HIKE PROGRAMME
November 2007
MEET: Burgh
Quay
|
DEPART: Sundays
10.00 am
|
COST: Private
bus. €12 (unless stated otherwise)
|
2nd pick-up
point: The bus picks up walkers who are already at the designated point. It
won’t be waiting and places cannot be guaranteed as the bus may be full at
Burgh Quay.
NEW 2nd drop-off point: Where
indicated in the programme below, the bus will drop off hikers at the 2nd
pick-up point on the return journey, unless circumstances dictate otherwise. We
regret that this is not possible on all routes.
|
11 November 2007 ---Wild West
Wicklow Leader: Chris Byrne 2nd
pick-up & drop-off point: Bus
stop near pond at Sean Moore Park on Tallaght By-Pass. Route: Ballyknockan CP (GR O 010 073) *
Silsean * Moanbane * Billy Byrne’s Gap * Spot Height 702m * Black Hill *
Ballynultagh Gap * Sorrell * Ballinatona Forest Tracks to CP (GR O 055 138). Distance: 18km
Ascent: 780m |
|
18 November
2007 ---Dargle
and Glencree Valleys Leader: Philip Hayden 2nd
pick-up point: Bus stop
before the roundabout at Loughlinstown. Route: CP Ballinastoe Upper (GR O 203 091) *
Glasnamullen * Djouce * Wicklow Way * Maulin * Ballyreagh * Crone * Ballyross
* Ballycoyle (GR O 161 156). Distance: 17km
Ascent: 680m |
|
25 November 2007 ---Eastern St. Kevin’s Way Maps: OS Map 56, Healy or Harvey Leader: Brian Flynn 2nd pick-up point: Bus stop near pond at
Sean Moore Park on Tallaght By-Pass Route: Granabeg Schoolhouse (GR O 007 021) to
Glendalough and Laragh. Distance: 18km Ascent:
150m |
|
2 December
2007 ---Introductory
Hike: Glenmalure in Winter Maps: OS Sheets 56 & 62, Healy, Harvey
and Army Warden Service maps Leader: Gerry Walsh 2nd
pick-up & drop-off point:
Bus stop before the roundabout at Loughlinstown. Route: Drumgoff Forest Tracks * Kelly’s Lough
* Cloghernagh * Art’s Lough * Second Zigzags Glenmalure. Distance: 17km
Ascent: 730m |
|
9 December 2007: ---HOLLY
HIKE 2007 Leader: Don Reilly Route: Drumreagh Forest Entrance (GR 937 032) *
Drumreagh Forest Park * Church Mountain * Turf Cutters' Track * Hollywood Village.
Distance: 12km
Ascent: 600m |
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 If necessary, 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.
EQUIPMENT It is essential to bring good rain gear (both jacket and over
trousers) and to leave cotton t-shirts and jeans at home!
Boots must be sturdy with proper ankle support and a rigid non-slip sole
such as Vibram.
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.
OUT ON THE TRAILS
Hohe Tauern National Park
Summiting
the Roof of Austria
The Großglockner
is not only Austria’s highest peak at 3798 metres but also the jewel in the
crown of its finest national park, the Hohe Tauern. That park is home to around
thirty 3000 metre plus mountains, several glaciers and abundant flora and
fauna. On paper, summiting the Großglockner seemed feasible. After all it was
not my first attempt to scale an alpine peak. A trek to the top of Triglav in
the Julian Alps came to mind, not to mention successful ascents to the tops of
Cuba, the Czech Republic, Spain, Mozambique, Germany, Scotland, South Africa,
Tasmania, Zimbabwe, as well as reaching the roof of Africa in the shape of
Kilimanjaro and Mount Toubkal in the Atlas mountains. My stamina and fitness
had also been enough to reach high into the Andes, Himalayas and several ranges
in between.
With such a
background I took a relaxed and casual approach to this latest endeavour. That
attitude was to dramatically change when I got up close and personal as I soon
realised why it had “Groß” in its name.
From a distance
A couple of days
prior to that face-to-face meeting and while out hiking in the park the cloud
lifted and lifted to eventually reveal this dominating peak. This was the
beginning of my changed attitude as its pyramidal peak and jagged edges came
sharply into view. It simply looked impossible to penetrate and so it almost
proved for this aging walker.
The good weather
was forecast to continue for the next few days and so the time to get up and at
it had arrived. Our hosts eased my wife and I into this trek by transporting us
in comfort to the starting point at Lucknerhaus at 1920 metres - just less than
two vertical kilometres to the top. From there we opted to take a narrow
stepper path through fresh snow to Lucknerhütte some 300 metres higher. From
that well-equipped hut it was a further 600 metres to Stüdlhütte. As we
meandered our way there and out of the tree line the ground became steeper, the
air thinner, the snow thicker and the panting louder and more frequent.
