Andy kirkpatrick visit to Cork raises €864 for Kerry Mountain Rescue Team!!!

A massive thanks to everyone that came to see Andy Kirkpatrick on his "Cold Wars" book tour visit to Cork. Andy was in top form with some crazy stories about his climbs in the Alps and his more recent solo attempt of the infamous Troll wall in Norway. There was a fantastic turnout  for the evening estimated at 150+!!!

 We are delighted to say that the evening raised the grand total of €864 for Kerry Mountain Rescue Team!!! Not bad eh!!!

KerryClimbing with Andy Kirkpatrick

Once more a huge thanks to UCC Mountaineering Club for providing the venue and all the retailers and suppliers that donated prizes - Hillwalkers, 53 Degrees North, Paul Innes from Edelrid, Cascade Designs, Mahers Outdoor Shop and Stephen Pearse Pottery.

Next up is "The Realms of Chaos"...An evening of wild Adventures -Iain Miller
Put it in the diary!!!







An Evening With Andy Kirkpatrick hosted by KerryClimbing

KerryClimbing are delighted to host Andy Kirkpatrick on his Cold Wars book tour to Cork!!!

Andy has a reputation for seeking out climbing routes where the danger is real, and the return is questionable, pushing himself on some of the hardest walls and faces in the Alps and beyond. He was born and raised on a council estate in Hull, one of the flattest cities in the UK, and suffered from severe dyslexia, which went undiagnosed until he was 19. Thriving on this apparent adversity, Andy transformed himself into one of the worlds most driven and accomplished climbers, and an award-winning writer.

Cold Wars charts a period of his career where he became drawn into increasingly high-risk climbs as Andy relives his 15-day winter ascent of the Dru in the Alps and the first winter ascent of the East face of Mermoz, Patagonia. As his brother is drawn into the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, Andy juggles family life with an almost compulsive obsession with climbing the most difficult and dangerous winter routes he can find on the planet.

A gripping account of modern adventure from the UK’s only “stand-up” mountaineer.

“Gut-wrenching, entertaining and challenging - appeals to the adventurer in all of us” The Guardian

Andy is quite simply hilarious and appeals to climbers and non- climbers alike.

Tickets on the door €10 and €8 for students with card.
Proceeds will go to the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team.

Andy will be happy to sign any books on the night.

Date and Venue: Friday 9th December Boole Theatre 1 UCC Campus, Cork at 7.30pm (Doors open from 7.00pm)

Show Length: Varies depending on venue (90 - 100 minutes)

*Contains strong language and adult content
Contact: E: info@kerryclimbing P: 0877440523 or 0879323527 for more info.

Raffle on the night with fantastic prizes including  a €200 voucher for 53 Degrees North - DMM Harness, Chalk bag and belay device( Viper Pack ) from Hillwalkers - NeoAir Therma Rest sleeping mat from Cascade Design -, Harness from Edelrid - and more to be confirmed... Very grateful to all that have donated prizes - Thank you !

Special thanks to U.C.C Mountaineering club for providing the venue.....

Wet and Wild weekend of KerryClimbing !!!

Here are some smiling faces despite the fairly "soft" weather that Blackrock Walking Club had for their Full day Intro Rock Climbing course with KerryClimbing.  It was a very enjoyable day, if at times wet but we all had a good laugh and still got plenty of climbing and tuition in !!!

The rain eased off for the following day spent in The Gap of Dunloe also, with Dave, from London having a Full day Rock Climbing tuition to prepare for his ascent of Corrán Tuathail by Howling Ridge the next day.  The weather forecasters got it a bit wrong ( how unusual eh !!!! ) and we ascended in sidewards rain - but Dave was still blown away by this great route up Ireland's highest....so well done Dave!!!

What we have been up to....

Well summer is slowly drawing to a close, (though some will say it never really began!!),and people may be thinking that KerryClimbing will be taking it nice and easy for the Autumn and winter months...Not a chance!!!

We already have plenty of bookings for the months ahead for various grades of ascents of Corrán Tuathail and others...

