The Vandeleur-Lynams Project
275 summits across the island of Ireland
In 2023, Ellie set off to climb every mountain on the island of Ireland - specifically, the Vandeleur-Lynam List.
The definition of a mountain is a tricky one. While some say that a mountain in Ireland starts at 500m (the Arderin List), many refer to 600m as the minimum height (the Vandeleur-Lynam list). The latter list of peaks have at least 15m of prominence, which is the metric of how pointy the peak is.
Through the months of June and July, Ellie worked her way around the island ticking off all the major mountain ranges. When she finished, she had set a new FKT (fastest Known Time) of 50 Days, 5 Hours, and 45 minutes from her first peak to her last.
However, this project wasn’t a box ticking exercise. It was a celebration of the wild variety of landscapes that Ireland has to offer, and an excuse to spend a summer in the places she loves the most.
Since her time on the peaks, others have gone out and set faster or different records across these same summits, proving how creative adventure can be. Below you’ll find links to different interviews or write-ups about the project.
The Vandeleur-Lynams Project - Adventure Film
Working with Outsider.ie, we will be premiering the Vandeleur-Lynams Project adventure short film Spring 2026. To keep up to date on screenings, follow Tough Soles on Instagram or YouTube, or fill out the form below:
