Climb Carrauntoohil Howling Ridge

Climb Carrauntoohil Howling Ridge was an idea that came to me thanks to Piaras Kelly, who runs www.kerryclimbing.ie We met briefly in September of 2014 at the Crows Head Crossing where once I found out he was a guide I asked him about multi pitch routes on Carrauntoohil Ireland’s highest mountain. He told me about Howling Ridge and the plan was made with John Houlihan and myself doing our first route together in almost thirty years.

Watch the Video Climb Carrauntoohil Howling Ridge

I had to ride my bike from Allihies to Kenmare with a rucksack to meet up with John and his camper van. We drove onto Kilarney and then to the car park at Lisleibane. We set off at 12:30 to walk into the start of the climb. Just before the start there is an emergency hut where we stopped for a bite to eat. We then scrambled up a groove called the “Heavenly Gates” where you arrive at the start of “Howling Ridge”. The climb is rated at V-Diff which would have been very easy for us back in the day. We had a little bit of looking around to find the start and then roped up for the climb which finishes just a few metres from the summit.

We had a thirty metre 10mm rope two lightweight harnesses and a small rack of gear, with some handy long slings. We wanted to carry as little as possible.

Climb Carrauntoohil Howling Ridge, most of the time we moved together Alpine style as we were both happy with the exposure and the difficulty of the climb. John lead maybe three sections with me belaying him, and then to his disgust I suggested once I reached him the third time that I would lead on through. He passed me his gear and I carried on doing the crux of the climb….

Saying that, as he came up I filmed him so he pretty much soloed it anyway. We made it to the summit of the mountain in an hour and thirty minutes. Both arriving at the highest point in Ireland together, also both for the first time. It was a beautiful day and we stayed there maybe thirty minutes talking to a few other people who had walked up.

I think the climb was a great way of getting to the top, and if you have a head for exposure is probably less tiring than walking up. Indeed I found the walk down “Brother O’Sheas” hard work on my knees and it took three hours from top to get back to the van.

If you fancy doing this climb but feel unsure of your expertise give Piaras Kelly a shout, look up his details at www.kerryclimbing.ie

Climb Carrauntoohil Howling Ridge

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Near the end of the Howling Ridge
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The Summit of Carrauntoohil
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Beautiful mountain
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The sign that greets you at the top of the Howling Ridge, indeed not a good way to try and go down

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Lost in Schull

Lost in Schull with Caillte a short film set on the Beara Peninsula West Cork Ireland. This film was accepted into the Fastnet Short Film Festival for 2015. Our first attempt at Film competition. There were lots of great films there from all over the world, some on big budgets, but many like ours were shot on a Zero Euro Production…

We had the pleasure of going for two days of the festival and met some interesting people. It was also great to be able to judge your own level of filming by comparing with other films that we saw. I guess we saw about thirty of all the films there.

Watch our Short Film “Caillte”

Lost in Schull

FSFF-Carina - Copy

Innocent bystanders… enjoying a few drinks between films

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Finbarr Harrington shows up at the opening party, had a great chat

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Len and Sabine

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Pauline and the Mayor etc

Pauline did a great job along with the other members of the team, thanks. Well we did not win the event but we had a great time and will almost certainly try and go one better for next year. So Lost in Schull because we did not win and Caillte means Lost in Irish…

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Henry Girls High Tide Club

Henry Girls High Tide Club at the Sarah Walker Gallery, what a great performance the audience had the pleasure of listening to. Great chat from the girls too between the songs. The Henry Girls will go far we hope and best wishes on the TV next weekend.

The High Tide Club is part of the Sarah Walker Gallery in Castletownbere and they do their utmost best to give us great music regularly throughout the year.

Watch Some Videos Here from the gig

Henry Girls High Tide Club

Henry Girls High Tide Club

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The Sarah Walker Gallery link here

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