Carrantuohill
Ireland’s highest peak conquered.
Carrantuohill
Ireland’s highest mountain Carrantuohill is located in County Kerry. Even if most “mountains” in Ireland are just lovely green hills which don’t demand special preparation or effort to conquer them, this is not so with Carrantuohill. This 1038 meters high peak is a real mountain.
If you google Carrantuohill, then probably you’ll find that most of the articles about this mountain will list different precautions and even fatal events what have happened throughout the years when people have climbed on this peak. Now when I have been there and seen it I may say that preparation is needed before climbing and don’t even think to go there alone. Find a company.
Cliffhanger
We started our trip in early August morning (8 AM) from Cronins Yard, which is a yard with a parking lot and a small coffee shop. From there you can follow a marked trail for a some time and after that you need to be smart by yourself to find a right path. Hopefully in a near future they will finish marking trail to the end and it will greatly help with safety.
View from Devils Ladder
To get on the top of Carrantuohill there are many options. We chose a classical one : A Devil’s Ladder. Behind a sounding name is a mountain riverbed which leads upward. As it is a streaming water and rocks are slippery then right boots are essential. Great help are hiking sticks.
The peak of Carrauntoohil is topped by a large metal cross 5 metres (16 ft) tall. Sights from the top are of course breathtaking…if you are the one who has luck to enjoy them. Usually as it is with a mountains, there is a big dark cloud sitting on the top of the peak and visibility can be only few meters. That’s one reason why these peaks can be so dangerous – hilltops are quite sharp shaped and sometimes if you are taking wrong path you can wander to a cliff edge from where looking down can make your head spin. We were lucky and it was almost clear day with only rare clouds and we could fully breathe in this wonder of the nature.
Cross
Getting down you need to take a different path and it’s important to make sure you’re taking the right trail. Or you can find yourself on a cliff edge from where jumping without a parachute is not recommended. It can seem that climbing down is easier task than climbing up,but truth can be quite opposite. Be very careful when coming down. Path is covered with a slippery shingle and if you stumble and fall it can be a fast “sledge ride” with a serious consequences.
All together it took 8 hours to get to Carrantuohill and back. We didn’t rush and took our time to enjoy our journey. Finally, for encouragement, I want to say – it’s for a sure worthwhile to plan a climb to the highest peak of Ireland. If I have opportunity, i’ll certainly do it again.
Carrantoohill Panorama
Get driving directions from HERE.
Beautiful Ireland 