The team are climbing Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo this coming Sunday, September 9th, commencing from 10:30. “There will be six or seven of us from the Dublin to Mayo tractor run taking part in it.” He continued. Known locally as “the Reek”, it’s scaled by thousands each year on Reek Sunday, the last Sunday in July, with some of the more devout tackling the 7km pilgrim trail and 750m climb barefoot. For photo purposes we resorted to taking turns of the sunnies in question. It took us about 45 minutes to complete. It was on September 3rd, when we got to Ireland, and the weather was rainy and windy, not the most ideal time to climb, it being the beginning of the fall weather in Ireland. We headed from Belfast in the early hours and landed to Croagh Patrick early to get stuck into the climb. Caroline Monks €10 10 mos; Anonymous €20 10 mos; Patrique Biggs €10 10 mos; … We headed from Belfast in the early hours and landed to Croagh Patrick early to get stuck into the climb. The weekend begins with Garland Friday, which is celebrated mostly by local people. St. Patrick statue greets pilgrims at the first Croagh Patrick station. The centre and cafe aren't open but there is a small kiosk shop. We won't be taking to the stage but have decided to climb Croagh Patrick on February 15th ( the stage could have been easier!). Is Croagh Patrick hard to climb? A hard 10 minutes of climbing can result in moving very little and you can begin to feel like you’re going nowhere. Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain, is located in County Mayo, on the west coast of the country. This section starts off gradually, but gets very steep in places . Moving to the edge of the mountain, we all took a few moments to enjoy being on top of the mountain, and just at that moment, the clouds parted to give us a brief view of the entirety of Clew Bay and all 100 islands. At the bottom of the mountain, you are immediately greeted by a statue of the man himself – Saint Patrick. To keep the belly rumbles to a minimum, bring snacks or a packed lunch, and have a good breakfast wherever you’re staying. Thank you so much in advance. If you climb Croagh Patrick early it gives you some time to go home, shower, take a must needed nap and you will still have plenty of time to go out and explore Westport. Welcome to the West! The weather was changing quickly and it was very chilly and windy on top, the loose rocks were somewhat difficult to navigate. Section one leads from the car park to the shoulder of the mountain. Check out our UPCOMING TRIPS. Croagh Patrick is 5 miles from the picturesque town of Westport and its conical shape soars majestically above the surrounding countryside. The trouble started almost as soon as … As you find a rhythm and become more surefooted you start enjoying that outdoor feeling of a physical challenge awakening your body, mind and soul while having the craic with your friends. Read more. “We are kicking off at half past ten at the bottom of the reek.” John explained. As we reached the bottom, no one had to say anything. Thankfully I had a tank top on as my base layer and I was able to strip off and cool down. You can climb Mount Elbrus in May and October in short, we do not recommend it. Chewy Gluten-Free Cookies from Betty Crocker, 6 Ways to Get Alcohol in Dublin on Good Friday, My Irish Bucket List: 20 Things I Want to Do in Ireland, A Typical Northbound River Shannon Cruising Itinerary, Family Staycation with Silver Line Cruisers, Family Staycation Right in the Heart of Galway City. Croagh Patrick is believed to have held significance, even before Christian times, as a pagan pilgrimage route. It actually added an adventurous energy to the day and made the hike ahead seem more challenging. Elfyn Jones of the British Mountaineering Council carried out a survey of the mountain when he visited there at … Phone, DSLR or GoPro whatever it may be make sure it’s fully charged. All our hotels and guesthouses do slap-up Irish breakfasts, with all the trimmings. My legs were burning, my heart was racing and I sounded like a steam train the majority of the hike. Croagh Patrick: Well worth the very hard climb - See 768 traveller reviews, 779 candid photos, and great deals for County Mayo, Ireland, at Tripadvisor. If anyone ever told you it was a walk in the park, they were telling spoofs. Climbing Croagh Patrick (or 'The Reek' as the locals call it) is not for the faint-hearted or unfit. Finally, after 30 minutes of hard climbing, the ground finally flattens out and through the clouds you see the famous church of Saint Patrick. Hard but worth it.. Im writing this review for the ppl that would like to climb Croagh Patrick but are unsure if they r fit for it. You’d be dying of thirst. Coats were removed, hats were taken off, and halfway up the mountain, we started feeling that fresh air, energy and feeling alive as we neared the top of the Holy Mountain. Get Hot & Healthy in Westport this Winter, Why I Gave up my 6-Digit Salary, Moved to Westport and Joined the Middle Way Project. