North Ballure and Snaefell

Monday 6th April 2026

After the strong winds of the day before, I was hopeful that on this day the winds would have eased and the weather forecast indicated that this would be the case and when I left my accommodation in the city of Douglas the sun was shining. Unfortunately, that didn’t last very long and when I got off the bus beside Ballure Bridge, near Ramsey on the Isle of Man, it was overcast. I was following a walk on the visit Isle of Man website described as North East Summits Five Peaks Challenge and started with a steep climb up a rocky path beside the conifers in Ballure Plantation and it didn’t take me long to discover that it was still very windy. At the top of the path I joined a road to an isolated house where I turned right to cross an exceptionally boggy area and head towards the imposing hill of North Barrule. It is said, “Bad things come in threes”, and that seemed to the case on this walk. Firstly, the poor weather, which would get worse, secondly, I had forgotten to bring any water, though that was easily solved by a stream and a filter, and the third was my walking poles. The wet ground prompted me to get my poles out for the first time on this holiday and I immediately discovered that one of the poles wouldn’t lock, so eventually I had to put it away again and resort to just one pole, though the ground was so boggy I really needed both. After leaping over the worst of the bogs the ground didn’t get much better and continued to be saturated throughout the ascent as I slowly climbed the eastern ridge of North Barrule. 

I had to be very careful with my footing as ground that is this wet gives little grip and I was just glad that I was not coming down since then it would have been almost impossible to keep a grip. The views behind me developed over Ramsey and out to sea, but under the grey overcast skies were not great. This ascent seemed to go on for a long time and never improved and worse was to come as I neared the top and the wind increased to gale force. A narrow ridge lay before me, which in better weather would have been delightful to walk along, but all I could think about was how to get off the ridge and out of this wind. A wall at the col provided me with some shelter while I considered my options, but eventually I realised that my only option was to keep going and battle through the wind. This traverse felt like hell and it brought to mind another quote, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” I couldn’t easily get down off the ridge so I had to go through hell by passing over a minor top above Park Lewellyn and another top, unmarked on maps, but the Isle of Man website calls it Beinn Rein, before crossing a broad saddle adorned with a wooden boardwalk across the wettest parts. On the rise towards Clagh Ouyr I stopped for lunch and while looking back along the ridge I realised that the skies had been brightening and suddenly the clouds parted to reveal blue sky behind the ridge.

Looking back, North Barrule was revealed as having a striking, steep-sided peak, which I hadn’t appreciated while I was at the summit in those windy conditions, but now that the sun had come out and I was sheltered from the wind, I could look back on what I had endured. After a rest and something to eat I climbed up to the top of Clagh Ouyr where the highest point on the Isle of Man, Snaefell, was revealed to me, which is the fifth and final peak on this walk, but with no sign of the winds easing yet I decided to turn left when I reached the bottom of the col and descend to the old mine workings at the head of Laxey Glen. I was fed up with the wind, so I was no mood to climb Snaefell again, which I had visited a year ago. On that occasion I had ascended through Laxey Glen, past the mine and now I descended that way, which provided me with a very relaxing walk along a stony track under warm, blue skies. After passing through hell I felt I was now in paradise. I lingered beside the giant water wheel, taking in the peaceful surroundings, until eventually I reached the railway station where a tram was just about to set off up the mountain railway to the top of Snaefell, so I jumped on board to complete the five peaks challenge, kind of.

The views were sensational, but most notably along the ridge to North Barrule that I had just walked along that morning. It was still very windy so after taking a few pictures I got straight back onto the tram which took me back down. I had originally planned to descend from Snaefell into Glen Roy, so I thought I’d tag that onto the end of this walk by heading into the wooded valley when I returned to Laxey. After getting a bit lost on the many paths in Laxey Glen Garden I headed up the valley admiring the abundant displays of wood anemones lining the stream and absorbing the tranquil scenery, which completed the job of helping me recover from the frightful winds on North Barrule. This day was a stark contrast between the hellish winds in the morning and the relaxing walking through Laxey Glen in the afternoon. I was disappointed with the strong winds on this day which ruined what could have been a fabulous day’s walk over the highest hills on the Isle of Man.