Homerclesse on Djouce

Just back from a quick hike up Djouce, on a very cold February Friday with snow clouds covering the higher Wicklow Mountains. I started at Ballinastoe Woods carpark and took a right just after the maps. Continuing on the road till I reached a telegraph pole - where I took a short cut up the side of the woods. Following this trail brings you eventually to the wooden board walk which traverses Djouce, White Hill and down to the J.B. Malone memorial. I headed right here and followed the board walk until it took a sharp right. It's a simple matter of following the trail directly up from the board walk till you reach the Tors, and the Trig Pillar. A fair few people where up here already, huddling behind the rocks for shelter. It was at least -10 with wind chill. Most had approached from the Djouce woods side. I headed down that way, back towards the Wicklow Way, headed right around the Mountan until I picked up the board walk again. I took a bearing for the edge of the woods in Ballinastoe and trekked back to the car, across the Heather Deserts. Bad views today, but definitely try again when it's clearer. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/4407/

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padodes on Djouce

The OSI map indicates the presence of a cairn on Djouce, slightly north of the trig pillar, but any trace of it would seem to have been obliterated. Since the Irish word ‘dioghais’, from which Djouce is derived, is usually taken to mean a fortified height, perhaps it might not be implausible to see in that a reference to the old cairn that once stood on top. More interesting today is the so-called ‘Coffin Stone’ on the lower NW flank of the mountain (E (O1719 1050)). In the OSI map (and also in the Harvey map of Wicklow), for some unknown reason this feature is indicated as a Standing Stone, but any source I have consulted speaks of a Portal Tomb at this point. The enormous coffin-like slab is a capstone that would have rested on two tall stones or portals at one end, forming an entrance, and would have sloped down to a back stone, providing support at the other. The chamber formed in this way would then have been walled in with side slabs compacted with big stones and might or might not have been enclosed in a cairn. Today the portals appear to have fallen outwards, but perhaps they were not very high to begin with. What strikes me as unusual about this tomb is that it is almost hidden away among the hills, whereas so many of the megalithic monuments we are familiar with in Dublin and Wicklow are well within view of the fertile plains or valleys where the people would probably have lived. A boggy track leads from the top of Djouce down to the Coffin Stone and on to War Hill, but its start can be difficult to find in mist and fog. Here and there, the rusty iron posts of an old deer fence serve as a handrail, too, when you can see them.

The photo of the Coffin Stone is a HDR image, which managed to capture the scene despite very dense fog at the time. That’s just my little plug in favour of the technique! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/3444/

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drcot on Djouce

Climbing last Sunday on Djouce, came across a couple of young "mountain bikers". It is hard to put your nose up to young fellows getting out into the air, escaping from their Playstations. I was tut-tuting at the environmental damage they were doing, as I tried to keep myself between the track guides, to prevent erosion, when suddenly I was confronted by 3 motorcylists scrambling between Djouce and War Hill.
To make it worse, there is a dedicated scrambling track on the other side of the road.
Remembering Mark Twain's famous comment that you should never underestimate the power of ignorant people in large numbers, I kept to myself I'm afraid!

I don't know if anyone patrols these areas for the National Park or Coilte - I suppose not. Its all a pity. I travelled on, and had a marvellous walk regardless.

This is a great site. Keep up the good work. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/2184/

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GWPR on Djouce

Saturday 22 Dec 2002 desperate to get a walk in before Christmas took over I approached Djouce from the boardwalk on the southern side, parking in the car park above the Pier Gates.
The day was very overcast with heavy mist and cloud with occasional breaks for fleeting glimpses of Luggala and the Sugarloaf. As I approached the summit the sun briefly appeared in the south creating the magical Brocken Spectre in the low lying cloud just under and north of me. Then the mist rolled back for a minute to reveal the reassuring summit trig point. A short enjoyable winters walk.Returning by the same route will take about 2 hrs in total. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/251/

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spiderman on Djouce

This weekend we had planned some time ago to do a 'two dayer'. Luckily for us it also happened to be the opening weekend of the all new Knockree Hostel owned by an Oige - a fine facility but one I'm sure we can go into at another time. Day two saw ten of us start at Knockree where we caught up with the WW just above the descent to the Glencree River and on up to Crone Wood. The wooden bridge over the river appears to be a favourite haunt for campers and to their shame, some of them have left a disgraceful mess behind them on both sides. The walk through Crone is a pleasant one and the payoff is when you reach the view overlooking Powerscourt. From a lofty position it gives breathtaking views of the valley and waterfall. The walk continues along the ridge before it turns 'inland' and then downwards to cross the Dargle(?). The view of Djouce is breathtaking. While there are more challenging ascents around, it can be a bit of a slog in parts, particularly from the footbridge to the stile, then the walk evens out somewhat until the WW and the summit path split where it gets difficult although not of the proportions of Slieve Donard in the Mournes (which I now compare everything to - it helps me psychologically!). All told the walk is about 20km and after the 16km (Prince Williams Seat, Knocknagun, Ravens Rock we were a tired but satisfied bunch afterwards. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/3042/

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