The MacGillycuddy’s Reeks Mountain Access Forum, the body which manages the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, says it is not seeking to restrict access to the range.

However, groups of 10 or more people who intend to climb in the range will now have to follow the guidelines that have applied to commercial guides for the last number of years.

The forum’s project manager, Patricia Deane, said: “For the past three years, commercial guides with groups of 10 or more have notified the forum of their intentions to climb the reeks. This system has worked well.

“This system is in place since the access forum was established with commercial users and they never had a problem with it. Some clubs let us know what they were doing and others didn’t. It was not enforced.”

Code of practice

On the extension of this code of practice to groups in excess of 10, Deane said: “We are asking groups of 10 or more to send in your group registration form. It’s about responsible access.”

She stressed that no one is being refused access to the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. However, more information is required to better co-ordinate access in order to minimise erosion, to be mindful of private landowners, their farming activities and avoid traffic congestion in the three carparks at access points.

“Larger groups can have a marked impact on certain areas more than others, particularly after periods of heavy rainfall.

“The numbers are growing all the time in the reeks. The area is not a national park, it is privately owned land. We’ve been waiting for the national indemnity scheme that was promised four years ago. Nothing has been done on this. We took on the project as we believed the Department would deliver.”