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! This allowed me a lovely little opportunity to regale my English friends with tales of history and legend around the iconic figure that is Saint Patrick and of the relationship of him as a saint to the holy mountain of Croagh Patrick. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In honour of St. Patrick we climbed Croagh Patrick – we also celebrated my friend’s birthday in Westport. The last 30 minutes of climbing Croagh Patrick is where it gets tricky. As a priest from the local parish in Murrisk who … We stayed in the Westport Woods Hotel & Spa which is situated only minutes from Westport town centre and about 10/15 minutes from the Croagh Patrick, car park. Welcome to The Middle Way Hostel! In my case it took about 2.5 hours up and 2 hours down. He explained: “It’s always a risk to climb Croagh Patrick because it’s a bit hard to predict the weather. We had to take little pit stops every 20 minutes or so to recoup. Donate Share. The Middle Way Hostel will be situated right next to the Westport Railway Station. The tricky upper slopes require good fitness and flexibility (and a head for heights!). Much to our surprise, the clouds seemed to part more, and the day started to warm up. Some Catholics performing penance, do this hike barefoot to this day. The climb is always worth undertaking for the spectacular views. It’s around now I think we all found a new gear as we pushed passed physical exhaustion into excitement as we thought we were near the top. Here are my top tips for climbing Croagh Patrick. It will be Westport’s largest Hostel and a unique place offering guests a sense of inner-peace and adventure. Powered by WordPress. It is one of the highest peaks in the West of Ireland. Answer 1 of 10: I spend time in Ireland every year and love it. It’s pure nature all the way. You should stick to the better months to climb. The lush greens of spring and summer were quickly turning to the grayer greens and a russet browns of … The mountain is very difficult to climb as there is a small rivulet running down the hill so surface is very slippery and there are big stones everywhere. Learn how your comment data is processed. If like me u think it must b ok if they have a pilgrimage up it. Monter au sommet de Croagh Patrick afin de soutenir la recherche contre le cancer du sein. Willie McLoughlin from Castlebar on Croagh Patrick … By the time we reached the summit we were famished. It just so happened to be the hottest day of the year and we were all sweatin’. Some of the girls were wearing long sleeve sports tops as their base so they were roasting. I’m not going to lie, the morning we woke to tackle the Holy Mountain of Croagh Patrick the sky was not looking good. Lüt from Germany! (We weren’t). There is a chapel, some signage and on certain days a man selling soft drinks at the top of the mountain. The views from the top are spectacular. My brother & a group of people did a charity cycle from Galway to Croagh Patrick, climbed Croagh Patrick & then cycled back to Galway... would love to do it but get dizzy if am up too high .. Answer Save. Oh and bring a selfie stick for the group shot. Follow us on our year long journey to open Ireland’s best hostel! Croagh Patrick (Irish: Cruach Phádraig, meaning "(Saint) Patrick's Stack"), nicknamed the Reek, is a 764 m (2,507 ft) mountain and an important site of pilgrimage in Mayo, Ireland.It is 8 km (5 mi) from Westport, above the villages of Murrisk and Lecanvey.It is the fourth highest mountain in Mayo on the international P600 listing after Mweelrea, Nephin and Barrclashcame. Reek Sunday usually brings thousands of pilgrims - many of them barefoot - to climb Croagh Patrick each year. 8 Answers. Croagh Patrick is the legendary mountain St. Patrick is said to have climbed barefoot and where he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Val Dempsey (73) who has been climbing Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday for more than 30 years. Book your tickets online for Croagh Patrick, County Mayo: See 769 reviews, articles, and 775 photos of Croagh Patrick, ranked No.15 on Tripadvisor among 190 attractions in County Mayo. Legend also has it that Croagh Patrick is the mount from which he banished snakes from