HIKE PROGRAMME |
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MEET: Burgh Quay
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DEPART: Sundays 10.00 am
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COST: Private bus. €10
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Date |
Route
Description |
Distance |
Leader
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Sept 12th |
Day Trip to the Cooley
Mountains *****Meeting Time
9.30****** Cost €15 |
Various |
Tom Kenny |
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Sept 19th
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Route: Killybeg
(GR 945910) - Keadeen Mountain - Ballinfoyle - Ballineadden |
18m/ 950m |
Jimmy McCullagh |
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Sept 26th
|
Route: Barravore Carpark - Fraughan Rock Glen - Art's
Lough - Cloghernagh - |
17km/ 850m |
Philip Roche |
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Oct 3rd |
Introductory Hard Hike Route: Ballynultagh
Gap, - Black Hill, - Mullaghcleevaun, - East Top, - Duff Hill, - Gravale, -
Carrigvore, - Sally Gap |
15km/ 640m |
Steve
Buckney
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Oct 10th |
Route: Laragh, - Brockaghs, - Tonelagee, - Stony Top, - Barnacullian, -
Carrigna guneen, - Ballinagee Bridge |
18km/ 750m |
Donal Finn |
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General
Hike Notes
PARTICIPATION Mountaineering
is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants should
be aware of and accept these risks. People who take part in our club activities
do so at their own risk and are responsible for their own actions and
involvement.
SUNDAY HIKES
Participants on Sunday Hikes must be a member of An Óige Hillwalkers Club. If
you are not a member of the Club, but are considering joining, we invite you to
participate on our monthly Introductory Hikes.
INTRODUCTORY
HIKES An Introductory Hike is organised once per month for aspirant members.
Participants on these hikes must be a member of An Óige.
CO-ORDINATION
Tickets are given out on Sundays to ensure that participants reserve a bus
place as they arrive on production of
Hillwalkers’ Membership Card.
LEADER The leader has
the right to refuse anyone who is not adequately equipped (e.g., without appropriate boots, rainwear, food, torch, hat,
gloves, etc). The leader may alter the route from that described in the
program. The leader sets the pace of the hike and walkers are expected to obey
the leader’s instructions at all times.
TORCH During
winter months it is essential to bring a (head) torch on all Sunday hikes.
Check your batteries / bulb.
ENVIRONMENT Try to reduce the erosion and widening
of trails, e.g. do not walk on the edge of worn tracks; walk through the centre
of the original track or go several meters into the scruff where the ground is
untrodden, walking parallel to but not on the track.
LITTER Litter
is unsightly and dangerous to animals. Even bio-degradable items like orange
peels and banana skins take years to disappear. Bring all your litter home and
try to include at least one extra item from each day out. Do not bury litter –
animals will dig it up.
WALKING STICKS In the interest of safety and comfort
please keep the pointed end of your walking stick covered, especially when
travelling on the bus.
HIKE
LEADERS If any member is interested in leading a hike, please contact either:
Tom
Kenny Email: tomk2003@yahoo.ie
Philip Roche
Email: philip.roche@boimail.com
Four Go
to California
The plans were made, the
dollars bought, and we were off to California in the morning. It was last June and Emmet, Frank, Máire and
I, were off on trip that we had been planning for 6 months.
We flew with
British Airways via London to San Francisco for €530 return. Security at the airports was not too
painful, except when they heard that we were hill walkers. We were taken aside and asked to produce our
climbing boots. They were being
checked, not in this case for semtex, but for wicklow sheep droppings, because
of their fears of foot and mouth disease!
Let that be a warning to those who do not clean their boots after
returning from the hills.
We collected our
jeep and set off on a four hour drive to Yosemite National Park.
We entered the
park through a deep gorge in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Part of the gorge is the famous wall of El
Capitan. People climb this sheer cliff which takes a number of days to
complete.
We had booked a
tent through the internet for our accommodation and we were warned not to leave
any food or deodorants in the tent as bears would be roaming around at night.
You could leave no food in your car either as bears would bend the door to gain
access. I awoke next morning at five thirty and headed out to see the sun rise
over the valley. Within 100 meters I
saw a bear walking across my path. Later again a sign warned that a mountain
lion had been seen in the area. The
sign warned you, not to walk alone and to fight back if you were attacked. Give me a wicklow deer any day.
Over the next few days we
climbed a number of mountains. The most
exciting was Half Dome. This walk took
us 11 hours and with the heat you needed plenty of water for the climb. The final ascent of Half Dome consisted of
an almost sheer climb using two steel cables. Scary stuff especially when you
had the added factor of people descending against you, and having to let go one
cable while they passed you. Still they say that this is the best walk in
Yosemite and I was glad to have completed it.
