Seize the sunrise on Slieve Binnian

Me and my friend Gareth started off at Carrick Little car park and off we trotted up the relentless wall towards a non-visible Slieve Binnian through thick mist and fog! I was up from 3:45am and hadn’t had my morning coffee so was very much questioned my sanity mid-hike!

As we approached the summit we turned around to realise we were above the clouds and could see the peaks of Donard and Commedagh in a beautiful golden colour. It was mesmerising to say the least! That’s when the excitement hit and I no longer cared for the lack of sleep or morning coffee at that!

A quick scramble up to the peak and WOW! Below us lay this incredible thick blanket of cloud and in the distance the sun was just starting to peek up! Plane window views! It was so quiet and peaceful, you could hear a pin drop on the floor – no wind at all just ourselves and the breathtaking views.

Slieve Binnian for me is without doubt one of Northern Ireland’s best locations for sunrise. On a clear day you can see nearly every mountain in the Mournes while below you lies Ben Crom reservoir. We stayed on the mountain for an hour having breakfast and flying my drone, then a few slips and trips later we were back to the car, leaving my dignity on the mucky slide in which I’d had no intention to participate.

On the way home we stopped at Bloody Bridge car park and had the most delicious toasties and hot chocolate from The Proper Coffee Co which really topped the morning off for me! Amazing hike and definitely worth losing sleep – I highly recommend that everybody set an early alarm clock and indulge in these fantastic views that the Mournes have to offer.

Bucket list adventure for sure!

Until next time…