HIKE PROGRAMME
April 2007
MEET: Burgh
Quay
|
DEPART: Sundays
10.00 am
|
COST: Private
bus. €12
|
This month’s
programme sees a return to more distant locations, with walks up Lugnaquilla
and Croghaun Kinsella on the Wicklow-Wexford border. There is also a walk
starting in the Tallaght hills, which has not been done by the Hillwalkers for
some time.
Congratulations
to Jim Dowling who recently took delivery of a new ‘07’ 33-seater bus.
This has added
greatly to our comfort in getting to and from walks.
On a trial basis,
there will be a 2nd pick-up point on the route. The bus will pick up walkers
who are already at the designated point; it will not be stopping and waiting.
The onus is on walkers therefore to ensure that they are there in good time for
the bus. Places on the bus cannot of course be guaranteed, as the bus may be
full at Eden Quay. In addition, the bus may be travelling back to town by a
different route, so set down places on the return journey may differ from those
of the outward journey.
|
9 April 2007 Easter
(Trip to Wales) ---NO
HIKE |
|
15 April 2007 --- Sally
Gap to Wicklow Gap Road Maps: Sheet 56 Leader: Brian Flynn 2nd
pick-up point: Bus stop before the roundabout at
Loughlinstown Route: CP Sally Gap (GR 137 007) * Carrigvore * Gravale * Duff Hill *
Mullaghcleavaun East Top * Mullaghcleevaun * Carrignaguneen * Annalecka
Bridge. Distance: 19km Ascent: 570m |
|
22 April 2007 --- Circuit
of Ow Valley Maps: Sheets
56 and 62 Leader:
Pearse Foley 2nd
pick-up point: Pond at Sean Moore Park on Blessington By-Pass. Route:
(GR 052 858) * Farbreaga * Aghavannagh Mountain * Lybagh * Slievemaan *
Lugnaquilla * Carrigasleggaun * Aghavanagh Bridge (GR 055 862). Distance: 18km Ascent: 850m |
|
29 April 2007 --- Croghaun
Kinsella Maps: Sheet
62 Leader: Frank Rooney 2nd
pick-up point: Bus stop before the roundabout at Loughlinstown Route: Woodenbridge * Croghaun
Kinsella * Wicklow Gap (County Wexford). Distance: 17km Ascent: 570m |
|
6 May 2007 Bank
Holiday Weekend ---NO
HIKE |
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.
INTRODUCTORY HIKES An Introductory Hike is organised once
per month for aspirant members. Any participant 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.
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.
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 AND RUCKSACKS Remember that walking sticks and rucksacks cannot be
brought onto the bus and must be stowed away in the boot during the journey.
HIKE LEADERS Any club
member interested in leading a hike, please contact:
Garry Byrne
OUT ON THE TRAILS
Climbing Aconcagua
ACONCAGUA
VIA THE POLISH GLACIER ROUTE
After
successfully summiting Kilimanjaro and Elbrus, I had it in my head that I
wanted to climb Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina (6962m / 22,841ft) to complete the
three ‘do-able’ and ‘non-technical’ mountains of the Seven Summits. Mt.
Aconcagua is located on the border of Chile and Argentina in the Andes mountain
range. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest in the Southern
Hemisphere, and the highest peak outside of Asia.
Mt. Aconcagua was
first ever climbed by Brit Edward FitzGerald in the summer of 1897. In March
1934, the Polish V. Otrowski, K. Narkiewicz, S. Daszinski and S. Osiecki opened
a new route to the summit along the Northeast Glacier, achieving at the same
time the eighth absolute ascension of the mountain. Since then the glacier is
called the Polish Glacier. It is the Polish Glacier route we would be
attempting to climb.
Well, having left
it until the last minute to book my trip, I ended up going with Pat Falvey. At
least I knew I would have a great time as he is a fun guy. I would have the
benefit of his expertise, his knowledge of the area (he’s been there 12 times),
and would be led by the best guides. What really clinched it was that I knew
three other guys I met on the trip to Kilimanjaro, and we had got along well.
Although Pat had
his team of 11 booked, he agreed to take me along as he knew me from Killi. The
climb was from 2nd to 24th January. We all got together down in Kerry to meet
the other team members, which I thought was a good idea as we would be spending
23 days in each other’s company. We climbed Carrantuohill and we had a chance
to see each other’s capabilities, and get to know each other at the same time.
