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Post details Post   (Contract pics)
Bobbio1969
2022-03-23 23:03:59
Unsatisfactory Irish Grid to Lat/Long coordin
Wishing to locate in Google Earth (input latitude, longitude) some of the Arderins, located on Irish Grid by MV (thanks for the spelling Simon!), I downloaded GridInquest2, claimed to be a co-ordinate converter, from the OSI website. It is an extremely unsatisfactory co-ordinate converter - any Irish Grid points in Northern Ireland that are not close to the Border are given 0 latitude and 0 longitude, or "Coordinate outside Transformation...", depending on whether interactive or text file mode. So this software ignores maybe a quarter of the island of Ireland. What a waste of time and space.
Bobbio1969
2022-03-19 09:29:51
Height errors on Irish summits in German BKG
As I indicated, it appears to be a messier problem than which ellipsoid - more like somebody spilled a bottle of digital ink over the file. Have a look at Sliabh Bán (Slievebaun. Slievebawn to taste) in Blackstairs: 525 according to MV, 496 m according to BKG, so -29 m, but about 1 km north Blackstairs itself is 732 by MV; 787 by BKG, so +55. On the other hand Djouce agrees within a metre by both BKG and MV, A very pimply ellipsoid indeed would be needed to reconcile those discepancies
simon3
2022-03-19 07:21:12
Re BKG summit heights.
Yes indeed this map does indeed seem to have errors.
I found the BKG map at http://sg.geodatenzentrum.de/web_bkg_webmap/applications/bkgmaps/minimal.html if anyone wants to look.
And with a quick check for one summit, Mullacor, which we measured at 660.7m their height was 706. Their height is 45.3 high which confirms there is at least one error.
BKG are using Open Street Map and most of the heights for this data set for Irish summits were set to WGS 84 ellipsoid heights, not height above sea level.
However a MV volunteer has corrected many of these to use the above sea level values that MV has. Other map makers in Ireland such as OSI also use above sea level. Many of these have come from MV's own measurements using a surveying GPS (accurate to .1m).
It would appear that BKG have not refreshed their rendering of OSM data recently. MV uses another map layer based on OSM called OpenTopoMap. Generally they correct their online map within around 3 weeks of our corrections.
Thanks for describing this Bobbio1969.
Incidentally it's spelt "Arderins"
Bobbio1969
2022-03-18 22:35:57
Height errors on Irish summits in German BKG
I have recently discovered that the Bundesamt fuer Kartographie und Geodaesie (BKG) has published a topo map that has erroneous heights for nearly all the Ardeerin summits in Wicklow, Dublin and Wexford; this has been confirmed by BKG themselves, after an original snooty response. I raised the issue with BKG at the beginning of March, but the map is still online - I suppose they can't just pull it without inconveniencing a lot of users. I have no idea if this is just a localised problem - I have looked only at those Ardeerins in my local region.

Most of the errors add typically about 46 to 53 m to the accepted heights, but some heights are almost correct, and there are a few summits that actually get shrunk; so it's not a simple matter of a blanket addition, or a quibble over the geoid in use.

I came across this rather astonishing situation while using PhotoEphemeris, a program to figure out the bearings of sunrise, sunset etc. for photographers: this program just happens to overlay its computed bearings on a topo map provided (presumably free) by BKG.

I hope to hear eventually from BKG just how they screwed up, but in the meantime do not rely on BKG's topo map!
billbaggins
2022-03-14 16:53:09
Chalky RIP
Sorry to learn that Chalky, Ken Whyte, has departed this world and at a relatively young age. RIP.
Especially sorry to learn that he had been dealing with a serious health issue for a considerable time before his death.
His peak bagging record is simply amazing see
https://www.peakbagger.com/climber/climber.aspx?cid=7239
simon3
2022-03-11 08:09:47
Sad death of chalky (Ken Whyte)
We are sad to tell you that Ken Whyte, known as chalky on this website has died from natural causes.

Alan Dawson of the "Pedantic" baggers group on Google said:

Many of you will know Ken Whyte, and most of you will know of him and his remarkable activities in the hills.

I am sorry to have to report that Ken died on Monday. He had been having treatment for a brain tumour for over a year but even so it was unexpected. His wife Gladys has been in touch to say that he died suddenly due to bleeding in the brain following a fall.

Rob Woodall of the same group said:

Ken's bagging record is extraordinary - pretty much everything over 500m in Scotland and over P100m in Ireland, his many Island and Region completions etc etc, often bicycle-powered.

RIP Ken, Condolences to Gladys

For myself, can I say that Ken was in fact top of the overall Summiteers Hall of Records for combined Britain + Ireland with 7803 summits logged. 1203 of these were logged in Ireland.

I didn;t know him personally but we will miss his support of the website which included many comments as well as logging. Condolences to all that loved him..

To see the scale of this achievement it is worth comparing with a leading Irish based summiteer, FergalH who has visited 1487 in Ireland and 3250 in the combined B+I list.
march-fixer
2022-02-12 15:34:22
"Bridges over Blessington Lakes" from march-fixer Contract pics
Picture: Bridges over Blessington Lakes (Contract pics)

Traffic Lights!
Access from Blessington to the east Wicklow mountain area is going to change drastically!

Wicklow Co. Co. has made an executive decision without any local consultation to lodge a planning application to make the three main bridges over Blessington Lakes into single lane bridges with traffic lights at both ends to control access. Total nuts in my humble opinion.

This is their solution to their dilemma with the Blessington Lakes Greenway which will require access for walkers, wheelchairs and bicycles. The three current bridges are about 80 years old and not wide enough to accommodate two lanes of motor traffic while also accommodating a pathway wide enough for the non-motor traffic use!