Ireland forever! C’est donc ultra motivé que je pars pour 2h de route. Unbelievably, the weather stayed clear and we were awaiting the rain to come back at any moment. if you’re travelling from Westport, it’s a handy 13-minute drive, a kind of handy 32-minute cycle and a definitely not handy 3-hour walk. (enfin avec un arrêt pour un café faut pas déconner!) Concern over casualty rate among Croagh Patrick climbers Group suggests ‘path development and repair solutions’ as mountain visitor levels soar Fri, Jul 14, 2017, 21:30 It didn't look as hard as it felt on the way back down. I finished to work after 12pm so it is really hard. The Irish Mountain Running Association (IMRA) use Croagh Patrick every year for one of their Hill runs. The trail is rocky and requires proper footwear. Croagh Patrick is the perfect spot to experience a sense of the inclusive, exultant form of early Irish Christianity when it was still infused with the innate love of nature – the Pagan biophilia - of the Irish people. The air gets a little lighter, crisper and fresher and coats came on as we all felt a little tingle of excitement as we neared the top. Favourite answer. Bring a hiking stick or rent one from the friendly girl in the ‘supplies’ hut just before the visitor centre. We parked up in the car park at the bottom of the mountain, put on the gear that we needed, took off the gear we didn’t, looked at each other, took a breath and set off. Rain Gear is definitely advisable. Getting to Croagh Patrick from Westport. Croagh Patrick’s history as a place of worship reaches back in time as far as 3,000 BC. Since we were planning to be in Westport town, it was the perfect time to climb the Holiest Mountain in Ireland. On the last Sunday in July, over 25,000 pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick and celebrate mass at the summit where a modern chapel as been built. Ellen and her boyfriend are heading to Westport this weekend for a romantic getaway but she's swapping roses for rocks...the granite type. You definitely don’t want to make the decent in the dark. If you return your stick you get €1 back. The centre and cafe aren't open but there is a small kiosk shop. There must be a relationship between digging deep physically and getting deep mentally, as when you’re doing something with great physical exertion it seems to bring forth the desire to speak about things on a much deeper level and you begin to connect with the people around you more genuinely as you all face the challenge together. Firstly, it’s bloody tough. The race starts at the pub goes to the top around the church and back down to the pub again. There's a pay and display car park for a few euro. Croagh Patrick: How difficult is it? The centre and cafe aren't open but there is a small kiosk shop. As a result, you sometimes have to check the stability of the rock beneath you, before you put your full body weight on it. Hard to climb but worth it. We all saw the sign to the local pub, the local Railway Tavern, where Guinness and a fine feed was awaiting us. Our biggest regret was not bringing a packed lunch. A hard 10 minutes of climbing can result in moving very little and you can begin to feel like you’re going nowhere. It is estimated that it should take about 2 hours for the average person to reach the summit, and 1.5 hours to descend. This is going to completely depend on the person. There’s a little chapel on the summit, called Teampall Phadraig, built in 1905. We headed from Belfast in the early hours and landed to Croagh Patrick early to get stuck into the climb. Sadly I didn’t use any factor so my face and left arm got burnt. Walking up Croagh Patrick is fairly difficult in places, as it’s steep, there are uneven rocks to get over and the upper slopes are slippery with loose scree. According to Ordinance Survey Ireland, it takes about three and a half hours. The climb has two stages. Many people who attempt the climb need to be rescued, and Mayo Mountain Rescue (MMR), a group that is part of the Reek Sunday Organising Forum, have warned that help will be hard to come by after the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. Gardaí say the number of people climbing Croagh Patrick in Co Mayo today was significantly lower than in previous years. Westport is a well-developed tourist town and there are many hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments to cater for your needs. The climb of Croagh Patrick can be broken roughly into three sections. Hard to climb but worth it. Getting to Croagh Patrick from Westport. The history as a place of worship dates back as far as 3,000 BC. 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