With Pat giving us a talk on the trip, the weather, the altitude (as some had
not experienced altitude over 4,000m) and all about the gear required, it was a
very worthwhile weekend, and it took the fear out of always fretting: ‘Is my
gear sufficient: crampons, ice axe, plastic boots, warm enough sleeping bag…
etc.’ By the way, I was the only girl on this trip, but that did not bother me.
So after all the
training – and thanks to my friends Tom Milligan and Stephen James who came out
hiking two days every weekend to get me fit – I was ready to go!
The group met up
in Santiago Airport, got two minibuses and drove to Mendoza which is approx.
eight hours away. There we stayed at a lovely hotel about 10 minutes outside
the city. That evening we headed out for a nice meal and got to know each other
and had a laugh. Mendoza is a bustling, vibrant city with tree lined avenues,
and pavement cafés. Food and wine are superb, especially the beef (Argentina is
renowned for its beef apparently and there is very little fat in it). We went
to the Hyatt, a beautiful hotel where there was some gambling going on. Some of
the guys gambled some money at the roulette tables and went on to a bar
afterwards, while the rest of us hung around the gambling tables and went home
to get some rest. The next morning we met our guide Mauricio Fernandez (Mauri,
for short) and we all walked into Mendoza to purchase our permits for the
mountain. You must go to the Mendoza Tourist Office in person to get your
climbing permit, and they must hand it to you personally (they check it is you
against your passport). We wandered around the city, some of the lads bought
last minute gear, had lunch and just took it easy.
We met up that
night again with Mauri and his wife Patricia (both Argentinean). Mauri is one
of the top guides to take groups up Mt. Aconcagua, and his wife Patricia also
guides with him. He has summitted Aconcagua 32 times (his last time being
December 2006), and Patricia 10 times. We all went to a nice restaurant and had
a laugh, and tucked into a great meal which we relished, as we probably would
not be eating this well up the mountain.
6 January: Penitentes (2600m)
We left Mendoza
and drove about four hours to a village called Penitentes where we would spend
the night at a hotel and sort out all our gear and get packed for the mountain.
Mauri and Patricia had to pack the large blue drums which contained our food supplies,
cooking utensils etc. It is a major operation, and they seem to have it down to
a fine art. They work really well together and they go around singing while the
work. While we waited for the guys to finalise all their gear, some of our guys
played ‘Uppies’ with a football - trying to keep the ball in the air.
We finally drove
off to the Vacas Valley Entrance where we put on lots of sun block, took some
photos and said farewell to Fernando Grajales, the guy who runs the company
Mauri and Patricia work for. Our two bags (one with supplies, gear and other
clothing etc.) and our main rucksack (I took an 80 litre for the climb) were
packed on to the mules that carried them all to Base Camp (which will take us
three days to get to). So for the three day “walk-in” to Base Camp we only
carried our day pack.
Soon after we
left Punta de Vacas (2408m) - the start of the expedition to Aconcagua and the
entrance to the National Park - the muleteers came along behind us steering the
mules along the way with all our gear, rucksacks and supplies. There must have
been at least 40 to 50 mules in total. From the very start Mauri set the pace –
not too fast and not too slow. We were told that we would not even get a
glimpse of Aconcagua for another two days. The distance from Punta de Vacas is
around 60 km and there is a difference of 2000m in height.
On Saturday we
arrived at “Low Camp One”, Pampa de Lenas (2867m). Mauri and Patricia carried
our lunch for us all on the three days’ hike to Base Camp. They took out a French
stick of bread, sliced it with his pen knife, sliced some cheese, ham (from a
pack), mayo, mustard, peanuts (my favourite), fruit and a drink. It was just
delicious.
When we first
arrived at our first camp site Pat gave us a lesson in how to set up the
Mountain Hard Wear tents (he had brought his own tents with him). It was quite
easy, and we had a lot of practice as each of us needed to be able to set up
the tents quickly and without any hesitation when we got to go higher up the
mountain, where it would be cold and windy.
