HIKE PROGRAMME
May 2006
MEET: Burgh
Quay
|
DEPART: Sundays
10.00 am
|
COST: Private
bus. €10
|
|
7 May: Jacksons Falls Leader: Brian Madden Route: Ballylusk
(GR 245960) * Carrick Mountain * Ballinastraw * Cronybyrne * Glenwood *
Jacksons Falls * Laragh (Lynams). Distance: 17km
Ascent: 600m |
|
14 May: Ow Valley & Fraughan Glen Leader: Philip Roche Route: Aghavannagh
Bridge (055862) * Aghavannagh Mountain * Lybagh * Slievemaan * Lugnaquilla *
Cloghernagh * Arts Lough * Baravore. Distance: 18km
Ascent: 960m |
|
21 May: J.B. Malone Wicklow Way 25th Anniversary The Wicklow Way which was founded by J.B. Malone
celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2006. Refreshments will be served at
Knockree Youth Hostel courtesy of the An Óige Hillwalkers Club who organise
this event annually. Leader: Brian Flynn Memorial Walk Route: Pier
Gates * JB Malone Memorial * White Hill * Djouce * Coffin Stone * War Hill *
Tonduff South * Maulin * Crone Wood * Knockree Hostel. Distance: 18km
Ascent: 580m |
|
28 May: Glenmalure to Glendalough Leader: Don Reilly Route: Shay
Elliot Memorial * Coolalingo Bridge * Drumgoff * Carriglineen * Memorial *
Cullentragh * Mullacor * Wicklow Way * Glendalough. Distance: 18km
Ascent: 780m |
|
2-5 June: Bank
Holiday Weekend Hillwalkers’ Trip to
Killarney |
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. 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.
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:
Garry Byrne
Mark Campion
HILLWALKERS AWAY
Trip to Llanberis, Wales
SNOWDONIA
Easter Weekend
2006
It was going to
be a hard act to follow last year's successful Easter trip to the Brecon
Beacons, but the unanimous decision was that this year's surpasses it in every
respect.
From an early
date, the trip was booked out and 53 in all travelled. We gathered in Dun
Laoghaire on Thursday morning (13th), caught the HSS Stena ferry to Holyhead
and picked up our coach and driver there. A mere one hour's journey to
Llanberis, where we had the hostel entirely to ourselves.
It turned out to
be a superb choice. Fairly recently refurbished, it was very comfortable and
supremely well run. Best of all was the food, which was of hotel standard and
very well organised. Of course, one who shall remain nameless, managed to beat
the system as I recall twice losing out on nominated desserts. No just desserts
here! Still, no hard feelings towards the guilty party!
Day 1 The first day's hike was to Moel Siabod (872m),
two groups taking separate routes. The "Hard Hikers" took on the
difficult East Ridge (Daere Ddu), which involved some interesting scrambling
and then had a very easy return. The "Mods" had a longer and more
difficult return and, indeed, a longer walk on the day.
They had this
boast again on the Glyders! The Moel Siabod trek ended back where we started at
Tyn-y-Coed Hotel, providing a perfect ending, sitting out with drinks in the
sun and basking in our success.
Day 2 Jim Barry took the Mods to the Glyders,
starting at Pen-y-Pas and finishing at Pen-y-Gurig Hotel - a 7-hour marathon in
rocky terrain but in glorious sunshine.
Rumours that the
group were expelled from the hotel were wildly exaggerated. People love a good
story like this. In fact, it transpired that patrons waiting outside were not
noticed by the group who had enjoyed their drinks and were leisurely awaiting
their bus, not realising they were occupying required space.
Tom Kenny and
Philip Roche brought their group to Cadair Idris; it was a long 1.75 hour
journey from Llanberis, but through beautiful scenic country, visiting
Betws-y-Coed and Festiniog en route. We started near Minffordd and completed a
circuit, taking in both Mynydd Pencoed (791m) and Penygadair (853m) (also known
as, perhaps less correctly, as Cadair Idris, which really related to the
mountain range in general). The climb was steep from the start but on a well
constructed path. The weather threatened after lunch on Mynydd Pencoed and
there was much donning and doffing of raingear for an hour but gratefully the
rain never materialised. A nice ridge section followed after Penygadair to
Mynydd Moel (863m) and then came a very long steep descent, which eventually
re-joined the original track not far from the end. A curiosity just before that
was a half-completed slate bridge - a very strange sight to see a bridge
halfway across and then nothing! The Mods were amused to hear our walk lasted a
mere 5 hours!
