Leenaun Hill
[4][5] Leenaun Hill lies on a massif that overlooks Leenaun village and Killary Harbour, and which is at the far northeastern sector of the Maumturks mountain range in the Connemara National Park in County Galway, Ireland; this massif is connected to the main range via the "Col of Despondency".[5][8] To the southwest of Leenaun Hill is a long grassy ridge with the minor subsidiary peak of Taobh Dubh 422 metres (1,385 ft), meaning "black hillside".[7][8] While the grassy and boggy massif of Leenaun Hill is less appealing to climbers than the rocky peaks of the rest of the Maumturks range, Leenaun Hill and its subsidiary peaks offer well-regarded views of Killary Harbour, Ireland's deepest fjord, and the Mweelrea mountain range.[6][7] Leenaun Hill is climbed as part of the Maamturks Challenge, a 25-kilometre 10–12 hour walk over the full Maumturks range (from Maam Cross to Leenaun), which is considered one of the "great classic ridge-walks of Ireland",[8][10] but of "extreme grade" due to the circa 7,600 feet of total ascent.[11] Since 1975, the University College Galway Mountaineering Club, has run the annual "Maamturks Challenge Walk" (MCW),[12] and man a checkpoint at Meall Cheo; the summit of Leenaun Hill is optional being southeast of the MCW route as it crosses the "Col of Despondency" from Maumturkmore.