On Sunday we
arrived at Low Camp Two, Casa de Piedra (3245m). As we approached Low Camp Two
we got our first glimpse of Aconcagua through a gap between two smaller
mountains.
It was stunning,
and all the cameras came out to shoot some photos. Our hike was long that day
and very hot too. The next morning, after the crew rounded up all the mules, we
had to cross the “de los relinchos” river on the mules. This was a great laugh
– so cool. With these obstacles overcome, the new terrain with its own
challenges now lay ahead.
On Monday we
arrived at Base Camp, which is called Plaza de Argentina (4203m). It was very
crowded at Base Camp. There were groups of people from all parts of the world –
a lot of Americans. We set up our tents, had an evening meal in our mess tent
and had a lie-in the following morning as this was to be a Rest Day. A lie-in means getting up around 8:30 am, as
it got very hot and stuffy in the tents when the sun came up. We got to do some
laundry, and some had a luxurious shower which cost us $10. It was heaven,
although I got to wash my hair some days while the weather was warm – no reason
not to!
I was sharing
with Killian the first two nights, and then there were three - Tony, Killian
and me. It was difficult at first to get used to sharing with two others. We
kept our rucksacks and boots in the front porch of the tent. In the back porch
of the tent we kept our other bags. As the bags were falling towards the centre
of the tent, and me being the smallest, I was asked to sleep in the
middle. I was told that the two boys
were getting knee digs in their sides every night, but I think they were only
kidding! Although one night I know I did get an elbow in the side, so maybe I was
digging my knees into them after all. There were three tents with three
sharing.
The three day
walk-in had been hot and sticky, and it was nice to relax for a bit. The heat
had been oppressive and energy-zapping for us all. We had a meeting to discuss
whether to take porters or not. It was decided to take two porters to carry
stoves, fuel and all the tents. This would ensure our trek would be more
achievable with less altitude sickness and thus more hopeful of a summit bid.
The cost of the two porters would be €220 for each of us. We would also be
tipping Mauri and Patricia €100, as is normal and well deserved too.
The plan was for
us to attempt a summit via the Polish Glacier Route. The previous year Pat and
the team had traversed the mountain while summitting, rather than just a
straight up and down summit attempt. This meant that we ascend by the Vacas
Valley route, and descend by the Horcones Valley route (the Normal route) which
would give us a full traverse of the mountain. We decided to go with the same
plan this year.
On our Rest Day at
Base Camp a few of us went on an acclimatisation hike for about 300m up the
mountain when we came upon our first sighting of the amazing Penitentes. They
take the form of tall thin blades of hardened snow or ice closely spaced with
the blades oriented towards the general direction of the sun. Penitentes can be
as tall as a person. These pinnacles of snow or ice grow over all glaciated and
snow covered areas in the Dry Andes above 4,000m and range in size from a few
centimetres to over five metres.
Most of us were
feeling well, not too many headaches; we were eating healthy pasta and nice
meals and desserts. I personally was suffering a lot with headaches, and I knew
that it was because I was probably not drinking enough fluids. It is
recommended to drink 4-6 litres of fluid each day.
We visited the
doctor to check our oxygen saturation. All were fine. Oxygen saturation tests
show whether you are coping well with the altitude. The test also shows your
heart rate, so it is best taken in the morning when one’s heart rate is usually
low and there has been little stress on the heart. There is not a direct
correlation between these numbers and the likelihood of summiting.
‘Carry’ from Base Camp to Camp 1
4200m - 4900m
(13,800 - 16,100ft);
700m elevation
gain; 6 hours
Today we do a
‘carry’ with our heavy gear, i.e. plastic boots, ice axes, crampons, rain gear
and we will leave this gear in bags hidden by some rocks at Camp 1, and then
return to Base Camp. So we loaded up our 80 litre rucksacks with the gear and
our lunch. Our approximate carry weight was 18 kgs. The guides had these much
larger rucksacks and they seemed to weigh a ton. It was quite slow going, as
this was really the start of the ‘climbing’ for us. There were a few who walked
very slow, and Pat had one of them stay behind Mauri so he could pace the rest
of us. This first climb was quite gruelling, and we had a couple of rest breaks
along the way. When we reached a ‘field of Penitentes’ of about 250m we took a
rest before starting into them. This was tiresome climbing up and over each
Penitentes. But we finally got through them and reached Camp 1.
