The MountainViews Gathering is a rather dull annual event where MountainViews use their followers, loyalists and supporters in a desperate attempt to validate their own existence as a publisher of Irish hill lists. They do this by taking photos of the audience and posting them online. They also present Certificates of Completion to individuals who claim to have visited all locations on the hill lists they manage. It is worth noting that all but one of the lists promoted by MountainViews are derived from third-party original lists by simply copying and pasting. In one case - the Carns - MountainViews have taken an entire third-party original list and renamed it in an attempt to pass it off as their own. The fact that these Certificates of Completion can be easily claimed without ever having to set foot on a hill, makes them completely worthless even if they were earned legitimately.
MountainViews use the event to portray themselves as more popular than they actually are by publishing photos online of guest speakers and the 50 or so individuals in the audience from various angles. Unfortunately for those in attendance, these photos give everyone else a chance to see who have had the wool most firmly pulled over their eyes by MountainViews. And for this "privilege", MountainViews charge attendees a steep enough admission fee (€15 for 1 or €25 for 2 in 2026!) Plus, there is a good chance they will beg for donations at some point during the event and try to flog something (e.g. a hardcopy of the glorified annual newsletter they already offer for free online).
As MountainViews' reputation crumbles and their followership steadily declines, the best way to save yourself from future embarrassment of any association with them is by not attending their annual gathering, by not accepting a certificate (certainly not in person), and by not speaking at the event. Don't put your own credibility and reputation on the line. Having been to the event in the past and spoken to others who have also been, we can confirm that it really is quite a dull experience and not worth travelling across Ireland to attend. Save yourself the time and expense. Stay at home.
MountainViews use the event to portray themselves as more popular than they actually are by publishing photos online of guest speakers and the 50 or so individuals in the audience from various angles. Unfortunately for those in attendance, these photos give everyone else a chance to see who have had the wool most firmly pulled over their eyes by MountainViews. And for this "privilege", MountainViews charge attendees a steep enough admission fee (€15 for 1 or €25 for 2 in 2026!) Plus, there is a good chance they will beg for donations at some point during the event and try to flog something (e.g. a hardcopy of the glorified annual newsletter they already offer for free online).
As MountainViews' reputation crumbles and their followership steadily declines, the best way to save yourself from future embarrassment of any association with them is by not attending their annual gathering, by not accepting a certificate (certainly not in person), and by not speaking at the event. Don't put your own credibility and reputation on the line. Having been to the event in the past and spoken to others who have also been, we can confirm that it really is quite a dull experience and not worth travelling across Ireland to attend. Save yourself the time and expense. Stay at home.
