Great Mountains: MacGillycuddy’s Reeks

When I first started researching the mountains of Ireland I soon came across a range that goes by the bizarre name of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, which is a name that is just too fabulous to ignore. I was instantly smitten just by the name and organised a holiday to Ireland in 2005 to visit this range of hills in County Kerry that includes most of the highest peaks in Ireland. I had bought the Cicerone guidebook, “The Mountains of Ireland” by Paddy Dillon, which directed me to the car park beside Kate Kearney’s Cottage on my first full day in Country Kerry. A good path zigzags up the hillside before depositing me onto the broad, boggy ridge north of the easternmost peak on the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks ridge, Cnoc an Bhráca. Another peak, Cnoc na dTarbh also known as the Bull, sits behind and I obediently followed Paddy Dillon’s direction to contour the side of Cnoc an Bhráca to bag Cnoc na dTarbh, but this is a waste of time as the real attention is on the ridge that leads over MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. When I was there in 2005 I had clear views all around including across the flat land at the head of Dingle Bay towards the hills of the Dingle Peninsula, but it was west along the serrated ridge where my eyes were fixed.

Great mountains walks are ridge walks and a great one starts from Cnoc an Bhráca dipping briefly before climbing stony ground to the top of Cruach Mhór, which is distinctive due to a small grotto built at the summit that houses a small statue of the Virgin and Child. This is the first peak on the ridge above three thousand feet and beyond this point the ridge is particularly rough with some challenging scrambling required before the top of The Big Gun is reached. In 2005 the sunshine that I had enjoyed up to this point was obliterated as thick cloud enveloped the ridge robbing me of any views for the rest of the walk. A narrow arête continues the ridge to the highest point in the Eastern Reeks, Cnoc na Péiste, anglicised as Knocknapeasta. This is the fourth highest mountain in Ireland and the other three are not far away. When I was there in 2005 I was walking in clouds down a grassy ridge that had now widened providing me with a welcome rest after the rocky challenge and delights along the narrow ridge over The Big Gun. The ridge passes over Maolán Buí with little variation in height before reaching Cnoc an Chuillinn where a steep descent leads to the grassy mound of Cnoc na Toinne.

Another descent brings you to the lowest point on the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks ridge where most people, me included, would decide that they have had enough for the day, but the way down from there is known as the Devil’s Ladder and is a horrible gully full of loose stones and dirt. The difficulty is so legendary it is probably not as bad as feared and there are far worse places, but it is discouraged and the alternative is a zigzag path that climbs the northern slopes of Cnoc na Toinne, but since most people will have their eyes on Carrauntoohil the necessary re-ascent puts most people off this route. The western section of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks is best done from the west as I did in 2005 following Paddy Dillon’s directions starting from the road at the foot of a concrete track that climbs to Lough Eighter. This is the start of the Coumloughra Horseshoe, which is one of the greatest mountain walks in either Britain or Ireland. Taken in a clockwise direction the first peak is Cnoc Íochtair and points towards the ridge over Skregmore. In 2005, I emerged from the mist at this point into bright sunshine and the sight of a thermal inversion where clouds filled the valleys and hills appeared above the clouds like islands.

Religiously following Paddy Dillon’s directions I made my way towards the side peak of Knockbrinnea whose only virtue is excellent views of the Eastern Reeks, but the earlier valley fog had now lifted to obscure my view of the peaks. Returning to the proper mountains the horseshoe continues to the top of Beenkeragh, the second highest point in Ireland, and a proper mountain in every sense of the word. From the small rocky top a deliciously narrow ridge leads across the gap to the steep slopes of Carrauntoohil eventually reaching the large metal cross that sits upon the highest point in Ireland. The clouds that had plagued me earlier in my walk in 2005 had now gone and I was afforded with tremendous views particularly across the Eastern Reeks that I had walked over a couple of days before now clearly showing the peaks that had been thick with cloud when I had passed over them. Eventually I left the top of Carrauntoohil to walk along the narrow ridge that leads to Caher, the second highest peak in Ireland, but not before sitting on the grass at the bottom of the saddle with my legs stretched out towards the edge of the cliffs above Coumloughra with the small lakes in the valley below pointing towards the mountains of the Dingle Peninsula in the distance.

The final peak on the chain of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks is Caher, the third highest mountain in Ireland, and has a fine ridge with several tops, the eastern being the highest. When I was there in 2005 mist came down at this point obscuring my view, but I was still able to appreciate the walk over this great mountain. After passing over the western top long slopes took me all the way down to Lough Eighter, but before leaving I was treated to the fabulous view of the Coumloughra Horseshoe as the skies cleared again revealing the gorgeous view of the narrow ridge that circles this short valley. MacGillycuddy’s Reeks is an awesome range of mountains of sustained delight from Cruach Mhor at the start of the Eastern Reeks to the horseshoe ridge walk that includes the three highest mountains in Ireland. I have only been to this fabulous range of mountain once, but when I return to Ireland it surely must be a target.