Important Notice issued by Beaufort Community Council regarding the Devil’s Ladder approach to Corrán Tuathail

Serious erosion has occurred on the Devil’s Ladder route to Corrán Tuathail over the past few days with a major rock slide taking place in the gulley over the past couple of days.
In this rapidly changing environment, tonnes of unstable rock and scree now present a high level of objective dangers and local guides are strongly advising people to avoid the route.
For those approaching the peak from Com Cailí/Hag’s Glen this weekend and beyond, walkers are advised to use the old switch back track known as; Bothar na Gíge to the top of Cnoc na Toinne – and from there to the Top of the Ladder. Temporary way-markers are in place in the area directing walkers to this route.

Gap of Dunloe mountaineer and Corrán Tuathail guide, Con Moriarty, speaking on behalf of the Beaufort Community Council who has co-ordinated a local action plan aimed at dealing with a range of issues relating to the Reeks says; “The Devil’s Ladder has been eroding dramatically over the past decade or so and the once traditional tourist route that was just three decades ago a grassy slopes of wildflowers, is now a steep sluice of loose rocks and mud. The recent slippages mark a seismic shift and are the result of preceding undermining caused by the enormous numbers now frequenting the mountains and recent heavy rains”
For further information;
Call Con Moriarty on 087 221 4002

Community attempts to control the high levels of erosion on the Devil’s Ladder – and in particular to arrest the problem before the likes of the current landslide profoundly alters the topography led to a detailed study of the terrain a decade ago that was lodged with Kerry County Council.

This included the identification of a simple and rough stone footpath build (- as used on the likes of Snowdon in Wales and Ben Nevis in Scotland) to carry the hundreds of hill walkers and climbers over this sensitive terrain. This establishment of a “sacrificial track” in highly frequented mountains around the world marks best practice from an environmental stance as well of course of avoiding unacceptable levels of high objective dangers on such routes. The literal washing down the mountain of the most famous route to our highest peak – signal dramatically, the abject failure by us all to mitigate against this erosion by putting in place simple controls as used throughout the world”. Failure to act on this plan led to it being absorbed into a local community effort following the drafting of a action plan by Con Moriarty that was adopted by the Beaufort Community Council aimed at addressing a number of key issues; the taking into public ownership one of the primary roads leading to the Reeks, the establishment of a car park at Lios Leadhbáin – one of the primary start point for walking and climbing on the Reeks (both completed in ’08), the erection of simple river crossing over the main rivers on the Com Cailí / Hag’s Glen approach and the implementation of the Devil’s Ladder erosion control plan. With the McGillycuddy Reeks being wholly privately owned and no cohesive management plan existing, the Reeks Action Plan undertook a difficult process taking several years to secure planning permission and funding for it’s aims.
To date, the footbridges generously being donated by Liebherr (Ireland) Limited are awaiting Kerry County Councils erection while the planned works on the Devil’s Ladder are no longer valid in the face of the recent erosion. The opportunities to carry out the works three years ago were derailed by objections received from a number of members of Killarney Mountaineering Club and Kerry Mountain Rescue that led to grants secured for the work being lost while objections to the initiative from the four landowners of Corrán Tuathail was also an issue.
Con Moriarty again;
“It is a sad reflection really on us all that the only initiative ever mounted to address the issues we face now almost overwhelmingly, garnished only negative reaction from those many would imagine would be most in support. Of particular note in the area is the lack of support the plan received from Kerry Mounatin Rescue, a body many of us gave long years of service to as members and indeed a service that for many years was sustained by communities like ours. As a former leader of the team – and particularly mindful of the constitution of the association that seeks to promote safety on the mountains, I think it has been very poor judgement over a long period of time, that the organisation couldn’t see fit to unambiguously issue a statement of support for the erosion control works on the Ladder – especially at a time when relatively simple measures would have saved the mess we now face.”