Doan Mountain situated in the central Mourne Mountains

It’s not a long hike but it’s always special. The meander through the bogs from Ott track to the famous Mourne Wall offer little clue to the magic that lies on the other side. It is only when you clamber over the wall that you are met with one the most stunning views. It’s cinematic in every way. The clouds roll through the valley with Slieve Bearnagh on the left with Doan mountain standing majestically in the centre.

As the winter nights draw in Doan’s short round trip makes it perfect for a last minute traverse. Kyle Suckling headed into the clouds solving many of the world’s problems as we did so. The Mournes are mind medicine with the scale of the mood shift making it worth every effort in the freezing weather.

Doan Mountain

The last scramble to the top can put people of the ascent but Slieve Doan is definitely worth the effort in November. The Valley toward Kilkeel and Annalong floods with golden light as the sun begins to set in the mid afternoon. From Doan you can see most of the major mountains from Slieve Binnian to Slieve Bearnagh. With little wind we sat for an hour at the top taking in the natural beauty as the golden hour descended.

It was hard to believe I ran the path from Silent Valley through to Slieve Doan and Slieve Crom in August, from the top of Doan it looked even more petrifying than it felt, and it felt pretty bad. Last Spring I took the DJI Mavic Air to the top of Doan with another of my fellow Mourne climbers. The video of Doan Mountain can be seen here but it doesn’t do the area justice.