We were totally
exhausted, and just slumped down, ate some chocolate and nuts and packed our
gear away. It took 7½ hours to get here and we reached Camp 1 at 5:20 pm. A
round of applause accompanied Denis O’Sullivan as he approached Camp 1, higher
than he has been before. Last year he was forced back due to sickness. After a
short rest we descended back to Base Camp. This was the best part, and it only
took 60-90 minutes to get down as we went sliding and skiing down the scree
slopes. Had lots of liquid in the mess tent and ate some food. Ate dinner at
7:30pm – stew and peaches! Marty sang some Northern songs we’d never heard
before. He’s a good singer. He also recited some poems, and we all went to bed
around 9:30 pm
We had a Rest Day
the following day and we read, wrote diaries or just hung around and chatted.
Pat is a great storyteller, and likes to tell his ‘Everest’ stories.
‘Move’ from Base Camp to Camp 1
Second time to do
this climb! Not as bad as the first time as we knew what to expect. Still tough
though. When we got back down and rested some of the lads played a game of high
altitude football at Camp 1 (yes, Red took a football up with him, but it was
left there at this campsite). Mauri treated us to the most delicious meal ever
that evening – peas and steak served on top of smash (remember that). Sooo
good, and chocolates and Barry’s tea for dessert.
On an
environmental note we did our bit by depositing our No. 2s in newspaper
wrapping and then flushed them into a heavy duty black bag. I believe it was
taken back down the mountain by one of our porters – I never saw it again,
thank God!!
Before we made a
‘move’ from each campsite two porters would go on ahead of us with our tents,
cooking supplies, pots and stoves and made it look all too easy at the speed in
which they went along.
‘Carry’ from Camp 1 to Camp 2
4900m - 5850m
(16,100 - 19,200ft); 950m elevation gain; 5-6 hours (at this point we are at
60m lower than Kilimanjaro)
Tough climb
today! On arrival at Camp Two it was very cold and windy. We packed gear and
food into black bags quickly, covered them with large stones and descended back
to Camp One.
‘Move’ from Camp 1 to Camp 2
Bad weather
today; very windy and cold! Trying to find a dry patch to pitch the tents was
not easy. There were frozen pools everywhere. We stayed in the tents for the
rest of the day. Mauri brought us all around hot water and some supplies (i.e.
powder milk, sugar, bars, sweets) that will keep us three going for the next
two days. We only ventured out of the tent to go to the bathroom. Some visited
and we played cards, chatted and generally tried to keep our spirits up while
being stuck in all day. Wind chill 16°C; wind 25km/h. We hope to depart
tomorrow to Camp Three (6200m) where the winds are supposed to increase to
30km/h and 35km/h. The team are in good form, have a few headaches but none are
too bad and should pass.
The next day we
woke to white-out conditions, and the winds were increasing. So for the time
being we decided to stay put at Camp 2. We are trying to keep our spirits up
and hope that conditions change in the next few hours so that we might make a
push to Camp 3 at 6200m.
Wednesday 17 January
Snowed in all
day! High winds and conditions are not improving. Again we could not leave the
tent, except to go to the loo. Mauri and Patricia came by with our food and
water. Some of us swapped tents and chatted, played cards etc. The wind speed
is 35km/h and the wind chill 20°C.
‘Move’ from Camp 2 – Traverse to Camp 3
(White Rocks)
5850m - 6200m
(19,200 - 20,350ft)
Though it is cold
and windy, we decided to make a push to Camp Three to a campsite called White
Rocks. This was to be our last campsite on the mountain before our summit
attempt. It was a really tough day and not having hiked for nearly three days
some are that bit slow and not feeling the best and were very fatigued with the
altitude. We finally reached White Rocks in blizzard conditions and deep snow.
We were told that some members of the group intend to go down tomorrow morning.
Pat told us that in all the ten years he has been coming to Aconcagua, he has
not encountered weather conditions as bad as this before.
All our gear has
been traversed to the Plaza de Mulas side (Normal Route) of the mountain in an
attempt to be closer to the traverse descent route. The mules have also been
sent around to Plaza de Mulas for their walk out the Horcones Vally to Puente
del Inca which is at 2,740m (8,990ft). We are hopeful that the sun will be
strong enough today to melt and provide us with a window later today or early
tomorrow in order to summit.