Before leaving
Yosemite we visited Mariposa Grove, where the giant Sequoia trees grow. One had
a tunnel cut through it for cars to drive through. Thankfully they have banned
the cars and now they are left for walkers to enjoy.
We headed east
over the Tioga Pass to desert area of California. We visited the ghost town of Bodie, the 3000 year old bristlecone
pines, the oldest living things on the planet. Through Death Valley you were
asked to turn off your air conditioning as your car might overheat. So we drove through a heat of 110f or 40ºc.
The high point of
our trip was our climb of Mt Whitney.
At 14,484 foot high this is the highest mountain in the contiguous
USA. It took us thirteen and a half
hours to complete and we both suffered headaches on the final ascent, from the
lack of oxygen.
You can get a
permit to climb it over two days, and camp overnight. But I preferred the one day climb as you did not have to lug
tents and food up the mountain for the two days.
After visiting a
few more national parks we returned to San Francisco for a few days of
sightseeing and shopping.
All in all it was
a fantastic trip. Now I hear that there
is a lot to be seen in northern California also.
Proinsias Mac an Bheatha.
Boots
for Sale
One pair of men’s
mountain boots – Montrail, size 8 – as new. Were €130, sell €70. Contact Peter O’Toole.
October
Weekend 2004
An Óige Hillwalkers Club
October Weekend 2004
Friday 22nd – Monday 25th
October 2004
Visit the Beautiful Innisowen
Peninsula, The Highlands of Donegal, and
the Sperrin Mountains and
walk the walls of Derry City
Four Star Hotel Accomodation in the
Towers Hotel
Within the walls of the historic
city of Derry
Leaders: Frank
Rooney and Eoin Moroney
Coach Trip
Weekend Walking Itinerary to include:
Urrishills,
Raghtin More, and Memore Hill.
Slieve Snacht
Innisowen Slieve Main and Crochnamaddy.
Doagh Isle.
Ordnance Survey
Maps 1:50000 Discovery Sheet No. 5
DunLewey, Slieve
Snacht, Slieve Snacht Loch and Poisoned Glen.
Loughnacuag
Upper.
Ordnance Survey
Maps 1:50000 Discovery Sheet No. 1
Sawel Mountain,
Dart Mountain and Legclogfin.
Ordnance Survey
of Northern Ireland. The Sperrins Sheet No. 13
All bedrooms are
ensuite with multichannel T.V, ISDN lines, direct dial telephone, tea/ coffee
tray, hairdryer and trouser press. Hotel also provides a Fitness suite and
sauna.
Cost includes Bed
and Breakfast on the 22nd,23rd and 24th , two
evening dinners on the 23rd and 24th, and three packed
lunches.
Transport cost included, Dublin to Derry and to and
from all walks
Cost: €240.
Booking: EUR 150 NON REFUNDABLE
deposit to An Óige Head Office by credit card or cash deposit (01-8304555). Balance EUR 90 to be paid before Monday 4th October.
Food: as above - stopping at local
shops for extras etc.
Bring: Sterling Currency,
Suitable Walking Boots, Rain Wear/Change of Warm Clothing/Towels/Toilet Gear/
Flask/Torch/ First Aid Kit/Camera/Binoculars etc.
Meeting
Place/Time:
Georges Quay (opp the Custom House) at 1530.
Map
& Compass Course 2004/2005
The Club will
be running its annual Map and Compass course commencing in October 2004. The
course will include three Tuesday evening introductory sessions, each of
duration of 2 hours, to be held in the An Óige Headquarters, Mountjoy Street.
In addition, there will be two weekend training sessions as well as one night
navigation session, all based in Wicklow. Accommodation for the two Wicklow
weekends will be provided in the Glendalough Hostel. A separate consolidation
session will be organised in the Commeragh Mountains, Co. Waterford, for the
weekend of the 29th & 30th January 2005.
Evening
Sessions (3):
Room 102, 7.15 pm for
7.30pm start, October 26th and November 2nd & 9th
(Tuesdays)
Evening
Venue:
An
Óige Headquarters, 61 Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7
Requirements:
(1)
Ordnance Survey Map, Sheet
56 - Wicklow (Scale 1:50,000).
Laminated
version is recommended (approx. €15).
(2) Compass, Silva Expedition 4 graduated into 360
degrees (approx. €40)
NB: A 10% discount is available on all outdoor equipment in
either The Great Outdoors, Chatham
Street, off Grafton Street, or The
Outdoor Adventure Centre, Liffey St. (opposite Arnotts) on production of a
valid An Óige or MCI membership card.
