Mountain rescue team cautions festive climbers

HILL walkers and others planning to head for the mountains during Christmas and the new year period were yesterday urged to take extreme care.

Carrantuohill, in Kerry, has become a magnet for people during the festive season and has also been the scene of fatalities at this time of year, especially in bad weather.

The Kerry Mountain Rescue Team, which regularly responds to calls for help from climbers in trouble, warned about Christmas being an accident-prone time on the hills.