cork county high point - mountaineering · silence beckons you for˛rd. brace yourself. this is the...
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Autumb 2019 €3.95 UK£3.40 ISSN 0790 8008 Issue 131
State advisory body receives new mandate
Knockboy: a hill steeped in history
New hopes for outdoor recreation
Cork county high point
www.mountaineering.ie
Autumn 20192 Irish Mountain Log
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Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 3
Contributions of features, news items and photographs forthe Irish Mountain Log are always welcome and should besent to the Editor at: [email protected].
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ON THE COVERhillwalking on Binn Chaonaigh in themaamturks, Co Galway, with Binn IdirAn dá Log in the background
PHOTOGRAPHheLeN LAwLeSS
ISSUE 131The Irish Mountain Log is themembership magazine ofMountaineering Ireland. Theorganisation promotes the interests of hillwalkers and climbers in Ireland.
Mountaineering IrelandMountaineering Ireland Ltd is acompany limited by guarantee andregistered in Dublin, No 199053.Registered office: Irish Sport HQ,National Sports Campus,Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland.Tel: (+353 1) 625 1115Fax: (+353 1) 625 [email protected]
Hot Rock Climbing WallTollymore Mountain CentreBryansford, NewcastleCounty Down, BT33 0PTTel: (+44 28) 4372 [email protected]
Editor: Patrick O’SullivanTel: (+353 1) 837 8166 (pm, wknds)[email protected] Editor: Peter O’[email protected]
The Irish Mountain Log is published byMountaineering Ireland four times ayear, in March, June, September,December. The material published inthe Log by the voluntary editorial teamand contributors must not be taken asofficial Mountaineering Ireland policyunless specifically stated.
Copy deadline for the Winter 2019 issue of the Irish Mountain Log is: Friday, November 1st 2019.
Advertising: [email protected]
Production: Cóilín MacLochlainn,[email protected]
Printing: GPS Colour Graphics Ltd,Alexander Road, Belfast BT6 9HPTel: +44 (0)28 9070 2020
PARTICIPATION AND RISKReaders of the Irish Mountain Log arereminded that hillwalking and climbingare activities with a danger of personalinjury or death. Participants in theseactivities should be aware of andaccept these risks, and be responsiblefor their own actions and involvement.Mountaineering Ireland publishes andpromotes safety and good practiceadvice and through the MountainTraining Board of Ireland administers arange of training programmes forwalkers and climbers.
WelcomeCéad míle fáilte! There is a chill in
the air and the leaves are turningyellow and red and brown, soautumn is truly here! Generally,
however, it has been a good year so far forgetting out and about, so we must notcomplain.
* * * * * *
After the fourth deadliest season ever onEverest with eleven deaths, climbers andguiding companies have called forchanges in the way the government ofNepal issues permits to climb themountain. The large numbers climbing themountain and the inexperience of someclimbers, and of some of the trekkingcompanies, were blamed for the highdeath toll in the latest pre-monsoonseason.
A group established to look at thematter has recommended increasing theexperience required for climbers to beissued with a permit, and for trekkingcompanies to be allowed to guideclimbers on the mountain.
However, reducing visitor numbers will have an economic impact on themountain communities, trekkingcompanies and the government, so itremains to be seen if therecommendations will be implemented.
It can only be hoped that they are, so asto reduce the number of avoidable deathson the mountain each year.
Given the issues it has aroundcommercial expeditions to Mount Everest,Mountaineering Ireland’s policy is that itwould be better for climbers to attempt aless popular 8,000m peak – or maybe oneof the many unclimbed 6,000m peaks inthe region – than to add to the increasingnumbers attempting Everest each yearand contributing to the environmentalissues there.
However, as the highest summit in theworld, Everest is always going to have anattraction for mountaineers.
* * * * * *
I hope that we will all be able to takeadvantage of the reasonable weather,while it is still with us, to safely enjoy theIrish uplands in the coming weeks.
Patrick O’Sullivan, Editor
New restrictions are beingsought on the numbersattempting everest each year
❝
A word from the edItor
38 Can Coronation Plantationbe saved?By Cóilín MacLochlainn
42 Hanging out on HeklaBy Michael Guilfoyle
44 North Wollo Highlands trekBy Margaret O’Mahony
48 Bears walk in EthiopiaBy Marian Wallis
52 No country for old menBy Jack Bergin
Regulars24 Crossword Competition56 Training
Jane Carney reports
60 Good Practice Guides (No 5)By John Harrison
62 BooksReviews of recent books
66 The Last WordGerry Walker
Autumn 2019
CONTENTS Autumn 2019
NEPAL IRELAND DAY
Traditional costume at Nepal Ireland Day
18 GOODPRACTICEGUIDE No5
Top rope belaying at Suas Climbing Centre, Limerick
60
News5 Funding for Women in Sport
programme renewedRuth Whelan reports
6 New club membershipfees setMurrough McDonagh reports
7 Hillwalking DevelopmentOfficer appointedPatrick O’Sullivan reports
8 New mandate for Comhairlena TuaitheHelen Lawless reports
8 Photo posts for Clare trails10 Three Kerry peninsulas hike
completed11 Tipperary Suir Blueway
officially opened12 Henry’s Cottage: new club
hut in the MournesBy Vicky Ward
13 Path repairs planned forCroagh PatrickHelen Lawless reports
13 New advice for visitorsto Cuilcagh MountainHelen Lawless reports
14 Irish project in contentionfor UIAA awardPatrick O’Sullivan reports
15 ‘Protect Our Winters’ campaign growsGraeme Glennon reports
16 Women in Sport Co-ordinatorpost advertisedBy Murrough McDonagh
16 Autumn Gathering in theComeraghs
16 Club support meetings17 Sir Chris Bonington to
deliver Lynam Lecture18 Nepal Ireland Day celebrated
in stylePatrick O’Sullivan reports
19 New access rules proposedfor Mount Everest
News Features20 Walking in Lanzarote
By Liam Roche
22 Nutrition and hydrationJane Leonard provides some tips
25 The refuge that married a wallBy Margaret Tees
Climbing26 Youth Trad Climbing Camps
Damien O’Sullivan reports
28 Burren Climbing Meet 2019Damien O’Sullivan reports
29 Competitions tableBy Damien O’Sullivan
Features30 Quiet mountain
By Don Baldwin
34 Jewel of the ComeraghsBy Margaret Flanagan
4 Irish Mountain Log
Pho
tograp
hs: M
arga
ret Flan
naga
n (Cou
msh
inga
un), Patric
k O’Sullivan
(Nep
al Irelan
d Day
), Jo
hn H
arris
on (top
rope
belay
ing)
A tor (rock outcrop) in Coumshingaun inthe Comeraghs. See story, page 34
Autumn 2019
NewsdeskStaff & BoardGeneral enquirieS
Staff
Chief executive Officer
Murrough McDonagh,
administration Officer
Siobhán Quinn, [email protected]
Hillwalking Development Officer
Ruth Whelan, [email protected]
access & Conservation Officer
Helen Lawless, [email protected]
training Officer
Jane Carney, [email protected]
training Office administrator
Laura Griffin, [email protected]
Climbing Officer
Damien O’Sullivan,
Youth Development Officer for
northern ireland
Kevin Kilroy, [email protected]
Project Coordinator, indoor
Climbing/Social inclusion Project
Natasza Berlowska,
Get irelanD WalkinG initiative
Programme Manager, Get ireland Walking
Jason King, [email protected]
MOuntaineerinG irelanD
BOarD OffiCerS
President
Paul Kellagher
Chairperson
Paul Barron
BOarD MeMBerS
Imelda Buckley
(Chair of Finance, Audit & Risk Committee)
Helen Donoghue
(Chair of Access & Conservation Committee)
Trish Kane
Colette Mahon
Michael Maunsell
Gráinne McLaughlin
(Chair of Hillwalking Committee)
Clare O’Connor
Dawson Stelfox
(Chair of Mountain Training Board Ireland)
Geoff Thomas
(Chair of Climbing Committee)
Irish Mountain Log 5
Photograph: Anne McPartland
Funding for Women in Sportprogramme renewed
Participants at Women With Altitude event in Connemara in May 2019 enjoying a day in the hills
By Ruth Whelan
Mountaineering Ireland was delighted tobe named as one of the NationalGoverning Bodies selected to receivesupport in the latest round of Women inSport Funding from Sport Ireland.
This funding will help the existingWomen in Sport programmes withinMountaineering Ireland to progress, aswell as enabling the introduction of newprogrammes over the next two years.These programmes will help deliverMountaineering Ireland’s goals withregards to female participation asidentified in the current strategic plan,which was launched last year.
Mountaineering Ireland’s Strategic Plan2018-2021 links the Women in Sportprogrammes with the four pillars outlinedby Sport Ireland in its Women in Sportpolicy: Coaching and Officiating, ActiveParticipation, Leadership and Governance,and Visibility.
■ Coaching and OfficiatingBroaden the coaching base to includemore women from grassroots to highperformance. Increase the number of
women officiating.
■ Active ParticipationSignificantly reduce the active sportparticipation gradient between menand women. Reduce the drop-outfrom physical activity and sport inyoung girls. Engage with women of aminority background.
■ Leadership and GovernanceProgress towards greater genderbalance in board membership offunded bodies. Provide a pathway forwomen aspiring to become leaders offunded bodies.
■ VisibilityIncrease the visibility and profile of ourfemale role models in sport. Use theheroes of today to inspire the nextgeneration of future Olympians andParalympians.
Mountaineering Ireland’s CEO MurroughMcDonagh would like to thank SportIreland and Government MinistersBrendan Griffin and Shane Ross for theirinvestment in increasing and supportingfemale participation in hillwalking andclimbing throughout the island of Ireland ■
Mountaineering Ireland receives €50,000 Women in Sport Funding
Mountaineering Ireland continues to provide thebook service previously operated by JossLynam. We can supply you with guidebooksand maps to almost any part of the world.For the walker, there is a large collection ofCicerone guides and books, or the widerselection of books and guides distributedby Cordee which also includes manyclimbing guides. Books reviewed in theIrish Mountain Log can usually bepurchased through Joss Books with amembers’ discount. To place an order,ring the Mountaineering Ireland officeon (01) 6251115 or [email protected].
Autumn 20196 Irish Mountain Log
By Murrough McDonagh
Following a motion passed atthe Mountaineering IrelandAGM on March 30th, 2019, thenew annual club membershipfee of Mountaineering Irelandwill be set at €35.00 for allclub members, commencingon November 1st, 2019 for theupcoming club year(November 1st, 2019, toOctober 31st, 2020).
DiscountsThere are two discounted
New club membership fees set
rates for young people –firstly for club members agedunder 23 years of age, whoare discounted to €20.50each; and secondly, whereclub members are under 23years of age and are sons ordaughters of registeredmembers of their club, aspecial discounted rate of€7.60 each applies for theirclub membership annually.
Apart from these twodiscounted rates for youngpeople, the fee for all otherMountaineering Ireland clubmembers is set at €35.00each.
Mountaineering Ireland willshortly be reviewing themembership fees forindividual members.
DiscontinueddiscountsThe discounts for earlypayment and for clubs withover 200 members havebeen discontinued.
The new club membershipfee of €35.00 covers all ofour benefits and services,including insurance and theIrish Mountain Log. It will nolonger be possible formembers to pay a lower feeby opting out of particularbenefits or services.
New clubs, newmembersClubs joining MountaineeringIreland for the first time cancontinue to affiliate beforethe new membership yearstarts, from September 1st
onwards, getting up tofourteen months’membership for the price oftwelve months.
The same arrangementapplies for existing clubsregistering newly-joinedmembers at that time of theyear. However, in both ofthese situations the new feeof €35.00 per member willapply from September 1st,2019.
November 1strenewal dateIt is important to have allclubs affiliated on or beforethe November 1st renewaldate to ensure that all clubmembers are covered underMountaineering Ireland’sinsurance policy.
Benefits ofmembershipThe club membership feeincrease has been necessaryin order to helpMountaineering Ireland to:
• Deliver our StrategicPlan’s aims for 2018-2021,
as mandated by ourmembership in 2018
• Continue lobbying forimproved and assuredaccess for responsiblehillwalkers and climbers
• Strengthen our supportfor clubs and hillwalkersby establishing a newHillwalking Committeeand ensuring that we havea full-time HillwalkingDevelopment Officer
• Strive to ensure thatmountain landscapes arevalued and protected
• Work with other relevantorganisations to tackleupland path erosion
• Develop and promoteformal and informaltraining to meet the needsof hillwalkers and climbers
• Encourage young peopleto participate in allaspects ofmountaineering
• Continue to ensure we getthe highest level ofbenefits in our insurancepolicy at competitiverates
• Offer an annual suite ofmembership events(Gatherings, WinterLectures, Meets,Environmental Workshops,Lynam Lecture, Coachingand Training events andClub Developmentinitiatives).
Paying in sterlingThe fee for those wishing topay in sterling will be set byreference to the euro/sterlingexchange rate in Septemberannually and also possiblyreviewed pendingdevelopments in Brexit ■
To all of our members:thank you. We
appreciate yourcontinued support
Here below are Mountaineering Ireland’s new club membership fees for the 2019/2020 season:
NEWSL0G
Crossword results
Corrections IML 130
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A R D E R I N S T M DN A U A O A L A A A AN A B A P A M A N A BA I L A E A A A T O RP A I N D I A N T A OU R N A S A M A T E AR A P C A N T E R A DN U T A W A U A A L PA A I N N A R A S A ES A N A S A K A N A AK 2 P S E A S T A C K
The winner of our Summer crossword in IML 130 was Billy Cantillonfrom Limerick. Billy won an MSR Elixir 2 tent worth €300.00 from ourcrossword sponsor, Basecamp. The solution to the crossword is shownbelow. Mountaineering Ireland will contact the winner to tell him howto arrange to collect his prize from Basecamp.
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 7
It has come to our attention that we made three errors in theprevious issue of the Irish Mountain Log (IML 130, Summer 2019).Our apologies for any confusion caused. The errors were:
1. The caption on the first photograph on page 50, in the countyhigh points article, described Slieve Foye as the County Antrimhigh point. In fact, it is the County Louth high point.
