Carrauntoohil, no experience!

ektec

Hello all,
There may be previous posts about the climb, I do realise that.
I'm not an experienced hill climber. I bought a pair of hiking boots and protective gear and so on.

I plan on doing the climb in a few weeks time, travel down on the Friday and do the climb Saturday and come home Sunday. I just dont want to take the few hour drive after a long hill climb!

I'm aware of the Devils ladder, I don't think I will even attempt to think about using this route as I heard it can be super slippy and dangerous! What other routes do people recommend for not an experienced climber?

How long do you think it will take from Croinins yard, my starting point, to the summit and down the route you recommend and suited to my experience?

Any links to a good map for the route on the net? thanks...:D

Donny5

Look, Carrantuohill's not too difficult, but like any of the Irish mountains, underestimate it at your peril. How unexperienced are you? Can you navigate in zero visibility? Will you be alone? Would you consider a guide?

duckysauce

did it 2 weeks ago via zig zag route took 6.30 hrs , hard climb , visibilty was crap, you would need navigational skills to climb it via this route as the start is not very clear . Look on mountainviews.ie for more info, or do a search on the outdoors thread.

ektec

@ Donny5, I have no experience with climbing a mountain, done 7 hour treks on rough terrain, but thats it.. I will have 2 other friends with same experience..No, I dont really want a guide

@ducky, Zig Zag route maybe a bit unclear for me so if the route is not so clear. I've heard that the Caher route is well marked. .

I will be cancelling the trip if the weather is not good. Good weather is number one on the list..

Donny5

ektec wrote: »

I will be cancelling the trip if the weather is not good. Good weather is number one on the list..

The problem with Carrantuohill is that good weather becomes bad weather in fifteen minutes, without exaggeration.

Caher route is 'the other side' from the zig zags, so can't do a circuit with it.

The Devil's Ladder is one of the easiest routes in the sense that it's a straightforward scramble. But use common sense, stay near the edges, maintain a safe distance from those ahead, replace loose rocks, watch where you put your foot etc.

O'Shea's Gully is another handy ascent, could descend via the zig zags then. Plus that way you get to see the hanging valleys under the summit. And avoid the boring slog up the side from the top of the Ladder.

NathanKingerlee

Here's three route descriptions from the Kerry Mountain Rescue website: http://kerrymountainrescue.ie/routes/index.html

acorn

Hi ektec
While there are some worn tracks on Carrauntoohil they won't always be leading where you want to go. There are no marked routes and no guarantee of good visibility any day of the year.

Why not head to Dingle and climb Mount Brandon ?
At 952m it's the highest mountain outside of the Reeks and the ascent from Baile Breac on the western side of the range is marked from car park to summit so yourself and your friends could have a go and see if you actually like hill walking and get a feel for it.
Views of the Blaskets, Skelligs, Brandon Creek etc as you ascend are stunning as is the panorama from the summit but I've only been lucky enough to have full visibility once in ten or more visits.

Lots of accommodation options in Dingle and a great campsite at Gallarus, make a weekend of it !

As for Carrauntoohil, get some navigation experience or find an experienced walker who would be happy to join you for the trek.

Enjoy :-)

Sev

First things first.

Carrauntoohil is an "easy" non-technical ascent. What I mean by this, is that anybody of any age who's in good shape can do it with no prior mountaineering or climbing experience. By non-technical, I mean that provided you go by one of the popular ways, you don't need a rope.

On Carrauntoohil, as well as on any Irish mountain, you should likely have few problems if you have a map, and using this you know where you are at all times and the weather is good. If the weather turns very bad and you're not well equipped you'll find it hard to navigate and may get lost, you may get soaked and cold and the combination of these two problems could lead to potentially life threatening situations.

You can't guarantee good weather on any mountain in Ireland as the previous poster said, and large land masses will often create their own weather. But if a big high pressure system comes in and scorches the country with a week of glorious weather like it did recently, I wouldn't hesitate to say you'd have fine weather all day on Carrauntoohil too with at least 95% certainty.

Hillwalkers make a big deal of requiring navigation skills. I'd prefer to say you need common sense. Some people are hopeless at reading maps and have poor spatial awareness and I wouldn't want them leading my way regardless of how many "mountain skills navigation courses" they've done. Compasses are nothing more than pieces of magnetized metal that point approximately north. If you have a good understanding of geometry and trigonometry and cop the concept of triangulation, it's not a very big leap at all to apply a compass to a map. You'll rarely need a compass if the sun is shining and you know where you are on the map. But if the weather closes in, and you're on featureless terrain, it may be the only constant you have.