We guide ALL the mountains of  Munster ALL year round.....Of course now that the days are getting shorter,our walks,scrambles and climbs begin a wee bit earlier but don't let this put you off!!!!

These next few months are a magic time to get into the hills....The mountains are great deal more peaceful and quiet as they are free of the summer crowds....

It is common not to meet another soul while out  walking or climbing which helps you appreciate the wild and rugged scenery all the more....Another bonus is how clear and fresh the days can be!!!The views are alot less hazy and so photographs are clearer and have more clarity...

And then, when the cold North East winds bring the frosts and snows......YIPPPPPEEEEE...Happy Days....

So don't think we will be taking a break or slowing down...Nothing changes but the season!!!

Guided Corrán Tuathail climb for 22...

On the 14th of August just gone, we guided 22 staff of "Lee strand co-op creamery" of Tralee to the top of Ireland's highest....21 of them for their first time!!!

The group were raising funds for a great local charity in Tralee which provides a bus service between Tralee and Cork city for people receiving cancer treatment and support.

We climbed the mountain via the straight-forward "Devil's Ladder" route and descended by the "Zig-Zags".....Heavy showers which were forecast never came and everyone made it to the summit and were rewarded for their toil and effort  with the spectacular views from the roof of Ireland!!!

After celebrating their achievement with a wee sip of champagne which was produced from a someones laden ruc-sac we began our descent. Half-way down the Zig-Zag track the group witnessed at first hand the great work done by Kerry Mountain Rescue team and the Coast-guard helicopter as the rescue of an injured walker un-folded on the slopes of Corrán Tuathail just across the glen from us...With the rescue over and with the casualty winched to safety the chopper flew off and we continued our descent into the glen....

6 hours after leaving we returned to Cronins yard and with sore legs and happy hearts we slapped backs for a fantastic day and a job well done!!!!

I still don't know of the total monies raised but congratulations to all on a successful and enjoyable days climb....

We finally introduce our Intro Rock-climbing courses...

Yippee!!!........ After a long wait we are delighted to finally be able to roll out our Intro rock-climbing courses...These will take place in various locations in both Kerry and East Cork...In Kerry they will be held in the magnificent "Gap of Dunloe",a ten minute drive from Killarney.This is an area of outstanding beauty and ambience and is one of the best places for rock-climbing in the whole of Ireland!!!

In East cork our courses will be taking place on the spectacular sea cliffs of "Knockadoon head",a twenty minute drive east of Midleton and also at another indoor venue still to be finalised....

Our comprehensive climbing course is suitable for both novices who may want to further their skills and beginners wanting to take their first steps in becoming a proficient and competent rock climber. This course is great for those interested in pursuing this exhilarating sport or those simply wanting to have some fun!!! On this climbing course we cover the following: *Belaying basics. *Bouldering. *Knots and basic ropework. *Movement and technique. *Specialist equipment use and limitations. *Route and grading systems. *Basic safety. *Abseiling . *First steps to lead climbing and setting up safe belays. *Plenty of climbing! Price: €75 pp

A busy few weeks of Kerry Climbing...

The mixed bag that is our Irish summer hasn't deterred walkers and climbers alike from getting out and making the most of the our magnificent mountains and hills.A massive congrats and a very well done to all the first time ascentionists of Corrán Tuathail in particular.We have had days of Torrential rain accompanied by savage winds followed by days of summer sunshine and sun-burnt faces.. Even though the views have been somewhat "disappointing"at times to say the least, the reward has always been worth the effort none the less...

We have guided all manner of routes recently,from steep roped climbs like the classic "Howling ridge" to the spectacular and long treks of "O'Sheas"  and Caher...We have guided the Easy to the Exhausting!!!We have had scorchio days on Torc and saturated days on Purple mountain...But when the day has ended,the legs are again rested, and the belly is  fed and watered,you can be content in the feeling of truly having experienced the adventure of Kerry...

We have plenty more fantastic adventures and climbs planned for the rest of July so have a look at some of the dates(posted on the left) and see does one suit... if it doesn't please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you on a day that suits you better....