2. In the list of county high points on page 51, Galtymore (918m)should have been listed as the high point for countiesTipperary/Limerick and not Offaly/Limerick.
3. On page 26, in the dog training article from SARDA, thephotographs were credited to author Sheelagh O’Malley’scollection. In fact, they were taken by Edelle Doherty ■
By Patrick O’Sullivan
At the Mountaineering IrelandAGM in 2018, a motion wasapproved to establish aHillwalking Committee. Aworking group wassubsequently established todevelop draft terms ofreference and an initial workplan for the new committee,which was approved by theBoard of MountaineeringIreland.
The new HillwalkingCommittee was set up in March2019. In order to best utilisestaff resources, it was agreed toalign current staffing structuresmore closely to the fivestrategic pillars in our currentStrategic Plan 2018-2021. Tocoincide with the restructuringof the Talent DevelopmentOfficer’s role to Climbing Officer,it was decided to restructurethe Membership DevelopmentOfficer’s role, to focus solely onsupporting and developinghillwalking, hillwalkingmembership and clubs.
Ruth Whelan started workingfor Mountaineering Ireland overfive years ago, after obtaining afirst class honours degree insports management and anMSc in graduate research at theSchool of Public Health andPopulation Science in UCD.
Ruth has worked on manyprojects and has coordinatedmany Gatherings, events andworkshops for MountaineeringIreland. Her role has evolvedover the years and, to date, shehas had two main areas ofresponsibility: firstly, to increasemembership of both climbersand hillwalkers, and secondly, to
support all members byorganising and coordinatingservices, Gatherings and eventsto meet the needs of themembers, while supporting thedevelopment of new andexisting clubs.
In order to align Ruth’s rolewith the current strategicobjectives, she will continue tobe responsible for the abovetasks, but her role will be solelyfocused on developinghillwalking and supportinghillwalking members as thenew Hillwalking DevelopmentOfficer for MountaineeringIreland.
Commenting on this newposition, MountaineeringIreland CEO MurroughMcDonagh said: “I welcomeRuth to this new and excitingrole. Given her experience andespecially her work in recentyears on the steering group forour current Strategic Plan, onthe Hillwalking Working Groupand in her role as secretary tothe Hillwalking Committee, itwas evident that she was theright person for the role ofHillwalking DevelopmentOfficer.
“This, coupled with her vastunderstanding ofMountaineering Ireland, ourclubs, our purpose, values andvision, together with her closeworking relationship with ourclubs and members, meansRuth has all the credentials andexperience to excel and helpdrive this new role forward andhelp support the work of thenew Hillwalking Committee.”
When Ruth first made thebig move to Dublin in the early2000s she joined a fewcolleagues to raise somemoney for charity bycompleting the Four PeaksChallenge, which cemented herlove for the mountains and thecompanionship, remotenessand tranquillity hillwalkingoffers.
Her main areas for hillwalkingthese days are around Wicklowand the Comeragh Mountains.
She climbed Kilimanjaro manyyears ago and has walked andclimbed in the mountains ofthe French, Italian andAustrian Alps. Ruth is excitedabout her new role asHillwalking Development
Officer and is committed toworking with and supportingthe hillwalking members ofMountaineering Ireland.
You can contact RuthWhelan on 087 161 2990 or [email protected] ■
Hillwalking Development Officer appointedMountaineering Ireland appoints Ruth Whelan to post of Hillwalking Development Officer
Autumn 20198 Irish Mountain Log
NEWSLOG
By Helen Lawless
Mountaineering Ireland has welcomed theannouncement made in June by theMinister for Rural & CommunityDevelopment, Michael Ring, TD, of a newmandate for Comhairle na Tuaithe (theCountryside Council), the national advisorybody on outdoor recreation.
The new mandate will reinforce andstrengthen the advisory role of Comhairlena Tuaithe in relation to the sustainabledevelopment of the outdoor recreationsector in Ireland.
Speaking at the announcement, MinisterMichael Ring said: “The new mandateprovides the Comhairle with theopportunity to contribute to thedevelopment of outdoor recreation in a waywhich benefits rural communities, respectsthe rights of landowners and allows morepeople to experience the benefits of ournatural capital.
“Outdoor recreation has becomeincreasingly popular for many people as a means of social engagement and ofenhancing their physical and mental well-being.
“Outdoor recreational activity alsosupports local tourism and rural economicdevelopment. In 2014, the adventureactivity tourism sector was valued at €852million by Fáilte Ireland; it contributed tothe direct and indirect employment of 2,125people.”
Dr Liam Twomey was also introduced asthe new Chairperson of Comhairle naTuaithe. Dr Twomey brings valuableexperience to his new role, both as a formerTD and through his work in general practice.
The rejuvenation of the Comhairle followsthe Minister’s reflection on a 2016 review ofComhairle na Tuaithe and discussions lastyear with Comhairle members.
Responding to the announcement,Mountaineering Ireland Chairperson PaulBarron said: “It’s great to see Comhairle naTuaithe coming alive again, and especially
New mandate for Comhairle na Tuaithegood to see the health and well-beingbenefits of outdoor recreation reflectedin the new mandate for it.
“There is an opportunity now for theDepartment of Rural & CommunityDevelopment to adopt a leadership andcoordination role to ensure that Ireland’soutdoor recreation sector evolves in away that is positive for participants,landowners and local communities, andthat is environmentally sustainable.”
Mountaineering Ireland has been amember of Comhairle na Tuaithe sincethe body was established in 2004 andhas made an active contribution to thework of the Comhairle, especially inrelation to the Comhairle’s pilot
Mountain Access Project and thedevelopment of a booklet on accessand occupiers’ liability.
The rejuvenated Comhairle na Tuaithewill have responsibility for advising theMinister on a wide range of mattersrelating to the future development ofIreland’s growing outdoor recreationsector. Comhairle na Tuaithe met againin July to agree a clear vision for its workand to develop its work programme.
The Department of Rural &Community Development is alsoestablishing an interdepartmentalworking group on outdoor recreation aspart of its new structures ■
A series of interactive photo posts hasrecently been installed on walking trailsin County Clare. Unlike traditionalmarker posts, these posts havesmartphone holders installed on them.
The project was initiated by EoinHogan, Clare Rural Recreation Officer.The posts will allow walkers to take
selfies in safe locations. The specialmarker posts will also allow walkers totake photos of trail conditions andsend reports directly back to EoinHogan.
Finally, walkers can take scenicphotos and upload them automaticallyto the trails manager’s website ■
Photo posts for Clare trails
Access & Conservation Officer Helen Lawlesspaying a site visit to the Binn Shléibhe MountainAccess Area, Clonbur, Co Galway, in 2010, the yearComhairle na Tuaithe established pilot accessareas both here and on Carrauntoohil, Co Kerry
Photographs: H
elen Law
less Collection (Loch Chualainn, Binn Shléubhe), Eoin Hogan Collection (photo post)
Aidan Ennis, who haspreviously written in the IrishMountain Log about hisseparate walks on the threeKerry peninsulas, has nowlinked those hikes into onegrand through-hike of all threepeninsulas.
Aidan started his hike onDursey Island, at the tip of theBeara peninsula, on Saturday,June 1st, 2019. His walk linkedthe Beara, Iveragh and Dinglepeninsulas in one continuous461-kilometre mountain hike.He walked into Dingle on Friday,June 14th, after fourteen days ofhiking.
Aidan’s hike began at thehighest point on Dursey Island.The route that he followed was
Three Kerry peninsulas hike completedan enchainment of the SlieveMiskish, Caha, Shehy,Derrynasaggart, The Paps,Mangerton and the DunkerronMountains all the way toWaterville, a section of thethree-peninsulas enchainmenthe calls the Great KenmareHorseshoe.
From Waterville, he hikedalong the Kerry Way on amountain-ridge line which ranover to Knocknadobar (Cnocna dTobar) above Cahirciveen.He hiked the pilgrim path tothe summit before descendingto Kells and hiking theGlenbeigh Horseshoemountains and from there tothe Gap of Dunloe.
After celebrating his
birthday with his annual pintof Guinness, Aidan climbed theReeks ridge to Carrauntoohiland then descended Caher,before crossing to KnockmoyleMountain on the Dinglepeninsula via Killorglin andCastlemaine.
From Knockmoyle, hecontinued to Caherconree andthe Slieve Mish range and thenhiked the entire length of therest of the Dingle peninsula toBrandon Mountain.
From Brandon, hedescended to the col and theArraglen Standing Stone,before climbing the finalmountain on the headland,Masatiompan (Más anTiompáin). He then descended
to a campsite near GallarusOratory.
His final day, Friday, June14th, saw him walking alongthe peaceful green SaintsRoad to Ventry, where he hada morning coffee break at thelocal post office and shop.
The last 6km were on theDingle Way to Dingle townand the completion of hisimpressive, continuous461km Three PeninsulasMountain Enchainment Hike,as he has dubbed it.
Congratulations to Aidanon this achievement. We lookforward to publishing a fulleraccount of his hike in a futureissue of the Irish MountainLog ■
Photographs: Aidan Ennis
NEWSL0G
His final mountain summit, Mas an Tiompáin, on Brandon headland Arriving in Dingle after completing the three peninsulas hike
Late evening on Cnoc nadTobar, overlooking Cahirciveen
Autumn 201910 Irish Mountain Log
Tipperary County Councilofficially launched the SuirBlueway Tipperary in May,after almost seven years ofplanning and implementation.More than €5.6m was investedin developing this recreationalresource, which will be anamenity for the localcommunity and a touristattraction.
The Suir Blueway (Sli Gormna Siúire) runs from Cahir toClonmel and on to Carrick-on-Suir. It has 53 km of walking,cycling and watersports trailsthrough the beautifullandscapes and bustlingheritage towns of Tipperary.
Highlights include the ButlerTrail and the new whitewatercanoe slalom course inClonmel, which is used as atraining base for the Irishnational squad.
Tipperary Suir Blueway officially opened
Suir Blueway Tipperary wasofficially opened in Clonmelby John Treacy, ChiefExecutive of Sport Ireland. “Onbehalf of Sport Ireland, I amdelighted to be here on thebanks of the River Suir toofficially open the SuirBlueway Tipperary,” he said onthe day. “This is a wonderfulnatural amenity, which willprovide an excellent base foroutdoor activity andrecreation for both the localcommunity here in Tipperaryas well as visitors from all overIreland and overseas.
“Sport Ireland places aparticular emphasis onsupporting activityprogrammes, such as the SuirBlueway Tipperary, that willcontinue to support activelifestyles among people of allbackgrounds and
circumstances. I would like tocongratulate TipperaryCounty Council, TipperarySports Partnerships andTipperary Tourism on thedevelopment and delivery ofthis collaborative project.”
Visitors can join a guidedtour of the world-renownedCahir Castle before strolling orpaddling down to theromantic Swiss Cottage. TheBlueway continues throughthe picturesque towns ofArdfinnan and Newcastle, asthe River Suir meanders to thehistoric town of Clonmel.
Walkers, cyclists,canoeists, kayakers andpaddleboarders can enjoybeautiful scenery as theyfollow the river for 21 kmalong the refurbishedhistoric towpath from theMonument Car Park inClonmel to Sean Healy Parkin Carrick-on-Suir.
Accomplished paddlerscan take on the challenge ofthe 300-metre canoe slalomcourse in Clonmel, whichwas constructed in 2016 aspart of the investment in theproject ■
Photographs: Rob
ert Linsdell (River Suir in Cahir), Tipperary County Council (cyclist and walkers on Suir Bluew
ay)
Cyclist and walkers on the Suir Blueway – Tipperary
River Suir in Cahir, Co Tipperary
Tipperary section of Suir Blueway comprises 53 km of walking, cycling and watersports trails
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 11
By Vicky Ward
Belfast Climbing Club is proudto announce that it has beengiven stewardship of a cottagein an excellent location in theMournes, just outside Atticall.This will be only the secondMountaineering Ireland clubhut, and we look forward toinviting any affiliated club tostay soon!
The house belongs to localclimber and all-round nice guyHenry McKee, who bought it inthe 1990s and put an additionalstorey on it. However, as hehadn’t got much use out of ithe decided earlier this year tolease it free of charge to theBelfast Climbing Club, as longas the club took care of it andused it to promote climbing.
The cottage was originallycalled McLaughlin’s Cottageand had a thatched roof. AfterHenry’s renovations and ourongoing work we will berenaming it Henry’s Cottage(Teachín Anraí).
The cottage is pretty big, withsleeping space for about fifteenpeople, as well as a flat grassspace outside to camp. It has
Henry’s Cottage: new club hut in Mournes
electricity, water, plenty offireplaces and even a stainedglass window. We have manyideas for the space right nowand are in the process ofredecorating it and doingsome carpentry to buildbrand-new Alpine bunks. Wehope to have the cottageready for other clubs to stay inby the beginning of 2020.
Atticall is in the westernMournes, below the Windy Gapin the Eagle Mountain area. It isa five-minute drive (or a
thirty-minute walk) from thecrags at Pigeon Rock, and abouta fifteen-minute drive from theAnnalong Valley – two of thepremier climbing destinations inthe Mournes. It is also close tosome fantastic walking (see ourrecommendations alongside).
Right now, there isn’t aMountaineering Ireland hut inthe Mournes. We hope that theexistence of this amazing weecottage may encourage somenew clubs to venture our wayand try some of the treats in thearea for the first time.
If you have any questionsregarding the cottage, [email protected].
If you wish to donate anyfurniture or cooking equipment,etc, we would also be keen tohear from you. We are veryexcited to start this adventureand hope to be able to shareupdates with you all as itprogresses.
One last note: thanks, Henry! ■
Photographs: N
iall McLaughlin
NEWSL0G
AUTHOR: Vicky Ward is theMeets Secretary for BelfastClimbing Club and has beeninvolved with the club since itstarted two years ago. She hasbeen a keen hillwalker and climberfor many years, having grown upnear the Mourne Mountains.
