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simon3
2007-06-24 10:24:22
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Re No Parking Here
I would suggest that you and others who like hill-walking in the Mournes look very carefully at what is being suggested and get involved. The creation of a national park brings about the possibility of change. Put forward positive and useful suggestions. One suggestion: national parks should have verifiable targets for the amount and variety of independent recreational activity they encourage. (Some do in the US) Try to get the discussion to happen in public and in particular try to get the full reasons for decisions to be publicly justified which today means that they are on the internet.
Believe you me having seen what can happen with national parks in the south, the adoption of new policy also brings a time for negative possibilities. Here we have experienced a particular sort of "unbalanced environmentalist" pretending a bogus consensus and then trying to get a national park enforce it for them.
It starts a bit like the questionnaire you have encountered which can only have one answer: "Do you think paths, road and access can be improved" to which there can only be one answer. And the 97% acceptance of this is used to justify some harebrained scheme but without discussion of whatever the pertinent issues actually are.
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beckett
2007-06-22 23:05:33
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Slieve League
Mermoz, the comments section for Slieve League http://mountainviews.ie/mv/index.php?mtnindex=285 seems to give a lot of detail including grid references for the car park. I have not climbed the mountain myself, but having read the comments I would love to do so some day. |
mermoz
2007-06-20 23:10:43
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Climb Slieve League
This question is probably asked the 100th time, but I couldn't find an answer on this forum.
Could you please, tell me, or give me a link, with information about where to drive, where to park etc, in order to climb Slieve League? There are probably several ways to do it, just please suggest the one that you would pick for yourself.
Thanks a lot |
Bleck Cra
2007-06-20 01:54:36
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NO PARKING HERE
The debate for-or-against Mourne National Park is creeping into our consciousnesses here in the North. A malodorous mist hangs over this affair. As much as Donard makes me stand up (10cc) and Commedagh is in no way divine, so also is the conclusion of this unpleasant affair a given. Any number of documents have been prepared, research effected and opinions sought; all parties interested are represented; every conceivable accountable thing stands naked to be accounted. Yet most of us are only aware of the debate thanks to a hand-painted sign near Kilcoo “eff-off National Park” A mind-bogglingly successful amalgam of random, disparate interests and parties (ie unburdened by bureaucratic nonsense) is to be made a more manageable (whoops – up comes the breakfast) entity (and the lunch …). The argument is of course that without the patronage of those better than we, Mourne will simply self-combust. Funny when things are working well how philanthropists strive to make them even better - and get their leering bakes in the paper. Has Cra a problem with opportunism? Absolutely not. Self-importance? Non. Chubby fingers cutting endless ribbons? Encore non. But within the research questionnaire resides the Devil: “Do you think paths, road and access could be improved?” How can we answer “no”? “Could facilities be improved?” Same again. “Would you like free beer, dancing girls and a lifelong supply of chocolate cake?” Well does the B S in the W? The thing is a done deal. Will it make any difference to me? Probably not. Or you? Ditto. And to the farmers and landowners who have for generations welcomed us with careful but genuine Northern hospitality, it will turn their hard-won worlds upside down and probably…., over - to a useless, endless, pointless trail of paperwork and its enthusiastic, dreary, stupid perpetrators. |
beckett
2007-06-15 14:46:15
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Stores
LEgan there is a great bookshop in the middle of Killarney, which will have all of the maps. The Harvey map of the Reeks is best for detail. The bookshop is on the main street in Killarney. I believe there is at least one outdoor equipment specialist store in the Killarney outlet centre. |
beckett
2007-06-15 14:21:21
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UNPREPARED
I read Black Cra’s amusing piece on ‘being prepared’ with more than a passing familiarity for some of the subjects he describes. I have often wondered myself so many of the ill prepared do not appear more often as Mountain Rescue statistics. It is interesting to note that of the two major studies on mountain rescue (Anderson 1994 and Sharp 2001) that have been completed in recent times in these parts there is a striking similarity on the profile of those likely to be rescued (or worse recovered) from the mountains. Invariably they will be male, experienced walkers/climbers, between the age of 26 and 46. Most rescue incidents result from Navigational errors. Of those that suffer physical injury most are as a result of a slip or fall, of these the majority occur to experienced walkers/climbers. Few incidents arise from equipment failure or misuse. Only 7% of incidents involve people who are inadequately equipped or prepared. And for those who really love statistics your probability of being involved in an accident on a mountain is 1:13,000; this is you can expect an accident or incident 1 in every 13000 walks. |
