HIKE PROGRAMME
March 2007
MEET: Burgh
Quay
|
DEPART: Sundays
10.00 am
|
COST: Private
bus. €12
|
|
11 March 2007 ---Glenbride
Circuit Leader: Donal Finn Route: Glenbride Hamlet *
Silsean * Moanbane * Billy Byrne’s Gap * Mullaghcleavaun West Top * Glasnagollum
Brook * Ballinagee Bridge. Distance: 17km Ascent:
650m |
|
18 March 2007 St.
Patrick’s Weekend ---NO
HIKE |
|
25 March 2007 ---Glendalough
Rambles Leader:
Brendan
McGee Route:
Disused lead
mines (T099 982) * Brockagh Spot Height 557 * Tonelagee * Wicklow Gap *
Upper Reservoir * Camaderry * Visitor Centre Glendalough. Distance: 15km Ascent: 850m |
|
1 April 2007 ---Introductory
Hillwalkers Hike Leader: Mark Campion Route: Snugborough Bridge *
Sugarloaf * Lobawn * Cavanagh’s Gap * Spot Heights 653 and 599 * Granaghmore
* Round Hill * Granaghbeg. Distance: 18km Ascent:
600m |
|
9 April 2007 Easter
(Trip to Wales) ---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
The Kepler Track
WALKING
ON ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S GREAT WALKS
The first couple
of months of the year are a good time to visit New Zealand as it’s summertime
there. With three weeks to tour the South Island we wanted to see as much of
the country as possible, but we also wanted to experience one of the country’s
Great Walks. The Milford Track is the most famous of these walks, but there are
other walks which are equally awe-inspiring and scenic, and the Kepler Walk is
one of these. Located in the Fiordland region, in the south of the island, this
60km horseshoe walk has it all – mountains, lakes, flora and fauna.
Day
1
Matt and I
arrived in the township of Te Anau from Queenstown on Monday 5th February, and
spent a busy evening preparing for our great walk the next day. We had three
nights’ dinners to cook, and we also had to pack our rucksacks as efficiently
as possible.
We decided to
start the walk from Brod Bay (about 200m above sea level) by getting a fifteen
minute water taxi ride at 9:30am across from Te Anau (saving ourselves about an
hour's walk). Before setting off we applied plenty of insect repellent and sun
cream, a smelly combination!! Already we had met some fellow Kepler hikers from
Wellington and Italy. The first day's walk was all uphill to Luxmore Hut
(1085m), and was made tough by the heat and the heavy backpacks. Fortunately
though, three hours was spent walking through lush green beach forest (or
"bush" as they call it there). Once we emerged from the forest we
walked along an easy open slope to Luxmore Hut, reaching it at 2pm.
As we had arrived
at the hut so early we decided to walk up to the peak of Mt Luxmore (1472m; see
cover photo). This took about an hour and a quarter and the blue skies made for
great viewing. There were mountain ranges all around us, including the
Livingstone and Murchison ranges. We revelled in thought of the wet Irish
winter at home as we basked in beautiful sunshine
.
Luxmore hut’s
kitchen was well equipped with gas cookers and mountain views. There was much
activity and din from 6pm as hikers got the gas hobs working and set to
preparing their much anticipated dinners. Lights went out at 10 pm and at that
stage almost every one had retired to their quarters. I was surprised at how
well I slept in a room of about forty occupied bunks!
Day
2
The next morning
was a foggy one and the weather report forecasted that this was to clear to
become a sunny and warm day. After breakfast we set on the second stage of the
walk, back up the path towards Mt Luxmore. The day’s walk was a high level one
and we wandered contentedly along sunlit ridges and hilltops. A kea, New
Zealand’s green and cheeky mountain parrot, swooped and wove through the air;
its song was giddy and enthusiastic. Again the views were spectacular, with
plenty of snow covered peaks in the distance, and views of Lake Te Anau (the
south island's largest lake - by water volume) and Lake Manapouri. For the
first hour or two the peaks sat on a bed of mist, which was just breath taking.
After five hours
of walking we started descending steeply down to Iris Burn hut (at 497m), and
the track zig-zagged down through forest to the hut which we reached about 6pm.
Iris Burn hut is situated in a well sheltered valley and is a haven for
sandflies. These little insects are, as their name suggests, brown in colour
and are a little larger than a mosquito and they could have teeth, going by
their bite.
Here in Iris Burn
there are also a small number of kiwis in the wild. These are endangered
flightless birds whose main enemies are the stoat and the rat. Some of the more
energetic hikers stayed up and braved the sandflies to chance hearing the noisy
kiwi call.
Day
3
Our third day, Thursday
8th, started off with rain, but by the time we left the Iris Burn it had
stopped. The walk was a low level one through a fragrant and flourishing
rainforest alive with cicadas (noisy flying insects), bell birds, tuis,
fantails, rifleman and silvereyes. We made good progress and reached the third
hut, Moturau (185m) around 3pm. It was situated in a beautiful location beside
Lake Manapouri. This was a very peaceful setting and we spent the evening
chatting with other hikers and we all agreed how lucky we had been with the
weather.