12 Irish Mountain Log
Need reasons to book aclub visit to the Mournes?Here are Belfast ClimbingClub’s top tenrecommendations forplaces to visit near Henry’sCottage:
• The Mourne Wallchallenge (the start isten minutes’ drive fromthe hut)
• Slieve Binnian (tenminutes’ drive)
• FM (VD, 4 pitches) (tenminutes’ drive and one-hour walk-in)
• Cove and Percy ByssheCaves (ten minutes’drive and one-hourwalk-in)
• The ‘bird mountains’ –Eagle, Pigeon, Cock andHen – are all accessiblefrom the cottage
• Climbing in theAnnalong Valley (tenminutes’ drive, 30-90minutes’ walk-in)
• Ice climbing at EagleMountain (from cottage)
• Sport climbing atAltnadue Quarry (twentyminutes’ drive)
• Climbing at Pigeon Rock(thirty minutes’ walk orten minutes’ drive, plusten-minute walk-in)
• Silent Valley (tenminutes’ drive)
Work done
• Electricity and waterreconnected
• Windows replaced
• Walls scraped andrepainted
Work to be done
• Bathroom and kitchen
• Painting
• Finishing Alpine bunks
Autumn 2019
At work on the cottage
Autumn 2019
In response to continuederosion from high visitornumbers in the area at the topof the Cuilcagh boardwalk, andbetween there and thesummit plateau, plans arebeing put in place to managevisitor activity in a way thatminimises further damage.
Visitors to the boardwalk (onthe County Fermanagh-sideapproach to CuilcaghMountain) are kindly asked tokeep to the designated pathand to remain within theconfines of the viewingplatform at the top of theboardwalk.
Mountaineering Ireland isasking hillwalkers who want tovisit the summit of Cuilcagh totake other routes on themountain and to avoidingusing the Cuilcagh boardwalk,to prevent furtherenvironmental damagebetween the viewing platform
and the stile, and so as not toencourage others onto thefragile summit plateau.
The current platform wascreated as a short-termmeasure, and a redesign of thisendpoint or destination area iscurrently being investigated.Line definition andconservation work is alsoplanned for the summitplateau. However, this won’t beimplemented until next year.
Mountaineering Ireland isplanning an environmentalawareness day at CuilcaghMountain, to take place onSaturday, October 12th, inconjunction with the CANNproject.* This event is aimed primarily at Club
Environmental Officers, but isopen to other membersinterested in understandingCuilcagh’s complex story.
This study visit will providean insight into the sequence ofevents that has led to the
current situation, as well asan opportunity to learnabout the special features ofCuilcagh’s naturalenvironment. Places arelimited; so if interested,please [email protected] ■P
hotographs: H
elen Law
less
NEWSL0G
Trampled peat at top of Cuilcagh boardwalk
Trial path work on Croagh Patrick pilgrim route
*The CANN Project is a cross-border environmental project, whichis working to preserve priorityhabitats and species at a number ofsites across Ireland, Northern Irelandand Scotland, including at CuilcaghMountain. CANN is supported bythe EU’s INTERREG VA Programme.
New advice for visitors to CuilcaghEnvironmental awareness day to be held at Cuilcagh Mountain on October 12th
Irish Mountain Log 13
A planning application hasbeen submitted for path workand habitat restoration, toenable sustainable accessalong the pilgrim route onCroagh Patrick in Co Mayo.
This follows a successful trialin October 2018 to identify amethodology for pathconstruction using the smallblocks of stone found on thesteep summit cone.
The application for planningconsent has been submittedby the Croagh PatrickStakeholders Group inpartnership with Mayo CountyCouncil under Part 8 of thePlanning & Development
Regulations.The proposed work will
consist of aggregate- andstone-pitched paths, pathdrainage consisting of culverts,cross-drains and water-bars,fencing for managing accessduring construction work,together with habitatrestoration of eroded areas.
The Croagh PatrickStakeholders Group iscomprised of a broadspectrum of interested parties,including mountainshareholders, the CatholicChurch, Murrisk community,Mayo County Council, SouthWest Mayo Development
Company, MountaineeringIreland, Mayo MountainRescue Team, Croagh PatrickArchaeological Society and thetourism and adventuresectors.
The Stakeholders Group,which was formed in 2015, hasprioritised efforts to addressthe erosion on Croagh Patrick
but is also considering otherissues related to visitormanagement at Croagh Patrick.
The Croagh Patrick plans canbe viewed in the MurriskDevelopment Association caféin the car park at Murrisk; inMayo County Council’s offices inWestport and Castlebar; andonline atwww.mayococo.ie/en/Planning ■
Path repairs plannedfor Croagh PatrickPlanning application submitted for path work and habitat restoration along pilgrim route
Autumn 201914 Irish Mountain Log
By Patrick O’Sullivan
This is the seventh yearthat the UIAA has runa competition for itsMountain ProtectionAward. The nomineesthis year are twelvemountain environ-mental projects fromaround the world.
These projects are supported or run byUIAA member associations or by for-profitor non-profit organisations. Most areongoing and all have a commitment toprotecting the mountain environment andengaging climbers and mountaineers aspart of that process.
This year’s nominees include one Irishcandidate, the PURE Project. The othernominees are:
■ University of ColoradoSustainable Waste Management in theSagarmatha National Park, Nepal
■ Clean ClimberClean Climber, worldwide
■ Fundacion Acceso AndinoSustainable Andes, Ecuador
■ High Altitude Mountain CleanersAma-Dablam 2020, Nepal
■ Protect Our Winters SwitzerlandTowards climate-neutral mountaineering,Switzerland
■ Swiss Alpine ClubAlpine Learning project weeks, Switzerland
■ Mujer MontañaConstruyendo Vidas 2019 Bolivia, Bolivia
■ Alpine Club of IranMountain Sports Centre with the approachof Environmental Sustainability by PassiveSolar Energy, Iran
Irish project in contention for UIAA award■ Biosphere ExpeditionsMountain protection worldwide throughcitizen science and volunteering. Operatesworldwide with mountain projects inKyrgyzstan, Romania, South Africa, Spain,Russia, Oman, Poland
■ Gandaki UrjaConverting organic waste to compressedbiogas and organic fertilizer, Nepal
■ PSD NepalPSD Nepal plastics upcycling and recyclingin Langtang National Park, Rasuwa, Nepal.
■ The Pure (Protecting Uplands & RuralEnvironments) Project is anenvironmental project established in theWicklow and Dublin uplands to combatthe increasing illegal dumping and fly-tipping there. It was officially launched inSeptember 2006. Illegal dumping in thelandscape is a cause for serious concern inIreland and a growing problem for manycommunities. Dumping is illegal, unsightlyand unnecessary, and causes seriousproblems to habitats, species and humanhealth. It pollutes our watercourses,damages soil nutrients, encroaches onnatural habitats, kills insects and animalsand is a threat to both the people who livein the area and recreational users.
The Pure Mile is an environmentalinitiative of the Pure Project which aims tofoster a greater appreciation andawareness of our country roadscapes andmountains by rewarding andacknowledging community and groupefforts. The competition encouragescommunities and groups living in ruralareas to adopt a mile (or more) stretch ofroad and upland. The objective is to keepthese areas litter-free and to researchinformation about the local wild flowers,
trees, wildlife, social and cultural heritageand the history and folklore of the area.
The Pure Mile is a perfect opportunityfor communities and groups who want toimprove and enhance the areas they livein. A large number of communities go theextra mile by repairing and painting oldtraditional gates, cleaning up farmlandsand entrances, erecting bat and birdboxes, trimming hedges (outside of thebird-nesting season) and much more.
In Pure Miles where very little physicalmanagement is required, groups can focuson local research or on initiatives toincrease awareness and appreciation oftheir chosen Mile among the widercommunity.
In supporting the nomination of thePure Project for the UIAA MountainProtection Award, Mountaineering Irelandsaid that the Pure Mile awards have beenextremely successful in raisingenvironmental awareness and buildingcommunity pride across the Wicklow andDublin Mountains. The achievement of thePure Project in greatly reducing litter inthat area is largely due to the awareness,pride and local action that has beenstimulated by the Pure Mile initiative.
The winner of the 2019 MountainProtection Award will be announced at theUIAA General Assembly in Cyprus onNovember 2nd ■
Photograph: Patrick O’Sullivan
Bags of litter collected by PureMile volunteers as part of thePure Project initiative in theDublin and Wicklow Mountains
NEWSLOG
Irish Mountain Log 15
By Graeme Glennon
Climate change is one of thebiggest threats facinghumanity. It is having a globalimpact and is alreadyaffecting many outdooractivities.
Members of the Irishoutdoor recreationcommunity spend their freetime in natural environments,where they can clearly see theimpact of climate change.However, many members ofthis community, at both anindividual and a corporatelevel, are unsure about whataction they can take tomitigate this climate change.Protect Our Winters believesthat, by getting thiscommunity to act, we candrive significant and effectiveclimate action.
Protect Our Winters (POW)UK & IRL exists to acceleratethe transition to a carbon-neutral society by inspiring
‘Protect Our Winters’ campaign growsand equipping communitiesto take positive action onclimate change.
POW UK & IRL engagespeople and organisationsthrough their outdoorslivelihoods and recreationalactivities, to address climatechange. We educate them onthe risks of climate changeand support them to takeeffective action.
Whilst POW in the US hastraditionally been largelyfocused on skiers andsnowboarders, it is nowengaging with other sportswith POW Climb (seehttps://protectourwinters.org/pow-climb). In the UK andIreland, we also want to bebroader than just skiers andsnowboarders and areworking to engage the wideroutdoor community. In theUK, Matt Helliker is anambassador for POW Climb,whilst in the US we arebacked by legendaryclimbers and mountaineerssuch as Tommy Caldwell.
Over the past twelvemonths, with the help of thePatagonia store in Dublin, wehave run various fundraisingcampaigns and alsopresented a movie première.Through our strongrelationship with Patagonia,we will be hosting moreevents later this year. (For more info on this, keepan eye on the PatagoniaDublin Facebook page).
In the UK, we are an officialpartner of the KendalMountain Film Festival, whichattracted 30,000 visitors in2018. We are also the maincharity partner of theTelegraph Ski and SnowboardShow, which is held at theend of October and attractsover 20,000 visitors.
Although the reality ofclimate change is stark, therehave been some major areasof progress recently – forexample, a number of bankshave announced they willstop funding high-carbonactivities; electric vehicles areon the up; China is rapidlyelectrifying its bus fleet; andIreland has become the firstcountry in the world to divestaway from fossil fuels. There isstill so much more to do!
Finally, pause andremember you are part ofsomething bigger. When youdo something, alwaysconsider your options andtake the environmentally lessdamaging option ineverything you do.
Some examples of thisinclude:
■ TRAVELAvoid flying. Take the train ordrive, when possible, forlonger journeys. For shorterjourneys, use your bike, takepublic transport or just simplywalk. If you have to fly or drive,then try to offset your carbonemissions.
■ KITReduce, Re-Use and Recyclewhenever you can. Repairrather than replace. When youdo replace, give your old kitaway or sell it. Don’t let itgather dust in the wardrobe.
■ DIETTry to cut down on meat, andshop locally, whenever you can.You will get the addedsatisfaction of knowing thatyour food has been grownlocally and that you aresupporting the community.
■ RESPECTRespect the trails and cragsyou use. Try to leave them asyou found them or, evenbetter, try to make thembetter than you found them■
Photographs: Protect Our Winters UK
AUTHOR: Graeme Glennon isthe Partner Coordinator of POW UK & IRL
Follow POW UK & IRLWebsite: https://protectourwinters.uk/join-usInstagram: @uk_powFacebook: Protect Our Winters UKTwitter: @uk_protect
Autumn 2019
The Bossons Glacier in the ChamonixValley in the 1990s, left, and in 2019,right. The Bossons Glacier is one of thelarger glaciers of the Mont Blanc massifin the Alps. It is fed from the icefieldslying on the northern side of MontBlanc and descends down close to theAiguille du Midi, ending on the southernside of the Arve valley, close to thetown of Chamonix. It has the largestaltitudinal drop of all the Alpineglaciers in Europe, and formerlyextended much further down thevalley than it does today. In the 17thcentury, the Bossons Glacier extendedright down into Chamonix, but now it isonly approximately 7.5 km long.
Photograph: Con Murphy
Autumn Gathering inthe Comeraghs
Sgilloge Lough in the Comeraghs, Co Waterford
October 18-20th, 2019
Kilmacthomas Walking Club membersare celebrating their club’s fifteenthanniversary this year and are hosting theMountaineering Ireland AutumnGathering. They are keen to show off the
beauty of their home turf, the Comeraghs, and the joys of walkingthere. Details of this year’s Autumn Gathering are as follows:
Host club Kilmacthomas Walking ClubDate October 18-20th, 2019Location The Comeraghs, Co WaterfordBase The Park Hotel, Dungarvan
Registration is still possible through the website,www.mountaineering.ie.
Autumn 201916 Irish Mountain Log
NEWSL0G
By Murrough McDonagh
Mountaineering Ireland is the governingbody for hillwalking and climbingthroughout the island of Ireland,representing the interests of over 12,500members. The future of Irishmountaineering is incredibly bright giventhe steady growth in participation and theincrease in affiliated clubs in recent years.
The post of Mountaineering Ireland –Women in Sport Co-ordinator is fundedby Sport Ireland’s Women in Sportinitiative.
The Women in Sport initiative is centralto the work of Sport Ireland. Since 2005,the Sport Ireland Women in Sportprogramme has funded a wide range ofinitiatives delivered by National GoverningBodies and Local Sports Partnerships to
Women in Sport Co-ordinator post advertised
further the agenda of gender equality insport.
Sport Ireland has now renewed itscommitment to women in sport throughthe development of a Women in Sportpolicy. This policy will serve as a guide forSport Ireland’s future work andinvestment in the area.
Role and purpose of Women inSport Co-ordinator positionMountaineering Ireland is committed toincreasing women’s sustainedinvolvement in hillwalking and climbingas coaches, volunteers, club members,officials, leaders and participants, from alllevels. The purpose of the role is toproject-manage and ensure theimplementation of current and futureprogrammes, while developing strong
relationships and providing expertiseand support to the current structures inthe area of women’s hillwalking andclimbing.
More information about this post canbe found on the Mountaineering Irelandwebsite, www.mountaineering.ie.
