Brocken Spectre

Brocken Spectre from Summit of Carrauntoohil in Winter Conditions Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1/comment/20743/

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High times

I took on Carrauntoohil on the 25th June 2010 leading a group from the UK who were doing the five peaks challenge and attempting to do so within forty eight hours. I had never been up here before but I never let that stop me from exploring new horizons. Amongst the group of six walkers I was the only one with map and compass skills so I decided on a route via Caher as I have heard the Devils ladder route has become quite badly eroded in recent times. I also had some selfish reasons in choosing this route as I wanted to tick a few more peaks off my list at the same time

We started at Hydro Rd (V772 871) at the gate to the Hydro track. This track has a steep and punishing start having just jumped out of the car but it quickly warms the legs. Mercifully after maybe ten minutes of walking the track levels off as it turns South at approx E (V777 868). The track continues with Skregbeg (573m) and Skregmore (848m) on your left hand side before opening up at Lough Eighter and revealing the full view of Beenkeragh, Carrauntoohil and Caher (assuming the weather is clear that is)

After another hop over a locked gate we crossed a flat marshy section of ground before climbing onto the spur that would lead us directly up Caher. We got onto the spur at approx F (V776 857) before following it south-east all the way to Caher West top at G (V789 840). The last 500m of the spur is steep but thankfully the ground is quite good so progress should not be hindered. By the time we got to the first of the three Caher summits we were dipping in and out of the clouds. The fall away from the West top when heading for Caher in the clouds can be a little worrying if unsure of your bearings so care is definitely needed. The best approach would be to keep well to the right, we were fortunate however, just as I took a safe bearing the cloud cleared just enough for me to get an eyeshot of our target, a small gap in the wall, which seemed to settle the nerves of my fellow hikers

The walk to Caher from the West top is quick, a small amount of uphill climbing remains before the third highest summit in Ireland at 1 metre above 1000m. The small cairn at H (V792 838) is all that marks the top and as we were under some time pressure we did not hand around long either

Crossing the Caher ridge to Carrauntoohil was fantastic, some of the scenery that magically appeared from the cloud was breathtaking. There is a very noticeable track that leads across the ridge which makes navigation a lot easier. We were practically on the summit before we could see the cross marking it at I (V803 844), the cloud and wind had really picked up during the intervening time, so much so that we only took a few moments to take a few pictures and took off via the same route home. It was a very respectable five and a half hour round trip and a good start to the five peaks challenge for the other guys
Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1/comment/5911/

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lewvalton on Carrauntoohil

Ridge up to Beenkeragh starting behind the great pillar of the Hag's Tooth (guide books we had call it the Hag's Tooth ridge) is a superb scramble. Go up to it via the steep grassy gully up to the right of the Tooth's base. Arete is longer and somewhat more testing than Brandon's Faha ridge, though perhaps slighly less exposed, but still overall within the same band of difficulty (for scramblers familiar with the UK grades it's a moderate Grade 2). The upper section breaks into two distinct ridges - we took the left hand one. More sustained scrambling here, though again not difficult. Views across to Carrauntoohil and back down to the Hag's Tooth are absolutely stupendous. Beenkeragh ridge to Carrauntoohil is much easier, though exposed if you choose to skyline it, and has all difficulties avoidable by path on the right until the large pinnacle towards the end. To skyline it is not as hard as it looks, otherwise is avoidable at mid height on the left (Coomloughra) flank. Again, works out much easier than first appears. Simple walk up to the summit from there. Magnificent views. Unlike mountains in, say, the Lake District, the great Kerry peaks rise in relative isolation unhemmed by other groups and the views, with the sea so near, are incredibly extensive - you really feel as if you're on the roof of the world. Descent via the hugely eroded Devil's Ladder truly awful. Book suggested 'The Bone' as better alternative. Couldn't be worse.

Why are the Reeks not part of the Killarney National Park? Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1/comment/92/

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milo on Carrauntoohil

In about 12 ascents I've never used the Devil's Ladder. Reduce erosion damage by opting for one of the many safe alternatives. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1/comment/41/

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The record breaking ascent/descent pt I

Got this email from a friend who does the IMRA race up and down Carrauntoohil. It goes up the Lack Road, across to Curraghmore, on to Caher and then to Carrauntoohil. Oh and then back down again of course!

The Man of the Mountain by Jonathan Beverly
As featured in the September 2011 issue of Running Times Magazine

In 1988, the second year in the modern mountain running era that a race was run up the 1,039m peak, John Lenihan, a dairy farmer from the nearby hills , blew away the field and set a time of 71:43 for the round-trip to the cross atop and back, a time that has never been broken. Lenihan went on to win the race 14 times in a row and 19 times in all before retiring when the course was changed in 2010, only losing outright twice in that streak.

Lenihan wasn’t a newcomer to racing that first year in Carrauntoohil. “My first taste of mountain running was on Peel mountain in the isle of Mann in 1983 when I won the isle of Mann Easter athletics race to the summit and back,” he recalls. “I repeated this victory in 1985 and then came back to Ireland to win the Sligo warriors mountain race.” He remembers that race as significant because of the 1,000-pound prize purse and because he beat the then reigning world mountain champ Kenny Stewart. Lenihan went on to win the world mountain championship himself when it was held in Switzerland in 1991.

Lenihan recalls some of the more difficult years: “I broke my leg in October 1999 and was kept in hospital for a week, however two weeks later I resumed training each day doing laps of the field with my crutches. I got the cast off mid-December and I won the first race of the new millennium in Kerry on January 1st. I was very nervous facing the Carrauntoohil race in June 2000 as I hadn’t been past the accident site since it happened, as I approached the area on race day I had to focus with all my might to try and maintain my composure. That day it was a very mentally exhausting experience for me.”

On other difficult years, Lenihan recalls, “I was very sick one year with the flu but I can’t remember what year it was. I couldn’t make up my mind if I would compete or not and then I decided that I would go and see how I felt when I got there. I felt no better but decided I would start out in the race and see how I felt. After a mile or two warm-up, I remember standing under a hedge in the shade watching everyone warming up and I just wanting to go to bed. Many people tried to convince me that it was too dangerous to take part as I was feverish. Strangely enough, I managed to win that day but it was sheer torture and I think it took me weeks to recover. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1/comment/6475/

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