Kanturk Hillwalkers and Mountain Climbers | Blog

On Sat 28/10 the club outing was to Killarney where we planned to ascend the famous Cardiac Steps and continue on to the summit of Torc mountain. ( 535mtr.) Leaving town at 08.30 we set off for the car park on the right past the Jarveys Rest out the Muckross road. There was no coffee stop, so we changed into our gear and started straight away. This was a bit of a shock to those who had left home without a proper breakfast. Onwards and upwards we went until we reached the Cardiac Steps. Suffice to say they are exactly what they say on the tin. Up and up they go, no hiding place here. The only excuse to get a break is to stop and admire the beautiful views. Towards the top there is a roped section which is welcome. After many “ we are almost there “ false alarms  the path finally leveled out. At the top of the Steps is a beehive hut. Our designated step counter gave up after 1000 Steps. We traversed the slopes of the mountain and descended through forest to the old Kenmare ...

The Bull McCabe is alive and well and living in Ballyduff. On Sat 14/10 the club outing was to Ballyduff  near Camp. This was a much anticipated bus trip and we left town at 8.00 AM. We then travelled to Camp where we changed into our walking gear and pick up some members who had travelled by car. The bus then took us to the start at a point where the  Glennahoo river crosses the road. This is at a dangerous corner so we quickly alighted from the bus. Here a tricky situation was averted by some quick thinking and some very fast walking. Having no plan B we had to proceed with plan A. Having put some light between us and the problem we continued into the Macha na Bo (Plain of the cows) valley. With the glenagoo river to our right and Beenatoor 645 mtrs towering above us to our left and Gob an Iolair 527 to our right we continued along a fairly good track.Along the way is a plaque to the memory of a person who died in a fall on the mountain in 2007 a stark reminder that hill...

The club outing on Sunday 08/10 was to Curra Hill which overlooks Glenbeigh and Rossbeigh in Kerry. A small but enthusiastic crew set off at 8.30. After a quick Coffey stop in Glenbeigh we went to the staring point at Faha Wood. Here there is ample parking. We headed off through  a fairy trail dotted with little houses and fairy door ect all put in by the local community. It is a magical place to bring young children for a stroll. Leaving the fairy trail behind we turned up the hill, through forestry. Though only 275 meters it is fairly steep and could be classed as a cousin to the bike track on Mount Hillary. Finally we emerged from the trees and some great views opened up looking down on Glenbeigh and across to Inch. As we climbed the view got better Dingle Peninsula, Rossbeigh were spread out in all their glory. The weather was ideal for walking and ground conditions were good. Onwards and upwards we went. When we came to the summit we deviated from the planned route and went...

On Sunday 1st. October the club outing was to the Ballyhoura mountains. We set off at 8.30 and headed to the start near Ardpatrick in Co. Limerick. Here there is a secure monitored car park. Toilets showers changing room tea and coffee are also available. This is also a major mountain biking area the largest in Ireland with 98 klms of trails. After a quick coffee we took the purple trail which would lead us to Seefin mountain summit at 528 meters. This walk is varied and has some farm tracks, wood land and open mountain. The weather wasn't great and there was some mist and fog. Rain gear was put on and taken off a few times. Towards the top on open mountain is was very windy. We took shelter at the foot of the trig point and had refreshments. Is is said that on a clear day you can see the six counties of Munster from here, but for us it was not to be as a fog brought visibility down to about a hundred meters. While we were sheltering in the lee of the rock a hardy soul sped by i...