October 2014 newsletter from MountainViews.ie
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The Summit

Monthly newsletter of MountainViews.ie for guestuser

October 2014

NEWS - INFORMATION - RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS - FEATURES - FORUMS

PIC OF THE MONTH

 Highlights:
WEST, NORTH, SOUTH Route ideas and places to go, many to "new" places.

VIDEOS: Five videos and a review.emVee-tube, our video section.

Book Review, Sean Rothery Reprint of A Long Walk South

User interface changes Changes made, comment critical. Take a look.

Upcoming: MOUNTAINVIEWS - WALKERS ASSOCIATION - and MORE

WALKERS ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND:
For a full list of Challenge Walks, visit here.
MOUNTAIN MEITHEAL: the following are upcoming work days for 2014:
05/10/2014 18/10/2014 02/11/2014 15/11/2014
We publicise Mountain Meitheal because they make practical repairs to some of the more popular areas we walk on, using a voluntary community based approach. (More information at their website.)

Picture of the month

Gortnagarn of itself never looked to me like much of a place to visit. No scrambling hard-won ascent. But what a view from near the top as brought to us by member eamonoc. Click for source comment.

Regions: MOUNTAIN COMMENTS - TRIP REPORTS - TRACKS - SUMMARIES
In short: Discovery

Featured summit report
Irelands largest wild animal
by Colin Murphy: Torc West Top is unmarked by a cairn or other prominence. However it is a fairly well-defined grassy mound with great views over the lakes of Killarney and towards Torc mountain itself. On my descent I stumbled upon (almost literally) a small group of Red Deer. Luckily they didn't flee too far before I could get a snap. Strikingly large and beautiful animals close up. Apparently they are Ireland's largest wild animal, or so I read. Having come within about 10 metres of them, I can't disagree with that. The larger animal in the shot came almost to my shoulder.


NORTH: Wiley, windy moors (probably)
The Cuilcagh Way is a 33km loop walk over this exceptionally distinctive border-straddling mountain, and it has made a deep impression on Heathcliff, who reports some new board walks and some missing waymarks.
Heathcliff on Cuilcagh: A walk on the wild side !
By Heathcliff 25sept.2014 completed "Cuilcagh Way" Mon.22nd Sept.This 33km loop walk from Cladagh Bridge took me 9 hours,including breaks.Part of the route is officially closed owing to a landslide (2010?) but with weather being so dry decided to take a chance.So glad I did-one of finest walks I've ever done!! Good news is ,a board walk over very marshy ground approaching the ascent is neari ... conormcbandon on A round of the Maamturks
I took advantage of a good weather/life/work window for this walk, Length:49.9km, Climb: 2880m, Area: Corcóg, Maamturks (Ireland) Corcóg, Cruiscín, simonburn's take on doing the Carran group
Some years ago I visited the Carran group a less frequented place SE of Kilgarvan in east Cork. Carran itself just makes the Vandeleur-Lynam category. Access was somewhat awkward, though possible, the way I did it (Track 1964). If you are prepared to walk 32k then you can take a much more interesting route as this one from Simon Burn does, taking in a host of other smaller hills in the Shehy/Knockboys.
simoburn on PMG Walk 43- The Carran Summits
PMG Walk 43 - The Carran Summits - Much easier walking. walk, Length:32.1km, Climb: 1066m, Area: Mweelin, Shehy/Knockboy (Ireland) Mweelin, Lackabaun
SOUTH: Committed, in both senses of the word...
The Irish water supply seems to have been spiked with hallucinogens again, as this month's tracks mark a definite return to the territory named 'clinically insane'. What could be better than a walk taking in Mullaghanish, Caherbarnagh and the Paps in a single push? 'Just about anything' would be the sensible answer, but simoburn's Project Mountain Goat has long since forsaken such indecision. Anyone seeking further self-mutilation could always include Knockullane's E top as well, which he amazingly opted to exclude.
simoburn on PMG Walk 39 - Mullaghanish to The Paps
PMG Walk 39 - Mullaghanish to The Paps - Overcast but dry! V walk, Length:32.9km, Climb: 1785m, Area: Knockullane, Paps/Derrynasaggart (Ireland) Knoc

FURTHER NEWS

Eruption in Japan kills 30 ...
There are quite a few ex-volcanos Ireland, but fortunately none active in the last few million years. Not so in Japan.
Click for info

BOOK REVIEWS

Book review: A Long Walk South by Sean Rothery Publisher: The Collins Press
Published : Originally 2001, republished 2014

In this Camino obsessed era, this fine book is a welcome reminder of other wonderful long distance walks. First published as a hardback in 2001, Collins Press have now issued it in paperback. I first encountered this book about 10 years ago, marked down in price and seemingly unloved in a Limerick bookshop. I enjoyed reading it so much that I turned from the final page to the first and read it a second time. It is an account of a walk along the GR5 trail which runs over 2,000 km from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. The GR5 crosses through Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland. The full walk takes 3 or 4 months. Séan Rothery, a Dublin architect, marked his retirement not by taking up golf but instead by walking across a continent. The format of the book is a day-by-day account of his walk along the GR5. It’s a format that could easily become tedious, but Rothery is a skilled writer and he quickly draws the reader into his journey. There are wonderful descriptions of places and people, high mountains, canals and lakes. He started his journey on the bleak North Sea, always drawn southwards by the heat and the light of the Med. There is plenty of history for example as he crosses First World War battlefields or admires . The book is also adorned with some of the many drawings he made on route. Rothery made his journey in 1994. Although only 20 years ago, this was an era without sat-navs, smartphones or Wi-fi. He clearly endured some lonely moments but by travelling alone he opened himself to meeting many locals and fellow walkers. The book is part autobiography as Rothery reflects back on a serious climbing accident he survived in the Alps in 1967. Well worth reading.

