Hag's Tooth, Kerry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Hag's Tooth |
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| Stumpa an tSaimh | |
Looking back down into the Hag's Glen having walked passed the distinctive, Hag's Tooth
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 650 m (2,130 ft) |
| Prominence | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Listing | Vandeleur-Lynam |
| Geography | |
 The Hag's Tooth
Location in island of Ireland
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| Location | County Kerry, Republic of Ireland |
| Parent range | MacGillycuddy's Reeks |
| OSI/OSNI grid | V809850 |
| Topo map | OSI Discovery 78 |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Well-bedded grey sandstone Bedrock |
The Hag's Tooth (which means 'stump of the sorrel' in Irish, or Stumpa an tSaimh) is a cool, pointy rock spike in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland. It stands about 650 meters (2,133 feet) tall! This unique rock is part of the amazing MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range. It's located in a beautiful valley called the Hag's Glen, right next to the famous Carrauntoohil mountain. Carrauntoohil is Ireland's highest peak.
The Hag's Tooth is also sometimes called Stumpeenadaff, which means 'little pinnacle of the ox'. It's considered the 193rd highest peak in Ireland on a special list called the Vandeleur-Lynam scale.
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What is the Hag's Tooth?
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The Hag's Tooth is a very noticeable triangular rock. You'll see it if you're walking through the Hag's Glen. This glen is a popular starting point for people who want to climb Carrauntoohil, Ireland's tallest mountain, which is 1,038.6 meters (3,407.5 feet) high. A common way to climb Carrauntoohil is by using a path called the Devil's Ladder.
Even though it looks strong, the Hag's Tooth rock is known for being "remarkably unstable". This means it's not a good idea to try and climb the rock itself.
The Hag's Tooth Ridge
There's a steep and narrow rocky path that goes from the Hag's Tooth all the way up to the top of another mountain called Beenkeragh. This path is known as the Hag's Tooth Ridge. You can see it in the photo next to this section.
Climbing Near the Hag's Tooth
The path to get to the Hag's Tooth is the same one used to reach other cool spots. One of these is the Heavenly Gates gully on Carrauntoohil. The Heavenly Gates is sometimes used by climbers to come down from the top of Carrauntoohil, as an alternative to the Devil's Ladder.
Another amazing place you can reach from here is the Eagle's Nest area. This is a dramatic, deep corrie (a bowl-shaped valley carved by glaciers) at the base of Carrauntoohil's north-east side. The Eagle's Nest corrie has three different levels. At the very top level, you'll find Lough Cummeenoughter, which is Ireland's highest lake!
Adventures on the Ridge
The narrow, rocky Hag's Tooth Ridge is popular for scrambling. Scrambling is like climbing, but usually without ropes, using your hands and feet to move over rocky terrain. From the ridge, you get amazing views into the Eagle's Nest area. You can also see the big gullies on the north-east side of Carrauntoohil.
Some experienced climbers use this route to do a big loop. They go across the Hag's Tooth Ridge to Beenkeragh, then continue across the famous Beenkeragh Ridge to Carrauntoohil. After reaching the top of Carrauntoohil, they come down through the Heavenly Gates and back into the Hag's Glen. However, this route can be dangerous, and accidents have happened there.