Day 3 The one many were eagerly awaiting - Snowdon
(1085m), the highest mountain in England and Wales. There were three separate
walks. Tom and Philip had hoped to take in the famous and very difficult ridge,
Cryb Goch, Rangers advised it was closed due to mist Instead, their party took
the Pyg track to the summit, coming down the Snowdon Ranger path, turning into
the Maesgym valley and arriving in at the back of the hostel. A group of six,
led by Garry Byrne, took that route in reverse to the top and came down the
Llanberis track (by the railway), joined on that descent by the largest party,
led by Jim Barry, which had ascended on the Miners' Track. It was bitterly cold
on the summit, but it was still a very suitable day weatherwise for this
significant climb.
Day 4 A day of recuperation for many after all the
energy and effort expended over the three previous tough days. Quite a few had
a look at the mines (closed since 1969) and museum on the far side of Llyn
Padarn, east of Llanberis. A party of 17 headed for Rhyd Ddu, just beyond
Snowdon Ranger YH, and climbed Y Garn (633m). It had been hoped to do quite a
bit of the Nantlle Ridge, including Mynydd Drws y-Coed and possibly as far as
the obelisk, but the mist closed in and the group turned back at Y Garn, so it
was a short 2.75 hours excursion. However, there was an inn/restaurant at Rhyd
Ddu, which brought the last walk to a delectable conclusion.
The bus journey
to Holyhead was marked by a stop at the town with the longest name in the UK -
normally referred to as Llanfair P.G. - its full name contains no less than 58
letters.
In the evenings
after each walk, many had enjoyable get-togethers in various hotels, including
the elusive Prince of Wales, whose hotel sign lay forlornly inside in the
foyer. A quiz night in another pub was also attended and enjoyed.
Finally, a sincere
word of thanks on behalf of everyone to the trip organiser, Jim Barry, for
doing such a wonderful job. Tom Kenny and he had gone over to Wales in advance
to set things and their attention to detail paid off handsomely. Thanks too to the other leaders and all who
helped in any way. So, a great weekend. The ultimate tribute is that the
organisers are booking Llanberis YH for a repeat trip next Easter.
Pearse Foley
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We would like to
hear from you!
Whether you …
• wish to contribute an article …
• have read an interesting book you'd
like to recommend to club members …
• would like to share your favourite
hikes …
• want to comment on any club matters …
Why not get in
touch? Write or email to:
Barbara Sudrow,
24 Glenmalure Park, S.C.R., Dublin 8
EMAIL ALERT: in cases where the electronic newsletter bounces
back, we will send the paper version by post. We would therefore ask any
members who currently do not receive this newsletter in ELECTRONIC FORMAT but
wish to do so in future, to send a short message to the above email address
from a VALID EMAIL ACCOUNT.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
JUNE BANK HOLIDAY 2006
ONLY A FEW PLACES
LEFT
Balance due by
Friday, 19th May
Departure:
Friday, 2nd June from George’s Quay (adjacent to Tara Street Railway Station)
at 4pm (1600hrs)
sharp.
NEW: AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY
Six-day trip to
English Lake District
Details of
accommodation, cost, booking arrangements, etc. further down!
LEAVE NO TRACE AWARENESS DAY
Sunday, 28th May
A public
awareness day for Leave No Trace (LNT) will take place in the Dublin/Wicklow
Mountains on 28th May.
LNT attempts to
spread an awareness of sensible outdoor ethics amongst outdoor recreational
users and is internationally recognised. Leave No Trace Ireland is currently
being established as an organisation to promote the message and is an exciting
partnership of landowners and recreational users coming together to promote
good practice.
Mountain Meitheal
have produced small LNT banners which will be posted at selected upland access
car parks on Sunday 28th May. They are targeting between ten and twenty access
car parks and will need volunteers to hand out leaflets and introduce members
of the public to the LNT message. Ideally, each venue will have two or more
volunteers spending about 3 to 4 hours on site "meeting and greeting"
and selling the idea of LNT.
Contact: Shay
Walsh
MCI Environmental
Weekend
Date: 26th – 28th
May 2006
Venue: Gartan
Outdoor Education Centre, Church Hill, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Gartan OEC is
located on the shore of Gartan Lough in the heart of Donegal. Glenveagh
National Park is within walking distance. The Glebe Gallery, home to the Derek
Hill collection is just across the lake and the Colmcille Heritage Centre is
also on the Gartan estate.