On Friday morning
we walked a steady hour and a half through rainforest to get the 10am bus from
Rainbow Reach back to Te Anau. Overall we had walked approximately 60km. It was
a fantastic hike and it was an excellent way to experience some of New
Zealand’s unique natural environment. We would definitely recommend a visit to
this beautiful country.
Lillian
Grandfield
Matt and
Lillian maintained a blog during their three weeks’ holiday in New Zealand.
If you would
like to read an account of their adventures and see many more photographs from
the trip, go to:
http://mattandlily-nz2007.blogspot.com/
SOCIAL CORNER
INDIAN FOOD NIGHT
Following the
success of the Indian Food Night on previous occasions, our Social Co-ordinator
has proposed a repeat of the experience for March.
Location: Shan
Restaurant,
Crowe Street, City
Centre
Date: Friday,
23rd March
Time: 8
pm
Ring Steve Buckney for details and to book a
place.
Other
suggestions welcome!
CLUB NEWS
RETIREMENT: Congratulations to Brian Madden who is retiring
from his job as an Engineer with Upright Ireland Ltd, having worked with them
since 1967.
We wish Brian
well in his retirement and hope that he will take the opportunity to explore
further new routes in the hills and introduce them to the Hillwalkers.
OS MAPS: The 4th edition of OS Sheet 56 was reprinted late
last year and is available in a laminated version at the old price of €19.99.
A number of
amendments and additions have been made, including for example St. Kevin's Way
and the long established track leading from Castlekelly to the upper road in
Glenasmole.
BOOKS
OF INTEREST: The website
of the South Dublin Libraries contains a number of books of interest to
historians and walkers about the history of the area. The books can be
downloaded from the website and some can be purchased from the County Council.
They contain much historical detail of the area and are well illustrated with
photographs past and present. Among the books are ‘Glenasmole Roads’,
‘Rathfarnham Roads’ and ‘If These Trees Could Speak’, a detailed history of
Massey's Estate, recently visited by the Hillwalkers and written by Frank
Tracy.
Go to www.southdublinlibraries.ie and
select Services/Local Studies/Books of Local Interest.
HILLWALKERS CLUB
Trip Announcements
Easter Bank Holiday Weekend
Reminder of
departure and meeting details
Where: Stena
Line Departure Terminal, Dun Laoghaire
Date: Thursday,
5th April
Time: 10.15
am
Sailing: 11
am sharp on HSS Stena Line Ferry to Holyhead
Don’t forget
to bring Sterling currency!
***********************************************************
June Bank Holiday Weekend
Tom Kenny and Philip Roche are organising
the June Bank Holiday Weekend. Walks in Connemara; accommodation in Ben Lettery
Youth Hostel; transport by bus.
Further details
of cost, hard and moderate walks, departure times etc. to be published in the
April edition of The Hillwalker. Booking will open shortly after Easter.
***********************************************************
August Bank Holiday Weekend
Trip
to Austria
From Thursday
2nd August
to Tuesday 7th
of August 2007
Stay one night in
Salzburg and four nights in Bad Ischl
If interested,
please ring or text Frank Rooney for details after 14th March
BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM
FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR 2007
The Banff
Mountain Film Festival is an international film competition featuring the
worlds' best footage on mountain subjects such as high altitude mountain
climbing, ice and rock climbing, mountain biking and whitewater kayaking. The
programme is sponsored by Lowe Alpine and MSR with support from The
Mountaineering Council of Ireland, Outsider and Walking World Ireland and UCC
and UCD climbing clubs.
Date: Wed
21 March & Thur 22 March 2007
Venue: Theatre
M, Newman Building (Arts Block, UCD Campus) at 7.30pm
Tickets: €15
available from Great Outdoors Chatham Street, (01) 679 4293
Programme details
can be downloaded from http://www.irishmountainfilmfestival.com.
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
CHARITY TREK TO INDIA
CARI, Ireland’s
only voluntary organisation providing therapy and support services to children
who have experienced the trauma of sexual abuse and their non-abusing family
members, is organising their second international charity hike.
“The CARI Indian
Adventure” will take place from 29th October to 8th November 2007 to raise much
needed funds for their services.
This hike will
see a group of people from all walks of life take part in this adventure of a
lifetime. India is one of the most richly rewarding regions of the world to
visit, its scenery being amongst the most varied and exciting on earth.
This superb trek
is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, one of Nature’s most magnificent
mountain ranges, and we pass through the Kingdom of Gaddi, meet a semi nomadic
race that wanders the high pastures with their sheep, enjoy some of the
magnificent views of the Dhaula Dhar mountain range, visit a Tibetan Children’s
Village and explore the Dalai Lama's home and monastery. We finish our amazing
adventure with a visit to the jewel in India’s crown - the Taj Mahal, as well
as the Amber Fort and finally a unique elephant-back safari just outside
Jaipur’s Pink City.
Further
details: Carole on
(01) 8611250; website: www.cari.ie
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