I agree and disagree with the last post: "find an experienced walker who would be happy to join you". I agree with not going up there alone. I wouldn't recommend anybody to go up into remote areas of the mountains on their own unless you're very self sufficient and aware and accepting of the risks. If something goes wrong up there, and you're on your own, nobody will know exactly where you are and be able to call for help for you. The terrain may not be very dangerous, but you could still slip, lose your phone and break your ankle and you could be in a lot of trouble. (That said, if you're following a popular trail on Carrauntoohil on a sunny weekend in summer there will likely be plenty of other people around)

On the other hand, if you are just guided up there by somebody more experienced you may never get the chance to take the plunge and gain your own experience. So my advice is find a friend to do it with. If you still decide to tackle it on your own (or with a friend), the most important thing to make sure you bring is a phone. You can't rely on this of course because you'll often find little or no signal strength in the mountains. I would also pack a two man bothy bag (you ought to be able to pick this up in an outdoor store like the Great Outdoors) and some extra food. This is basically a portable storm shelter that you and your friend can huddle in to and pass a night in the elements if it came down to it.

Good luck with it, whatever you decide to do.

duckysauce

cross 1.JPG

cross 2.jpg


lovely views when the weather is crap.

rolion

Thanks to all for info...
Just wondering...what about using a smart phone built-in GPS and ofline maps !?
Will that do the trick with bad weather navigation !?

duckysauce

rolion wrote: »

Thanks to all for info...
Just wondering...what about using a smart phone built-in GPS and ofline maps !?
Will that do the trick with bad weather navigation !?

how long will the battery last does it need a data connection ?

rolion

duckysauce wrote: »

how long will the battery last does it need a data connection ?

Well,one of my smart phone has:
- a GPS routing software
-does not need data connex,has offline maps for Ireland

- Google Maps
-does need data access but afaik,latest version allows to "cache" some areas for offline access

Re battery,i have a solar portable panel mounted on top of my backpack and inside a 12V motorbike battery that charges day light and powers a 12 v usb adapter.

sheesh

I would advise no since you seem to want to do it without much navigating experience as some one has already suggested try brandon instead it is hard enough to be a challenge but you will not get lost. is there any chance you could get someone with experience to go with you?

lab man

acorn wrote: »

Hi ektec
While there are some worn tracks on Carrauntoohil they won't always be leading where you want to go. There are no marked routes and no guarantee of good visibility any day of the year.

Why not head to Dingle and climb Mount Brandon ?
At 952m it's the highest mountain outside of the Reeks and the ascent from Baile Breac on the western side of the range is marked from car park to summit so yourself and your friends could have a go and see if you actually like hill walking and get a feel for it.
Views of the Blaskets, Skelligs, Brandon Creek etc as you ascend are stunning as is the panorama from the summit but I've only been lucky enough to have full visibility once in ten or more visits.

Lots of accommodation options in Dingle and a great campsite at Gallarus, make a weekend of it !

As for Carrauntoohil, get some navigation experience or find an experienced walker who would be happy to join you for the trek.

Enjoy :-)

Hi , you getting great advise here.!! if you want try Brandon its by far a great day out and a safe walk, also if you want to leave the big un for a while. climb 4 concern will be doing carrauntwohill later in the year great day is for deffo,with them and there are guides. on the kerry mountain rescue website you will read some horror stories as how easy things can turn for the worst .. p.s. safe walking and bet of luck. lab.

Brandon is a great mountain.

But not sure it's really needed as 'practice' for Carrauntoohil. Plus Brandon seems to be clouded over far more often. And from the west its a bit of a slog.

If you're set for Carrauntoohil, I'd go for it. If weather not great and you're in Killarney, there's always Mangerton, Purple, Torc or even just a walk through the National Park.

apoeiguq3094y

rolion wrote: »

Well,one of my smart phone has:
- a GPS routing software
-does not need data connex,has offline maps for Ireland

- Google Maps
-does need data access but afaik,latest version allows to "cache" some areas for offline access

Re battery,i have a solar portable panel mounted on top of my backpack and inside a 12V motorbike battery that charges day light and powers a 12 v usb adapter.