Traffic flow over these bridges is poor even at low peak times, so just imagine what it would be like on a busy summer weekend. A survey was carried out in May 2021 in the middle of the pandemic lock-down, as far as I am aware, which naturally shows low traffic volume!

As this situation affects everyone's access to the West Wicklow hills and Glendalough area from the the west I would like to see what MV members think of this situation, and possibly lodge objections with the Planning Authority? We have only until March 5th before the Planning Authority makes a decision.
Onzy
2022-02-08 18:18:57
"" from Onzy Contract pics
Picture: (Contract pics)

2021 List Completions
Here is the interim list of completions for 2021. As usual this extends slightly into 2022! If you have completed a list and feel you should be in line for a 2021 award, please let me know @davidowens1513@gmail.com....

As we were unable to hold a Gathering in 2021, we are hoping to present both 2020 and 2021 awards at a Gathering this year - date and venue to be advised - watch this space!
pdtempan
2022-01-20 09:42:04
There's close, and there's too close
Thanks for that information about the stag that gored the ESB worker, bunsen7. It was an extremely serious incident. North Tipperary is not an area I would associate with deer, but once they come into an area they can breed quite fast. I wonder are deer often seen in this area nowadays? But for his rucksack, it sounds like the guy could have had much worse injuries. I hope he has made a full recovery. I wonder if the first group of deer he saw were females. If he had accidentally walked between them and the dominant stag, that would certainly explain the stag's behaviour, as it may have treated him the same as another male deer trying to separate it from its harem. Deer are dangerously aggressive for the couple of months from mid-September to early November. Their hormones literally drive them wild.
IainT
2022-01-14 13:39:31
Irish runner Eoin Keith wins the Spine Race
For those who haven't come across it, the Spine Race is a 268 mile hill run up the Pennine Way in Northern England, run in January, so usually in foul weather, making it one of the world's toughest ultra marathons. This year was the 10th anniversary so a star-studded cast took part, but nearly all failed to finish! The exception was Eoin Keith from Cork, who just took it steady and ran his own race, finishing as the winner by a fair distance, his second win (he's also won the summer version). Eoin is an absolute legend and by all accounts a true gent. Shout out too for Liam Vines from Wicklow, who has just finished with more than a day to spare. Anyone who even gets to take part in the Spine is a genuinely tough cookie.


RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS 1 2 3 4 5 .. 22 Next page >>
Summit Comment
Mauherslieve: Mother Mountain by The Lord SummerIsle Route
No1Grumbler less than an hour ago.
Folk horror movies follow a similar pattern. Our hero arrives at a wonderfully fertile valley bursting with flowers and fruits, he is nave but on some sort of quest. So it was with me, on the hot...

  
Summit Comment
Fair Mountain: Spiky forest
simon3 12 hours ago.
Fair Mountain has forestry. Not a particularly strange remark for a mountain in Wicklow where much of the uplands are covered in trees. But what makes this place unusual is the almost decorat...

  
Summit Summary
Fair Mountain: Flattish spur south of the Wicklow Gap, cliffy to the north.
Collaborative entry Last edit by: simon3 13 hours ago.
Park at the Wicklow Gap. Take the more westerly of the two access roads to Turlough Hill reservoir. Continue up this steepish, tarred road for 1.5km which will bring you above Fair Mountain, ...

Summit Comment
Broaghnabinnia: Lung bursting ascent of Broaghnabinnia
glencree 20 hours ago.
We went up from the Bridia valley, which is an extremely steep ascent and not for anyone prone to vertigo. Although the summit is achieved in a short distance, the climb/scramble requires car...

  
Track
The mighty Slioch (The Spear)
eamonoc 3 days ago.
Climbed the Iconic Slioch from Incheril on a fantastic weather day, following a long walk beside the N bank of the K... walk, Len: 21.4km, Climb: 1912m, Area: Loch Maree to Loch Broom (Britain) Sli||

  
Summit Comment
Carrauntoohil: A Night Climb of Carrauntoohill
JohnFinn a day ago.
I set out from Cronin's Yard at 8:30 p.m. on 3rd June and walked up the Hag's Glen and ascended to the ridge of the Reeks via the Zig Zag path (easier to negotiate than the more popular Devil...

Summit Comment
Slioch: Tough going above Loch Maree
eamonoc 3 days ago.
To climb Slioch, involves a round trip of 21km, with almost 2000m of ascent above Loch Maree, amidst a stunning location.

  
Summit Comment
Muskeagh Hill: View from the North East.
simon3 4 days ago.
Muskeagh Hill, a view from Ballycumber to the North East.

  
Track
A very tough outing in Glen Etive
eamonoc 5 days ago.
With the prospect of some good weather in Scotland headed up to Glen Etive, having previously climbed Ben Starav a f... walk, Len: 28.5km, Climb: 2901m, Area: Glen Etive to Glen Lochy (Britain) Bei||

Summit Comment
Meall nan Eun: Gentle slopes lead to this Munro
eamonoc 4 days ago.
Climbed as the last of a tough 4 Munro round in Glen Etive.

  
Summit Comment
Stob Coir'an Albannaich: A fine cliff top Summit in Glen Etive
eamonoc 4 days ago.
After Glass Bheinn Mhor, the next port of call was Stob Coir' an Albannaich 1044m climbed from a 738m col seperating both.

  
Summit Comment
Glas Bheinn Mhor: One of Glen Etive's finest
eamonoc 4 days ago.
Climbed on a fine weather day in May as part of a tough outing in Glen Etive.


RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS 1 2 3 4 5 .. 22 Next page >>