This June my Daughter travels to Malawi,Africa to help build affordable housing provided by the charity,Habitiat for Humanity,armed with the knowledge that each student had to provide funding to assist with this vital project I though about different way in which I could help raise some funds,having learned a few things from the recent I.C.U walk I decided to up the game a wee bit,with a charity walk on Ireland’s highest peak,Carrauntohil,which is 1,038 metres (3,406 ft)[3] tall and is the central peak of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks range.
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So I set unpon a date & started making arrangement’s,hiring of a 15 seater minin bus which I got from Ballymena for 175 for three day which I think is quite reasonable given that they were not asking an unreasonable securing deposit that most of these companies usually request,our bus did the journey alright but we had to tape the doors shut & at times we worried it it would break down.next we needed to source accommodation close to the our starting point at the Hyro/Cahir route( link)Having stayed the previous year I booked us into the Climbers Inn,Glencar(link)which is a small family run guest house with its own bar!
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Finally it was unpon me as the organiser of the walk to ensure our safety as much as possible we I enlist local guide & Friend Piaras Kelly ( kerry climbing)
Kerry climbing photo
The usual suspects would be joining me on this adventure,’Trainee stuntman & pro downhill biker ,Craigy123,Oisin,Fisherfelim who’s our own folk singer ,Ed the Hobbit,the Legend Russell & brotheir,Spartan who I met on the Turkey trot,Craigy friends ginger brian,sorry mate name stuck in my head downpatricks BigE,finally my good mate Lenny( the funny one)
Having arrived at the Climbers Inn around midnight we had a night-cap for good measure & it was off to bed as we had arranged to meet our guide early the next morning.
The route is by no means a difficult walk with nearly all of the ascenting done climbing Cahir,1001 metre,Irelands second highest peak.The starting point for our walk is at Grid ref( ) & by a gate marked with the Kerry mountain rescue sigh.Soon as you step onto the trek your faced with a very steep concrete trek leading up to Coomoloughra lakes ,this trek is tough going for a start to the walk,having reached the top the the trek you cross the stream via a concrete bridge & onto the spur of Cahir.
Cahir itself has a number of false summits but when you pass a stone shelter you’re near there.Having reached Cahirs summit Carrauntohil itself can be reache by merly descenting the small ridgeline the a short ascent onto Carrauntohil
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Carraunohiill summit is crowned with a fourty foot cross with a small curved rock shelter undaerneath,the cross itselfhas a number of plaugues on it
Last year I missed out on the summit geocache,not this year as I was back with a few other budding caches eager to bag the big one,having dropped a few geocoins & signed the log,we stopped for a break to amire the views.
A few of our more experienced walkers had chosen to continue on with the ridge traverse,taking in Ireland tsecond highest mountain Benkeargh & the notorious benkeargh ridge.
Map of loop
For the rest of us scary pants we returned via the cahhir route we had journede earlier,anyway we had fisherfelim to kep us in song.Having agreed a meeting point & time with our splinter group we set off downhill in pursuit of beer & steak as I had made a booking for us in the now Famous aKate kearneys 9 link ) in the gap of Dunloe,where I was told they would be having an Irish music nigh,great,plenty of fiddle music & black beer!Armed with tomorows hangover we made our way back to the climbers inn.Sunday morning came early & we had plans to visit Cronins yard,but our hangovers were telling us to go home.
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here's the video folks-
Only leads me to thank all those who attended & also their friends & families who sponsored them!
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Topic: Macgillycuddy reek,charity walk (Read 8723 times)