Walk : Croagh Patrick route map

Description	A short but steep climb up Ireland’s holy mountain to the summit at 764m. Many pilgrims do this in bare feet, but you don’t have to. The distinctive conical silhouette of the mountain is an inspiration as you approach it and the views over Clew Bay are wonderful when you reach the top.
Duration	about 4 hours
Suggested Itinerary	Follow the popular route from the car park at Murrisk on R355 8km west of Westport. Alternatively walk to or from Westport on the Western Way.
Airport	Knock
Accommodation at start	Plenty of hotels in Westport
Transport to start	No public transport from Westport; take a taxi
Route	Follow the well worn stony track up from the car park and back down. As a more interesting alternative, you could follow the ‘Western Way’ waymarked route from Westport to where it passes just south of the mountain, turn right at the highest point on the path, cross a fence and head north west to pick up the main route to the summit. You could shorten this by getting a taxi to where this leaves the road at Knappagh.
Waymarking and terrain	The short way is easy to follow but rough and rocky underfoot; the alternative route is unmarked and crosses untracked moorland.
Transport from end	Arrange for taxi to pick you up
Accommodation at end	as start
Maps	The mountain is near the corner of four non-overlapping sheets of OSI Discovery series of 1:50,000 maps. The short walk is wholly on sheet 30, but Westport is on sheet 31, the south side of the mountain on sheet 37 and the route of Western Way is on sheet 38.
Comments	Westport and the Carrowbeg river Croagh Patrick is steep and rough and the weather can be poor Pilgrims do penance on reaching the summit

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