How high is Carrauntoohil really?

1,038.6 m, or 3,407 ft, is the standard figure and the one I'd use.

You will also see 1,040 m and 1,041 m quoted, including by some large travel sites. The difference is rounding and survey vintage rather than genuine dispute. If a page tells you 1,083 m, that's a typo for 1,038.

The Devil's Ladder is not a path

This is the part people underestimate, and it's why Carrauntoohil has a reputation.

The Devil's Ladder is a steep gully and the most direct line to the summit, which is why it's sometimes called the tourist route. That name is misleading. A century of boots and Kerry rain has stripped it to loose, shifting stone. Kerry Mountain Rescue and every serious guide describe it as badly eroded and unstable.

The specific danger is rockfall from people above you. I was warned about this before I went, and it happened: the group ahead of me dislodged rocks that came down past me. If the gully is busy, leave real space between yourself and whoever is in front, and don't climb directly beneath anyone.

In rain it becomes a waterfall. In ice it's worse. Both make descending it considerably more dangerous than climbing it.

It took me 50 minutes to get up the Ladder. A local told me I'd do it in 20, which I'd take as a measure of how much easier it is for people who climb it constantly, not as a target.

I'll be straight about this: I had prior hillwalking experience and I had a perfect, still, clear day. Standing at the top of the Ladder I thought that without that experience there would have been no way I'd have got up it safely. If you don't have hill experience, take a guide or take a different route.

Come down a different way

The standard advice, and what I did, is to go up the Devil's Ladder and descend by the Zig-Zags, which sit to the east. The eroded gully is far more dangerous to go down than to come up, which is why a lot of walkers now avoid down-climbing it entirely.

Kerry Mountain Rescue's warning is worth quoting plainly: there are no safe descent routes to the north, north-east, east or south-east of the summit. The summit is ringed by steep ground and people get into trouble by walking off in the wrong direction in cloud. Rescue have installed danger signs at the top for exactly this reason.

That's why the map and compass in my iceberg tip aren't decorative. Getting off the summit on the correct bearing is the crux of the whole day in poor visibility, and phone reception is unreliable up there.

The main routes up Carrauntoohil

• Devil's Ladder from Cronin's Yard. Roughly 12 km round trip, 4 to 6 hours. Shortest and most direct. Loose and eroded.

• Zig-Zags, also from Hag's Glen. The usual descent, and a gentler ascent option.

• Brother O'Shea's Gully. Longer, more scenic, some easy scrambling and real route-finding. Allow about 6 hours.

• Coomloughra Horseshoe / Caher route. The long day, taking in Ireland's second and third highest peaks. The best walk of the lot and the most committing.

Kerry Mountain Rescue publish full route descriptions and are the source I'd trust over any travel blog, including this one.

Getting there and where to stay

Cronin's Yard is the standard start point, signposted off the Killarney to Killorglin road, then several kilometres of narrow lanes. It's private pay-and-display with a tea room, toilets and camping. Lisleibane is a quieter alternative nearby.

Note that some map apps put the Devil's Ladder pin on the wrong side of the mountain. Navigate to Cronin's Yard specifically.

Without a car: I stayed at the Black Sheep Hostel in Killarney, an eco hostel with chickens, compost and a garden, which was 19 euros for a bed in a four-bed dorm. Then I walked the 24 km from Killarney to Cronin's Yard through rural Kerry as a warm-up and camped at the yard. That's not the efficient way to do it, but it made a good day out of what would otherwise have been a taxi.

Food for the whole trip cost me 11 euros and lasted three or four meals.

Dogs are not permitted on Carrauntoohil. Access depends on landowner goodwill, so this one matters.

What to take

• Proper boots. Not trainers. The loose ground in the gully is the reason.

• Map and compass, and the ability to use them. Harvey's 1:30,000 MacGillycuddy's Reeks or the OSI 1:25,000 sheet.

• Waterproofs and warm layers regardless of the forecast. The Reeks are exposed and close to the Atlantic, and a summer summit can feel like winter.

• Food and plenty of water.

• Expect no phone signal.

Trekking poles are genuinely useful on the descent.

Is it worth it?

Yes, and it was the best day of the project so far.

But I got lucky with the weather in a way that's rare on that mountain, and clear views from the summit are the exception rather than the rule. The people were the memorable part: everyone I passed on the way up was encouraging, and I met someone near the top and walked the whole descent with her.

Go, but go prepared, and pick your day rather than your date.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest mountain in Ireland?

Carrauntoohil, at 1,038 m (3,407 ft), in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks in County Kerry.

How long does it take to climb Carrauntoohil?

The Devil's Ladder route is around 12 km return and typically takes 4 to 6 hours. It took me 3 hours up and 3 hours down, including stops.

Is Carrauntoohil dangerous?

It's the most rescued mountain in Ireland. The Devil's Ladder is loose and prone to rockfall, and the summit is surrounded by steep ground with no safe descent to the north, north-east, east or south-east. It's safe with experience, navigation skills and reasonable weather, and genuinely hazardous without them.

Can a beginner climb Carrauntoohil?

Not via the Devil's Ladder unsupported. A fit beginner can do it with a guide, or on a gentler route in good conditions. If you've never used a map and compass on a hill, go with someone who has.

What's the easiest route up Carrauntoohil?

The Zig-Zags are the gentlest of the standard routes and the usual descent line. The Devil's Ladder is the shortest but not the easiest.

Do you need a guide?

Not legally, and not if you're an experienced hillwalker. Strongly recommended if you're not.

Do you need a permit?

No. Access is free and depends on landowner goodwill, so stay on the paths and leave no trace. Dogs are not permitted.

Where do you park for Carrauntoohil?

Cronin's Yard is the main start point, with pay-and-display parking, a tea room, toilets and camping. Lisleibane is a quieter alternative.

Can you climb Carrauntoohil solo?

I did, and plenty of people do. It requires that you can navigate independently, that you've told someone your plan, and that you're honest with yourself about turning back.

Is there phone signal on Carrauntoohil?

Largely no. Don't plan on your phone as your navigation or your safety net.

Peak 4 of The Peak Project: climbing the highest point in every country in Europe.