Great Sugar Loaf at, is the 404th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale, however, being below 600 m it does not rank on the Vandeleur-Lynam or Hewitt scales. The mountain is in the far northeastern section of the Wicklow Mountains, in Ireland, and overlooks the village of Kilmacanogue. The profile of the mountain means it can be mistaken for a dormant volcano. It owes its distinctive shape, however, to the erosion-resistant metamorphosed deep-sea sedimentary deposit from which its quartzite composition was derived.
Naming
According to Irish academic Paul Tempan, the term "sugarloaf" is widely applied to conical-shaped hills in Britain and Ireland, and is similar to the :fr:Pain de sucre|pain de sucre term used in France. Tempan also notes that there is a misconception that the term relates to a kind of bread; however, it relates to the form in which sugar was sold up to the 19th-century before granulated sugar was available. Traditionally, a sugary liquid was dripped onto a surface until a solid mass formed in a conical shape, like a sugary stalagmite, called a sugarloaf. This form is still used in the German alcoholic drink, Feuerzangenbowle. Tempan notes that a 1935 article by Eoin MacNeill in the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, on placenames mentioned in the Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, suggested that Ó Cualann could refer to "sheep of Cualu", but considered it unlikely.
Geography
The Great Sugar Loaf overlooks villages of Kilmacanogue and Delgany, and is just north of the Glen of the Downs. The mountain sits apart from the main nearby peaks of the Wicklow Mountains, such as Maulin and Djouce, and it is circled by roads on all sides. The two small northern and southern shoulders of the Great Sugar Loaf are often confused as being the Little Sugar Loaf, however, this mountain lies to the east on the other side of the N11 road motorway at Kilmacanogue. Though only in elevation, the Great Sugar Loaf's isolation from other hills gives it a large proportional prominence of, and qualifies it as a Marilyn. In addition, the steep slopes and volcanic appearance of the Great Sugar Loaf add to the distinctiveness of its profile.
Geology
The Great Sugar Loaf is composed ofCambrian Period quartzite bedrock, in contrast to the rounded Wicklow Mountains to the west, which are mostly made of Devonian Periodgranite. The Great Sugar Loaf is also popularly mistaken for a dormant volcano, however, it is instead an erosion-resistant metamorphosed sedimentary deposit from the deep sea. Cambrian quartzite metamorphosed from sandstone at the bottom of deep oceans is extremely resistant to weathering. The Kilmanacoge valley, which the Great Sugar Loaf overlooks, was part of a regional north-south subglacial meltwater drainage route that included the Scalp and the Glen of the Downs.
Hill walking
The Great Sugar Loaf is popular with hill walkers given its proximity to Dublin, access from the N11 motorway, and relatively worn pathways that do not require full hiking boots or extensive navigation skills. In addition, the mountain also offers some mild scrambling up rocky gullies which adds to its appeal. The easiest route is from the south, starting from an established large car-park situated off the middle of the Red Lane road that runs along the southern boundary of the mountain; the car-park is already at an elevation of circa, and thus the total climbing elevation required is only. The 3.5-kilometre route from the car-park to the summit and back takes between 1–1.5 hours, and includes a walk over flat moorland paths and a final scrambling ascent through some rocky gullies. A longer route can be done from the east, starting from lower down at the Kilmacanogue GAA car-park ; this 5-kilometre route from the car-park to the summit and back takes 2–2.5 hours, and is mostly on moorland paths with some scree and gravel sections.