First
Weekend:
October
30th & 31st, Wicklow Mountains, meet outside Lynam's
Pub, Larragh at 9.45am
Accommodation
in the Glendalough International Hostel (Saturday overnight) is included in the
course
cost.
Second
Weekend:
November
13th & 14th, Wicklow Mountains, meet outside Lynam's
Pub, Larragh at 9.45am
Accommodation
in the Glendalough International Hostel (Saturday overnight) is included in the
course
cost.
Night
Hike:
December
5th, meet outside Coach House Pub, Roundwood at 4.00pm
Course
Cost:
€85
Cost includes:
- Course
- 2
overnights in the Glendalough Hostel
Cost excludes:
- Transport costs to/from Wicklow for both weekends
-
Comeragh weekend January 2005
Booking:
It is essential that interested persons book in advance
through the An Óige Head Office, Tel (01)
830 4555.
Consolidation
Weekend:
January
29th & 30th January 2005, Rathgormack Mountaineering
Hostel, Comeragh Mtns., Co.
Waterford.
(Costs associated with this weekend are not included in course cost)
Course
Organiser:
Jimmy
McCullagh
Bob
Lawler’s Hart Walk
It was a
beautiful summer’s evening when I left my home in Mount Merrion, Dublin, making
my way by foot over to the old tram station on Terenure Road, East, to meet up
with Bob Lawlor as he made his solo attempt on the eighteen-year old Hart Walk
record of Gaffney and Rice. I had
already done this walk three times myself, the first time on my own (unsupported),
later on with the grizzled Tommy Taylor and the gazelle-like Sandra Brady (the
first successful attempt by a woman), and last year with Bob himself.
The origin of the
Hart Walk was a fifty guinea wager allegedly by the naturalist R M Barrington
(a fine walker himself) that Hart could not walk from Terenure tram terminus to
the summit of Lugnaquilla and back in under 24 hours. It seems to have been
specified that one way could be by road but the other had to be over the hills.
Hart, accompanied by Sir Frederick Cullinan, left Terenure at 10.58pm on 20th
June 1886 and arrived back at 10.48pm the next evening. Over the following
years a few hardy souls followed in Hart’s footsteps, but the fastest recorded
time until now was 17 hours 39 minutes by Gaffney and Rice in 1976. To surpass this great achievement was now
the goal of Bob as he prepared himself psychologically and physically on this
glorious August bank-holiday evening.
My function on this occasion was to support Bob with food, drink, clothes
and encouragement, as he pursued his lonely course throughout the oncoming
night and the following day.
With
a firm handshake and best wishes for his journey, I saw Bob off at 10pm as he
headed upwards through the busy traffic and on towards the Dublin Hills. I made my way in the same direction shortly
afterwards and eventually parked the car at the Hellfire Club forest
entrance. At 10.48pm Bob arrived, took
a brief drink and was on his way immediately.
I then proceeded to the Oldboleys forest exit where Bob had a drink at
11.34pm, and then on to Lough Bray cottage.
Eventually I began to see the reflective strips and flashing light on
Bob’s attire and at 11.47pm he paused at the cottage for a small snack and
something to drink. Moving off sharply
he headed into the night again and was on his way to Sally Gap. I paused at the Gap just to take his arrival
time (12.38am) but the next scheduled pause would be at the car park about two
miles further on, which was reached by Bob at 12.53am. Taking out two chairs, one to act as a table
and the other to sit on, Bob paused for five minutes and took some food and
drink. As he headed off again, I
followed and paused at the forest entrance on the left before Carrigshouk. At 1.36am Bob arrived, took some fluids, and
was on his way. At Glenmacnass the
chair came out again, and when Bob arrived at 1.56am he sat down for five
minutes, had some refreshments, and was on his way again. It was at this hour
of the morning that midges began to pester me!
At Laragh Mountain Lodge at 2.32am there was another pause for
drink. The owners of the Lodge were
returning home at this time and must have been startled by the strange sight of
strangely-clad figures at the entrance to their premises. After assuring them that all was well, Bob
floated off into the night and eventually reached Laragh at 2.49am. Sitting down for a few minutes as his body
was re-stocked with food and drink, he then moved off in the direction of
Drumgoff. Three miles along the
Military road more fluids were taken on board and his progress continued. At a forest entrance after the descent from
the Shay Elliott memorial another drink was taken, and the Glendalough hotel at
Drumgoff was reached at 4.04am. Six hours
and four minutes to Drumgoff.
