Kanturk Hillwalkers and Mountain Climbers | Blog

On Sunday Oct the 23rd we set off on a mystery tour so as we left Kanturk we did not know where we were setting off to. We met the rest of the group in Rathmore and we folloewed on the lead car. A few miles away the mystery was starting to unveil. We were heading towars the northern side of The Paps. We eventually ended up at the gateway to the mountain road at Shrone Lake. This road disects the mountains and can lead you out to the other side near Glenflesk & where we usually start the hike up The Paps.But this day instead of going right for The Paps we were turning left. In tthe days group we had 9 which was a good number, we started our hike on the mountain roadway & after a few hundred yards we turned left up Shrone More and headed on upwards towards Knocknabro, at this stage of our the morning mist was still down low & it was windy as well so we did not go to the top of this one.Once we got to the top of the first climb most of the day consisted of lots of rambl...

This was definitely the best day we had so far on the Reeks. We were a little bit afraid about the weather while driving to Killarney as the fog was very thick and it looked like was going to stay with us for the day giving us no chance  for the good views. But then it suddenly disappeared and by the time we got to Lisleibane car park the day turned out to be the most beautiful warm and sunny and it felt more like July than October. Absolutely unbelievable... Heavenly Gates We decided to climb up the Heavenly Gates and go down the Devil's Ladder. The Sun shining all the way up and no breeze made us all feel very warm and at some point all the spare layers of clothing we wore came out and landed in our backpacks. It was a day for t-shirts and shorts.  Heavenly Gates is a nice route and a good alternative to two other popular ascent routes: Devil's Ladder and O'Shea's Gully. The other two routes can be very busy at times especially when the weat...

 On Sunday Sept. 24th six of us set out on our latest trip, this time our destination was Strickeen & Cruach Mor which lies in between Carrantoohill and Purple & Tomies as well as overlooking the Gap Of Dunloe and the Black Valley.  For most of the day we had good enough weather with some nasty showers thrown in but overall taking in the time of the year the weather was good with a lot of clear skies which leads to great scenery. The rain we did have came in heavy bursts and also there was very little cloud or fog overhead.  I think this trip was probably one of the most spectacular we have been on in that the views and scenery on all sides of us all day were spectacular with the clear views of the Magillycuddy Reeks on one side and Tomies & Purple Mountains on the other side.  The walk itself started at Kate Kearneys Cottage and then out the road towards the Gap Of Dunloe and after a while out taking a turn right up a mountain pathway which lea...

Support Caroline O'Riordan on her Charity Mountain Climb Up Kilimanjaro for Irish Cancer Research My name is Caroline O Riordan, I am from Mallow, Co. Cork. On the 17th of October 2016, I am taking on the challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro in Africa in aid of Irish Cancer Research. I am fundraising for cancer as my mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in July 2016. My young cousin spent 4yrs battling a tumour. I have lost friends and other members of my family because of cancer. I wanted to fundraise to help find ways to cure this dreadful disease. You can support Caroline by donating through the Kanturk Hillwalkers & Mountain Climbers Facebook Page by clicking on the link below Facebook Link For Donations I hurt my back in a car accident and had back surgery in 2013 and I broke my left ankle twice.  I was told I was not to exercise for longer than 20 mins a day, which played havoc with my mental health as I was always a sporty person....

On Sunday ane of the most beautiful place in the world . The starting point was the world famous Kate Kearne total of 11 of us set off on a trip up Tomies & Purple Mt. . On a fine, clear and sunny day this must be oys cottage and from there we headed a small bit back in towards Killarney before taking a right to start our climb. The one thing great about our day out was as we started our ascent we got a great view over Lough Leane and the other parts of the Lakes Of Killarney & on a morning like this you get a great chance to appreciate it. The first step up to little Tomies was not that little at all but a long gradual but strenuous climb but at no actual point overly severe but the quietness in the bunch told its own story. The legs & the lungs were feeling the effects. Our first aim and peak was little Tomies but the only thing by this stage the cloud and fog was down on top of us limiting our view. After a pit stop and a group photo we h...

On Sunday 10 of us went for a trip up Cnoc Na dTobar just on the eastern side of Cahersiveen. It is one of the ancient Pilgrim Paths with the Stations of the Cross on the way up to guide you. There was one thing great about this route was between the Crosses and white waymark poles you plenty to guide you all the way. There was one thing great about this trip was the fantastic views on all sides, To the west on our left side you see right over the town of Cahersiveen and out further was Valentia Island and in the distance was the world famous Skellig Michael. To the west on our right side you could see the Dingle Peninsula including Mount Brandon and all the way out to Ventry & Slea Head and the Blasket Islands. The trip itself was not that hard and we did it at an easy going pace taking in the views along the way as the weather on the way up and down was good and clear. After taking a break at the top we went across the top for a while to a peak overlooking Glendalough ...