Saturday, 27th
May 2006, will concentrate on the Gartan and Glenveagh areas. Most of the day
will be spent outdoors, including a visit to the Donegal Golden Eagle
Reintroduction Programme. There will be a dinner and slide show / discussion in
the evening at the Centre.
The programme
also includes a free, MCI-sponsored Leave No Trace Awareness Session on Sunday
morning, 28th May.
B&B
accommodation is available at the Centre either in double, twin or triple rooms
with full en-suite facilities, or in hostel style rooms.
All meals (dinner
/ packed lunch) are available at the Centre and should be booked in advance.
Contact: Gartan
OEC, phone 074-9137032, email: office@gartan.com. Downloadable booking form
available at www.gartan.com.
Further information:
From Gartan (above) or Helen Lawless at the MCI office
INSIDE THE COMMITTEE
Sunday Hike Co-ordinator
Howdy! Jimmy
McCullagh talked me into joining the committee last October. Good man Jimmy! I
was initially nervous but a few pints every now and then helped me get through
the hard times. My job is to a) reduce the average age at committee level; b)
try to come up with some hikes every second month with as much variety as
possible...Garry is proving a hard act to follow...it's nearly time to introduce
gimmicks; c) turn up at the odd social event...roll on the pub crawl...no
tequila this time but thanks for the offer anyway Ali! and d) turn up on some
quay or other the occasional Sunday morning for a swim or a walk or something.
In all seriousness, it's great being involved; there is a good atmosphere;
everyone on the committee makes a huge effort to keep the hiking and
extra-curricular activities going and I think that because of their work and
the support of club members we have an excellent club on the go. All we need
now are a few more hikers on Sundays!
Mark Campion
CLUB NEWS
Membership 2005-2006: Many thanks to the 118 hikers who have
renewed their club membership for the current year (Oct 1st 2005 to Sept 30th
2006).
There’s still
time to rejoin, using the membership form located at the end of the printed
newsletter and on our website.
MEMBERS’ SURVEY
April Hikes saw
higher member participation. This is great, and thanks for your support!
To keep up the
momentum, we will continue to send Sunday Hike details by text message.
And of course, we
are still interested in your feedback on club activities. If you have any
suggestions for questions to be included in the forthcoming members’ survey,
please contact Barbara Sudrow.
SOCIAL CORNER
STONEYBATTER PUB-CRAWL
The film night
originally planned for May is being deferred to a later date. Instead, we will
re-run the popular pub crawl for the next social event.
As before, anyone
who wants to come along can meet at Kavanaghs Pub on Manor Street in
Stoneybatter about 9 pm on Friday, 19 May.
Anyone coming
later can phone Steve Buckney at 086-1591842 to find out where we have moved on
to. Garry Byrne is also a contact person for this event
Other suggestions welcome!
Please contact
our Social Organiser Steve Buckney.
WALKING ABROAD
Scottish Highlands
Dates: Sat, 22
July – Sun, 30 July 2006
Leader: Mark
Campion
Area: Glencoe /
Fort William / Cairngorms
Possible hikes in
Scotland:
Ben Macdui /
Easains / Creag Meagaidh /
Ben Nevis via
Carn Mor Dearg / Ring of Steall / Bidean Nam Bian and other routes.
Please note:
Anyone interested in joining the group at this stage will have to book their
own accommodation and flights.
Contact: Mark
Campion
LONG DISTANCE WALKS
A selection of
dates for your diary! Further information can be found on Simon Stewart’s
website: www.simonstewart.ie
Blackstairs: Sat, 13th May 2006
This medium
challenge goes down the spine of the Blackstairs on Carlow-Wexford border.
Debra,
Irish Adventure Challenge, Kerry:
Sat, 13th May
2006
Commercially
organised charity challenge with several different types of stage.
12
Bens Challenge, Sun, 4th June 2006
The most extreme
of the challenges in the Republic with 2700m of climbing in Co Galway. Read what the organisers say about being
prepared because they are strict. The
evening before the walk, there will be a talk by Michael Gibbons and another by
Simon Stewart on Photography in the Irish Mountains.
Galtees
Walk, Sat, 10th June 2006
A pleasant
introductory challenge with 1300m of climbing in the Galtees
(Limerick/Tipperary).