Friday,
19 January – Snowed In
The three Nordies
and Seamus (who shared my tent) decided to go down as they had had enough of
the camping, altitude, and bad weather. Pat had provided each tent with a
walkie-talkie so we could communicate. Late in the evening Mauri had got the
weather forecast and it was not looking good. Clouds coming in had dumped a
further 25cm of snow on the mountain again making it impossible to go up. Pat
was communicating with us to relay the news that we were not going to be able
to summit tomorrow, or the next day – not for another five days at least. He
offered whoever would like to stay on in order to summit an alternative which
would involve: (1) changing the travel return ticket; (2) hiring another guide
as Mauri’s and Patricia’s time with us was up and they needed to return; (3)
paying a porter, if required, to take our tents, stoves, etc.; (4) to take the
extra 5 days vacation required to summit. Of course none of us (apart from Pat)
could avail of any of these options, as it is I am left with six days’ holidays
for the remainder of this year.
I was totally
shattered and disappointed, but as Pat said, ‘We have achieved so much – living
at an altitude of 6,200m or thereabouts for five days, and have had such a
great mountaineering experience.’ So after five days living at over 20,000 feet
with the conditions blasting in on top of us, we made the decision to abort our
summit attempt. At least we were all safe and in good form, although cold and
tired as our bodies deteriorate here at this height.
Descent from Camp 3 (White Rocks) to
Plaza de Mulas
4,370m (14,340ft)
So after taking
some photos and packing up our tents and gear, we headed down. It was very
steep descending the Normal Route. We met lots of people who were still
attempting to summit, and we met others who were coming down after already
attempting to summit earlier that morning, without any success. We all were
sliding at times, and at other times were falling on our backsides with the
weight and instability of our heavy rucksacks. It was all part of the fun. We
stopped at one point for a break. Mauri produced crackers, cheese and we also
had some nuts and sweets etc. and we shared them round.
It never ceased
to amaze us all how many people Pat Falvey knows out there in Aconcagua. He met
up with so many other leaders and guides and they would hug each other and talk
about what they had been doing, and what other climbs they will be doing next.
Some very interesting characters – and of course Pat would spill the dirt on
all their funny stories and escapades from the past.
We reached Plaza
de Mulas, 4,370m (14,340ft) which is the Base Camp on the Normal Route, and is
claimed to be the second largest in the world (after Everest). There was a
lovely surprise awaiting us in Fernando Grajales’ mess tent: PIZZA – real thick
crusts and hot too with lovely toppings. There was plenty to drink
(non-alcoholic), and we hung around and chatted for some time. I was treated to
a one-man tent all to myself. Bliss at last! Red and I decided we would treat
ourselves to a nice hot shower. So we both headed up to the hotel nearby, which
was modelled after some hotel in Austria. The showers were not great, but the
water was hot, and boy, did it feel good to stand under it and feel fresh and
clean afterwards. We then went into the bar where people were reading, using
their computers, or sitting around just chatting. It was so relaxing and we
stayed around a while before walking back to Base Camp. I slept like a baby in
my own One Man Tent!
After breakfast
we packed up all our gear and started the long trek back through the Horcones
Valley to the start of the trek. Fernando had jeeps waiting to pick us up and
after reaching the hotel in Penitentes we rested and enjoyed another hot shower
and a bed.
On arrival back
at the hotel in Mendoza we enjoyed a ‘celebratory dinner’ with the team and
Mauri and Patricia. The restaurant was just outside of Mendoza and boy, this
was the business – the best of food, wine and needless to say we all lived it
up that night. The next and our last night in Mendoza we met up with an
American guide Pat knew – a wild man - and we went to a restaurant that had
some Tango dancing. We had a good laugh, and the two dancers got Killian and I
to tango. Afterwards we all went to a night club. We only stayed a short while!
