In case you missed it, last summer I climbed every mountain on the island of Ireland on the Vandeleur-Lynam’s list. I spent 7 weeks climbing 275 peaks, seeing corners of Ireland I’d never been to before, and challenging myself physically and mentally to new heights.
But the Vandeleur-Lynams is not the only list of Irish peaks. There are also the Arderins.
The Arderins are mountains on the island of Ireland that are 500 meters or more, with a prominence of 30 meters. At the time of writing, there are 408 peaks on this list.* The name, Arderin, means “Ireland’s height” in Irish, and is also the name of the highest peak in the Slieve Blooms, Ireland’s most geographically central mountains.
What makes this list special is that MountainViews and Mountaineering Ireland have developed this list as the Irish version of the Scottish Munro list. There are 282 Munros across Scotland, a list managed by the Scottish Mountaineering Club. These peaks are defined as over 3,000 feet (914.4 m), and while the SMC doesn’t officially use prominence as a metric for the Munros, all but one have a prominence above 30 metres.**
The Vandeleur-Lynams list are closer in number to the Scottish Munros, however number of peaks isn’t the only metric or motivation that MountainViews and Mountaineering Ireland were looking at. One of the major goals of the Arderins is to encourage a wider enjoyment of the Irish hills, taking traffic away from areas heavily used (like Wicklow, the Mournes or the Reeks) and instead have a lighter touch over a wider area. I noticed this so clearly last summer when I was in Kerry in particular. When traversing the Reeks or the many Brandons that surround Mount Brandon, I met plenty of other hikers. And the following day I would move onto another ridge-line, and I would see no one. Standing on those stunning peaks the thought crossed my mind that if those particular mountains were in any other county, they would be the gem in the crown of the outdoor scene of that place.
But being Kerry, everyone wanted to experience the famous ones, or the tallest ones - and I cannot look harshly on them. I was also there, adding my footsteps to the same wear lines. And they are beautiful mountains.
Mission
An accepted list of Irish hills, defined according to certain criteria, which encourages hillwalkers to explore upland areas throughout the island, without compromising the wildness, uniqueness and environment which give Ireland its character. We are mindful of the success of projects such as the Munros in Scotland and the Highpointers lists in the US. We see the Arderins as a premier list, the extent and nature of which, and the effort it takes to complete it, providing hillwalkers and clubs with a serious challenge usually undertaken over a lifetime of walking. It was, therefore, agreed that the Arderins list is the most appropriate for Ireland’s official mountain list.
As I read through this mission statement from Mountaineering Ireland and MountainViews last winter, wondering what was next for me, it felt right. I deeply loved doing the Vandeleur-Lynams the way I did them during the summer of 2023, and I would not take back a single moment. But it is a very particular way to experience the hills.
I’m looking forward to ticking off the Arderins, but ticking them off slowly, seeing the further extremities of areas I’ve been before, and visiting some completely new crooks and crannies of this island. And I’m looking forward to sharing that experience with you all as I go.
* However, at the time of deciding to do the list, there were 409 mountains. As I sat at my desk, preparing to record this as a video, I stared at this new illuminated number, at the list I had in no way memorised yet. Which peak was down-graded? What tiny, extra corner of Ireland might I not explore now? I know who to email to ask, but I haven’t taken the step yet. We’ll see if I seek it out regardless.
** The exception being Maoile Lunndaidh at 11 metres.