Mangerton on 01 01.2010

Mangerton looked glorious on New Years day being covered with a heavier blanket of snow and ice than had been seen in over 30 years. In glorious winter sunshine my friend and I had quite a struggle but made it to the summit with the aid of ice axes. Conditions were extremely slippery with thick layers of very hard ice especially near the summit but the views from the summit made it all worth while. Below is a photo taken to the left of the Devils Punchbowl corrie lake

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The benefits of Hill walking

"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, i found, was really going in." (John Muir)

Hill walking has become a very popular pastime in Ireland. It offers a wealth of benefits to anyone who loves hard physical exercise, breathtaking views, peaceful surroundings and even a place to escape from the stresses of everyday life. The rugged beauty, the peace and tranquility that is found on the tops of mountains is for many very uplifting and inspirational. Looking at beautiful valleys, corrie lakes, snow capped peaks etc I can often empathize with Norman Maclean's great line from A River Runs Through It "When I am alone in the half light of the canyon all existence seems to fade to a being with my soul, and memories and the sounds of the Big Black Foot River"

From an exercise point of view hill walking is a great way of getting fit and offers a good overall body workout especially for your legs, back and abdominal muscles. Care needs to be taken however if you are suffering from any medical condition and professional advice should be sought before embarking on any strenuous activity. It is also important to start off slowly and build your fitness up gradually.

Hill walking is not recommended in stormy or poor visibility conditions or as a solitary activity. An ability to read maps or have someone with you who can is also very important as conditions can change very fast at high altitude.

The best, safest and most enjoyable way to enjoy the mountains of Ireland is join an outdoor/hill walking club. In addition to the benefit of having the walks guided by experience hill walkers these clubs are also great social organizations and provide great opportunities to meet and make friends with like minded people.

I only started hill walking about 6 years ago after a friend talked me into joining the Clare Outdoor Club. It was one of the best decisions i made in my life. The first walk in did with the club was Carrauntoohil. It was a beautiful clear day in mid February and there was a moderate cover of snow at and near the summit. Everything looked so magical and peaceful and though every muscle in my body was aching for days after it had such an effect on me that I became addicted to the sport.
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Carrauntoohil by O'Sheas Gully

This is a magnificent, very enjoyable and very demanding trek to the summit of Ireland's highest mountain. In recent times it is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to the Devils ladder approach. The walk begins after parking in Cronin's Yard and the initial route is the same as for the Devils ladder ascent. After crossing the Gaddagh river proceed for 15-20 minutes before branching off to the right along a well beaten path. This winding path is rather steep and exposed in a few places making some some easy to moderate scrambling necessary and offers great views of Carrauntoohil and the Hags Tooth Ridge. One of the highlights along the way to O Shea's Gully is Cummeenoughter Lake. This beautiful lake reported to be the highest in Ireland is colored a magnificent vivid blue by the minerals in the ground. Soon after passing the lake you begin your ascent up the Gully with high cliffs on your right hand side and the Beenkeeragh Ridge on your left. The ascent is somewhat steep with loose scree in places but all in all is gentle in comparison to the Devils ladder. On reaching the top of the gully there are some wonderful views of the Reeks and surrounding countryside to be observed.

Its a beautiful spot to stop for a break before turning left for the last part of the climb. The remainder of the climb involves a little scrambling along broken rock and takes about 20 minutes to reach the summit of Carrauntoohil. Like the ascent up the Gully it can be quite dangerous in wintry conditions.
On the 26th of September this year I climbed Carrauntoohil by this route with a friend from the Clare Outdoor Club. It was a glorious autumnal day and blue skies greeted us upon reaching the summit. Though the summit itself was crystal clear the valleys and countryside on all sides were covered by white puffy clouds. It looked magnificent and almost felt like we were on an airplane looking down. After having our lunch and taking some photos we descended by the Devils Ladder.

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Croagh Patrick (by the Pilgrims path)

The most frequently traveled path to the summit of Croagh Patrick mountain is commonly referred to as the Pilgrims path. Every year thousands of hill walkers and pilgrims make their way along this path to the summit of the mountain where Saint Patrick is said to have spend 40 days and 40 nights in prayer. On Reek Sunday (last Sunday in July) each year between 15000 and 20,000 climb the mountain in honor of Irelands Patron Saint.

Located 5 miles from Westport on the road to Louisburgh, Croagh Patrick at 2510ft is a very demanding and rewarding climb for both pilgrims and hill walkers. The walk begins at a public parking lot in Murrisk village. The path to the summit is along a very well beaten rough stony track which is visible for miles around the mountain. Great care is needed along parts of the ascent and descent particularly near the top where the gradient is very steep and where there is lot of loose stones and gravel.

I have climbed Croagh Patrick dozens of times (often twice in one day) and though my motivation is mainly for the joy of hill walking and taking photos I admire the people who climb it often barefoot and sometimes even backwards and barefoot for their religious beliefs.

On a clear day the views from the top are magnificent particularly of Clare Island and Clew Bay with its beautiful drumlins (365 in total). The church at the summit was constructed in 1905

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Carrauntoohil by the Devils Ladder


Commonly referred to as being the "tourist route" up Carrauntoohil the Devils ladder is also the most frequently used trail to summit Ireland's highest peak. The ladder is a very steep gully filled with loose scree and boulders. In recent years it has become badly eroded and is quite unstable in places. Great care needs to be exercised climbing. The climb begins at Cronin's Yard which is located at a cul de sac at the entrance to Hags Glen. A tea room, male and female shower facilities and ample car parking are all provided. Upon departing the yard follow the path until you meet the main Hags Glen track shortly after crossing the Gaddagh river. The level of the river can vary greatly depending on recent rainfall and crossing can be dangerous at times. From here the walk to the foot of the Devils ladder takes about 40 minutes along a path that becomes less distinct before you arrive at the ladder.