It depends on what detail is on the map. The OS maps provide enough detail about the terrain for you to choose a safe route. Google "terrain view" is not detailed enough and doesn't show you if there are obstactles that you should avoid.

Also i've never got that cache feature to work for terrain view, it only seems to work for the road map view.

Unless your phone is waterproof enough for you to put it in a glass of water, its not going to help you in harsh conditions when you need it most. Also, if you fall on or drop a paper map it will still work, is your phone rugged enough for this?

Regardless of whether you have a paper or electronic map, you'll need experience and sense to pick a safe route.

sheesh

Deleted User wrote: »

Brandon is a great mountain.

But not sure it's really needed as 'practice' for Carrauntoohil. Plus Brandon seems to be clouded over far more often. And from the west its a bit of a slog.

If you're set for Carrauntoohil, I'd go for it. If weather not great and you're in Killarney, there's always Mangerton, Purple, Torc or even just a walk through the National Park.

I agree with what is said above .

look if you want to try it, try it. Just don't come on here and try and get us to tell you it will be no problem have a look at the call out scroll for kerry mountain rescue. good luck!

partyguinness

To be honest, as long as you have a nice clear day, reasonably fit you will be fine.

You do not need GPS or special equipment. It is a very compact area and unless you plan on going at night and in tense fog.

But fog will surround you very quickly and it will be alot windier and colder at the top.

Secondary schools take day trips up there with 14-15 year old kids!!

Bring some food though as you will be surprised how tired you get on the way down.

You would really have to be unlucky for something to go drastically wrong.

I have gone up on a my own but there were plenty of other walkers around. The biggest obstacle going up the Devil's Ladder was people in front of me stopping and clogging up the route.

I found Purple Mountain tougher!!:o

As for Torc, well that's a casual stroll. I lived in Dingle for years and never got to do Brandon...oh the shame.

Be sensible and you will be fine.

darlett

All the best advice has been given granted, but I would like to add in that before you go up Carrauntoohil, break your new hiking boots in with a few more casual walks first. ...And proper socks too! Speaking from my experience of been inexperienced.

I did a beautiful horseshoe route including Carrauntoohil which turned into a 6-7 hour trek, my new shiny boots had scrubbed the skin clean off the back of my heels only as I neared the peak. Lol long way down in agony with no one else to blame. Had to fold bits of map down between my bloodied heel and boot to act as a buffer. These are good boots, but we weren't ready to go the whole way on the first date!

darlett

darlett wrote: »

All the best advice has been given granted, but I would like to add in that before you go up Carrauntoohil, break your new hiking boots in with a few more casual walks first. ...And proper socks too! Speaking from my experience of been inexperienced.

That is good advice, and again part of the general "use common sense" approach. Have seen too many people buy new boots to head up Carrauntoohil. Of course boots should always be broken in before any trek, but particularly one which will be an all dayer and take you to the highest point in the land. Even after wearing them a couple of times I have found the Reeks test a pair of boots. Did the full Ridge, Kate Kearneys to Glencar two weeks ago and even though had worn the boots a couple of times it still really examined every point where boot and foot rub off each other.

I do not want to be dismissive or glib, but once sense is applied and one is reasonably fit, reasonably well kitted out, doesn't set off in bad conditions or with a storm or winds forecast (and wind can be the biggest enemy up there), it isn't technically difficult to head up the more accessible routes.

trellheim

Be aware the OSI 1:25k has been withdrawn due to a scaling error

http://irishmountaineeringclub.org/index.php?option=com_loudmouth&task=topic&id=4443

so get the Harveys

trellheim

trellheim wrote: »

Be aware the OSI 1:25k has been withdrawn due to a scaling error

http://irishmountaineeringclub.org/index.php?option=com_loudmouth&task=topic&id=4443

so get the Harveys

Is it the same one?

Would have thought the Reeks on that scale would be a different map.

Chris O Donoghue

The Reeks 1:25K is a different map to the National Park one that was recently withdrawn, there's no problem with scaling on the Reeks one.

oconnb31

did it today in ok weather no experience took about 4hrs 45min up and down , leave cronins yard walk straight follow the rocky path till you come to devils ladder get to the top turn right follow the little mound of stones all the way to the top . take a few picks next to the cross turn around and go back the way you came ! wear warm clothes and a hat bring food and drinks . meet 2 10 year olds with there mum on the summit today !! take your time drink plenty of water youl be grand ! go for it !