So the day came
for us to leave Mendoza. Mauri, Patricia and Fernando stopped by our hotel to
say goodbye. We made the trip to Santiago in two minibuses, and we encountered
another two hour stopover at the Argentina-Chile border. What a complete
nightmare! We spent the night at a hotel right in the centre of the city of
Santiago and enjoyed a nice Italian meal, a few beers and reminisced about our
trip. We talked about ‘what’s next’ and ‘would we come back to climb this
mountain again’, but of course no real decisions were made. This was a trip we
would all look back at with pleasure, and although we did not summit this time,
all of us had climbed higher than we had ever got to – 6200m, over 20,000 feet.
The next day we
wandered around the city of Santiago. I thought I would do some shopping, but
alas there is not much to buy in the line of clothing anyhow – very
old-fashioned. Good job too, as I was slightly overweight (my luggage, that is)
at the airport and had to pay for the excess. My flight was earlier that
evening, and the others did not fly out until much later that night. So we said
our goodbyes and went to the airport. I had offered my driveway to the three
Northern guys so they could leave their car there until our return. So I drove
to the airport later that night and picked them up. They then had a long drive
back home to Omagh.
On any of these
expeditions you see your team members as they really are – warts and all. You
get to know the mood swings of people, how they react to certain situations and
conditions, and you can bond (or not) really closely to people you have never
known before, as we are all in this thing together, as a unit. We have each
other’s contact details and no doubt some of our paths will cross some time
down the line or on some other expedition.
Pam
Coleman
Pam Coleman will
be giving a Slideshow Presentation on her climb to Mt. Aconcagua.
Venue: An
Oige Head Office
61 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 7
Date: Wednesday, 4th April
8:15 pm
SOCIAL CORNER
INDIAN FOOD NIGHT
The Indian Food
Night at Shan Restaurant, Crowe Street, once again turned out to be a very
enjoyable evening!
25 hillwalkers
and friends did justice to good food, followed by a few drinks in the Forum
Bar.
Other
suggestions welcome!
Please contact our Social Organiser, Steve
Buckney
CLUB NEWS
PUB QUIZ: Mick Heneghan is organising a Pub Quiz to raise
funds for a 21-year-old local girl who is paralysed from the chest down as a
result of a freak accident. All help and support will be appreciated.
Venue: Gate
Bar, Crumlin,
Dublin 12
Date: Friday, 13th April 2007
Time: 9 pm
Contact: Mick
Heneghan
Donation of
prizes most welcome!
|
We would like to thank the following shops who donated so
generously to making our Christmas Party 2006 such a success, and would ask
our members to continue to support these shops. |
||
|
Shop |
Address |
Donation |
|
Capel Camping |
Capel Street |
Day Pack |
|
Army Bargains |
Little Mary St. |
Flask |
|
Outdoor Adventure Store |
Liffey St. |
Shower proof coat and trousers |
|
Millets |
Mary St. |
Travel pouch and walking poles |
|
Ramblers’ Way |
Mary St. |
Walking poles |
|
Great Outdoors |
Chatham St. |
€75 gift certificate |
Annual J.B. Malone Commemoration Walk
2007
The 2007 J.B.
Malone event is scheduled for Sunday, 20th May 2007.
This year, the
various walks will finish at Glendalough Youth Hostel instead of Knockree.
Light
refreshments will be served
at the hostel.
Irish Challenge Walk Information 2007
Maamturks Walk: Held in the Maamturk
Mountains in Co. Galway, this is an extreme walk with 2300m of climbing.
Date: Saturday, 14th April 2007
Distance: 24.3km
Ascent: 2336m
Contact: Liam
O'hAisibeil, Captain, NUIGMC.
Johnny Galway,
Secretary, NUIGMC.
Ballyhoura Marathon Challenge: This long, but
not so steep, challenge is in the wooded Ballyhouras on the Cork-Limerick
border.
Date: Saturday, 5th May 2007
Distance: 42km
Contact: ‘Ballyhoura
Failte’
Monday to
Friday: 063-91300
info@ballyhoura.org http://www.ballyhourabears.com
Blackstairs: This medium challenge
goes down the spine of the Blackstairs on the Carlow-Wexford border.
