Spring & Summer 2011 - Killarney

Spring & Summer 2011 Are Barreling Towards Us Here In Killarney...

Outdoors Ireland, My Instructor Team & I are well and truly into our sixth year of operation at this stage. It's been a fantastic six years with a steep learning curve and some unforgettable experiences on our mountains, sandstone cliffs and pristine glaciated lakes.


We were gifted with incredible winter mountaineering conditions in Kerry's MacGillycuddy Reeks, Ireland's Highest Mountains, throughout December 2010...

Dave Roche and I spent most days between December 1st to 23rd either working or playing on Carrauntoohil, in places such as Curve, Central and O'Shea's Gullies; or further off in the MacGillycuddy Reeks, doing roped ascents of Cummeenagearagh Gully or traverses of Beenkeragh Ridge. During this period you could have easily have been mistaken for thinking you were Scottish Winter Mountaineering or Alpine Climbing!


After Christmas we continued our Mountain Skills 1 and Mountain Skills 2 Training Courses, run in both Kerry and Wicklow. Dave and Tadhg Boyden took on running most of these map reading & navigation courses, while I spent my days office-bound.

Our Kerry MS Courses are now run from Reeks Lodge, our new operations base, which is working extremely well - in fact on the first day we use the hills immediately around Reeks Lodge meaning there's no driving and maximum time spent on the hills.


Howling Ridge has been generating interest, with Dave and I running Howling Ridge Weekends, covering scrambling skills & rope work on Day One, followed by a roped ascent of Howling Ridge on Day Two.

Cormac Looney from the Evening Herald joined us for one of these climbs. Here's the article he wrote.


Over the past months, taking advantage of the quieter time of year, I've been working on a new website - which is now live - and coming up with different ideas to generate more bookings. We've also compiled a range of, much more in-depth, local information about the areas from where we run our Kayak Tours, Rock Climbing Trips and Carrantuohill Climbs; allowing us to properly share with people much more of the area's legends, stories and history!


The past month has seen me hiking across Ireland with Lucy The Goat and Cara The Dog, in search of the Irish Welcome.
Here's a recent RTE2 TV Program we featured on.


This week seems to herald the approaching summer season in Kerry, with enquiries coming in for our Kayak Tours on the Lakes of Killarney and our Killarney Sunset Kayak Trips.

Our new fleet of Dagger Blackwater Kayaks have their first trip on the water this Friday, with a morning trip across Lough Lein, exploring limestone caves and landing on Innisfallen Island & Abbey. Later in the week they have their first Laune River Kayak Trip of 2011, with Catherine Mac from the Irish Times!


Within the next two weeks my instructor team will be meeting for a day to plan for the summer; look at how we can continue improving and offering more value to our customers; and importantly have a couple of pints and chill out with each other, which is something we don't get to do often enough.


Looking ahead for the next few months we will be focusing on adventure activities such as our Day-Time & Sunset Kayaking, Rock Climbing in the Gap of Dunloe, Guided Climbs of Carrauntoohil, Two-Day Learn to Rock Climb Courses and Summer Solstice Night Climb of Carrauntoohil...


There's a great atmosphere in Killarney, Dingle and West Cork at the moment, with a lot of people I speak to looking forward to a vibrant, busy summer and great weather, although I'm sure we'll have a couple of wet and windy weeks thrown into the mix; it wouldn't be Ireland otherwise!