Background
In 1891, Hugh Munro compiled a list of Scotland's 282 peaks above 3,000ft (914m). Known as the Munro's, they vary from simple walks to roped climbs like The Inaccessible Pinnacle. The Scottish Mountaineering Club credit 7,098 people with summiting them all as of 2023. The first was Archie Robertson in 1901, with his 12 year journey detailed in a biography; The First Munroist.
Ireland has 13 such mountains, often called The Irish Munro's, but technically called Furth's as they're outside Scotland, or just Three-Thousanders. These peaks are on four Mountain ranges: The Wicklow Mountains, The Galty Mountains, The MacGillycuddy's Reeks and the Brandon Group. Those ranges are all in a straight line across the country, along the Iapetus Suture, where two land masses collided to form Ireland 470 Million years ago. This unique geological coincidence aligns them perfectly for a speed challenge.
55km of hiking, 3,700m of elevation gain, plus 6hrs of driving between. I reckoned with a fast pace (and some running), that it just might be possible within 24hrs. No one had ever managed this in one self supported day before, but after great success hiking the County Tops in a similar way, I was sure we could be the first. I just needed to convince a team mate.
The Sub 48hr Attempt
Sean Ennis & I planned to make it happen in June 2022. I had been hiking and running all year so I felt ready, but we ended up changing it to a two day challenge last minute. This was the right decision for Sean, and ultimately proved useful to try the route in full daylight. Two days is probably what I'd recommend to others looking at this challenge also. It was rewardingly tough, but still fun, with none of the delirious hallucinations of a 24hr attempt.
We started with Lugnaquilla, then Galty Mór and camped at the base of Carrauntoohil. The second day was longer, with a specific loop around the Macgillycuddy Reeks, before finishing with Mount Brandon. Tough terrain and long drives made it far from easy, so I was proud and happy to have finished it. In a way it felt like this might tick the box for me having hiked them all, but deep down I knew a time would come for another attempt.
The Sub 24hr Attempt
Jamie Fennell and I were ready when we got a perfect weather window in July 2023. We had both done recent trail marathons (three in three days in his case), and we knew nothing would stop us. We targeted one calendar day, meaning we start at the carpark of Lugnaquilla at midnight on Friday, and had to be back at the carpark of Mount Brandon before midnight on Saturday.
After work we loaded his van with food and water, then at 10:00pm drove to Wicklow. There was a nervous anticipation while we sat at the start, waiting for midnight. Outside was a howling wind and a jet black night. We had warm clothes in our running vests, and head torches on while counting down the final seconds. Let's go!
Most of the first climb was surprisingly calm and nice. The wet sections were bad as always but we trudged through, and had nice views of city lights in the distance. Things took a turn as we moved into a stormy fog, where we were blown over by hurricane winds and pelting rain. It was so dense we couldn't see each others shining headtorches from 20 meters away, let alone the famously elusive summit. We ran to stay warm and eventually found it, taking a quick photo and running all the way back down before we froze. We were back in the van at 2:45am.
After two hours of driving, and with new socks on, we started up the Black Road to Galty Mór at 5:00am. This is my local and favourite mountain, so I felt at home. It was dark and cloudy but cleared as we reached the col for an amazing sunrise. We stopped to take photos, but were making amazing time so pushed on. With some running we managed to touch the cross after 57mins 30s, a new record for me at the time, and were back in the van before 7:00am. In that moment it was already worth it because of that sunrise.
It was a long drive to Killarney where we stopped in Lidl for lunch. We wasted no time getting to Lisleibane carpark, and with our bags full of fresh pastries we set off at 10:00am. This is a difficult route which needs daylight and good weather to do safely, so I was delighted with the conditions we had. We veered off the main trail, following a stream upwards to a small lake. Then a long scramble brought us to the grotto on top of our first summit; Cruach Mhór.
From there it was windy, but mostly clear as we ticked off the next few. The Big Gun and Cnoc na Péiste have some tough scrambles which are the crux of the day. We put away our poles and used our hands to climb over and around steep ridges, looking down the cliffs to the lakes below.
From there it eases to grassy hills, which are great to run on and have no risk of falling. We moved quickly across Maolán Bui, Cnoc an Chuillin and Cnoc an Chuillin (East Top); the unofficial 14th peak whose prominence was 1 meter too short to count as a Munro. We made sure to get a photo there for completion sake as we ran across the rolling ridge.
When we passed the top of the devils ladder there were 50+ people there, moving in slow herds up Carrauntoohil. We ran past them and detoured out the Coomloughra Ridge to climb up the surprisingly steep peaks of Caher and Caher West. The wind was insane out here, especially in specific spots where it seemed to funnel or make eddy's. We got back as quickly as we could to once again pass the herd and reach Ireland's highest point; Carrauntoohil.
Thick clouds were rolling in so we moved quickly, knowing we needed good conditions for the next one. Within minutes we had the poles put away again and were clambering up the jagged peak of The Bones. It's slow and intense in places, especially on the tiny summit. After climbing down that, it was a final push up Beenkeragh to mark the last summit of this loop. Just Mount Brandon left.
Physically we both felt great at this point, but mentally I was tired. The descent from Beenkeragh is by far the worst part of the day, side-stepping through rock fields with no nice route. It was here I had my first hallucinations, seeing lichen on rocks as detailed cartoon drawings. When we finally got back on the path I could have cried with happiness. I did kiss the trail, and smiled the whole way back to the van. We were driving away at 6:00pm.
This final drive was a tough one, made possible by double espressos and Jamie being a superhuman. We had been eating all day but stuffed down any remaining pasta and bars for extra energy before setting off towards a stormy Mount Brandon at 7:45pm. It was getting dark now and was a gloomy, miserable, slog of a climb. Jamie would have ran more, but I needed to walk and he was nice enough to chat with me through it. I felt more energetic for the steepest parts, which always seems to be the case, and when it levelled off on top we both ran the final ridge to the summit.
We descended fast as the wind and rain intensified. We were both having the same hallucinations now, seeing signs and fence posts as vivid people staring back at us. I kept seeing 100's of dogs along the trailside too. It was funny more than anything, both of us aware they weren't real. We sprinted fast for the final stretch to the carpark, touching the van to stop the clock at 10:53pm. It was so surreal to not only have proven this possible, but beaten the goal by over an hour.
It was the next day before any of it really set in. This experience and how it felt is near impossible to describe, so I'm glad to have shared it with Jamie. It wouldn't have been possible without him, laughing alongside me, never breaking a sweat, and never shying away from the wind, rain or cliffs. I feel so proud of this achievement, having dreamt about it for years before being able to make it happen. An amazing day that allows me to say for certain; that box is well and truly ticked!
13 Peaks - The Irish Munro's
Current Self Supported Record: 22hrs 53mins 33s
Jamie Fennell & Brian O'Mahony
29th July 2023
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