I climbed Carrauntoohil via the ladder yesterday. Conditions were quite wet and a large volume of water was flowing down its path. The very wet conditions of the past 2 years have greatly added to the erosion of the ladder and extreme care needs to be taken during ascent and especially descent. In addition one needs to stay alert to the danger of rocks being dislodged by other parties above you or onto parties below you. After arriving at the top of the ladder the remainder of the path to the mountain summit is along a somewhat steep long summit slope. Care is needed during poor visibility conditions not to wander of this path. Weather conditions can sometimes change dramatically at this stage of the climb especially in winter. On December 10th of 2008 conditions were somewhat icy in places but upon reaching the top of the ladder we walked into blizzard like conditions with more that 2ft of snow along parts of the slope. It gave a very Alpine feel to the place and battling against the forces of nature made reaching the summit all the more rewarding.

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Mullaghmore mountain


This beautiful rugged limestone mountain lies in north county Clare near Corofin village and though only 205m high is both an imposing monument to the affects of glaciation and a very memorable climb with great views of The Burren on all sides. The wonderful flowers and plants that inhabit The Burren add to making an evening at Mullaghmore a highly enjoyable experience.
I grew up only a few miles from the mountain and have spent many happy hours here over the past 30 years. Thanks to great work from the National Park service recently there is now a rough path marked out from the road all the way to the summit of the mountain which has been done with minimal interference to the landscape. After parking your car alongside the road you are greeted by a large turlough (temporary lakes which are almost unique to The Burren region) at the base of the mountain which varies greatly in size depending on rainfall. For any camera enthusiast a stop here is a must with the limestone pavement, the beautiful lake and the stone mountain in the background.


From here the path twists and turns through a very unique barren landscape all the way to the summit with beautiful flowers and plants in abundance. The summit is marked by a large pile of rocks and offers views of The Burren that are second to none. If after reaching the summit you are feeling enthusiastic and energetic there are two more stone mountains behind Mullaghmore which can add another 1-2 hours of great hill walking and sightseeing
The attached top photograph of Mullaghmore was taken one Sunday evening in late July 2008 as a ferocious thunderstorm was building over the mountain. Ill never forget the stunning contrast in colors as the setting sun light up the landscape


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Coomloughra Horseshoe


The circuit around Coomloughra is undoubtedly Irelands most spectacular horseshoe walk. Located in the heart of the Macgillycuddy Reeks range in Co. Kerry this breathtaking walk encompasses Irelands three highest peaks Beenkeeragh (1010m), Carrauntoohil (1039m) and Caher (1001m). This route provide the highest altitude walking in the country, with around 5km in excess of 800m. The narrow ridge running between Beenkeeragh and Carrauntoohil offers magnificent views of the surrounding countryside and gives the hill walker a far greater feeling of reaching the summit of the world than any other approach to Carrauntoohil. Spectacular as the Benkeeragh ridge is crossing it is definitely not to be recommended without the assistance of experienced hill walkers and is probably not for those of a nervous disposition or who have a bad head for heights.
I have done the Coomloughra horseshoe walk a few times with the Clare Outdoor Club (a great outdoor club which is based in Ennis) and on all occasions was blessed with glorious winter sunshine. This climb was actually the first I had ever done (February 2004) and despite hardly being able to walk for a week after it the challenge and magnificent scenery had such an effect on me that I became addicted to hill walking.
The walk begins at Lough Acosse (which is the starting and finishing point) and the climb begins in earnest about 20 minutes later once you have crossed a nearby stream leaving Lough Eighter . At this stage most hill walking groups break in two with and option being available for a somewhat easier ascent via Caher. On the Coomloughra route the first ascent Skregmore (848m) is quite sharp and steep and certainly is good preparation for later in the climb. From this point there is a further rise and fall before the ascent of Beenkeeragh (1010m). The views from the summit are quite fabulous with hills and valleys all around. Next we set off on what I consider to be the highlight of the day- the trek across the Beenkeeragh ridge. The ridge is very narrow in places, involves some scrambling and offers magnificent views of lakes on either side. On one occasion (Feb. 2005) while crossing the ridge I stopped to take a couple of photos and as I did two airplanes passed overhead leaving a spectacular mirror image of their fuel lines in the crystal clear lakes below. The ridge was quite an ordeal on this day being covered with snow and ice. The secret however to getting across safely is basically taking your time and watching where you put your feet- one misplaced foot step could prove fatal. In all the ridge takes about 30 minutes to cross
The remainder of the ascent to Carrauntoohil is steep and somewhat rugged but relatively straightforward. Snow and ice can however add a reasonable level of difficulty in winter. The summit is marked by an iron cross which was placed there in 1977. A generator was brought to the summit and for a while the cross was light up by a series of bulbs at night which must have been quite a sight. Unfortunatley this wasn't to last; the generator and all the bulbs soon disappeared taken by unscrupulous hill walkers. On a clear day it’s a wonderful spot and the views are awesome. The next stage of the climb involves a brief descent before climbing Caher (Ireland's 3rd highest mountain 1001m) . This part of the climb is somewhat steep but straightforward. Again the views from these peaks are unforgettable and there are a number of excellent opportunities to look back at and photograph the Beenkeragh Ridge. From Caher the descent is gradual and straightforward back to Lough Acosse.




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