How to applyTo apply for this post, a letter ofapplication and full CV should be sent byemail to [email protected](reference: Mountaineering Ireland –Women in Sport Co-ordinator).
Interviews will be held during theworking week starting October 7th, 2019.The closing date for applications isWednesday, October 2nd, 2019, at5.00pm ■
Vacancy in Mountaineering Ireland for Women in Sport Co-ordinator
Date County Venue25th September Cork Hibernian Hotel, Mallow3rd October Down Mourne Country Hotel, Newry21st November Dublin National Sports Campus, Irish Sport HQ, Blanchardstown, Dublin 1527th November Galway Menlo Park Hotel, Headford Road, Galway
Arrive for refreshments: from 7.00pm. Meeting time: 7.30-9.30pm.
Club support meetings Following on from the success of last year’s clubsupport meetings, when we visited Sligo, Bray,Kerry and Derry, this year we will visit Mallow,Newry, Dublin and Galway. The agenda will besimilar to last year’s.
Ruth Whelan (Hillwalking Development Officer),Helen Lawless (Access & Conservation Officer) andJane Carney (Training Officer) from MountaineeringIreland will participate, giving clubs in each regionthe opportunity to raise questions and club-relatedtopics with these officers. The meetings will alsoallow clubs to network with other clubs in theirregion, to share ideas and information ■
With the bonus of the effortsof the residents to clean uptheir valley through their PureMile, the Glenmalure Valley inWicklow National Park,Ireland’s longest glacial valley,is one of the nicest places tobe on a sunny autumn day.
The Wicklow Way crossesthe valley, near theGlenmalure Lodge, workingits way over to Glendalough,and there are plenty of otherwalks that can be enjoyed.The valley is also lesscrowded than its neighbour,Glendalough, being generallyless well-known.
Glenmalure is a classic U-shaped valley. It displays
Glenmalure adventuresmany features of glacialerosion, such as the hangingvalley – Fraughan Rock Glen– at the top of the valleyand two corrie lakes,Kelly’s Lough andArt’s Lough.High abovethe end ofthe valley isLugnaquilla,a Munro, thehighestmountain inLeinster and, at925m (3035ft), thehighest mountain inIreland outside of Kerry.
In recent times, in additionto the Glenmalure Lodge,
the Wilderness Lodge justdown the road has startedproviding accommodation.
The apartments are well-provided for
self-catering andthey serve as a
great base forexploring thevalley or evenGlendalough.
The owner,Frank Quinn,
an adventurerand explorer in his
own right, has cometo roost in Glenmalure.
From a base in theWilderness Lodge, he isoffering guided and
self-guided walks in thevalley. He is particularlyinterested in hostinggroups from hiking clubsor other organisations,offering to organise hikingbreaks for them in thislovely valley.
Depending on the group,the walks can be ofdifferent degrees ofdifficulty to suit any levelsof experience and fitness.Maps and walking polescan be provided. TheWilderness Lodge issuitable for groups of upto twenty people (seeadvert, page 41) ■P
hotographs: Patrick O’Sullivan (the lodge), Shever (valley view
)SPONSORED
Glenmalure Valley viewed from the Zig-zagsWilderness Lodge
Mountaineering Ireland isdelighted to announce that SirChris Bonington will deliverthis year’s MountaineeringIreland Lynam Lecture.
Sir Chris, Britain’s best-known mountaineer, writer,photographer and lecturer,
Sir Chris Bonington to deliver Lynam Lecture
started climbing at the age of16 in 1951. It has been hispassion ever since. He madethe first British ascent of theNorth Wall of the Eiger and ledthe expedition that made thefirst ascent of the South Faceof Annapurna, the biggest andmost difficult climb in theHimalayas at the time.
Sir Chris went on to lead thesuccessful expedition thatmade the first ascent of thesouth-west face of Everest in1975, and then reached thesummit of Everest in 1985 witha Norwegian expedition. Hisgreatest epic was the firstascent of the Ogre, in the
Karakoram, with Doug Scott in1978. He still has the passionfor the mountains that he hadat the beginning.
The Mountaineering IrelandLynam Lecture wasinaugurated in 2011 in memoryof Joss Lynam, one of Ireland'sbest-known mountaineers, inrecognition of his enormousachievements in hillwalking,climbing and mountaineeringin Ireland and overseas oversome sixty years. During hislifetime, Joss initiatednumerous developments inthese areas of our sport inIreland and he was theinspiration for a number of
generations of Irishmountaineers.
Since it was inaugurated, theMountaineering Ireland LynamLecture has been deliveredannually by leading nationaland international mountaineers.
The Mountaineering IrelandLynam Lecture 2019 will takeplace in the CharteredAccountants Ireland LectureHall, 47-49 Pearse Street, Dublin2, on Wednesday, December18th, 2019. Refreshments will beavailable from 7.00pm with thelecture commencing at 7.30pm.Tickets are now availablethrough the website,www.mountaineering.ie ■
Date: Wednesday, December 18th, 2019, at 7.30pmVenue: Chartered Accountants Ireland, 47-49 Pearse Street, Dublin 2
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 17
By Patrick O’Sullivan
The Embassy of Nepal inLondon, Nepal Ireland Societyand various Nepaleseorganisations in Ireland, withsupport from South DublinCounty Council, Dublin CityCouncil and ICD BusinessCollege, jointly organised thisyear’s Nepal Ireland Day onSeptember 8th, 2019, atFarmleigh House, Phoenix Park,Dublin. The weather wasexcellent on the day and theevent was a huge success.
After the opening speeches,the event comprised adelightful Nepalese culturalprogramme of music anddances. There was a colourfulNepalese handicrafts stall,stalls of Irish NGOs who workin Nepal, a Visit Nepal 2020Europe lottery stall, and aphoto exhibition on flat-screenTV sets of photographs takenby Irish tourists who visitedNepal in the last year.
Nepal Ireland Day is thebiggest Nepalese event inIreland. It commemorates the
ever-growing friendshipand links between Nepaland Ireland.
In his keynote speech,the Deputy Chief ofMission at the Embassy ofNepal, London, Mr SharadRaj Aran, said thecelebration of NepalIreland Day highlighted theever-growing linksbetween Nepal andIreland. He requestedattendees to visit Nepal inthe coming year to helpmake the Visit Nepal 2020campaign a success.
Also speaking at theopening ceremony, SeanCrowe, TD, a member ofthe Ireland NepalParliamentary FriendshipGroup, vowed to continue
working to strengthenrelations between Nepal andIreland.
Representing CouncillorMark Ward, Mayor of SouthDublin County Council,Councillor Mary Seery-Kearney said she had studiedNepal’s constitution during herdays as a law student and thatshe felt honoured to be able toparticipate in this celebrationof Nepal’s culture in Dublin.
The President of theNepal Ireland Society,Mr Deepesh ManShakya, welcomedeveryone andannounced that thelinks between the twocountries had taken asignificant step forwardwith the arrival thatvery day in Kathmandu,Nepal, of an Irishdelegation from theIreland NepalParliamentaryFriendship Group led bythe Ceann Comhairle,Seán Ó Fearghaíl, TD,together with theConvener of the IrelandNepal ParliamentaryFriendship Group,Maureen O’Sullivan, TD,and Senator CatherineNoone.
The delegation visited
Nepal from September 8-12th,visiting a hospital supportedby an Irish NGO, and the CeannComhairle paid a courtesy callto President Bidya DeviBhandari to discuss relationsbetween the two countries.
The Nepal Ireland Societyhas been organising NepalIreland Day annually inFarmleigh House since 2013with support from the Officeof Public Works ■
The event comprised a delightful Nepalese cultural programme of music and dance
NEWSLOG
Nepal Ireland Day celebrated in style
Autumn 2019
Photographs: Patrick O’Sullivan
18 Irish Mountain Log
Guests of honour at Nepal Ireland Day in Farmleigh House (fromright): Cllr Mary Seery-Kearney; Sean Crowe, TD; Deputy Chief ofMission at the Embassy of Nepal, London, Mr Sharad Raj Aran;Everest Marathon runner, Paul Maguire; and Vincent Barry,Managing Director of ICD Business School.
Autumn 2019
By Patrick O’Sullivan
Following a disastrous pre-monsoon seasonon Everest (8,848m) this year, in whicheleven climbers lost their lives, new ruleshave been proposed to control the numberof people attempting to climb the mountainfrom the Nepalese side. Eight of the world’s8,000m peaks are in Nepal, but Everest hasalways attracted the most attention, as thehighest summit on Earth.
The eleven deaths, nine of which were onthe Nepal side and two on the Tibet side,sadly included two Irish climbers, ShayLawless and Kevin Hynes (see IML 130, page66). This was the fourth most deadlyclimbing season on Everest in history.
The deaths were put down to crowdingand inexperience, resulting in calls fromguides and climbers to limit the numbersattempting the peak and to ensure thatguiding companies and climbers havesufficient previous experience to reasonablyattempt the climb.
The calls were reinforced by photos ofclimbers queuing on the summit ridge,waiting for their turn to stand on the highestpoint on Earth, all the time while theirprecious supplementary oxygen supplieswere being used up.
Certainly, the UIAA, while offering
Restrictions proposed on numbers attempting Everestcondolences to the bereaved, stronglybelieves that access management, climberexperience, training and self-responsibilityare amongst the key topics to be addressedon Everest.
The Nepali government issued 381climbing permits for the pre-monsoonseason on Everest this year. The newregulations proposed would significantlyreduce the number of permits being issued.A panel, made up of government officials,climbers and agencies representing theclimbing community, was set up by thegovernment after it was criticised forallowing anyone who paid the peak fee of$11,000 (€10,000) to attempt to climbEverest. Some guiding companies have beenwarning about the dangers of overcrowdingand inexperience on Everest for a long time.
Under the proposed new regulations,climbers wanting to attempt Everest will nowhave to provide proof that they have climbedat least one 6,500m peak before. Expeditioncompanies would also have to have had atleast three years’ experience in organisingother high-altitude climbs before guiding onEverest, and they would have to charge eachclimber at least $35,000.
Climbers would also be required to submita certificate of good health and physicalfitness, as at present, and to be
accompanied by a trained Nepalese guide.There are also proposals to further ensurethe self-sufficiency of climbers bypreventing people with certain disabilitiesfrom attempting the mountain.
The Ministry of Tourism will bring theproposed new regulations to the FederalParliament of Nepal for approval in timefor the pre-monsoon climbing seasonnext year. However, given the likelyeconomic effects of limiting the numberof climbers on Everest on the mountaincommunities, the guiding companies andthe government, there is some concern inthe international community that theywon’t be approved ■P
hotograph: Pavel Novak
Irish Mountain Log 19
Mount Everest from Kalapatthar
CLIMBING WALL SEMINAR – October 8-9th, 2019
A Climbing Wall Seminar is being organised by Mountaineering Ireland in association with Petzl and Lyon Equipment. The seminar is aimed at anyone who has an interest in climbing walls, including owners, managers, coaches, instructors,route-setters, technical advisors, etc.
The seminar will take place on October 8th and 9th in Blanchardstown, Dublin. For full details and to book a place, pleasego to the Mountaineering Ireland website, www.mountaineering.ie.
THE CANARY ISLANDS
WALKING IN LANZAROTE
Photographs: Liam Roche Collection
Rosway Walking Club members on Las Conchas beach on the island of La Graciosa, off the northern tip of Lanzarote
Rosway Walking Club went hiking on Lanzarote from May 27th to June 1st this year. Liam Roche reports
highest peaks in Ireland and inthe rest of the British Isles. Wehave also hiked in theDolomites and in other Italianlocations, along with visitingmountains in Austria andSpain.My wife Judith and I have
been members of the clubsince its foundation. In recentyears, we have spent ourholidays on Lanzarote, in theCanary Islands, and havediscovered many hiking routesthere. At a club walks planningmeeting in November 2018,Judith and I proposed that we
Rosway Walking Clubis based inBallinasloe, CoGalway. It wasfounded in 2006
and caters for walkers fromthe surrounding east Galwayand south Roscommon areas.To keep the natives on bothsides of the border happy, ourclub name is comprised of thefirst three letters inRoscommon and the lastthree letters in Galway!We have about one hundred
members at present, and theclub has climbed all of the
lead a hiking week in Lanzarotethe following summer. Theproposal was receivedenthusiastically by themembers.We held information
meetings in a local hotel inJanuary, March and May thisyear. At the first meeting, thedates for the trip were agreed.May to early June is the besttime to visit Lanzarote forhiking purposes, so we decidedto go for a week at the end ofMay and beginning of June.The other meetings were to
inform members who were
planning to participate aboutwhat they would need to bringto ensure a safe and enjoyableweek. Clothing, footwear, suncream and first-aid kits wereall discussed. The travelarrangements and walksschedules were also coveredat these meetings, so that theclub members participatingwould arrive in Lanzarote fullyprepared and ready to exploreparts of the island that mostvisitors never get to see.After our group of twenty
had settled in, our first walkwas a short one around partsof Puerto Del Carmen, wherewe were based. Following thatwalk, we got the local bus toPlaya Honda and visited theDeiland commercial centre tosample the coffees, teas, ice-creams and especially crêpesthere. After that, we took thecoastal route along theseashore and back to base.The next day, a Tuesday, I led
a long walk to what is knownas the Secret Garden. This isreally a treasure of a garden,built in under cliffs in a veryremote but beautiful locationbeside the sea. Locals say thata couple whom had had a very
Rosway walkers pause for group photograph before the start of the Secret Garden and cliff hike
Autumn 201920 Irish Mountain Log
sea level on Famara beach andwent up to the highestaccessible point in Lanzarote,the summit of Peñas delChache at 670m, from wherethe views were amazing. Thenwe continued across to theMirador Haria and descendedon the Malpais trail to thebeautiful town of Haria, alsoknown as ‘The Valley of aThousand Palms.’Judith brought the ‘B’
walkers on a lovely walkthrough the vine-growing areaknown as La Geria, startingfrom Uga and finishing inPuerto Calero. La Geria isworth seeing, as the localfarmers have made thegrowing of vines an art form.The grapes produced are usedmainly to produce the lovelyMalvasia wines. There areacres of land with small stone-wall surrounds protecting thevines from the winds. Thepicón black lava ash getsmoisture from whateverrainfall there is, stores it andthen slowly releases it toensure that the vine growth isabundant and consistent.Saturday was our last walking
day and we did a 13-km hike
from the town of Teguise, whichused to be the old capital ofLanzarote, along an old Caminotrail, and finished in CostaTeguise. Teguise is famous forhousing the largest outdoormarket on these islands everySunday. Busloads of touristsarrive to peruse and purchaseleather goods, paintings, craftpieces produced locally, andmuch more.Personally, Judith and I like to
visit Teguise on quiet weekdaysto enjoy a stroll around andreally see the beautiful oldbuildings, which include alovely church dedicated to OurLady of Guadalupe and thecastle of Santa Barbara, theoldest castle in the CanaryIslands.We finished off the week in
style on the Saturday night, aswe put on our finest bits andpieces and went out for alovely dinner together. Wereminisced about all we haddone during the week. Thegroup gave Judith and I a lovelygift, which was greatlyappreciated. It was verygratifying to hear ourcompanions saying how muchthey had enjoyed the week ■
➤ Liam Roche is a member of the Rosway Walking Club.
