Ireland — Carrauntoohil (1,038 m): The Wind at Europe’s Edge
Altitude: 1,038 m
Coordinates: 51°59′58″ N, 9°44′34″ W
Route: Cronin’s Yard – Devil’s Ladder – Carrauntoohil Summit – Return
Transport to region: 1,784 km total
• 5 km train Rotenboden → Zermatt
• 5 km train Zermatt → Täsch
• 167 km drive Täsch → Milan Malpensa
• 900 km flight Milan → London
• 600 km flight London Stansted → Cork
• 107 km drive Cork Airport → Cronin’s Yard
Accommodation: Hostel in Cork (night of 4/5 August)
Conditions: Cloudy, windy, limited visibility on the summit
🧭 Overview
Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest peak, rises from the green, misty heart of County Kerry, where valleys meet the Atlantic winds. After the snow and ice of the Alps, this climb felt different: softer, wetter, but no less wild. It was the symbolic start of Phase 2, the western arc of the expedition.
✈️ From Glaciers to Green Fields
Only two days earlier, I had been on Dufourspitze, the highest mountain in Switzerland, fighting through fog and frostbite. The contrast was surreal: from 4,600 metres of ice to the rolling, rain-soaked hills of Ireland.
I travelled back by train and car to Milan Malpensa, caught a flight to London, spent one night repacking gear at home, and by dawn of 4 August, I was airborne again, this time to Cork.
At the airport, my Irish friend Brendan was waiting, and for the first time in weeks, the expedition didn’t feel solitary. We drove 107 kilometres west through winding country roads, laughing and catching up, a welcome change from silent mountain drives and empty cabins.
The Climb
We started hiking from Cronin’s Yard just after 11:00 a.m., following the classic Devil’s Ladder route, steep, rocky, and slick from recent rain. The wind grew stronger with every metre of ascent, and by the upper ridge, it was very windy.
At 14:10, we reached the summit cross of Carrauntoohil, shrouded in cloud. The visibility was really nice, the air cold and gusty, but there was still a sense of calm — the kind of peace that comes from being exactly where you’re meant to be.
We stayed only a few minutes before descending carefully through the same route, reaching the parking area at 17:11, soaked, tired, but content.
☘️ The Descent and the Evening
Afterwards, Brendan and I have a nice lunch in local pub and then we drove back to Cork, stopping briefly to grab food and watch the last light fade over Kerry. That evening, I checked into a small hostel, the first real bed I’d seen in days — and fell asleep before dark.
The next morning, the alarm rang at 05:00 for an early flight to Edinburgh, the gateway to the next peak.
💬 Reflection
Carrauntoohil wasn’t about technical difficulty or altitude; it was about rhythm.
After the intensity of the Alps, it reminded me to breathe, to enjoy the company, and to feel gratitude for friends who show up when the road feels endless.
The mountain may be small compared to others, but standing in the Irish mist, I felt grounded, a brief pause on the long road still ahead.
Thank you, Brendan, for a fantastic time and great stories. I need to visit Ireland more often!
Date: 4 August 2025
