LUNA coffee + wine
A relaxed Killarney stop for speciality coffee, house-baked pastries and artisan sandwiches after the mountain. Check current opening times before you go.
1 Brewery Lane, Kenmare Place, KillarneyHardSteps · Killarney
Torc Mountain
Cardiac Steps.
A steep circuit up the Cardiac Steps, over Torc’s mountain ground and back down to the start.
Also known as Cardiac Hill, Huntsman’s Hill.
DISTANCE
11.47km
ASCENT
682m
HIGH POINT
524m
My time 3 hr 59 · steep sustained climb GRADE GUIDE ↗
Reading the map…
INTERACTIVE TERRAIN · ACTUAL GPX TRACKACTUAL GPX TRACK
A recorded time is not a planning estimate. Build your own from pace, ascent, ground, weather and daylight.
01 · DECIDE
Is this your day?
ELEVATION PROFILE
From 46 m to 524 m.
The profile climbs from the trailhead up the Cardiac Steps to Torc’s high ground, then descends back to the start.
Reading the forecast
682 m ascent · 682 m descent
THE LINE
A hard way onto Torc.
The steps go by several names: Cardiac Hill, Huntsman’s Hill and the Cardiac Steps. The long stone climb reaches an observation point and a stone beehive hut at around 300 metres, with the Lakes of Killarney opening out below. From there the route continues onto Torc’s higher ground.
Torc means wild boar. One legend retold by Tourism Ireland has Fionn Mac Cumhaill killing a magical boar on the mountain. It’s one of several stories attached to the name.
The route descends through the park’s trail network. It does not pass Torc Waterfall itself, which lies on a separate approach below.
- 01Woodland approachA lower trail leads towards the base of the main climb.
- 02Cardiac StepsA steep, sustained ascent where wet rock needs care.
- 03Torc high groundThe route reaches a recorded 524 m.
- 04Trail returnA trail through the park leads back down to the start.
The boar legend is retold by Tourism Ireland ↗. Route data note: my recording started about a kilometre into the walk, so a 1.043 km mapped path from the car park fills the gap; the map shows the recording in orange and this added stretch in dashed yellow.
Forecast for around 500 m
Reading the forecast…
NOW
WIND
TODAY’S PEAK RAIN CHANCE
Reading the forecast…
–cloud
–humidity
–km/h peak gust
Strongest wind today–
Peak gust–
RECENT RAINFALL · LIKELY GROUND
NEXT SIX HOURS · swipe
Reading the forecast
Forecast. This is a modelled estimate for this route’s high ground; conditions can differ sharply across the mountain. Derived from Open-Meteo forecast data ↗.
HAZARDS & OPTIONSKnow the commitment.
The Cardiac Steps are steep and sustained, with slippery rock in wet weather.
Torc’s upper ground is exposed to wind, cloud and rapid weather changes.
Wet slabs, roots and stone steps demand care on both ascent and descent.
On the Cardiac Steps, the safest way back is down the way you came, before you commit to the higher ground. Once you’re past the climb, use the park’s trails and don’t cut through woodland or steep ground.
ABOVE KILLARNEY
My photographs.
03 · GO
Getting there.
Start well.
STARTN71 car park
Select coordinates to copy
Park at the second car park on the N71, past the main Torc Waterfall car park. Check current parking and access arrangements, follow local signs and never block gates, homes or emergency access.
ROUTE FILE
Take the route with you.
My GPX, with a short mapped section at the start, from the car park to where my recording began. The map shows it in yellow.
My GPX has 672 recorded points.
Download completed GPXtorc-via-cardiac-steps.gpx · as recorded
Confirm the download when your browser asks, then open the file from your browser’s downloads and your mapping app will offer to take it. HiiKER and Garmin Explore both do; the route loads on HiiKER’s free tier, though its EastWest mapping of the Irish uplands is a paid layer. Onto a watch: import the GPX into Garmin Connect, Komoot or Strava and send it to the device from there.
Steep steps and slippery ground.
Save energy for a careful descent.
The Cardiac Steps make this a demanding route despite Torc’s modest height. Wet rock, fatigue and fast-changing weather can change the day quickly.
Before you leave
- Check the forecast and warnings
- Plan your daylight
- Save the GPX or an offline map
- Pack footwear and layers
- Share your route and return time
- 01Check conditionsAvoid committing to steep wet steps in unsuitable weather.
- 02Wear proper footwearGood grip matters on rock, roots and stone steps.
- 03Keep your marginTurn back before fatigue or weather makes the descent unsafe.
Leave a plan.
Tell someone your route and return time. For emergencies in Ireland call 112 or 999 and ask for Mountain Rescue.
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