Carrauntoohil or
Carrantuohill (
– ) is the highest
peak in
Ireland.
Located in County Kerry
, it is tall and is the central peak of the Macgillycuddy's
Reeks
range. There are two other peaks in this range above
1,000 m (Beenkeragh, 1,010 m;
and Caher, 1,001 m) and four
others on the island
over
3,000 feet, in the Dingle Peninsula
(Mount
Brandon
), south Tipperary
(Galtymore
) and County Wicklow
(Lugnaquilla
). A large metal cross tall tops the
peak.
The
mountain is most often climbed from the north-east, along the Hag's
Glen and up the steep Devil's Ladder to the col between
Carrauntoohil and Cnoc na Péiste
, and then north-west to the summit. The
route has become more dangerous in recent years due to loose stones
and crowding. No special equipment is needed to climb the mountain,
but caution is advised. Alternatively, one can walk the two other
1,000 m peaks in a horseshoe trip, starting from the west. The
traverse from highest point to the second highest involves a light
scramble. The weather conditions on the
mountain are very changeable, and there have been a number of
deaths due to many inappropriately dressed tourists attempting the
peak each summer.
References
External links
See also