Date: Saturday, 19th May 2007
Distance: 27.4km
Ascent: 1460m
Contact: Mary
McInerney,
Bernie
Conlon
For more details please visit Simon Stewart's website
'Hillwalking in Ireland'
http://www.simonstewart.ie/Longwalk/long.htm
FRIENDS OF HILLWALKING
The Irish Ramblers Club invites friends of hillwalking in the Republic of
Ireland to join with them in forming a hillwalkers’ interest group, which will
be a one stop shop for everything to do with hill walking. The purposes of the
group would be to give a sense of identity and purpose to
hillwalking/walking/rambling in its own right as a national sport in Ireland,
to provide services to hill walkers nationally and to provide a forum for
hillwalkers’ views on issues. While this new group does not set out to be a
representative body, it would be similar in some ways to the Ulster Federation
of Rambling Clubs (see its website www.ufrc-online.co.uk).
Hillwalkers’ Interest Group Meeting
Date: Saturday, 28th April 2007
Venue: Red Cow Inn (adjacent to M50)
Time: 2.30 pm
This exploratory meeting should last around two hours and aims to cover
the following points:
· A short background
presentation
· A presentation from the
Ulster Federation of Rambling Clubs
· An introduction to the
current proposal
· Discussion of special
interests in groups
· Reporting about special
interests to the main group
· Summary
There will be light refreshments.
Contact: Hill Walkers Interest Group, 17 Balally Drive, Dundrum, Dublin
16
MOUNTAIN MEITHEAL
Glenmalure Zig Zags Route
Mountain Meitheal volunteers have clocked up a very impressive 488 hours
so far on this project since November and have completed over 400 m of drainage
repair and tread way improvement on this important route.
Materials are already arriving on site for the construction of a new foot
bridge above the cottage to take hikers across the Carrawaystick Brook. Work on
construction of the bridge will commence in the next few weeks. The project
involves over 1400m of trail upgrading and new bridge construction and will run
right through the spring and summer.
GET OUT, GET DIRTY, GIVE BACK
Anyone interested in joining the Mountain Meitheal volunteers, contact
the coordinator (details on http://www.pathsavers.org/)
Next dates: 14th, 22nd and 28th April.
COMMITTEE 2006 - 2007
Chairman Frank
Rooney
Secretary Garry
Byrne
Treasurer Jim
Barry
Membership Donal
Finn
Sunday Hikes Garry Byrne
Social Events Steve Buckney
Weekends Mark
Campion
Officer-at-large Eoin Moroney
Newsletter Barbara
Sudrow
Special thanks to:
Webmaster Matt
Geraghty
Distribution Pearse
Foley & Cyril McFeeney
BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND
An Óige
Hillwalkers Club
KENMARE JULY 2007
Thurs 26th
– Tues 31st July
Visit the beautiful South Iveragh Peninsula, the Caha
Mountains on the Kerry-Cork borders, Gougane Barra, and more…
Please note that we will NOT be doing any of the
Reeks.
More details will be available in the next issue of
the newsletter.
See below for possibilities!
Hostel
Accommodation in the heart of the very pretty town of Kenmare, Co Kerry
Moderate and Hard
Walkers Welcome
Leader: Mark
Campion
Transport to be
arranged
Possible hikes:
Mullaghanattin; Coomacallee; Glaninchiquin; Hungry
Hill; Cumeengeara horseshoe; Eagle Hill; Broaghnabinnia / Stumpa Doolaigh;
Knocklomena / Boughil; Dromderalough / Knockrower / Peicin
Notes
Hostel accommodation: Kenmare Lodge
Hostel, 27 Main St, Kenmare, Co. Kerry. Two of the rooms are family rooms which
can sleep 3 comfortably. One room is a twin and the other is a 6 bed dorm. ALL
ROOMS ARE EN-SUITE. Cost includes hostel on the 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th and
30th.
Food: Not included in the price.
There are cooking facilities in the hostel and lots of quality restaurants in
the town. CHECK OUT www.neidin.net for more info.
Transport: Details will be posted in
the next newsletter. Cost will depend on mode of transport, but is expected to
be in the region of € 250, including 5 overnights at hostel.
Booking: € 150 NON REFUNDABLE
deposit to Mark Campion, The Kings Hospital, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 (mobile:
087-250 1401).
THERE ARE
ONLY 15 PLACES AVAILABLE SO BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT. THIS IS A PART
OF THE COUNTRY THAT THE CLUB HASN’T BEEN TO IN A LONG TIME SO MAKE SURE YOU
DON’T MISS OUT!