Rosway walkers in the Secret Garden
On a tough ‘A’ walk from Famara to Haria
sick child promised to dosomething special if their childrecovered good health. Withina short time of making theirpromise the child was runningaround full of energy, and sothey started to build what isnow called the Secret Garden.It is a magical place.Judith did a shorter walk
with the ‘B’ walkers along thecliff-tops from PlayaQuemada back to Puerto DelCarmen, with a refreshmentstop in Puerto Calero.On the following day, we
hired a private bus to take usup north on the island. Wethen walked to the mostnortherly point on Lanzarote.On our return, we visited the
Mirador Del Rio. This is awonderful place to visit, as ithouses a restaurant withpossibly the most incredibleviews in Lanzarote, includingacross to the island of LaGraciosa.We were up bright and early
on the Thursday, as we had toget on the bus at 8.30am tocatch a 10.00am ferry to LaGraciosa. The ferry leaves fromthe port of Orzola, which is inthe extreme north ofLanzarote, so we had a longbus-trip there, but it wasenjoyable for the sightseeingpossible en route.Visiting the island of La
Graciosa is like stepping backin time, as there are only dirt
roads there, which are onlyaccessible by 4x4 jeeps. I tookthe ‘A’ walkers on a 20-kmcoastal route, and we climbedMontaña Bermeja andfinished at a beautiful beachcalled Las Conchas. Judithtook the ‘B’ walkers on a 12-kmhike across the centre of theisland and they also visited LasConchas for lunch.Then we all had some well-
earned refreshments in CaletaDe Sebo, the only inhabitedvillage on the island, beforeboarding the ferry back toOrzola, and then busing backto Puerto Del Carmen.On the Friday, we did the
hardest walk of the week. I leda 14-km hike, which started at
“The Secret Garden is a treasure of a garden, a magical place in a remotelocation beside the sea.”
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 21
Autumn 201922 Irish Mountain Log
HEALTH
NUTRITION & HYDRATIONDietitian Jane Leonard provides some nutrition and hydration tips for hillwalkers
When you are going hiking,you need to think aboutyour nutrition and yourhydration. Being well-nourished and keeping
properly hydrated will help you to get themost out of your hike by optimising yourendurance and allowing you to maintainyour concentration during the hike, andby enhancing your recovery after the hike.This, in turn, will help you to minimiseyour fatigue and to reduce your risk injury,which is especially important when youare considering undertaking a multi-dayhike.Think of your body as a car being driven
on a long journey. If you don’t haveenough fuel or have the wrong type offuel in your car, then the journey is goingto be cut short. The same principleapplies to nutrition and hydration inrelation to your body.This article will help you to plan how to
maintain your own nutrition andhydration during your hiking trips.
Planning your hikeIt is important to establish goodnutritional habits throughout the yearand then tweak your nutrition in advanceof a hike or trip to get the most out of it.Throughout the year aim to eat 6-7pieces of fruit and vegetables a day, 1-2 portions of wholegrain carbohydrates(bread, pasta or rice) and a portion ofprotein (meat, chicken, fish, eggs, tofu orpulses) per meal to meet the nutritionalrequirements for healthy eating.Like anything, practice makes perfect
while hiking. Trialling different foods,fluids and the timing of when you eat onwalks will help you to gauge what suitsyou best and to avoid a tummy upset orindigestion.Here are a few things to think about
when you are planning a walk:
• How long are you going to be hikingfor? Is it a single-day trip or will you be doing a multi-day hiking trip?
• What is the expected weather? Will it be hot or cold?
• What is the terrain like? Will there be alot of climbing and will you be at highaltitude for long periods?
• Will there be easy access to food andwater along the way, or will you needto bring supplies with you?
HydrationMaking sure you are hydrated in the run-up to, during and after hikes willimprove your exercise tolerance, promoteblood flow to your muscles for recoveryand reduce the risk of cramps, fatigueand poor concentration. We lose waterthrough breathing, through our gut and in our urine and sweat every day.Fluid needs can vary from person to
person depending on body size, gender,weather, fitness, exercise intensity andaltitude.In the run-up to your hike, make sure
you are drinking water regularly, i.e., withall meals and snacks. If you are likely toperspire a lot during your hike (i.e., in hotweather) or to be at a high altitude duringyour hike, when you will lose more fluidthrough breathing in the drier air, you willneed to drink more as your losses will begreater.During your walk, take regular sips of
water, sports drinks or electrolytereplacement drinks; depending on theintensity of your exercise you may need400-800ml/hour during a hike. If you arehiking for more than one hour, it isrecommended that, if possible, you drinkfluids containing 6-8% carbohydrate (e.g., a sports drink).A handy way to check your own
hydration status is to check your urine.Are you maintaining your urine outputand how concentrated is it? Have a lookat the picture guide on the right to helpyou to see how well you are maintainingyour hydration.
Before you goIn the couple of days before a hike, makesure you are eating a source of
carbohydrates at each meal (e.g., bread,potatoes, rice or pasta) to ensure you haveplenty of energy for your hike. This energywill be stored in your muscles as glycogenand will be broken down and used as fuelduring your hike.On the morning of the hike, aim to have
a high-carbohydrate, moderate-proteinand low-fat breakfast to provide you withenough energy on the hike and to helpreduce hunger. Most importantly, this sortof breakfast is easily digested, and thatshould help you to avoid getting stomachcramps on your hike. Some breakfast ideasthat are suitable are eggs on toast (twoslices), breakfast cereal (or porridge) withmilk and fruit, or toast with peanut butterand banana.
During your hike or tripOn a day trip, you may need to bring alunch, such as a sandwich, and somesnacks with you. As you will have to carryeverything in your backpack, aim fornutrient-dense, lightweight snacks. Someideas include, trail mix, nuts, seed/fruit and
Howdehydratedare you?A quick way to test how wellyou are hydrated is to checkthe colour of your urine:
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 23
intensity of your exercise, youmay need around one litre ofwater or an electrolytereplacement drink to replacethe electrolytes such assodium and potassium thatyou have lost on your hike.When you are refuelling,
your meals should includecarbohydrates to replace yourmuscle glycogen stores(energy) and some protein tohelp repair and rebuild yourmuscles.Ideally, within thirty minutes
of finishing your hike, youshould aim to eat a snack suchas some fruit and a glass ofmilk, or a fruit and nut bar, oryoghurt with nuts and seeds
and fruit. You should follow thiswith a meal, such as a chickensalad and bread, or pastabolognese, when you get achance.This approach should help
you to recover optimally fromyour hike and to rebuildyourself for the next one!For nutritional advice tailored
to your own needs, talk to aregistered dietitian or sportsnutritionist. Check out the IrishNutrition and DieteticInstitute’s website for contactdetails of accredited nutritionprofessionals at:
www.indi.ie/find-a-dietitian.html.
Happy hiking! ■
AUTHOR Jane Leonard is a CORU-registered dietitian (for moreinformation, see [email protected]).
nut bars, and fresh and driedfruit and energy bars or gels.On a multi-day hike, where
you will have access torestaurants or cafés, aim to eathigh-carbohydrate, moderate-protein and low-fat mealoptions during your hike, suchas sandwiches, chicken, meat,fish or tofu and pasta, rice orpotato dishes, and avoidcreamy sauces, to aidabsorption and digestion.If you are going on a multi-
day hiking trip with limitedaccess to fresh food, it isimportant to plan out your
meals, eating the moreperishable foods in the firstcouple of days, carrying light,nutrient-dense foods (asabove) and bringing freeze-dried or ready-to-eat mealswith you for later in the trip.
After your hike or tripRemember the 3 Rs ofrecovery: Rehydrate, Refuel,Rebuild.
Rehydrating after a hike isessential, especially if you arepreparing for another hike thenext day. Depending on howmuch you sweat and the
“Remember the 3 Rs of recovery:Rehydrate, Refuel, Rebuild.”
Autumn CompetitionWin a great prize from Basecamp if your correct completed entry for this puzzle is the first drawn from the hat!
CROSS
WORD com
piledby
CÓILÍN M
acLO
CHLA
INN
Crossword#
Basecamp Outdoor Store, Dublin and KilkennyWebsite: www.basecamp.ie
WINa Boreo Helmet,
a Mambo 40m Ropeand a Reverso 4 BelayPlate – a prize worth
€197.85
Boreo helmet
Mambo 10.1mm 40m rope for gym or crag climbing
Reverso 4 belay plate
How to enterComplete this crossword correctly and be in with a chance to win a prize worth almost €200from Basecamp Outdoor Store, Jervis Street, Dublin.
Cut out this page or photocopy it and send your completed entry to The Editor, Irish Mountain Log,Mountaineering Ireland, Irish Sport HQ, National Sports Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, to arrivenot later than Friday, November 1st 2019. Don’t forget to include your full name, address andmembership number with your entry as well as a telephone number or email address at where youcan be contacted. The winner will be announced in the Winter 2019 issue of the Irish Mountain Log.
Competition prizeBasecamp’s generous prize offer comprises three items: a Boreo Helmet, a Mambo 40m Ropeand a Reverso 4 Belay Plate.
Clues Across1 Arderin in the Mournes, over the top, in short (3).3 Albertan town that hosts mountain film festival (5).6 English mountaineer who lost his life on Everest (7).7 Man’s best friend (3).8 Describes extreme form of marathon, for example (5).10 Mistake (5).12 Negative (2).13 Irish writer George Russell’s nom-de-plume (2).14 Picturesque Alpine region in Austria (5).17 A thin slab of rock – also found in a 99! (5).18 You could be on life support if you’re in here (1,1,1).19 Ancient Irish lake dwelling (7).20 Vehicles for crossing snow, often pulled by dogs (5).21 Bare limestone rock formation, as found in Burren (5).
Clues Down1 Cattle-populated uplands in Sligo? (2,9).2 Picturesque vale, river and village in Wicklow (5).3 Most famous river in Ireland’s Ancient East (5).4 Lowest point – of collapse or of career, say (5).5 A type of knot commonly used to secure the rope to
a climber’s harness; also a type of descender (6-5).9 A narrow Irish spade with single footrest (3).11 Mighty tree, once an acorn (3).15 A defined way up a rockwall or peak (5).16 Cords to fasten your hillwalking boots (5).17 Container for carrying hot drink to the hills (5).
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6 7
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20 21
Autumn 201924 Irish Mountain Log
The Plan Glacier Refuge, whichhuddles at 2,730m beneath thebase of the south-west arête ofL’Aiguille de Tricot, near theback of the Glacier du Miage, is
known as ‘The Refuge that Married a Wall.’It is a tiny wooden refuge, charming,authentic in character and unusual.The refuge was originally built by local
guides, the ‘Friends of the Plan GlacierRefuge,’ in 1991. That first shelter wasdestroyed by avalanches during thefollowing winter, as was a determinedsecond attempt to put a refuge in thatlocation a few years later.In 2006, the building was completely
rebuilt at its current location, which is stillin the same area but is proving to be moreavalanche-proof. It is kept open throughthe winter as a winter shelter and, whenthe guardians arrive in early summer, theyhave a lot of digging out to do before theycan gain entrance. This year, the currentteam, Annabelle andYanni, could onlyidentify a small section of a solar panel
For three others (slightly younger thanourselves), it was merely the startingplace for the climb up to the DurierRefuge and the challenges of theL’Aiguille de Bonnassey and beyond ■
➤ Margaret Tees is ahillwalker, mountaineerand member of the NorthWest Mountaineering Club.She has ‘compleated’ theMunros in Scotland andhas been taking on theCorbetts, also in Scotland.
ALPINE REFUGE
THE REFUGE THAT MARRIED A WALLWhile attending the Mountaineering Ireland Summer Alpine Meet at Argentiére in the Chamonix Valleyin July, Margaret Tees took the opportunity to hike up to one of the refuges in the area.
Photographs: Alan Tees Collection
peeping through the snow to show themwhere to start!The accommodation is compact, to say
the least. There are basically two rooms,one divided between the kitchen and theguardians’ quarters, the other betweenthree tiers of platform beds (for twentypeople, who are willing to play sardines!), atable and seating for about eight people,and a tiny area for ablutions.When we arrived, there had been three
days of cloudy weather, so no solar power.Despite this, the four-course evening mealwas a delight and was everything thathungry climbers could ask for, and nobodyminded sitting with every item of theirclothing on!The walk-in to the refuge is amazing.
Coming from the Mont Blanc Tramwaystation at Bellevue, it is a delightful Alpinewalk (part of the Tour du Mont Blanc) upto the Col de Tricot. There the routechanges to follow an ancient ‘smuggler’spath,’ a superb balcony route equippedwith handrails where necessary (which isquite often), magnificently zig-zaggingacross the ‘haute montagne’ towards theGlacier du Miage. It is a distance of 7.4kmwith 1,215m of ascent in all, and severalpleasant hours, in our case.For some of our group, this was the
main target of the expedition and, after avery full breakfast (on the veranda), anenjoyable descent (on fresh legs) wasmade, back to the cable car at Bellevue.