Setting out from Stüdlhütte
There a local
guide with rock-hugging hands and canyon-deep non-blinking eyes greeted us. His
face mirrored the outlines of the mountain. Accompanying him were two solidly
built Dutchmen and together we formed a team with one aim - to safely return to
this hut the next day via the top of Austria. Despite the afore mentioned
experience we soon discovered we were the weakest link in that all our new
companions had extensive climbing accomplishments and were better versed in the
skill of ropes, crampons, and harnesses - all essential requirements for the
task ahead. Despite our shortcomings we gave a good account of ourselves on our
way over a glacier and up the first of many vertical climbs to our next
destination, the Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte (Adlersruhe) - at 3454 metres the
country’s highest, coldest and most sparse mountain hut.
Sleeping at 3454 metres
There we bedded
down for the night. The low temperature and high altitude affects people in
different ways. In my case the bladder was the main victim as it either
contracted to fill up fast or expanded to absorb all the remaining liquid in my
body. The result however was the same in that its inner working had to be
outwardly attended to and now let it not be said that socks and plastic bags
have only one function. On one occasion I opened the window to our room to yet
again empty that demanding bladder and in doing so let in more liquid in the
form of snowflakes than let out in the process of peeing.
Such exertions
together with the looming mountain still unmovingly lording over us were not
conducive to a much needed but deprived sleep. By dawn the next morning that
mountain still hadn’t gone away unlike my appetite and a desire to be somewhere
else - like a beach or a five star hotel. After all, this was our honeymoon
trip and we still had that mountain to climb. And climb it we did.
Sunrise over the
roof of Austria revealed a sea of ice, snow, glaciers and waves of mountains in
all directions. It was an inspiring sight. However it also showed every curve,
twist and rock on the face of the mountain.
Off we prodded
like five penguins over the ice and onto the knife-edge ridges and the more we
moved the less likely it looked I would make it to the top. Not only did I have
to battle tiredness, I had to overcome an increasing fear of the exposure those
ridges presented. However pride and determination proved stronger than fear as
I slowly, very slowly, crawled, hopped and jumped from one foothold to the next
to reach the pin-sized peak.
The relief and
joy of being here was short-lived however, as the thought of going down
outweighed the achievement of getting up.
On the descent
Descending the
300 metres from that pinnacle onto the relative safety and stability of the
glacier below stretched me to and beyond my limits. Apart from the technical
difficulty of negotiating every outcrop, nook and cranny there was that
ever-present exposure. At times it felt I was stepping into space with the
nearest landfall a kilometre or two below. Both legs and nerves were stretched
to places I did not know even existed. Without the assistance of my fellow
climbers and guide I could still be there suspended on the mountain face unable
to go up or down. Down I went but not always in an orthodox or professional
manner until the level ground of the glacier was reached.
Upon returning in
a safe and unsound state to the Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte (Adlersruhe), I looked
with amazement at the task my mind and body just recently completed. Following
a hearty breakfast we continued our descent through further but less exposed
rock faces and ice fields to arrive back to Stüdlhütte (2801m). The longer now
we spent on those arêtes the more adept I became at handling them. There we bid
farewell to our climbing companions. The Dutchmen commented that it was one of
their hardest climbs to-date and certainly the most technical of them.
All the panting,
peeing and finally peaking was over … for now.
Brendan
Magee
See Brendan’s
amazing photos by selecting the New Photos
link on the main menu.
Dublin City Marathon
I was delighted
to again take part in this year's Dublin City Marathon.
I ran a PB of 3
hours 46 mins and 34 secs. It was my
13th Dublin City Marathon so naturally I was a bit apprehensive.
Although I had
trained hard all year, I had not completed the recommended 20 mile runs, partly
due to the fact that I was out on the hills most Sundays!
It was great to
take part and I raised €408 for "Friends of the elderly". Many thanks to those who I caught on the
Sunday I came out with my sponsorship card!
Another friend of mine raised €2000 and is still raising money, but he
is likely to benefit himself as he is 72 years old. He also ran the marathon this year.
There was a
post-race pasta party for €15 but like my usual likelihood at turning up at
Hillwalkers’ socials I missed that. I
went last year and I was the only Irish person there apart from some of the
organizers.
I got a lovely
black tee-shirt with long sleeves, great for the colder winter evenings, a
better material than usual. I also
obtained a lovely red finisher’s medal so I was able to go trick-or-treating
dressed as a marathon runner for Halloween!
