Ascent of the Carrauntoohil: Ireland's highest mountain

Ascent of the Carrauntoohil: Ireland's highest mountain

The climbing of Carrauntoohil is an excellent introduction to the Reeks District, Ireland's adventure playground

The Macgillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry are Ireland's highest mountain chain and the inspiration behind the newly renamed Reeks district of the region, home of Carrauntoohil, which is the highest mountain at 1,038 m (3,406 feet).

high cliffs, mountain lakes and quickly flowing rivers define the 19 km mountains along the eastern border of the Iveragh Peninsula. The sandstone mountains, which are known as the backbone of the kingdom of Kerry, were carved over hundreds of thousands of years through glacier erosion and extreme weather conditions.

Kerry is rich in myths and history and offers some of the most beautiful views in Ireland. Of course, I was all too keen to explore the landscape when climbing Carrauntoohil.

Bag Ireland's three top

The MacGillycuddy’s Reeks Hour the three highest mountains of Ireland: Carrauntoohil with 1,038 m (3,406 ft), Beenkeragh with 1,010 m (3110 ft) and Caher with 1,001 m (3,284 ft).

Alt = “Ascent of Ireland's highest mountain Carrauntoohil 6 ″> Valerie O’Sullivan The MacGillycuddy’s Reeks are Ireland's highest mountain chain

We chose the Coomloughra Horseshoe, which includes all three peaks: first bekeragh, then Carrauntoohil and then Caher. The 13 km long hike, which is advertised as one of the most beautiful hikes in Ireland, shows the best of the mountain landscape in the region with a panoramic view of the summit of every summit.

The path has leaked well, but still challenging. The rugged route increases a total of about 1,250 m (4,100 ft) and has some exciting climbing sections along some delicate, razor -sharp ridge. Here you will find extraordinary prospects with some breathtaking steep slopes down to steep gorges with hidden moraine pools.

The Coomloughra Horseshoe is much longer and more difficult than most Carrauntoohil climbing routes and should only be considered by people with hiking experience and appropriate clothing and equipment.

hiking on the horseshoe of Coomloughra

We started our ascent at the Hydro Track Parking, 10 km south of Killorglin. The initial path is a steep concrete path that quickly rises to the entrance to the horseshoe kettle. Here it is possible to see the rather scary challenge of the hiking day in front of you.

We crossed the Cottoners River, which flows from the adjacent lakes Lough Coomloughra and Lough Eagher and started our upward march. We aimed approximately to the summit of Skregmore (Screib Mhór in Gaelisch, which means "small rocky hill") on 848 m (2,782 feet) before we turn along the ridge to the southeast of the summit of Beenkeragh, Ireland's second highest peak.

bekeragh is not the alpine top summit, but it offers the first views of the fertile pastures east of the Coomloughra Horseshoe as well as on the ridges that lead to Carrununoohil and further to Caher.

alt = "Ascent of Ireland's highest mountain CarraunToohil 7 ″> Valerie O’Sullivan The view from the horseshoe away on bekeragh

After a short rest, we continued to our next destination: Ireland's highest mountain. From the summit of the Beenkeragh, the path leads to the southwest to the Beenkeragh/Carrauntoohil Ridge, also known as Hag’s Tooth Ridge. Perhaps this is the most impressive section of the ascent, since the summit of the Carrauntoohil upheavals high above a razor -sharp path.

The always moody weather didn't disappoint. In the course of the ascent, it changed from cloudy, sneezing and literally foggy to blue sky and sunshine and back once or twice. For safety, a little snow was even thrown into it. Hardly played a role: the adamant scenery stubbornly appeared through the cloud gaps.

When crossing the comb we had some of the best views on the hike with steep slopes to emerald green lakes on one side and gentler slopes to the shores of Lough Coomloughra and Lough Eagher on the other side.