Plan Glacier Refuge, left, and having breakfast on the veranda: Alan and Margaret Tees and friends
Con and Alan at the refuge
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 25
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Climbing continues togrow in popularity andparticipation in Ireland.
This growth has been largelyfuelled by the increase in thequantity and quality ofclimbing walls available in thiscountry and also possibly inpart due to the increase inmedia exposure of climbingdue to movies such as FreeSolo and The Dawn Wall, andthe effect of climbing’sinclusion in the 2020 OlympicGames.
Within this overall growth inclimbing participation, there isa remarkable increase in thenumber of young people
getting into climbing. Many ofthese young climbers hearabout and see images ofclimbing outside on real rock,be it from the amazing photosadorning the climbing walls, orin the myriad of online videosof climbing all over the world.
This July, MountaineeringIreland ran two Youth TradClimbing Camps with the aimof introducing young people totrad climbing and startingthem out on the path tobecoming competent andconfident trad climbers. Someof the participants had little orno outdoor climbingexperience, while others had
already begun to lead climboutdoors. Under the guidanceof the camps’ main instructors,Angela Carlin and John Healy,the climbers developed theirskills based on their priorexperience and their ownpersonal aims for the campthey attended.
The first camp took place inthe Burren in County Clare,with climbing activitiescentred on Ailladie andBallyryan. The second camptook place in Glendalough, CoWicklow. The Irish summerweather presented its usualchallenges, but enthusiasmand invention prevailed toprovide a great experience forthe young climbers. You do nothave to take my word for it.Here is what some of theseyoung climbers had to say forthemselves:
■ Patrick GalvinWhen I arrived at the RainbowHostel in Doolin, a lot of theother climbers were alreadythere. I was very nervous, as Iwasn’t sure how everythingwas going to go. Little did Iknow that this camp was goingto be one of the bestexperiences of my life.
After a quick stopover at thehostel, we headed out toAilladie, where we did most of
the climbing. Everyone hadalready got to know eachother, so there was lots of chatin the car. At Ailladie, we learnthow to abseil, build anchorsand set up a top rope.
The next day, we went toBallyryan to practice leadingwith John Healy andAngelaCarlin. On the third day of thecamp, we split up into twogroups, one sea-cliff climbingand the other lead climbing atBallyryan. I went to Ballyryanfirst and we did lots of routesbefore switching over afterlunch.
The sea-cliff climbing wasvery enjoyable but also quitescary, especially as the sea wasfar from calm. Despite this, Ithink it was the highlight of mytrip.
Back at the hostel, we saidour goodbyes and left. I hadnever done anything like thecamp or the amazing climbingbefore. Learning new thingsand meeting new people mademe want to go back next yearand to do more trad climbing.
■AnnaBelle O’SullivanI was delighted to be just oldenough to be accepted for thiscamp, as I have not had manyopportunities for outdoorclimbing before. Also, I wassecretly delighted that I would
YOUTH TRAD CLIMBING CAMPSMountaineering Ireland held two Youth Trad Climbing Camps this summer. Damien O’Sullivan reports
Patrick Galvin climbing in the Burren
Autumn 201926 Irish Mountain Log
Sean Blazquez-Burke climbing in the Burren
have my first trip away withoutmy parents (don’t tell them!).
After arriving at the RainbowHostel (which is lovely) inDoolin at midday, we did notwaste much time before goingto the crag. We were split intosmall groups and my groupspent time becoming familiarwith the rock by top-ropeclimbing and then setting upand using abseils.
After six or seven hours, wewent back to the hostel fordinner and then did some ropechallenge games.
The next morning, I spent afew hours learning how to leadtrad climbs at the crag. I had atop rope keeping me safe andJohn Healy was next to me ona rope, helping me with thegear. It rained in the afternoon,so we went back to the hostel.When the rain cleared thatevening, we practicedropework in the back garden ofthe hostel.
On the last day, thankfullythe weather was nice againand we went to cliffs rightabove the sea, where we setup anchors for top-roping andbelayed each other from thetop.
Everybody was very friendlyand we all got on very well forthe three days. I wouldrecommend the camp to anyyoung person who wants toimprove their outdoor climbingskills and to have a few greatfun days away from theirparents!
■ Isobelle MaddenI really enjoyed my experienceat the trad climbing camp inGlendalough. It was great tospend a few days close tonature, and I found it reallyrelaxing. I also enjoyedspending time with the othergirls in my room in the IMC hutthere. I didn’t really know manypeople going to the camp, butit was nice leaving, havingmade some new friends.
I learned tons of things –such as how to place nuts andcams when leading, and how toextract gear the right way. I alsolearned how to build a belay
and an abseil, and how to tieuseful knots – skills that I willuse in outdoor climbing trips inthe future.
Gaining this knowledge hasgiven me confidence whenclimbing outdoors. It has alsogiven me a sense ofachievement in that I ambecoming efficient at doingthings on my own in climbing.
Another important lesson atthe camp was about safety inthe mountains and how toalways be safety-consciouswhen climbing outdoors. This issuch an essential part of tradclimbing, and I think it is soimportant that climbers putsafety first.
If I had to pick something Ididn’t like about the camp, itwould probably be the 6.00amstarts to do the long walk in tothe climbing spot. However, theclimbing made it worthwhile!
Overall, I am glad I went tothe trad climbing camp. I
learned many new things,gained experience andconfidence in climbingoutdoors, and made newfriends.
■Alex O’ConnorI went to the trad climbingcamp in Glendalough toincrease my knowledge ofoutdoor climbing and to learnhow to lead climbs on my own.During the camp I learned howto climb a multi-pitch route,abseil, place gear, set upanchors, and many otherclimbing skills.
I started the camp by doingthe multi-pitch routeSarcophagus.We climbed it infour pitches and did an abseilfrom the top. During the climb, Ilearned how to tie in to ananchor, how to belay on amulti-pitch route and how toset up and do an abseil fromthe top of a multi-pitch. It wasone of the best climbingexperiences I have ever had.
On the second day, we wentto the Annalecka Buttress, agreat little crag in the WicklowGap. There we learned how toset up a belay anchor, how totie in to the anchor to belayfrom the top and how to abseilusing the same anchors. Wealso learned how to ascend arope using Prusik loops. Thehighlight of my day was that Iled a climb for the first time.
On the third day, we wentback to the Glendalough cragand did more lead climbing. Iled two more climbs andlearned to belay from the topafter leading a route.
Overall, it was a great campand I learned a lot. Theinstructors were great – veryhelpful and informative. I planto use the knowledge I got fromthis camp and put it towardslearning more about theoutdoors and do as muchoutdoor climbing as I can ■
Written by Damien O’Sullivan, Climbing DevelopmentOfficer
AnnaBelle O’Sullivan climbing in the Burren
Amy Rafferty climbing in Glendalough
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 27
Pho
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), Ke
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Youth Trad Climbing Camps next yearDates and details for the Summer 2020 Youth Trad Climbing Campswill be released in early 2020. Keep an eye on the MountaineeringIreland website and social media for information. If you would like to beadded to a reminder mailing list for the camps, please send an e-mail to Mountaineering Ireland’s Climbing Officer Damien O’Sullivanat [email protected].
Phot
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(Aillad
ie), And
res Pe
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nast
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), Pa
ul H
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(Chloe
)
Jointly organised by theIrish Mountaineering Cluband the Dal Riada
Climbing Club in earlySeptember, the 2019 BurrenClimbing Meet rounded off theclimbing season for climbersfrom all over Ireland.Derek Hendrick from the
Irish Mountaineering Club andNeil Byrne from the Dal RiadaClimbing Club took on theresponsibility of organising themeet this year. It was evidentfrom the number of climbers inattendance that they hadsucceeded in reaching a lot ofclimbers and drumming up alot of interest in the meet.
The good weather forecast
for the weekend helped toattract a large group ofclimbers from all over Ireland.While the climbing went on allover the weekend, those whoattended the meet wererewarded with near-perfectclimbing conditions on theSaturday – dry rock, a gentlebreeze and just enough cloudcover to keep thetemperatures in check.
In consequence, Saturdaysaw a huge amount of actionat the crags of Ailladie,Ballyryan andOughtdarra. It was amazing to witness somany ascents of the harderroutes on the steep walls ofAilladie. From taking a
snapshot of the activities onSaturday it would seemevident that the generalstandard of climbing isnoticeably increasing.
Highlights of the action fromSaturday were ChloeCondron’s heroic effort onEliminator, AnastasijaStrižakova’s determined efforton Sunstone and, of course,the phenomenal climbing ondisplay from visiting climberAngus Kille. Angus, who isoriginally from Shropshire inEngland but now livesin Llanberis in Wales,steadily climbedmultiple E4s, E5s anda big E6, all onsightand all with a smile onhis face!
After a long andhighly enjoyable day ofclimbing on Saturday,the tired, hungry andthirsty climbers alldescended onDonoghue’s pub inFanore. Replete withvarious combinationsof liquids and solids,the climbers thensettled in for anexcellent presentationby Angus Kille.
Angus shared hisclimbing experiencesfrom starting out as a
teenager in Shropshire to thepresent day, with ascents ofroutes such as Indian Face onClogwyn Du’r Arddu (Cloggy) onthe north flank of Snowdon nowunder his belt. The presentationwas thoroughly enjoyable,connecting and resonating withthe audience on many levels.
The Burren Climbing Meet hasnow established itself as one ofthe staples in Irish climbers’calendars. Hopefully we will seeyou there next year! ■
BURREN CLIMBING MEET 2019The Burren Climbing Meet from September 6th to 8th was a great success. Damien O’Sullivan reports
Anastasija Strižakova on Sunstone
Climbers at Ailladie in the Burren
Autumn 201928 Irish Mountain Log
Chloe Condron on Gallows Pole
The Irish Lead Climbing Championship provides theopportunity to participate in an International Federation ofSports Climbing (IFSC) style of lead climbing competitionfor Irish climbers. The Irish Lead Climbing Championship isone of two national championships run by MountaineeringIreland. The Irish Lead Climbing Championship 2019 takesplace at Awesome Walls Dublin over the weekend ofOctober 19-20th. Youth climbers compete on the Saturday
and senior climbers on the Sunday.The Irish Lead Climbing Championship is an excellent
competition for spectators to enjoy. Come along and seesome top climbers in action.
For more information and to enter online, please go tothe Mountaineering Ireland website pagewww.mountaineering.ie/climbing/competitionclimbing/irishleadclimbingchampionship or go to bit.ly/ILCC2019.
Irish Bouldering League Various venues
Upcoming events in the indoor climbing season 2019-2020
Irish Lead Climbing Championship
Youth Climbing Series Various venues
Round 1 Awesome Walls Dublin Start date: 5 October 2019 Finish date: 20 October 2019
Round 2 Awesome Walls Cork Start date: 2 November 2019 Finish date: 17 November 2019
Round 3 The Dublin Climbing Centre Start date: 30 November 2019 Finish date: 15 December 2019
Round 4 Suas Climbing Centre Start date: 11 January 2020 Finish date: 26 January 2020
Round 5 Gravity Climbing Centre Start date: 8 February 2020 Finish date: 23 February 2020
Round 1 Bouldering Awesome Walls Cork 25 January 2020
Round 2 Routes The Dublin Climbing Centre 8 February 2020
Round 3 Bouldering BoulderWorld Belfast 7 March 2020
Round 4 Routes Awesome Walls Dublin 21 March 2020
Youth Climbers Awesome Walls Dublin 19 October 2019
Senior Climbers Awesome Walls Dublin 20 October 2019
Tucked inconspicuously into the ruggedfolds of the west Cork countryside,Knockboy (706m) quietly claims the titleof County Cork’s highest mountain, in alandscape little changed by the passageof time.
At first glance, large swaths of west Cork and theBeara peninsula appear to be an untamed land,where green scrub and grey rock vie for visualsupremacy of this ancient territory.
Here, fuchsia, foxglove and other wildflowers,encouraged by the Gulf Stream, proliferate in theneglected margins, their heady scents lacing thekeen salty air. This was the stronghold of the
SHEHY MOUNTAINS
Above: Lough Boy,with Knockboy(706m) in thebackground.
Don Baldwin pays a visit to Cork’s county high point, Knockboy in the Shehy Mountains
QUIET MOUNTAIN
Pho
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: Don
Bal
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O’Sullivan Beare clan, Gaelic lords of the Bearapeninsula. Tales of their illustrious past and saddemise still imbue this sea-shadowed land.
Glengarriff, a colourful coastal town nestling in thelee of the Beara peninsula on the shores of BantryBay, is an ideal place from which to explore nearbyKnockboy (Irish: Cnoc Buí, ‘yellow hill’).
A charming little town, Glengarriff is as popular withtourists today as it was in the 1700s. It boomed inVictorian times as an important stop along the Princeof Wales Route between Cork and Killarney. WB Yeatsfound it very much to his taste, too, and used itregularly in 1920, while George Bernard Shaw stayedon the nearby wooded isle of Garnish in 1923.
From Glengarriff, head east on the N71 towardsBantry town. After a ten-minute drive, turn left forCoomhola Bridge. Pass through here and continueonto Mill Big, finally arriving at the start of Priest’sLeap Road, a fifteen-minute drive in all.
You could then simply drive on up the four-kilometre stretch of undulating mountain road toPriest’s Leap Pass itself, and hike on to the summit ofKnockboy from there. However, if you want to make adecent trek out of it, then leave your car at the startof Priest’s Leap Road, where there is ample parking,and start your walk from there. That way, you can
➤Don Baldwin started mountaineering with the IrishPermanent Defence Forces, as a member of the 27th
Battalion in Dundalk, Co Louth, training in the Cooleyand Wicklow Mountains. He also served with the 46th
IRISHBATT in the mountains of South Lebanon. Sincethen, he has completed several mountaineering coursesin Tollymore National Outdoor Centre, including the WGL.Don is also an avid scuba-diver, writer and AdvancedAdventure Sport Instructor.
Autumn 201930 Irish Mountain Log
relax and enjoy solid footing and the wonderfulscenery to your left in Inchinagoum valley below,without running the risk of joining it!
The valley of Inchinagoum is a quiet place now.Beyond the stand of stately Scots pines scatteredalong the near slope, the poignant remnants of a fewcrumbled cottages huddle about a vibrant stream;
Above:Inchinagoumvalley, with BantryBay beyond.