The first woman
home got a prize of €15,000 but I couldn't quite make the standard of 2:29:30 -
perhaps next year! First Irish woman
was Pauline Curley from Tullamore Harriers in a time of 2:42:30; she was ninth
woman home. The event was won by a
Russian in both the male and female races.
The winning man, Aleksey Sokolov, finished in 2:09:07; the first Irish
man, Michael O'Connor finished in 2:25:48.
The course
started and finished in the city centre, from Fitzwilliam Square through
O'Connell Street into the Phoenix Park, Chapelizod, Inchicore, over to
Terenure, Clonskeagh, Stillorgan Road, Nutley Lane, Merrion Road, Shelbourne
Road, over by Pearse Street, round Trinity College, back along Nassau Street
and finished in Merrion Square. I was
in dire need of a few pints after that!
One Hillwalker
(Brian Flynn) who wasn't in Armagh cheered me in the Phoenix Park.
Jennifer
Lee
CLUB NEWS
Vacancy:
SOCIAL ORGANISER
If you have a
flair for organising events and getting people to turn up for them, you might
like to follow in the footsteps of Steve Buckney who stepped down from the
committee at the recent AGM (see p. 7).
Anyone interested
in taking on the role of Social Organiser, please contact
Frank
Rooney
~~~
Full
report and photos from Armagh in the December Newsletter!
~~~
Membership
2007-2008
The current
membership year runs from 1st October 2007 to 30th September 2008.
Hillwalkers who
haven’t yet renewed their membership will find an application form available to
download by clicking on the Membership Form
link on the menu on the left.
~~~
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, barbarasudrow@eircom.net
Julian Alps, Slovenia:
Triglav National Park
The Triglav National
Park (TNP) is named after Triglav, the highest summit in Slovenia. The origin
of the name Triglav is rather uncertain. Triglav (»three-headed«) owes its name
to its characteristic shape as seen from the south-east side or to the highest
Slavic deity who was supposed to have its throne on the top of the mountain.
The mountain is a national symbol and is featured on the national coat of arms,
the flag and on Slovenian Euro coins.
The National Park
extends along the Italian border and close to the Austrian border in the
north-west of Slovenia. Triglav is situated approx. 70 kilometres from the
Slovenian capital Ljubljana; the nearest railway station is at Bled, an alpine
lake resort, 50 kilometres from Ljubljana.
For more photos of Triglav by Don Reilly see the
New Photos link from the main menu.
MCI Winter Lectures
Des Clark Living in the high
mountains
When not working professionally as an International Mountain Leader, Des
explores remote areas and meets people who live at high altitudes. His slideshow
will cover the Peruvian Andes, Iceland, Pyrenees and the High Atlas in Morocco.
Date 7th November, 8pm
to 10pm
Venue Park Inn Dublin,
Smithfield Village, Dublin 7
Tickets: 10 Euro for MCI members,
15
Euro for non-members
~~~
Chris Bonington
In 1985, Bonington achieved a lifetime's ambition when, at the age of
50, he reached the summit of Everest as a member of a Norwegian Everest
expedition. Now at 72, Sir Chris Bonington has no intention of hanging up his
climbing boots. His vast experience and
knowledge of the outdoors should make a riveting evening’s entertainment.
Date: 29th November, 8pm
Venue: 53° North,
Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15
Tickets: 10 Euro for MCI members,
available to purchase from the MCI office
Contact: Call (+353) 1 625 1115 or
email memberssupport@mountaineering.ie to order your tickets.
~~~
For further information on forthcoming MCI
events, please visit www.mountaineering.ie
An Óige Photography Course
Digital Masterclasses for Beginners
The Course will include six Tuesday evening sessions of two hours each
to be held in the Dublin International Youth Hostel, 61, Mountjoy Street,
Dublin 7. On November 6th, 13th, 20th
and 27th and December 4th, 11th plus a field trip.
The subjects that will be covered include:
·
Making sense out of your instruction manual.
·
Understanding the settings on your camera and what they do.
·
Field work using your own camera.
·
Downloading images.
·
Adjusting your image for printing.
Evening sessions (6): 7:15pm for 7:30pm start.
Venue: The sessions will be held in Room 102 at the
Dublin International Youth Hostel, 61 Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7.
Requirements: Digital Camera and
instruction book.
Field Trip: Sunday, 25th November 2007.
Details will be given at the sessions.
Course Cost: €100. Cost includes
6 evening sessions and field trip.
Booking: It is essential that interested persons book
in advance through the An Óige Head Office, Tel. (01) 830 4555. Credit card bookings acceptable.
