Climb Carrauntoohil Ireland's highest mountain

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The mountains of Kerry are not high by international standards, and severe snow and ice conditions are rare, but nevertheless they should not be underestimated as they can be unforgiving for even the most experienced and well-prepared climbers. Severe weather conditions can set in inside minutes and navigation can be difficult at the best of times due to a scarcity of obvious paths and tracks.
Do not venture into the mountains unless you are fully equipped and prepared!

Carrauntoohil is Ireland’s highest mountain and is the central peak of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks range. There are two other peaks in this range above 1,000 m (Beenkeragh, 1,010 m; and Caher, 1,001 m) and four others on the island over 3,000 feet, in the Dingle Peninsula (Mount Brandon), south Tipperary (Galteemore) and County Wicklow (Lugnaquillia).
The Reeks are the east-west backbone of the rugged Iveragh Peninsula into the Atlantic Ocean in County Kerry in far southwestern Ireland. At 3,414 feet (1,041 meters) above sea level Carrauntoohil is a popular destination and not usually difficult in the extreme to summit, however it is not a easy climb and never one to be taken lightly. There have been many injuries and fatalities over the years, accidents from people falling to getting lost and suffering ill health from exposure to being hit in an avalanches, is part of the risk on the kerry reeks. Archives show how year after year, some visitors underestimate the climb.

The name "Carrauntoohil" derives from the Irish language Corrán Tuathail, meaning "Tuathal's sickle"
Corran Tuathail, Carrauntoohil also spelt Carrantuohill and in various other ways,
Despite or perhaps because—of the popularity of the climb, hikers’ guides suggest allowing 6-7 hours for the approximately 11-mile hike from the car park to the top of Carrauntoohil and back. And those same guides are careful to warn you that Carrauntoohil is no beginner’s hill, every year the Kerry Mountain Rescue service is called to the mountains several times to save lost or injured hikers or recover their bodies.

The mountain is most often climbed from the north-east, along the Hag's Glen to the col between Carrauntoohil and Cnoc na Péiste, and then north-west up the steep Devil's Ladder. The route has become more dangerous in recent years due to loose stones and crowding . No special equipment is needed to climb the mountain, but caution is advised. Alternatively, one can walk the two other 1,000 m peaks in a horseshoe trip, starting from the west. The traverse from highest point to the second highest involves a light scramble. The weather conditions on the mountain are very changeable, and due to a high number of underdressed tourists attempting the peak each summer, there have been a number of deaths.

The Kerry Mountain rescue team have a special current warning
KMRT would particularly like to alert all walkers to an extremely dangerous situation which exists on Carrauntoohil at present. As many people know, the summit is surrounded on three sides by very steep ground, and has always required careful navigation to locate the correct route in descent, particularly in poor weather. This situation has been exacerbated in recent times by the fact that a visible ‘false’ track has now developed leading from the summit directly towards dangerous ground.
Walkers should exercise extreme caution when navigating from the summit, particularly when visibility is poor. It should be noted that there are NO safe descent routes anywhere to the N, NE, E or SE of the summit. All parties should carry a map and compass and should include at least one competent navigator (ie. capable of consistent accurate navigation in darkness or white-out conditions) as part of the group.

Mountain weather in Ireland
Ireland's proximity to the Atlantic means that the mountains of Ireland can sometimes experience storms of a ferocity seldom seen in many larger mountain ranges elsewhere in the world.
Wind speed increases with height and can be one of the greatest dangers to climbers, at times being strong enough to literally knock people off their feet. In these conditions the best advice is not to venture into the hills at all, but if you are caught out, rope your party together if you are carrying a walking rope, and try to descend as soon as practicable, avoiding precarious ground and cols (saddles) if possible.
Temperature decreases with altitude, at a rate of approximately 2-3°c per 300 metres height gained (known as the lapse rate). In reality, what this means for the mountaineer is that the temperature on the mountain tops may be as much as 10°c lower than that at the valley floors, and when increased wind chill is taken into consideration, winter temperatures may fall as low as -20°c. These are severe conditions, and require the best of equipment just to survive.
Precipitation on the other hand increases with altitude, and may be up to 300% greater than in neighboring lowlands. Mountain rivers can become raging torrents extremely quickly, and what was crossable in the morning may not necessarily be crossable on your return in the evening. Drowning may not appear on most climbers lists of potential dangers but several climbers have been drowned in the past, and it should be regarded as a very real danger - if in doubt, do not attempt to cross!
Mist and cloud present obvious complications for navigation, and can appear surprisingly quickly in the mountains.
Severe lightning is rare in the Irish hills, but nevertheless can occasionally present a danger to walkers. If caught out, conventional wisdom is to try to avoid summits, ridges, spurs, cave entrances and obvious danger spots such as trees. Descend as soon as you can, or sit on your rucksack on an open slope, particularly on a boulder field where the current may pass safely beneath you.

Climbing to the Summit of Carrauntoohil
Watch as a climb of Carrauntoohil is successfully made. The video guide is a good resource for those considering taking on Carrauntoohil. During this climb you will be able to see how quickly the weather can change on the mountain. And you will get a good idea of the drop, should you underestimate Ireland's highest mountain.

Video Guides to climbing Ireland's highest mountain

Carrantuohill, Climbing Irelands highest mountain Corran Tuathail with some great video footage

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Climb Carrauntoohil Ireland's highest mountain