Editing Mount Brandon (section)

==Hill walking==

[[File:Mt. Brandon Kerry.jpg|thumb|The summit of Brandon seen from ''The Saint's Route'' in the west.]]

The quickest and easiest route to the summit of Mount Brandon is from the west via the final stages of the medieval pilgrim path, ''The Saint's Route'' ({{lga|Cosán na Naomh}}), which begins {{convert|18|km}} away in Ventry.<ref name="bren1">{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtrails.ie/Trail/Cosan-na-Naomh--Saints-Road-/370/|title=Cosan na Naomh (Saints Road)|publisher=Irishtrails.ie|date=2016}}</ref> The route starts from the car park of Ballybrack ({{lga|Baile Breac}}) ({{gbm4ibx|W434094}}), and follows the straight grassy path, marked by large crosses, to the summit of Mount Brandon; then retracing back to Ballybrack. The {{convert|8|km|adj=on}} route takes 3–4 hours.<ref name="bren2">{{cite web|url=https://pilgrimagemedievalireland.com/2016/05/20/walking-the-saints-road-in-co-kerry/|title=Walking The Saints' Road in Co Kerry|publisher=pilgrimagemedievalireland.com|date=20 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/walks/go-walk-mount-brandon-co-kerry-1.1788164|title=Go Walk: Mount Brandon, Co Kerry|author=John O'Dwyer|publisher=[[Irish Times]]|date=10 May 2014}}</ref> A longer 5-hour variation is to continue north along the summit ridge from Mount Brandon to Piaras Mor, and then descend to Ballyknockane.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/walk-for-the-weekend-cos%C3%A1in-na-naomh-co-kerry-1.3628391|title=Walk for the weekend: Cosáin na Naomh, Co Kerry|publisher=[[Irish Times]]|author=John O'Dwyer|date=18 September 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Brandon East Face.jpg|thumb|East face of Mount Brandon seen from the ''Faha Route'', at [[Cloghane]].]]

A scenic variation is the {{convert|9|km|adj=on}} 4–5-hour ''Faha Route'', the ''Pilgrim's Path'',{{efn|This is sometimes confused with the ''Cosán na Naomh'' on the west side, which can also be called the ''Pilgrim's Path'', hence the use of ''Faha Route'' to properly distinguish it}} which starts from the east via the car park at the ''Faha Grotto'' ({{gbm4ibx|Q493119}}) just outside [[Cloghane]]. The route to the summit is marked, and offers views of the deep [[cirque|corries]] and paternoster lakes on Brandon's glaciated east face. It follows a trail below the Faha Ridge to the summit; then retracing back to ''Faha Grotto''.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way: A Walking Guide (Collins Press Guide) | publisher = Collins Press|quote=Route 22: Brandon Mountain (Faha Ridge) | isbn = 978-1848892675 | year = 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://outsider.ie/ireland/hiking-in-kerry-5-of-the-best-routes/|publisher=Outside.ie|date=2018|title=Hiking in Kerry: 5 of the Best Routes|quote=Mount Brandon: Faha Route}}</ref>

[[File:Faha Ridge, Brandon Mountain, Kerry.jpg|thumb|Benagh (left), and Faha Ridge (middle), from Brandon North Top]]

The full ridge walk of the entire Mount Brandon range, regarded as "one of the finest ridge walks in Ireland", crosses the full {{convert|15|km|adj=on}} ridge of the Brandon Group from the Conor Pass to Masatiompan and takes 6–7 hours.<ref name="dillon"/> The route from the Conor Pass to Mount Brandon and back to the Conor Pass is even longer, at {{convert|21|km}} and takes up to 8 hours to complete.<ref name="dillon"/>