Another trek to the summit of a mountain. Not just any old mountain, but to the top of the highest mountain in Ireland - Carrauntoohil, Co. Kerry.
The day was beautiful as my son Alan and I started out from Cronin’s yard just before noon and headed south towards the Hag’s Glen passing Loughs Gouragh and Callee on the way. There was a scattering of people heading that direction including a family with two girls aged about eight and ten. As we neared the foot of the Devil’s Ladder we started to encounter a lot of people coming back having reached the summit – obviously early starters.
The walk to the foot of the Devil’s Ladder is not too onerous, but the ladder itself is slow going, and can be dangerous if weather conditions are bad. At the top we turned right to make the final approach to the summit, which wasn’t too difficult.
The cross on the summit of Carrauntoohil can be seen for miles around on a clear day. Most people pose in front of the cross to get their photograph taken to prove they’ve reached the top. We did also!
Alan and Me on Top of Carrauntoohil (photographer unknown)
The view from the summit is spectacular on a clear day. You can see across Dingle Bay to the Dingle Peninsula, north Kerry, the Black Valley and along the Macgillycuddy Reeks. Well worth the trek to the top.
On our return trek we avoided the Devil’s Ladder, instead we headed east towards Cnoc na Toinne but before reaching that summit we took a zig-zag track to the bottom of the Devil’s Ladder, picking up the traditional route and heading northward back towards Cronin’s yard.
All in all a worthwhile day out. I even got a few decent photographs!