I climbed up and down Carrauntoohil, and I still can not believe I did it. First of all, I did not even know Carrauntoohil was a mountain, not to talk of it been the bloody tallest mountain in Ireland. Who does that?!!

I paid a tour company, Kerry Climbing, to take me there because I legit assumed it was some large park in Ireland that one could easily get lost in. I really should have read the details properly. Ah well, when I got to the meeting point for the hike and was shown the destination, I sat down, put my head between my legs and thought about my life. I then stilled my nerves, thought of the fact that the money was not refundable and with the current Naira to Euro exchange rate, that money was not about to be wasted. 

Based on online reviews, bringing my camera for breathtaking shots and a self-myofascial release was essential to not let pain or knots be the cause of incompletion of the climb. If I had read the reviews more and noticed that it was not an ordinary hike, I would not have carried my dslr, 2 lenses, spare batteries, Climbing Ropes, and my spare cameras (yes, plural). I probably would not have gone on the hike also. 

One hour into the hilly walk, I started wondering what madness made me take on the adventure…I still can not believe I did 7+ hours of this and I am uber proud of myself for doing it. The entire experience made me realize how determined/stubborn I am about things I mentally decide to focus on. This was more of a mental battle for me than actual physical struggle at most points. Getting my legs and knees to take the next climb up each stone required focus and when I took the last climb over the devil’s ladder route, the immense feeling of accomplishment that came over me can not be explained.

The walk to the beginning to where Devil’s ladder ascent began was the most difficult bit for me. The path was very hilly and it seemed like it would never end. I also had on 3 layers of tops; shirt, sweater, and a jacket, halfway through the hike, I was ready to be a nudist. The heat my body was creating from the work out pushed the cold weather aside. By the time we were about to begin our ascent, I just wanted to curl up somewhere and take a long ass nap. The hiking guide gave a bunch of glucose tabs to rejuvenate me and that helped a lot. I also sat down for about 10 minutes to get my legs back to gear one before starting the climb up the mountain. 

Going up the Devil’s ladder started off pretty okay. The change in terrain was surprisingly easier on my legs for the first 45 minutes. After the first 45 minutes, of constant climbing over large rocks and lifting my weight over massive stones, my legs started to seriously protest. Taking quick breaks made it easier for me (I was told that my quick breaks probably got me tired even faster). When I had just a quarter way left to climb, I met some Swiss hiking ‘expert’ that thought I should turn back because if he was finding it extremely difficult, then I should be about to pass out. *rolls eyes* I pretty much told him to mind his own business and kept it moving. It took me about 2 hours to complete my ascent up the Devil’s ladder. Oddly enough, after a 5 minute break, my legs were back in order, serious cold started to creep up on me, and I was revving to go again (I did not bother to go up the peak of the mountain at this point, it was too foggy for any sort of pictures, and I was able to capture a good few from my spot).

Climbing down stairs, hills, and the like have always been easier for me than climbing up them, so the hike down was much easier. It took us about 2+ hours to climb down the mountain. This bit was more dangerous because gravity was definitely against us and a slight misstep would most likely kill in the most painful way possible. The fog was not too dense, so we were able to easily climb down…this bit of the hike is where the hiking guide from Kerry Climbing became most useful and helpful. The first part of the climb down required some serious guide. It took going up and down the mountain a few times to find the path that led down the mountain and the slope was very mushy and slippery/scary.

I believe we took Caher’s path down to the bottom.

Compared to the Devil’s ladder, it was easier to climb up or down this path, but a much longer and sketchier route.

Once we got to the base of the mountain, the 1hr hike back was much easier because we were simply walking down the hill to the parking lot. When we got back to the lot, I sat down for maybe 30 minutes to get my brain restarted post the exhausting morning, chatted with other hikers, then drove back to my hostel in Killarney for a healthy lunch and a nap. I ate more of my fish from Dingle!

Would I ever climb up a mountain again? Most definitely yes. It was a very physical and mental exercise to test myself against, and I sometimes welcome new (good) challenges.

So, yeah, I did it! I climbed Carrauntoohil, the highest mountain in Ireland #azonto #kurukere #shoki #makosa! Now, enjoy the pictures I took despite the struggle. 

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”3″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_mosaic” row_height=”220″ margins=”5″ last_row=”justify” lazy_load_enable=”1″ lazy_load_initial=”35″ lazy_load_batch=”15″ ngg_proofing_display=”0″ captions_enabled=”0″ captions_display_sharing=”1″ captions_display_title=”1″ captions_display_description=”1″ captions_animation=”slideup” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] 

[rwp-review id=”0″]

Covid-19 Travel Restriction in Ireland

• A traveler can order rapid lateral flow tests for delivery to your home anywhere in the UK.
• A traveler should test three days before you plan to travel and then again on the day of departure.
• If traveler’s test result is negative it is not a guarantee that he/she does not have coronavirus.
• If A traveler test positive, he/she should complete the period of self-isolation before begin the journey.
• Travelling within the Common Travel Area (UK, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland)
• Learn More

Please leave this field empty

Don’t miss these amazing tips!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Thank you for subscribing!