-- Aidan Dillon

emVee-Tube

Videos this month:
(mcrtchly & kernowclimber)

(gerrym)

(gerrym)

(bradleylinemihler)

(scannerman)

Videography by Peter Walker.

Video review
Captain Vertigo reviews the Mountaineering Ireland video we mentioned in the August newsletter.

SITE NEWS

MAD changes
MAD that is in "Main Area Display", the unique map page combining route and summit data, where MountainViews has been making various user interface improvements. Well, we thought they were improvements however commenters so far have begged to differ.
Do take a look and see what you think. Full info

SUMMITEERS CORNER
A place for those interested in Summiteering, Bagging or Highpointing.


A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits - The Vandeleur-Lynams & The Arderins
MountainViews first book available online and in many bookshops. The first reprint with numerous minor amendments is now out.

This month.
Kudos to our contributors.

We welcome the following new members who enrolled this month. aboveandbeyond, acetylene, Aideen99, aisling123, A_Malfatti, Bagger_Plz, Barry115, Bettymurphyhb, calfburner, compassman, Coolcreen, coxd214, coyle232, CuilChaoin, delboyir, devsy7, Dmcdonald79, Edelweiss, farrenp, g07797, Garahy, gerw, Gpk, Heathcliff, jds6up, jerry007, JimBones, JKelly, Joshua3, ktmg, Mac-Uchta, martinsp, marymmross, McConvey1952, Meunclemichael, michaelfinn, michaelmelia, mimmo, mrmoj0, nadav, Nikki, noca13, odonnells, oloughlk, peaches, peteablitt, Pinefox, quinnle, reginald, RobiBailey, rosscado, samapril, seamaspeineas, shanemccullough, thatguysteve, tim300458, Tombeisty, TommyV, Wellshaman, westham (60)

Our contributors to all threads this month: Aidy (3), Bleck Cra (1), BleckCra (1), CaptainVertigo (7), Colin Murphy (1), Conor74 (1), Fergalh (2), Heathcliff (1), Onzy (6), Peter Walker (3), Trailtrekker (3), brenno (1), camellia (1), chalky (3), conormcbandon (6), des carroll (1), dimser (1), eamonoc (1), elarbee (1), garrettd (6), gringottsgoblin (1), Communal summary entries (15), happymourneview (2), hazyview (1), jackill (7), mcrtchly (3), oldboots (1), paddyhillsbagger (1), paul condon (1), sandman (3), scannerman (1), simoburn (39), simon3 (3), smmccann (2)
For a fuller list view

NOTICES

Notices
  • If you are contributing, please be careful to respect the interests of landowners. Suggest access routes well away from houses, gardens or that could conceivably impact farming activities. When walking, keep away from gardens or farm buildings. Use stiles or gates wherever possible. Never do anything that could allow animals to roam where the farmer did not intend. Ask permission where appropriate.
  • Report suspicious activity to the police forces, as below.
  • If your car is broken into in an upland area report it to the PSNI or Gardai as this will help them be aware of the issue and tackle it in future. Store the numbers. In Northern Ireland use the PSNI non-emergency number 0845 600 8000. In the Republic you can find the local Garda District HQs phone numbers at www.garda.ie/Stations/Default.aspx. Specifically for the hotspot of Wicklow: the Garda Divisional Headquarters in Bray is 01 6665300.
  • If you hear of a problem area or route, write it up in MountainViews which does everyone a service.
    Report rubbish tipping in the Republic - ring EPA hotline 1850 365 121
    Report quads in national park area (in which they are banned). For Wicklow please phone the Duty Ranger: 087-9803899 or the office during office hours Telephone: +353-404-45800. Put these numbers in your phone, take regs etc. Let MV know of contact numbers for other areas.
  • If you have climbed some of the less well known places, we would appreciate a summit rating and also GPS readings for summits.
  • If we can, let's make MV have more than one route up a summit so as to reduce the tendency for paths to appear. Your grid refs in comments for different starting points show up on MountainViews maps as well as GPS tracks.
  • MountainViews are on Twitter as MountainViewsIE. Follow us and we will follow you back. Any queries to secretary@mountainviews.ie

This newsletter

This newsletter Editor: Simon Stewart, Homepage: www.simonstewart.ie
Assistant editors: Colin Murphy, David Owens
Track reviews: Peter Walker, Tom Condon
Book reviews: Mel O'Hara, Conor Murphy, Aidan Dillon, Peter Walker, Michael Kinahan
Videography: Peter Walker, Video Reviews: Paul Moore
Graphics design advice: madfrankie
Newsletter archive. View previous newsletters mountainviews.ie/newsletter
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