LEgan
2007-06-12 23:20:11
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stores
I'll be over there in July and need to get equipment, maps etc ,of the reeks, and other OS maps .I'll be in the southwest, are ther any good hiking supply stores in that area, or will I have to travel |
Bleck Cra
2007-06-12 23:08:09
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UNPREPARED AS I AM
I have no doubt this writer has already beleaguered readers of this site with drum-banging on mountain safety – him and every other responsible self-effacing plodder who ever set boot on mountain. Simon’s recent piece, with conclusions implicit, loosens memories like bits of insole from old boots. Some time in the 80s (yes, young readers: those 80s from an earlier century) when Cra’s beard was black as ravens’ beards are and his sinews twanged liken Chet Aktins’ guitar strings, rather than twoinged like Jade Goody’s G ….. (oops), and when he was completing the 5th or 6th (who’s counting?) Munro in one day, he was halloo-ed (though the snow, did I not mention this?) by the outrider of a party of nitwits ascending a 3000’+ blizzard-covered life-extinguisher; sans map, sans compass, sans torch, sans everything. Oh yes…. and sans jacket. The allusion will not have escaped the many erudite amongst us. “Do you know where we are Mister?” Yet no newscasts of 5 idiots in drip-dry shirts being airlifted from Carn Mairg. Still with shirts, we observe a portly middle-aged (optimistically) gent in suit kecks, supermarket shirt and street-level shoes ascending Ben Lomond early November – well it was a hot day. Or what about Mrs Madintheheid with a wean in a carrier to rear, a wean in carrier to fore and the third in her arms, herself rooted in ironmonger wellies, half way up Ben Lawers (4000’+). There are no limitations to the unpreparedness of human being for the high montanas – some were scooped out of the appalling Hilltown Castle Bog a year or so back, soaked to their young, innocent, trusting souls. I think it’s like Ireland: you can see it from Europe so why not go there? It just that it’s best to know what you’re getting yourself into. |
simon3
2007-06-10 19:44:31
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360 Degree Views of Irish Scenery
Visiting Slievenamon last weekend I came upon a fellow spirit intent on photographing the view. Which was great, though a little misty.
Take a look at www.ireland360.com for views of many parts of Ireland (particularly the SE). The site requires the free Quicktime viewer from Apple. It's worth getting this because the pictures are seriously interesting. Take a look at the one for Knockmealdown summit also Keeper Hill and many others. Evocative if you have been there. Interesting if you are planning to go.
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NICKY
2007-06-05 21:07:26
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Slieve Snaght
Thanks again Padodes! This weekend the weather is to be exceptional so I was thinking of doing it from the south so that I could be at Errigals summit for dawn. This way I wouldn't be going over the same ground twice. I have done it from the north before and it was a great walk but I only got Snaght done that day. I want to get as much of that ridge done as possible, Crockfadda, Snaght, Bingorms, Drumnaliffernn and Maumlack etc. Then onto the mighty Errigal! Thanks again! Oh I nearly forgot, where can you get that book? |
Forum: General
Hill Runner |
roberto 12 hours ago.
Walking along the Wicklow Way today at the section that leads down to the Dargle River, steep enough section. I met a hill runner running up this part and at the same time he was having a conversa... |
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Summit Comment
Agnew's Hill: Shapely scarply Sallagh Braes |
simon3 5 days ago.
North of the summit and over a road is the 2km long arc of Sallagh Braes, a spectacular semicircle of a valley where the higher ground to the west (left) falls away towards the sea.
This pictur... |
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Track
Walks Around Port 2 |
gerrym a day ago.
http://youtu.be/jq7O1tarPuQ
A second walk starting and fini walk, Length:17.0km, Climb: 578m, Area: Donegal SW (Ireland) |
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Summit Summary
Lugnagun: Superb Blessington Lake Views |
 Collaborative entry Last edit by: march-fixer 6 days ago.
Though not a summit to write home about, it still provides a wonderful grandstand view south out over Blessington Lakes and west to the Hill of Allen. Until recently (2013) pine trees obscure thes... |
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Track
Circuit of the Three Aghlas |
Onzy 2 days ago.
Route takes in Aghla More, Aghla Beg South and Aghla Beg, be walk, Length:9.1km, Climb: 669m, Area: Aghla More, Donegal NW (Ireland) Aghla More, Aghl |
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Forum: General
SEX ROCKS AND ROLLS |
BleckCra 4 days ago.
"It's like sex," she said.
We looked at her.
"Hillwalking. It's like sex."
Her big scrubbed North Antrim face - and I imagined she didn't know much about either - not her fault mind, given the... |
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Summit Comment
Slieve Carr: Possible with Nephin Beg in a day |
jimgraham a week ago.
Just to note that I found it possible to combine Slieve Carr with Nephin Beg. Working from the southern end of the Bangor trail (point F) it took me four hours to gain the top of Carr; about two ... |
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Geansai