Excellent! It was raining
lightly now but soon stopped. It was
here that the longest break of the Walk took place (23 minutes). Rest, food and drink, and a change from
road-running shoes into hill-running shoes took up all the time. Soon he was on his way again, down to the
Carrawaystick waterfall and ready to face the Zig-zags. It was a slightly uninviting sight at this
hour of the still-dark morning to be heading up into those high hills, but go
he must and go he did. Bidding him all
the best with a handshake, I left Bob to go where the car could not go, and
told him that I’d meet him at the Wicklow Gap. He reached the cairn on
Lugnaquilla at 6.24am.
At
Wicklow Gap the weather was glorious, and the day ahead looked promising. There was a tourist caravan with two
Alsatian dogs on board parked nearby, and I’m sure they were wondering why I
was laying out a picnic at that hour of the morning. The midges were at their worst here, and had me changing the
location of the car and food at least three times. At about 9am I saw a sprightly figure prancing down the side of
Turlough Hill. Yes indeed, it was the
man himself! Bob arrived at the Gap at
9.05am and took a well-earned ten-minute break with some refreshments. Then it was upwards and onwards again, up
the side of Tonelegee and on towards Mullaghcleevaun. I whisked myself and the car down towards Ballynultagh Gap, and
parked at the next forest exit on the right after the Gap. Feeling that I had some time to spare, I did
a bit of jogging around the tracks leading into the valley alongside the
Ballydonnell Brook. Here I looked up to
Mullaghcleevaun and the descent that Bob would be taking down through Crockanoo
and on to the various brooks and forest tracks leading to the forest exit and
road above Ballynultagh. The time for daydreaming was now over, however, for I
reckoned that Bob would soon be approaching our meeting place. I went back to the car and set up the
chairs, food and the running gear which Bob was going to change into for his
final assault on the record. At 11.55am
a gentle patter was heard from the forest track below me as Bob made his way up
to the car. Looking remarkably fresh
for a man who had been running/walking since 10pm last night, he sat down for a
moment, changed back into runners and shorts, and headed off at a steady pace
towards Ballysmuttan Bridge. Along the
way I gave him some liquid refreshment,
until we reached the bridge at 12.15pm.
As Bob now made his way up through the fields to Athdown, just below
Seefin, I sped around to our rendezvous where I met him as he was now walking
through a steep section of hillside before meeting the road. The plan now was to give him fluids every
two miles until Stone Cross, after which he would do a solo performance all the
way past Bohernabreena, Old Bawn, Templeogue, and finally into Terenure. As it happened, I gave him his final drink
outside the Old Mill (Bridget Burke’s) at Old Bawn, and then sped on before him
to Terenure to capture the precise time at which he reached the old Terenure
tram station. As I reached my destination,
and parked the car outside the church opposite the tram station, it seemed that
Bob was taking a longer time than I expected to arrive. He would tell me later that this section was
the hardest for him, and that his body complained most during this final
leg. It was approaching 2.20pm when I
saw a figure running through the people who were crowding the footpaths on this
busy Saturday afternoon. Yes, it was
the man himself! As he reached the car
I stopped my watch at exactly 2.21pm.
His time was a remarkable 16 hours and 21 minutes, smashing the
twenty-eight year old record of Gaffney & Rice by one hour and eighteen
minutes. He was, however, a very tired
man (as one might expect) and took a few minutes to gather his strength before
phoning his wife, Mary, to tell her that all was well. It was then that I popped the cork on a cold
bottle of…… water and congratulated Bob on his great accomplishment. I then bid
him farewell and headed back to my home, promising myself that I would be doing
it with Bob next year (at a more leisurely hill walking pace, of course). Now, is there anyone else out there willing
to join me in training for it? If so,
then contact me at tomilligan@eircom.net And remember, ladies, only one of you has
done this Walk before. Will you be the
second?
Tom Milligan
Mountain
Skills Assessment
The club continues to support members who wish to undertake the Mountain Skills Assessment. Further details from Jimmy McCullagh.
Table
Quiz
In aid of
Glenmalure Hostel Restoration Fund
Monday 11th October 2004:
Venue: Fitzwilliam Lawn
Tennis Club, Appian Way, Dublin 6 @ 8 p.m.
€50 for table of 4 includes light
refreshments.
Tickets available from the following: --
An
Óige Head Office, telephone 01-8304555
or
Marie McDonnell
Your support for this event would be
greatly appreciated. Get your friends together and enjoy a good night
out. If for any reason you are unable to attend your donation to the fund
would also be very acceptable.