An Óige Ring of Imaal
Marathon Walk 2006
This event has
been scheduled for Saturday, 24th June 2006.
Base
Venue: Donard National
School
Registration: 07.00hrs to
08.30hrs only
(Pre-Registration
details below)
Entry
Fee: €12.00
The event, which
can take from 8 to 11 hours to complete, is for experienced and fit walkers
only.
Route: Donard Village - Davidstown -
Brusselstown Ring - Keadeen Mtn - Ballinfoyle - Ballinabarney Gap - Ballineddan
Mtn - Slieve Maan - Lugnaquillia Mtn - Camenabologue Mtn - Table Track - Table
Mtn - Wexford Gap - Cavanagh's Gap - Lobawn - Track to Bolton's Yard - Road
walk back to Donard National School.
Participants will
be expected to have reached Table Track by no later than 1700hrs.
Total
Distance: 35 km Ascent: 1800 m
Contact: Jim Barry through An Óige Head Office
(01-8304555) or at 085-1744186 / 01-4556455 (evenings only).
Pre-Registration
Option from 1st May 2006.
To request the Registration Form, email marketing@anoige.ie. Further details
available from the An Óige website: www.anoige.ie
BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND 1
An Óige
Hillwalkers Club
June Bank Holiday
Weekend 2006
Friday 2nd
June – Monday 5th June
Visit to the Wild and
Beautiful County of Kerry
Aghadoe Y.H.,
Killarney, Co Kerry
Moderate/Hard
Walkers Welcome
Two grades of
walk each day on Saturday, Sunday & Monday
Leader: Tom Kenny
Strictly Bus Trip
Only
Weekend Walking Itinerary
- Ridge Walk to Carrauntoohil
Mountain
- Slieve Mish Mountains
/Dingle Peninsula
- Paps of Dana
- Social Events
Ordnance Survey Maps: 1:50.000 Discovery Series
Sheets 71, 78 and 79
Notes
Hostel accommodation: 4 to 6 bed rooms/limited to 52 persons
Booking: €100 NON REFUNDABLE deposit to An Óige Head Office
by credit card or cash deposit (8304555). Booking facilities available now.
Total Cost: €160 (includes 3 Bednights, 2 Dinners, 3
Continental Breakfasts, Packed Lunches & Transport costs). Balance
payable to Head Office by 19th May.
Extra Food etc: Large local Supermarket
Bring: Mountain rain wear/change of warm
clothing/towels/toilet gear/flask/torch/first aid kit/camera/binoculars/valid
An Óige membership card.
Departure: Friday evening from George’s Quay (adjacent
to Tara Street Railway Station) at 4pm (1600hrs) sharp.
Return: Monday evening/arriving Dublin City centre at 8pm
(2000hrs) approx.
Please note that
the walking programme may be altered or curtailed at the discretion of the
leader to take account of adverse weather conditions and walkers capabilities.
Welcome Aboard
BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND 2
An Óige
Hillwalkers Club
August Bank
Holiday Weekend 2006
Thursday 3rd
– Tuesday 8th August
ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
Ambleside Youth
Hostel
Leader: Frank
Rooney
· Boat
and Train Trip
· Walking
Itinerary to be decided
· Hostel
accommodation in Ambleside Youth Hostel
· Limited
to 15 places
· Six
day trip, includes four walking days
COST:
Approximate cost
€ 300. Non-refundable Deposit is € 180. Price includes Boat and Train
transport. Five nights bed and breakfast and evening meal.
Not included in
price, local transport costs and packet lunches and any additional meals.
Packed lunches can be ordered at reception of hostel.
TRAVEL:
Departure:
Thursday 3rd August. Meet at Dun Laoghaire Pier for 1000hrs (10.00 am)
for Ferry to
Holyhead
Return: Dublin on
Tuesday 8th August approximately 2030hrs (8.30 pm)
TO
BOOK:
Contact Frank
Rooney at email rooneyf@eircom.ie or phone or text 085-1742119
Must pay deposit
to be booked on trip.
BRING: Sterling Currency, Suitable Walking
Boots, and Rain Wear/Change of Warm Clothing/Towels/Bathroom Gear/ Flask/Torch/
First Aid Kit/Camera/Binoculars / Means of identification, i.e. passport,
driving license etc.
Come
along and enjoy the trip!