On Saturday we went to Gougane Barra and did a big loop on the mountains around the lake and took over 5 hours. This trip could have been fantastic but for the weather. The cloud and the mist stayed right down on top of us all day long. When we started I think everyone had jackets on but not too far out the same jackets were not long coming back off, as even though it was misty and mucky it was still quite warm and the sweat was beginning to flow very early so all the jackets came off. The conditions were very overcast, foggy, misty and a slight drizzle and you could hardly see a 100 yards in front of you for most of the trip and underfoot it was mucky and with all of this the going was slow as at all times getting the right co-ordinates was high on the list.  The climb itself was not that hard, after about an hour long gradual climb up all the rest is quite easy and almost level but wet ground and high grasses in places can make the walk very tough. Lunchtime :) The pict...

 On Saturday I went to Carranutoohil which is probably one of the best & most popular places to go for a climb as it is the highest in the country with great views and scenery on a good day leaving you breathless with the beauty this country has, There are a few things great for climbers on this mountain is that there are always a load of people around especially at the week ends and that are defined paths on the way to the top. Yow will get to the top at your own pace, remember it is not a race. The most important thing is to get there safely, if I can get there believe me anyone can. But there is one thing you first of all learn to do is to respect this mountain because if you go looking for trouble you will find it and the most basic thing is having the proper gear. Hiking is an activity you can start for very little money but it is important to get a few basics.   Carrauntoohil is a place often used for Charity Climbs, the first thing you should have is BOOTS !! BOO...

This post will be very different than the others... The day turned out bad. You need days like that though just to remind you that mountains can be dangerous and you should always respect them. We want to share this story to remind the others how quickly things can go wrong and how important is a good preparation, bringing the right gear even if the forecast is good (it's always only a forecast) and to have somebody who can read maps and use compass (and even that person can make a mistake). The black clouds covering Eastern Reeks The weather was so good in recent days that we were all expecting sunbathing on the top and maybe swimming in the lake after walk, but when we arrived at Cronins Yard we saw the black clouds covering Eastern Reeks. The top of Carrauntoohil was covered as well but you could see some more light there on that side. But the eastern part of the range was just black... Off we went hoping for the clouds to clear later on. We climbed up Devil's Ladde...

There is very little I can say about this trip as only the pictures will tell the story. It was a fantastic day. The only thing that you could find being wrong is that at times there was no breeze to cool you down from the warmth but in this country we do not complain about the weather. On this Sunday we set of with a crew of 12 to Hungry Hill which is located just past Adrigole and short of Castetownbere in the deep south west of Cork. There is a saying that by the time you reach Mitchelstown from near here you are half way to Dublin. Another bit of information is that on top of the mountain the Cork / Kerry border runs along , we cannot get everything right !!! The one thing is that you really do find out why they call this place Hungry Hill in that it is a pure wall of rock and a common comment was that it was no wonder that people emigrated or just moved away from here , in that on a good day like the day we were here but it must be really hard to survive of the land as it is...

After doing Mangerton on Saturday and with the fact that I had a few other things on I was looking to go somewhere but it had to be close. The Clara Loop was decided upon and one thing great about it , this also allowed us to bring a few young lads as it was suitable for them. Once you got to the cross which we got over with early nearly all the hard stuff was over with, after passing on the Cross and the Stones we headed on westwards facing on towards Caherbanagh. After a while strolling along with some good weather on our side, not to forget we got some nasty showers in between. Thought the April showers were supposed to be gone, so much so one really nasty shower came within 50 yard of us but passed along beside us without dampening our stride. At this point of our was good because looking back towards Caherbanagh & Kerry was breathtaking. At this stage you are under the cross and mountain and above Ballyday and some of our younger companions were mentioning Cadburys, bringing...

On Saturday we got back out again after a few weeks of a break due to lots of other things on and one really bad Sunday of wind and rain, so it was great to get out for some fresh air and scenery . The chose destination was Mangerton in Killarney . I know we come here a bit but the beauty never ceases to amaze, when you get a clear morning up this mountain the views over looking the lakes and into the distance takes your breath away, which may not be hard considering the hard first section of this mountain. On Saturday we had 6 which included a new member, which was good as 2 of our stalwarts were out of the country for a christening, from all of us Anna we hope you have a great time while you are in your homeland. The weather on this morning was clear, maybe a bit cold but dry for most of our trip. One thing I had to do on the way back was to stop and take a picture of Caherbanagh. The day had to be good after that view.We made reasonably good time up, we may not be the...