4 peaks

Rcfp

Hi, first time poster so please be gentle.

Am a leader with the scouts in Meath and am interested in pulling together a group from our troop to complete the 4 peaks in Ireland over the course of a weekend. Would love any tips from the knowledge base on these treads.

Cheers Rob

acorn

You'll find most of the info you need for the four peaks challenge here http://www.focusireland.ie/index.php/get-involved/take-part-in-an-event/upcoming-events/the-four-peaks-challenge/faqs#a4

BUT (and this is just my humble opinion) you should put some thought into your challenge. "Doing" the four peaks in one weekend involves a huge amount of time in the car, covering a total of about 800 miles, while tearing up the mountains by the quickest, busiest and often most eroded route.

Alternatively, you could make it your challenge for 2012 to do the four peaks, but spend a weekend in each area. So many possibilities, new routes to explore, wild camping, navigation practice, a bit of custom for the local hostels and shops. You will get the opportunity to get to know the mountain ranges well, not just a smash and grab, and have time to enjoy all that the mountains have to offer.

That's my two ha'pence worth but whatever you decide, enjoy and be safe.

hmmm

Acorn's right. Having a bunch of wrecked, half asleep people racing around the country in a car is not a good idea.

If you've a bunch of scouts who perhaps aren't experienced & don't have great gear, even one of those mountains is going to be an enjoyable challenge for them.

Rcfp

Thanks for the feedback. Its really appreciated.It will be 15+experienced hikers ranging age. Will be driven around by bus.. We are doing it as a fund raising exercise and therefore would like to keep costs like hostels out of the equation.

A rough timeline would be along the lines:


Scouts attempt at climbing 4 peaks in one stretch 

5am saturday
Leave bettystown 
7 am
Lugnaquilla 5 hours
12pm
Drive to Kerry 4hr30mins
4:30 pm 
Climb Carrauntoohil 7 hours
11:30 pm 
Leave for mweelrea 4hr30mins
4:00am
Climb mweelrea 4hr30mins
8:30am
leave for slieve donard 5hrs10 mins
2:30sunday
Climb final mountain slieve donard
7:30 pm
Arrive back in bettystown 

Krusty_Clown

Apart from the immense physical challenge (of climbing four peaks in a little over 38 hours), the danger of climbing Carrauntoohil and Mweelrea at night (when very tired) should not be underestimated.
What kind of age range?
Why are you trying to do it in two days?
Sounds a little hair-brained in my opinion.

Longranger

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Apart from the immense physical challenge (of climbing four peaks in a little over 38 hours), the danger of climbing Carrauntoohil and Mweelrea at night (when very tired) should not be underestimated.
What kind of age range?
Why are you trying to do it in two days?
Sounds a little hair-brained in my opinion.

+1. Doesn't sound to clever to me TBH. I can't speak for Carrauntoohil as I have never done it at night but be very careful if climbing Mweelrea in darkness. It is very easy to got lost and the ground is dodgy as hell,and if you take a wrong turn near the ramp,or for that matter the top,you might get back down a thousand times quicker than you would like to:eek:!!!
I don't doubt your,or your groups experience,but I can speak from my own,as I have spent many cold,wet and dangerous nights on Mweelrea and other mountains in the area trying to locate lost hikers,and unfortunately,not always successfully. If you are determined to do it,good luck,but just be extra careful,I'm fairly certain you don't want to tell a parent that their kid got hurt(or worse) on your watch.
Juat my two cents
LR;)

Slogger Jogger

I'd second those posts. Tireness would be a huge factor. I did a hill race on Mweelrea last summer. Our route was from the beach-head on the Atlantic and was relatively straightforward, but it was windy as hell near the summit and the path is very narrow and precarious up there. Vertigo inducing. Actually the one on Carrauntoohill near the top is similar from the Caher side. So both very dodge. And thats when you have relative mental and physical freshness. More care less speed I reckon.

In addition, on the many occasions I've been near Mweelrea I've rarely seen it under a clear sky. It seems to attract cloud.