Below: Priest’sLeap Road.
these are all that now remain of some long-abandoned Brigadoon.*
Rabbits have made themselves at home in thevalley, blissfully unaware of the aerial threat posed bythe new, ravenous overlords of nearby Garnish Island– the reintroduced white-tailed sea eagles.
Scenery aside, do have a care when hiking up thisnarrow mountain pass, as cyclists can appear silentlyand suddenly, descending at impressive speed.Likewise, cars can quickly appear from behind blindspots and hidden dips in the road. They are notalways easy to hear.
On a clear day, a skeletal steel cross erected on thesaddle above is clearly visible and gives you goodnotice of the approaching Priest’s Leap Pass upahead.
A solid hour’s hiking will bring you up to the pass,where stunning views await you. A large inscribedboulder by the roadside confirms your location, thehistoric Priest’s Leap Pass.
Local tradition attributes the origin of the place-name to a monumental leap made onhorseback by a priest escaping English soldiers, ajump of several miles, no less!
Although the account does appear a littleembellished, as is the way with most good Irishstories, it does seem to contain a grain of truth, as theparticular priest in question, a Fr Dominick Collins,had indeed been recorded for raising the country for
THIS WAS THE STRONGHOLDOF THE O’SULLIVAN BEARECLAN, GAELIC LORDS OF THEBEARA PENINSULA.
➤
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 31
* Brigadoon: a mythical village in the Scottish Highlands thatremains unchanged and invisible to the outside world, exceptfor one day every hundred years. Those who happen uponBrigadoon may remain in that beguiling place only if they loveanother enough to give up the world outside.
the defence of Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare’sDunboyne Castle on the Beara peninsula in 1602. Hewas later captured in the course of the siege ofDunboyne and eventually executed. In due course, hewas beatified by Rome on September 27th, 1992. Atwhat point history is distorted and legend is blendedinto the priest’s prodigious leap at the pass, I mustlet the discerning reader decide.
From Priest’s Leap Pass, strike out east-north-eastjust beyond the decorative boulder, keeping thesheep fence to your left as you climb. This isdefinitely gaiter country, so you could save yourselfsome soggy grief by fitting them before leaving theroad.
Continue in this direction for about 550 metresuntil you find your way blocked by another fence;cross this fence at the sturdy corner post with care.Turn left and then continue north-north-west,keeping the fence on your left as you go.
Curiously, once you have left the pass and slippedover the first pale knoll, an eerie silence will envelopeyou. The terrain here is like some withered prairiewhere poor grass and broken boggy ground competewith slabs of pale-grey rock to dominate thelandscape. Wildlife seems all but absent and, withthe exception of a hopeful sign banning the shootingof the rare red grouse, there appears scant promiseof life. However, elusive sheep, frogs, slugs and bogcotton all do make a frugal living up here, while a fewferal cattle and some polka-eyed ponies forage formeagre grazing on the mountain’s lower slopes.
After a distance of some 500 metres from thesturdy corner post, the direction of the fence turnseast-north-east, passing beside the peaceful watersof Lough Reagh and Lough Boy, where you will needto use a weathered timber stile close by the water’sedge. This secluded upland is a pensive place, andeven these still, dark pools hold fast to their secrets,concealing any sign of life.
From here, the last stretch of fence climbs steadilyfor one and a half kilometres along what is thecounty border of Cork and Kerry, until it finally petersout near the summit.
Quiet prevails up here and, as my restless
SHEHY MOUNTAINS
Above: LoughReagh (belowsummit ofKnockboy) andstile to the right.
Below: Decorativeboulder atPriest’s LeapPass.
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imagination ruminated on the turbulent history ofthis brooding land, my rebellious legs lamented myearlier exertions up Munster’s highest mountain road.True, I could have driven up to Priest’s Leap Pass andwalked out to the summit from there. However,perhaps extending this walk was my own smalltribute to those sorry souls who had endured one ofthe most arduous treks in Irish history, which hadforged north through the parallel Pass of Keimaneighjust east of Knockboy, in the Long March of O’SullivanBeare.
Long March of O’Sullivan BeareAfter the fall of Dunboyne, O’Sullivan Beare hadgathered one thousand of his followers and marchednorth on December 31st, 1602, in the hope of reachinghis ally, Lord Tyrone, on the shores of Lough Neagh.
As they marched northwards through Munster,Connacht and Ulster, they fought against a muchlarger English force and their new Irish allies. Theinfamous march was marked by the suffering of thestarving O’Sullivans as they sought food from a landalready decimated by a harsh Irish winter. Exposureand hunger took many.
O’Sullivan Beare and his followers marched over500 kilometres and crossed the Shannon on a darkmidwinter’s night, after slaughtering their horses and
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using their skins to make curraghs.After the fourteenth day of the march, of the 400
fighting men who had started out, only eighteenremained and, of the other 600 followers on themarch, just eighteen survived the ordeal, one awoman. They finally arrived at O’Rourke’s Castle inWest Breifne (in Leitrim today) on January 4th, 1603, aheroic feat of endurance that would put any testingday on the mountains into stark perspective.
Knockboy summitAn hour and a half from the pass, the linear lines ofthe trig point make for a welcome sight. It is all thatserves as a sliver of shelter in this bare place. Still,despite its austere appearance, the 703m summit ofKnockboy is an excellent vantage point for viewingthe surrounding area.
To the north stretches the soft, rolling outline of theShehy Mountains, unmarred by the passage of time.Seven kilometres to the east, the Beara/Breifne Waystrikes off towards the north-east through the ShehyMountains and deep into the heartland of Ireland,retracing the hard march of O’Sullivan Beara and hissorely-pressed followers. To the south glitters the safeharbour of Bantry Bay, where a French fleet of forty-three ships made anchor in 1796 to aid WolfeTone and his United Irishmen.
Far off to the south-west stretches the Bearapeninsula, a veritable microcosm of Irish history. At itscentre, in the heart of the Caha Mountains, standsthe stark pinnacle of Hungry Hill, made famous byDaphne du Maurier’s gritty novel of the same nameabout the local copper-mining barons of thenineteenth century. Further south, on Beara’ssouthern shore, just beyond the bustling fishing portof Castletownbere, the sad remnants of DunboyneCastle stand silent, mute witness to its terrible end.
Above:Trigonometricpoint on thesummit ofKnockboy.
Below: Delicatefuchsia.
A little further along the peninsula, near its northernshore, lies the reputed resting place of the Children ofLir. Having wandered the wild seas for nine hundredyears, cursed to exist as swans, they were drawnashore by the alluring toll of a monk’s bell in thevillage of Allihies. Here, they returned briefly to theirhuman form before peacefully passing away.
Finally, at the very end of the peninsula stands thesolid bulk of Dursey Island, where many unfortunateIrish women were held captive by Viking raiders,before being shipped off to the slave markets ofEurope, during a very dark time in Irish history.
The Dursey massacre of three hundred men,women and children by Crown forces in 1602 will longresonate in the collective memory of this solemnplace, for, as African-American novelist JamesBaldwin wrote, “people are trapped in history andhistory is trapped in them.”
Thankfully, west Cork is a much more peacefulplace these days, a haven of serenity for tourists andwriters alike. Nowhere is that tranquillity more evidentthan on the silent slopes of Knockboy. Here, in thiscathedral of quiet, where the untouched wildernessseems to store those dark indelible memories of thepast, you can almost imagine a whispered lament,drifting upon the breeze ■
YOU CAN ALMOST IMAGINE A WHISPERED LAMENTDRIFTING UPON THE BREEZE.
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 33
The car park for Coumshingaun Loughwas now full. Cars were parked up anddown the roadside. People werecollecting hiking boots and walkingsupplies in colourful mountain gear, withFrench and German accents as well as
Irish to be heard. I wanted to shout proudly at thetop of my voice: “Did you know that my fatherinitiated this forest park many moons ago?”
My father had the foresight to leave the hugeboulders to perhaps highlight this spot as theentrance to a magical lake under the ComeraghMountains. The lake still generates a mystical energyfor me. Coumshingaun Lough.
THE COMERAGHS
Above:CoumshingaunLough in theComeraghMountains.
Margaret Flanagan describes the captivating Coumshingaun Lough, the ‘jewel’ of the Comeraghs
JEWEL OF THE COMERAGHS
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My father would have been impressed by thenumbers of visitors coming here now, as he was aforester in the Comeraghs long ago. It was thebeginnings of diversifying forestry spaces intorecreational spaces.
My sister Denise and I were about nine years oldwhen we first went to the woods with him to do a bitof thinning of the thick rows of tree growth. Theintention was to put a white ‘X’ on trees that weredestined for felling, to make room for a car park orpicnic spot.
My father pointed out the trees and we eagerlymarked them. We loved roaming through this thickjungle of sweet-smelling conifer pines, which alsoharboured hosts of flighty midges. These could attachto your hair or sweating skin and feast upon you untilyou itched and just wanted to jump intoCoumshingaun Lough for immediate relief!
The trip to the lake is up through woods, fields androcks and across streams. You hear the sounds frombossy black-faced sheep calling ‘maaa,’ clearly tellingyou this is their space and to move on; or you canhear the wind’s whisperings resonating through therocks.
The heady scents from honeysuckle, ferns andgorse serve to boost your upwards climb. The
➤Margaret Flanagan grew up inLemybrien, Co Waterford, right underthe gaze of the eastern ComeraghMountains. She worked in Africa fortwenty years and loved theDrakensberg Mountains. She nowlives outside Dungarvan, CountyWaterford, still close enough to feelthe lure of the Comeraghs.
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dramatic patchwork of textures and colours acrossthe mountain-tops simply looks higgledy-piggledy,as though an ogre had been at work here to confuseyou on your climb.
Spellbinding spaceOn arriving in this spellbinding space, there is animpressive view of the sheer rocky backdrop to thelake, with sides gently sloping down. According to myvery old geography book, it resembles that of an old,inviting armchair, with the sheltering high back andsides opening in the front to expose a panoramicvista to this magical ‘scape’ of contrasts, colours andmuffled eerie sounds, echoing through the valley.
The rock rises up from the lake to form a huge cliff-face. Here, solitary sheep climb to graze, andtheir ‘maaa’ sounds echo across the lake.
I shout out to the lake and the sheep: “Hello! I havearrived. Did you miss me?” I am delighted, as the lakereturns this same message to me, so enthusiastically.It repeats the message to me at least three times,gradually reducing its volume while overlapping in itssoundings. I am delighted that I was missed.
Enormous boulders define the outer circle of water.They gradually become invisible through the brownhue, as the lake deepens and becomes black in
Above:CoumshingaunLough viewedfrom its steepcliff-sides.
colour. An odd ripple disturbs the surface as a browntrout reaches up to catch a stray midge.
At times, a whole cascade of ripples suddenly eruptsacross the entire lake, as if a giant has decided to blowacross the surface, for his own amusement, just toview the endless waves that form.
The waves finally end in a frothy collection ofbubbles at the other side of the lake, as if somemonster from the deep had just suffered indigestionfrom over-indulgence in his favourite, slimy,underwater snack. The waves produce a white, bubblysubstance at the shallow end of the lake.
This giant must also be wearing a good wetsuit, as this water is freezing, no matter how hot the sunshines. The enormous rocks provide shelter from thegusts of wind – that erupt at will – for you to enjoy apicnic surrounded by this almost prehistoriclandscape.
Delay here, just a while, to wonder upon your ownstory, surrounding the creation of this cosmic space.Delve into its deep allure and bewitching charm.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS ENCHANTINGMOUNTAIN THAT KEEPS MY MINDTHERE LONG AFTER I HAVE LEFT ITS SPELL?Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 35
➤
Autumn Gathering: OctoberMountaineering Ireland’s 2019 Autumn Gatheringwill be held in the Comeraghs over the weekend ofOctober 18-20th. The hosts, KilmacthomasWalking Club, who are celebrating their fifteenthanniversary, are keen to show off the beauty ofthe Comeraghs. More information can be foundon the Mountaineering Ireland websitewww.mountaineering.ie where it is also stillpossible to register for the Gathering.
Consider the misshapen boulders, the phantommonsters in these deep waters, the faery storiesfrom around the blackthorn bush, or the ghostlytales of Crotty the Robber from just over the cliff’sedge.
Magnetic pullDo not linger past evening time, as the fog poursdown across the lake’s sides, and dark descends tocast its shadows. This is just the lake’s spiritstruggling to hold onto you for longer.
Of course, you can always find your way down, no matter what this mountain throws at you. Yourjourney down the mountainside is at a pacedetermined by the mountain’s gravity. The smell offerns is as delicious as ever. Droppings from grazingsheep dot their lawn, showing you a pathway for yourdescent; they are perhaps happy to see you areleaving their territory. There is even a view off to thedistant glistening ocean.
The soft, rolling mountains are ever-surprising incolour, shape and texture, depicting their growth,grazing or cutting. Oddly-shaped ancient bouldersline the steep decline and invite you to rest a whilewith their magnetic pull.
The aroma, coupled with the blast of brightblossoms from prickly gorse bushes, helps distractfrom the muscle strain as you try to dig down toreduce your footfall to a safer pace than is beingdictated by the mountain drop.
We are almost down when my legs feel like jellyfrom trying to keep my own pace down and not letthe steep mountain path decide it for me. Outside ofour own pace, we are down from the mountain fasterthan we planned. My legs do not know this yet, as
THE COMERAGHS
Above: View ofCoumshingaunLough from thetop of the cliffs.
Below:CoumshingaunLough seen fromthe level of thelake.
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they just want to keep on going. I sit on a big boulderlining the entrance to the mountain’s lake to restthere a while.
What is it about this enchanting mountain thatalways keeps my mind there long after I have left itsspell?
•This article was previously published in Ireland’s Ownmagazine and in The Munster Express ■
Autumn 201936 Irish Mountain Log
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The Coronation Plantation is a popularscenic pine forest located to the west ofSally Gap in Wicklow Mountains NationalPark. Though not as well known asGlendalough or Luggala, it is popular withphotographers and birdwatchers, who
are attracted by its wild beauty and impressivewildlife.