MCI:
News/Updates
ACCESS & CONSERVATION GRANTS
As mentioned in the last Mountain Log, the MCI is offering grants to assist
clubs undertaking work to improve access and the upland environment. The
closing date for applications is 30th August; application form available on
www.mountaineering.ie and from the MCI office.
ACCESS CONSULTATION
A questionnaire on Access was included with the July issue of Irish
Mountain Log (IML70). All clubs are asked to discuss this questionnaire and
make a response on behalf of the club. Club members can also respond
individually, and should be encouraged to do so, but the consensus views of our
clubs are particularly important to this consultation. The questionnaire (and a
background article on access) are both available on www.mountaineering.ie.
Please note thatthe latest date for return of questionnaires is 15th September
2004.
CLIMBING MEET IN GLENDALOUGH
The Climbing Committee is hosting a climbing meet
based at the IMC hut in Glendasan on 11-12 September 2004. The meet is open to
all MCI clubs with an interest in rockclimbing. One of the ideas behind the
meet is to develop links between climbers from different parts of the country.
Space is limited, please contact Moira Creedon now if you're interested - moira.creedon@imi.
DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS & DISCOVER THE HILLS
Tiglin and the MCI are running a special weekend for members of MCI hillwalking
clubs on the 25th/26th September 2004. Based in Wicklow, the eekend
includes two full days on the hills, with an evening slide show and talk by
Frank Nugent. Saturday's focus will be on learning, refreshing and
developing navigation skills, while Sunday's activities will be run in
conjunction with Wicklow Mountains National Park looking at, discovering and
caring for the environment that we walk in. Cost 100 euro per person fully
residential, for more information, or to book a space, please contact Tiglin on
0404 40169.
MCI AUTUMN GATHERING
This year's Autumn gathering takes place in Sligo from 1st - 3rd October 2004,
based at the Beach Hotel in Mullaghmore. Activities include a lecture on the
Golden Eagle reintroduction programme in Donegal, hiking and climbing,
navigation and ropework training, plus a chance to meet special guest Clare
O'Leary, the first Irish woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. The weekend
is open to all MCI members, more information on www.mountaineering.ie and page
9 of IML70; closing date for bookings is 10th September.
An Óige
Hillwalkers Club AGM
8.00pm,
Thursday Oct 7th, 2004
Meeting
Room (2nd Floor)
Palace
Bar, Fleet Street, Dublin 2
The 2004 AGM
will be chaired by our chairperson Prionnsias MacAnBheatha and will follow the
usual format with a brief report from each of the Club's officers (Secretary,
Treasurer, Sunday Hike, Training, Membership, Weekend) to be followed by
discussion.
Outgoing
Committee
The following members of the committee are happy to
serve for one further year (Jim Barry, Tom Kenny, Prionnsias MacAnBheatha,
Jimmy McCullagh, Philip Roche, Frank Rooney).
Deirdre McMahon who has been our acting editor since
January will be proposed as Editor.
Donal Finn, Joe Kellegher and Barbara Sudrow will
stand down from the Committee.
Club
News
Keep this date free!!!!!!!!
Saturday
December 11th: Hillwalkers Club Christmas Party.
Details
Later!
!!!!Wanted!!!!
Articles for The Hillwalker are most welcome. If
possible articles should be in Word and sent by disc or email. However legible
handwritten scripts will not be refused. Articles may be sent to mcmahond@eircom.net or by snailmail to
Deirdre McMahon, 11 Aspen Rd. Kinsealy
Court, Swords, Co. Dublin.
Bon Voyage!!!!!
We wish Bon Voyage and a very successful year in
the USA to Donal Finn and Barbara Sudrow, who have been stalwarts of the
Hillwalkers Club for many years. To use the awful American cliché: Folks, we
miss you already!!!!!
Comhghairdeas!!!!
Congratulations are extended to Fiona Moore
(Kirby) and husband Derek on the arrival of Daragh Gerard. How long before
Daragh is ready for his first pair of hiking boots?!
2004
Committee
Club President and Chairperson: Prionnsias
MacAnBheatha
Secretary: Frank Rooney
Treasurer: Jim Barry
Sunday Hikes: Tom Kenny and Philip Roche
Membership Secretary: Barbara Sudrow
Training Officer: Jimmy McCullagh
Editor: Deirdre McMahon
Members-at-Large: Donal Finn, Joe Kellegher
In addition, four
club members work behind the scenes as follows:
Distribution: Cyril McFeeney & Pearse Foley
Webmaster: Matt Geraghty
MCI Environmental Officer: Patricia
Goodman