mhóir, also contains several large 200 metre multi-pitch graded rock climbs at grades of Diff to Very Diff, the most notable of which is The Knave ; and the smaller corrie between the summit of Bencorr and the summit of Bencorr North Top, known as Log an Choire Bhig, has a number of shorter but harder climbs including Corner Climb.

List of peaks

The following is a download from the MountainViews Online Database, who list 38 identifiable peaks in the wider Twelve Bens range, with an elevation, or height, above
The list below highlights the 12 Bens most associated with being the Twelve Bens from Ó Flaithbheartaigh's original record. Of the standalone "Bens" that are over in height but are not listed in this 12, Binn an tSaighdiúra has a prominence of only 8 metres and would not qualify as an independent mountain on any recognised scale ; Maumonght does have a prominence exceeding 50 metres, and even has a subsidiary peak, however, Maumonght rarely appears on historic maps of the range and is not considered a "Ben"; Bencorrbeag also has a non-trivial prominence of 42 metres, however, it is considered unlikely given its positioning that it could have been distinguished by mariners from the sea.
Height
Rank		Prom.
Rank		NameIrish Name TranslationAreaHeight
Prom.
Height
Prom.
Topo
Map		OSI Grid
Reference
11BenbaunBinn BhánWhite Peak12 Bens - Core7296842,3922,24437
24BencorrBinn ChorrPointed Peak12 Bens - Core7113062,3331,00437
310BencollaghduffBinn DubhBlack Peak/Peak of Black Hags12 Bens - Core6961912,28362737
411BenbreenBinn BraoinBraon's Peak12 Bens - Core6911862,26761037
538Bencorr North Top——12 Bens - Core69052,2641637
631Benbreen Central Top——12 Bens - Core680252,2318237
716DerryclareBinn Doire ChláirPeak of Derryclare12 Bens - Core6771292,22142337
835Benbreen North Top——12 Bens - Core674162,2115237
99BengowerBinn GabharGoats' Peak12 Bens - Core6641962,17864337
1012MuckanaghtMuiceanachHill like a Pig12 Bens - Core6541792,14658737
1137Binn an tSaighdiúra—Peak of the Soldier12 Bens - Core65382,1422637
1224BenfreeBinn FraoighPeak of the Heather12 Bens - Core638482,09315737
1314BencullaghAn Chailleach The Hag/Witch12 Bens - Core6321542,07350537
1423MaumonghtMám UchtaPass of the Breast/Ridge12 Bens - Core602541,97517737
152GarraunMaolchnocBald HillGarraun Complex5985531,9621,81437
1636Benchoona East Top——Garraun Complex585151,9194937
177BenbrackBinn BhreacSpeckled Peak12 Bens - Core5822641,90986637
1828BenchoonaBinn ChuannaPeak of CuannaGarraun Complex581361,90611837
1921BenletteryBinn LeitríPeak of the Wet Hillsides12 Bens - Core577621,89320344
2026BencorrbegBinn an Choire BhigPeak of the Little Corrie12 Bens - Core577421,89313837
2129Garraun South Top——Garraun Complex556311,82410237
2232Garraun South-West Top——Garraun Complex549211,8016937
238DoughruaghDúchruachBlack StackGarraun Complex5262111,72669237
2433Doughruagh South Top——Garraun Complex525171,7225637
2525BengleniskyBinn Ghleann UiscePeak of the Glen of Water12 Bens - Core516481,69315737
2627Benbaun Binn Bhán/MaolánWhite Peak12 Bens - Core477421,56513837
2730Maumonght SW TopBinn BhreacSpeckled Peak12 Bens - Core454291,4909537
285Diamond HillBinn GhuaireGuaire's Peak12 Bens - Outlier4422771,45090937
2922Knockbrack Cnoc BreacSpeckled Hill12 Bens - Core442551,45018037
3034Knockpasheemore Binn CharrachRocky Peak12 Bens - Core412171,3525637
313Tully Mountain——12 Bens - Outlier3563311,1681,08637
326LetterettrinBinn MhórBig PeakGarraun Complex3332681,09387937
3315Cregg——12 Bens - Outlier29714297446637
3420CurrywongaunCorr Uí MhongáinUí Mhongáin's HillGarraun Complex27310989635837
3518Townaloughra East Top——12 Bens - Outlier21611270936737
3619Gortrumnagh12 Bens - Outlier17411057136137
3713MaumfinMám FionnWhite Pass12 Bens - Outlier17215756451537
3817KnockaunbaunAn Cnocán BánWhite Hillock12 Bens - Outlier14612847942037