Course Given By: Peter Gallagher
L.I.P.P.A.
Annual General Meeting
The AGM 2007 was
held on Thursday, 11 October, in Cassidy’s Hotel, Westmoreland Street, Dublin
2. Sixteen members attended the meeting and the previous year’s minutes were
read, proposed, seconded and agreed.
Outgoing & Incoming
Committee Members
Both Steve
Buckney, Social Organiser, and Eoin Moroney, Officer-at-Large, stepped down
from the Committee. Deirdre Muldowney joined the Committee as Club Promoter.
The meeting approved the new Committee and a vote of thanks was passed to the
outgoing Committee members for their service to the Club.
A vote of thanks
was also passed to Matt Geraghty who maintains the club website and to Cyril
McFeeney and Pearse Foley for distribution of the newsletter.
Chairman’s & Treasurer’s
Report
Frank Rooney
presented a report detailing activity and expenditure for the year ending 30
September, 2007. He outlined measures
taken to increase membership and awareness of the Club, with publicity being
given particular attention.
Membership
Donal Finn
reported on membership which was 122 for 2006-07, compared with 113 the
previous year. Of the 122, some 52 were not members in the last or previous
years and most heard of the Club through the Internet or adverts. The
male:female balance is roughly 60:40. The membership fee for the coming year
will remain at the current €35, which is subsidised by around €2 from Club
funds.
Organised Weekends and
Holidays
The club
organised Bank Holiday weekends in Wales, Ben Lettery and Derry &
Donegal. Longer trips were organised by
Mark Campion to Kenmare and by Frank Rooney to Austria during the summer. For the first time, a successful BBQ weekend
was organised in Ballinclea YH, with great credit due to Mark Campion.
Holly Hike & Christmas
Party
These events were
held again with around 100 and 120 respectively in attendance.
Social Events
Steve Buckney
organised a number of successful events during the year and efforts will be
made to organise further events on an ad-hoc basis, failing attempts to recruit
a replacement.
Training
The map and
compass course was attended by 16 trainees in 2006-07. This year, 24 people are
signed up for the course.
The Hillwalker
10 issues of the
newsletter were distributed during 2006-07 with a wide range of articles
contributed by club members. Barbara Sudrow reminded the meeting that the
newsletter is the Club’s main forum for information. She asked that any
articles, matters of interest etc be forwarded to her for inclusion in the
newsletter.
Members’ Discussion
Among other
issues, the possibility of the bus charge being raised in small increments was
discussed, as was the suggestion that a free bus be used for the monthly
introductory hike, rather than giving contributions to An Óige. It was agreed that where the bus would
likely be returning by way of the second meeting point, this would be indicated
on the hike programme.
COMMITTEE 2007 - 2008
Committee 2007 - 2008:
Chairman Frank
Rooney
Secretary/Sunday
Hikes Garry Byrne
Treasurer Jim
Barry
Membership/Training Donal
Finn
Weekends Mark
Campion
Promotion Deirdre
Muldowney
Newsletter Barbara
Sudrow
Special thanks to:
Webmaster Matt
Geraghty
Distribution Pearse
Foley & Cyril McFeeney
CHRISTMAS PARTY 2007
An Óige
Hillwalkers Club
CHRISTMAS PARTY 2007
Cost: €75 (making your own way) or
€85 (using private bus from Burgh Quay)
Saturday, 15 December
9.30 am Depart
from Burgh Quay, Dublin (club bus)
11.00
am Arrive at Glendalough
Youth Hostel
11.30 am Depart
Hostel for Hikes in Glendalough Area
Hard
Hike: Tom Kenny
Moderate
Hike: Jim Barry
4.30 pm Welcome
Back Hikers’ Soup
at
Glendalough Hostel
Opportunity to
renew club membership and/or
book optional
breakfast for Sunday morning (approx. € 7.50)
6.45 pm Depart
Hostel for Lynam’s Pub in Laragh
(club bus)
8.30 pm Christmas
Dinner
Wicklow
Heather Restaurant, Laragh
11.30 pm Depart
Wicklow Heather (club bus),
return
to Glendalough Hostel
12.00 am Christmas
Raffle
Music
& Party till late
Sunday, 16 December
10.30 am Depart
Hostel for Hike in Glendalough Area
Hike
Leader: Garry Byrne
3.30 pm Depart
Hostel, return to Dublin (club bus)
Weekend Leader: FRANK ROONEY
Any changes to advertised leaders or times will be
announced on the day.
All queries and payments to An Óige Head Office (01-8304555)
– booking now open!