Alt = “Ascent of Ireland's highest mountain CarraunToohil 3 ″> Valerie O’Sullivan View along the ridge towards Carrauntoohil and Caher

After a long rugged section with spectacular climbing along the ridge, the area relaxes a bit before going up to the summit of the Carrauntoohil and the highest point Ireland for the last time. On the summit, a 5 m (16 ft) high steel cross was built, which marked the occasion and offers a distinctive support for summit recordings.

located on the west coast of Ireland, it is possible to see the Dingle Peninsula and the Kenmare Bay and even the mountains of North Cork from the summit of the Carrauntoohil. We couldn't see that far in the weather, but the scenery was still excellent.

From here we continued to march through the Caher Ridge, which is not as insecure or rugged as the Beenkeragh Ridge, but still makes the heart beat faster. It starts relatively flat before it rises sharply near the cup of Caher, Ireland's third -highest mountain and our last summit of the day.

Alt = "Ascent of Ireland's highest mountain Carrauntoohil 2 ″> Valerie O’Sullivan crossing the bekeragh/Carraunoohil Ridge

This was our last opportunity to relax and enjoy the panoramic view before we start relegating from the ridge. From here it was pretty cozy: downhill over swampy foothills littered with boulders, then back to the Lough Eagher.

There we found ourselves at the same river crossing where we started this morning, and looked back this time to see how the challenge of the hiking day was now triumphant behind us. After that it was just a short walk down the path to the parking lot.

InsktNated in some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Ireland, the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks promise the most beautiful views in the Kingdom of Kerry - and there is no better way to see them than to climb the Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain.

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Valerie O’Sullivan

horseshoe map of Coomloughra

Distance: 13.2 km duration: 5-7 hours

ascent from Carrauntoohil: The essentials

Was: climbing of the Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain, in the Reeks District in Kerry.

Where: I stayed in the Carrig Country House & Restaurant, a charming Victorian country seat that is picturesquely located on the banks of Caragh Lake near the small town of Killorglin. The terrain has several hectares of green gardens that are flawlessly cared for to the banks of the lake.

Inside you can expect a number of bedrooms in a historical style, several salons and an excellent restaurant on the lake, all of which are equipped with antique furniture. The mansion is in possession and under the direction of Frank and Mary together with their friendly team, which is always there to help or chat about the rich history of the region.

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Carrig Landhaus & Restaurant

The Caragh Lake is located at the foot of the lower northern slopes of the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks on the head of Caragh Valley, within reach of the region's activities. The typical experiences include hiking, cycling, surfing and kayaking.

When: The best time to climb Carraunoohil is during the summer months from June to August. However, this is also high season and coincides with the school holidays from late July to August.

The low season from April to May and September to October is also ideal for hiking, but the weather is more unpredictable. The slopes will probably be covered with snow during the winter months, so winter mountaineering skills and equipment are essential.

like: I have climbed Carrauntoohil as part of a guided ascent with Kerry Climbing who have years of experience as a mountain guide in the Kerry region. They carry out a number of guided routes for various experience and fitness levels as well as climbing and climbing courses.

Further information can be found on your website or contact you at info@kerryclimbing.ie, +353 87 744 0523 or +353 87 932 3527. Information about what you can do in the region can be found on the website of the reek district

The Reks District is located in the middle of Kerry with Killorglin, the most central city in the region. Killorglin is a 20-minute drive from Kerry Airport and is flown in by flights from Dublin (Aer Lingus Regional) and London Luton and Stansted, Frankfurt-Hahn, Berlin-Schönefeld, Alicante and Faro (all Ryanair). Book flights at the best prices via Skyscanner.

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The photographer Valerie O’Sullivan catches the rich legacy and the traditions of the region in the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks: People and Places of Ireland’s Highest Mountain Range - an excellent addition to the coffee table.

disclosure: I traveled to Ireland with the support of the Mid Kerry Tourism Cluster. All publications say that, but we really don't guarantee positive reporting. We say what we think - good and bad - so that you can make sound decisions with honest advice.

main picture: Valerie O’Sullivan

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