MEET: Outside old Irish Press Offices, Burgh Quay, down from Spar shop.

DEPART Sundays 10.00 A.M. (or when the bus is full)

COST: Private bus. Cost €10.00.

NOTE: The leader has the right to refuse anyone who is not adequately equipped (i.e. without adequate rainwear, spare clothes, food, torch and hiking boots). The leader has the right to extend, curtail or alter the route from that described in the program. The leader sets the pace of the hike and walkers are expected to obey his/her instructions at all times.

During winter months it is essential to bring a (head) torch on all Sunday hikes and weekends away. Don’t forget to check your batteries and bulb.

Your club membership card MUST be carried and produced, if requested on all Sunday hikes. Numbered tickets will be given out on the quays by a committee member. People with a valid membership card and ticket will be given preference on the bus.

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. The Committee requests that anyone who is on medication or with a medical condition inform the leader before the start of the hike.

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 feet into the scruff where the ground is untrodden, walking parallel to but not on the track.

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.

In the interest of safety and comfort please keep the pointed end of your walking stick covered, especially when travelling on the bus.

The hike co-ordinator has asked that we take note of the following points of safety for the late Autumn & Winter walks, especially hike leaders:

All hike participants should carry suitable waterproof torches, reflective armbands or strips and adequate winter attire from the end of October until the end of the winter period. Leaders should insist that all participants are suitably attired and using torches when required. Leaders should plan to finish all hikes between 1700 and 1730hrs (earlier if severe adverse weather conditions prevail). Every effort should be made (without dragging or hurrying the group) to reach a recognised safe track or road way before the onset of darkness. Leaders should slow the pace down when encountering any type of awkward or difficult terrain, steep or slippery inclines etc. Extra vigilance should be exercised during the periods of dusk, darkness, dense fog or mist, snow and icy conditions etc. Walks should be altered or shortened  to take account of adverse weather conditions e.g. possible flooding or icy roads.

As we all know, the hill tracks are under a lot of pressure from hill-walkers and other users. Long-term users will have noticed a seriously decline in the quality of a wide number of trails, that have been broadened beyond recognition or made into muddy ruts (e.g. Raven’s Rock, Fairy Castle to Two Rock, Maulin to Dargle). Some of this is seasonal, but a lot is due to people’s bad habits.

I know its hard to avoid picking the easiest way, when time and effort are involved, but remember as hillwalkers we have a duty to preserve and protect the countryside. Please take note of the following approaches to trail-walking:

1. What most of us do instinctively. Walk on the fringes of the track, wearing away at the foilage and widening the track (4 Penalty Points).
2. What we should be doing. Try and walk through the middle of the Original track. "Uuugh, its all muddy and squelchy", you say, but that’s why you have your Meindl boots on.
3. Alternatively, walk parallel to the trail, but well in amid the heather and grass. This is harder than walking on the trail, but lessens the pressure on the original track or its fringes. Note: care must be taken not to end up creating a new track through the heather.

Another good practise is to avoid using or creating new ‘short-cut’ trails that carve up the heather covering. Stick to what is (as best as you can tell) the original trail. See Irish Mountain Log No. 64 for more on this issue.

The An Óige Hillwalkers held their AGM on January 28^th upstairs in the Palace Bar. The attendance was around 32 people. Ger Walsh stepped down as Membership Secretary. We wish to thank Ger for his many years service to the club in this role. The rest of the Committee were willing to continue in their roles and were reappointed. We also welcome Barbara Sudrow to the Committee as the new Membership Secretary. Jimmy McCullagh and Tom Kenny also joined the Committee as: to help with the club's training programme and to help with co-ordination with Sunday hikes, respectively.

The proposed club constitution was adopted. The change to our membership year was also adopted, whereby we will align our membership year with the MCI (through whom we are insured). Membership will therefore run from Oct 1^st to Sept 30^th and this years membership will end at the start of October.

The Club was judged to be on good footing based on the variety of Sunday hikes held, the success of the weekends away, and the good take-up on the Map & Compass course; the club finances were also in healthy shape.

It was announced that the cost of the Sunday bus would have to rise to €10.00. The future coast of annual membership is also looking set to rise as the cost of MCI insurance per member will be doubling.

Thanks was expressed to all the Committee for the wonderful work they do and a presentation made to them of Brown Thomas vouchers and bottles of whiskey. Well, that didn’t happen exactly, but no harm dropping a hint for next year…

Cycling in Slovenia

Presented by Maggie Greaney

Tuesday, Feb 11th, 8.30pm, The Palace Lounge (Upstairs)

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Walking the GR 20 Corsica

Presented by Donal Finn

Tuesday, Mar 11th, 8.30pm, The Palace Lounge (Upstairs)

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Cuba

Presented by Barbara Sudrow

Tuesday, Apr 8th, 8.30pm, The Palace Lounge (Upstairs)

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Meanwhile, if anyone would like to present a slide show, please contact Donal Finn (01-4530617).

Time to look in the Editors Mail Bag and see what goodies we have got this month:

"Dear Iditor, Your newsletter stinks!!!"

"Dear Editor Is it just a coincidence that after years of existence, the club felt it necessary to adopt a constitution just soon after you joined the Committee?"

"Dear Sir, my client demands an apology for the calumnious content of your recent article..."