You might think from the ‘plantation’ appellationthat it was just another example of trees planted in ablock. That was certainly the original plan, when treeplanting began there in 1831, but the planting wasnever fully completed. Over the passage of time,trees persisted only in the plantation’s moresheltered stream cloughs, which descend to theRiver Liffey not far from its source below Kippure (see map, opposite). This gives it the naturalisticappearance and aesthetic appeal it has today.
ENVIRONMENT
Above: Openwoodland ofScots pine treesin the CoronationPlantation, nearthe Sally Gap inthe WicklowMountains.
A popular scenic forest in Wicklow Mountains National Park, Coronation Plantation is at risk from frequent firesand under pressure from grazing deer and sheep. What can be done to save it? Cóilín MacLochlainn reports
SAVING CORONATION PLANTATION
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It is a beautiful pinewood. Owing to the uneven treelosses over the last 185 years, it now closely resembles anatural pine forest like those still found in parts ofScotland – the so-called Caledonian forests. But onething is immediately obvious: it is thinly wooded andthere are quite a lot of standing dead trees, mostlyScots pines and European larches. Also, when you lookclosely, you find very few seedlings or saplings on theground.
It seems that the plantation is dying of old age or lackof regeneration, possibly as a result of overgrazing andfire. Fortunately, that is not entirely true, as a detailedstudy commissioned by the National Parks and WildlifeService ten years ago showed; more on that later.
Rich in wildlifeIt would be a great pity if the plantation were lost as itcurrently supports a raft of interesting pinewoodspecies, including red squirrels, crossbills, siskins andravens. It is also an important site for merlin.
In recent years, great spotted woodpeckers havearrived and begun nesting in the plantation – a welcomedevelopment. They have been spreading slowly sincenesting in oakwoods in the Vale of Clara nearGlendalough in 2007. They are Ireland’s most recent avianimmigrant, though it is thought they were here in thepast but died out as the woodlands were felled.
Autumn 201938 Irish Mountain Log
➤ Cóilín MacLochlainn is thedesigner of the Irish Mountain Log.
The open, brackeny areas of the plantation arepopulated each summer by whinchats, a rare anddeclining migrant songbird associated with uplandheaths and floodplain grasslands. CoronationPlantation holds more whinchats every summer thanany other site in the country, as far as is known.
Many deer, which are in fact red/Sika deer hybrids,graze in the plantation. They excite those seeking awilderness experience. However, their numbers arehigher than the park’s desired density of five animalsper 100 hectares in woodland, according to theafore-mentioned report.
From a woodland perspective, it is the plantation’ssimilarity to the pinewoods that once covered thehilltops and poorer soils right across Ireland that setsit apart. Intriguingly, we know from researchconducted by palaeobotanist Jenni Roche that itwas actually covered in pine trees in the distant past.
Saving a site that has all the hallmarks of anancient pinewood (though it is only 185 years old) issomething you would hope the national park wouldcommit to. When I enquired, I learned of the report,Management Plan for the Coronation Plantation,Wicklow Mountains National Park, completed for thepark in 2009 by consultants Faith Wilson, PaddyPurser and Paul Murphy, with input from localhistorian Kathy Trant. So, yes, the park is concerned
Above: Map of theCoronationPlantation showingits orginal, plannedextent and itscurrent extenttoday (in darkgreen). Historicalresearch hasindicated that theplanned extent ofthe forest wasnever fully realised.
➤
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about the plantation’s future and wants to save it,and this fascinating report describes what is neededto save it, both for its landscape qualities and its veryspecial wildlife.
Original plantingThe idea for a plantation was conceived by ArthurHill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire and landlord ofBlessington, County Wicklow, who, in 1830, proposedthe planting of over 800 acres (327 hectares) inBallynabrocky to honour the accession to the throneof William IV (who was succeeded in 1837 by his nieceVictoria). A granite obelisk built on the site declaresthat the scheme was for the future supply of timberfor the estate.
Work on the plantation began in August 1831 withthe fencing of Ballynabrocky. By December, JohnMurray, the marquess’s Blessington agent, was ableto report that a ‘vast number of poplars and aldercuttings’ had been planted. In 1834, he reported that20,000 pedunculate oaks (sourced in Berkshire) hadbeen ‘planted carefully.’ However, in March 1837, snowand frost was hampering progress and in April of thatyear Murray noted his intention to plant more oaksand ‘scotch fir.’ Kathy Trant believes Murray thenscaled back his plans for the site and that theplantation was never as extensive as first envisaged.
Plantation area in 1831
Remains of the plantation today
River Liffey
Lugnalee Brook
Sally Gap
bridge] [
Kippure House
Kippure Mountain
Coronation Plantation
Manor Kilbride
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Map by Cóilín MacLochlainn
Ballynabrocky, Blessington, Co Wicklow
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Plans were overtaken by events when themarquess died. On a June morning in 1845 he rodeout from Dublin through the Sally Gap, lunched withfriends in Kippure House (just down the road fromthe plantation) and shortly after leaving had aseizure, fell from his horse and died.
Out of curiosity, I googled the 3rd Marquess ofDownshire and found he died in September 1845, inLondon, and not in Wicklow in June of that year, so itseems his fall was not immediately fatal. Local loreprobably changed the story for dramatic effect.Oddly, a space on the obelisk to record the finishingdate for the plantation was never filled in.
It was an ambitious and extensive forestry projectfor its time, but Murray’s efforts to grow poplar, alderand oak were not very successful, though somemajestic oaks and alders still line the banks of theLugnalee Brook and River Liffey. His ‘scotch fir’ or Scotspines, however, did much better and dominate thewoodland today, along with some European larches.
ENVIRONMENT
Above: The upper,open area of thepine forest wherenaturalregeneration ismost likely tosucceed, iffacilitated andencouraged,according to theexpert report.
Below: A healthy,majestic pine inthe plantation.
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Gravest threatsThe report notes that uncontrolled fires posed thegravest threat to the woodland, and that the area hadbeen subjected to repeated burning events.Meanwhile, browsing by deer and sheep limits any natural regeneration and hinders the re-establishment of native woodland species,including mountain ash, silver birch and willowspecies.
The wooded area of the 327-hectare site currentlycovers just 67.5 hectares. While the Ordnance Surveymap from 1838 and an estate map from 1880 showthe site as fully planted, the Ordnance Survey map of1906 shows an area of just 65 hectares as beingwooded, much as today. The authors note that itseems unlikely the entire site was planted, given theunfavourable soils and the lack of evidence of plantingor related drainage over much of the site.
The woodland area was also reduced due tocommercial felling in the north-west section followingWorld War II (when there was a mobile saw-mill near thebridge; sawdust is still present) and through somefuelwood harvesting by local people. This helpedproduce the naturalistic lay-out of trees thatcontributes to the scenic beauty of the plantation today.
It also allows comparisons to be drawn to what anative Irish upland pine forest might have looked like,similar to the Caledonian pine forests of the Scottishhighlands. Indeed, the authors note, the CoronationPlantation is probably the closest image available ofwhat native Irish pine forests looked like before theirdecline during the first century AD.It, therefore, has a ‘hugely important cultural heritagevalue,’ they write. Of course, since the report waswritten, it has been learned that a small nativepinewood survives in the Burren, Co Clare. Others mayexist but have yet to be identified.
Restoration planThe remaining woodland is of three types:
■Oak with Scots pine, silver birch, alder, mountainash and willow, distributed along the riverbanksThe oaks are all of similar age (greater than 150 years)with no young oaks present to replace them.
■Mixed Scots pine and larch with some mountain ashand silver birch, mainly on more exposed groundThe conifers here are all in a mature ‘stag-headed’ state.Regeneration was recorded but no seedlings weresurviving above the herb layer, due to grazing.
The authors note that regeneration will be mostsuccessful in this area, if it is protected from grazing,because the species here are pioneer tree species.
Interestingly, they found the pines here to be ofdifferent ages, indicating that regeneration wascontinuous over a long period of time until grazingpressure became too intense in recent times.
■ Pure stands of Scots pineThe main body of woodland within the site. The treeshere all date from the original planting and all are nowageing and ‘stag-headed.’
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Expected longevityDue to grazing in the woodland, there are virtually notrees younger than 90 years of age, although seedproduction, germination and regeneration do occur.The authors were determined to estimate theexpected longevity of the remaining trees and foundthat, in general, the pines show little evidence ofsignificant dieback; and so, much of the pine isexpected to last another 100 years.
In contrast, the oaks show a higher incidence ofdeadwood and dieback and the authors give themperhaps another 75 years.Given that the trees in the plantation haveconsiderable remaining longevity, there is ample timeavailable to find the most effective ways ofencouraging strong natural regeneration.
Scottish regeneration modelThe report describes a successful regenerationprogramme undertaken by the charity Trees for Lifeon a Caledonian pine forest in Glen Affric in centralScotland. It focused on the creation of exclosures tokeep out deer and sheep and on two differentstrategies within the exclosures: (1) naturalregeneration only and (2) a mixture of naturalregeneration and ‘enrichment’ planting of trees oflocal provenance.
The project worked outwards from areas ofstrength, utilising pioneer species to facilitate therestoration, and also removing any introducedspecies, such as rhododendron and cherry laurel.
The same principles could be applied successfullyin Coronation Plantation, beginning with exclosures,followed by enrichment planting and the applicationof rock phosphate to beat competition from heather,the authors write.
Short-term objectives recommended by theauthors include liaising with grazing-rights holdersregarding woodland management, developing a firemanagement plan, managing deer grazing, andcommencing natural regeneration plots by erectinggrazing exclosures.
Reducing the grazing pressureThere is clear evidence that a removal or substantialreduction of grazing pressure would result in the
Above: Raven,Ireland’s largestcrow species: itnests on pinetrees in theCoronationPlantation.
Below: Sika deerstag. Significantnumbers of thisintroducedspecies inhabitthe CoronationPlantation.
emergence of a new generation of trees. In theirmanagement plan for the site the authors recommendthe creation of a series of exclosures throughout thewoodland, but particularly in the area of woodland onthe more exposed ground (the second woodland typedescribed above) where regeneration is most likely tosucceed.
The creation of exclosures would then be followed bya programme of treatments, e.g., manual scarificationusing mattocks (to expose soil for seeds); enrichmentplanting of sessile oaks; and managed deer culling(some deer are already culled annually in Ballynabrockyas part of a wider national park plan).
Perhaps the greatest challenge of all will be firecontrol. It is thought that most fires are started bycareless picnickers, but while some fires are no doubtaccidental a significant number are malicious. Very fewareas within the plantation have escaped a severe burnin the last twenty years, so a fire management plan isurgently required. This could include creating firebreaksaround exclosures or along existing ditches and drains.The NPWS is developing a specific fire managementplan for the site.
All in all, it seems Coronation Plantation can indeedbe saved, if these measures, and others outlined in theplan, can be fully implemented by the national park ■
Note: This article, in an earlier version, first appeared in the June2019 issue of Woodland, the Native Woodland Trust’s membershipmagazine.
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Autumn 2019
Medieval Icelanders regardedIceland’s most active volcano,Hekla (1,491m), as the ‘Gateway toHell’! Before the science ofvolcanology, that made eminentsense. Hekla’s regular inferno of fire
and lava, and inundations of suffocating dust, deeplytraumatised Icelanders of the south-west of thiscountry, and repeatedly wreaked havoc on their livesand livelihoods.
Now that they know better, Icelanders harbour analmost spiritual fascination with the mountain. Theyfeel privileged to share their land with such anelemental and violent force of nature – perhapsreflecting the Icelanders’ own penchant for terror andmayhem in their distant past as Viking warriors!
Indeed, during a winter eruption a few years ago, asudden blizzard led to a huge operation to rescue themultitude of people who had driven out to feel closeto the fires of Hekla and got themselves stranded inthe cold and snow instead!
As a frequent visitor to Iceland since the 1970s,Hekla has fascinated me too. On a quick visit to
ICELAND
Above:Landscapearound Heklalittered withvolcanic debris.
Michael Guilfoyle visited Hekla, an active volcano in Iceland, with his son Eoin in May of this year.
HANGING OUT ON HEKLA
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Iceland in May, more to introduce my son Eoin to thecountry and to visit some very dear old Icelandicfriends, I couldn’t resist making the two-hour drivefrom Reykjavik to the base of the mountain. Warm-sector low cloud and rain, and a wind from thesouth-east, were plaguing the capital as we left, but wewere soon in the brighter, clearer and dry air of the rain-shadow north of the large icecaps of Eyjafjallajokulland Myrdalsjokull.
We’d been warned, however, that a volcanic eruptionat Hekla was “imminent.”
Sure enough, a rather scary panel at the track-headinformed us in graphic detail of all the horrible waysone could die, if caught close to an eruption – volcanic‘bombs,’ mudslides and flash floods, suffocating dustand poisonous gases were but a few of the dangers! Italso warned that we would receive only sixty or sominutes’ notice (via SMS) of an eruption from the arrayof monitoring instrumentation on the flanks of themountain.
Still, the vast trackless plains and low hills of dust,obsidian and tephra stretching away before us,seemingly ascending easily towards the visible base ofthe summit ice-cap, were irresistible. So, off we wentand, even though we had a good map, we just took amind-bearing on the highest snow-free part of thedistant mountain’s flank and determined to see howfar we’d get!
There wasn’t a hope, of course, that we’d make thesummit. Even though we had hired a little 4WD SuzukiJimny in Keflavik two days previously with Heklavaguely in mind, the rough route beyond the track-
➤Michael Guilfoyle is a founder member of the LungGompas Hiking Club and lives in Dublin. He has hiked in theAlps, Pyrenees, Scotland, Wales and Iceland and has trekkedin Kashmir, the Canary Islands, Nepal, Morocco, VancouverIsland and Patagonia. He has summited many Alpine4,000m peaks, including Mount Blanc and Gran Paradiso, aswell as summiting on Toubkal and Ouanakrim in the AtlasMountains and most Pyrenean tops over 3,000m.
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head was closed as ‘impassable,’ so, from where wehad parked, the summit would have required a hard-walk round-trip of more than 30 kilometres andabout 1,100m of climbing, for which we just didn’thave the time, more or less permanent daylightnotwithstanding.
In any case, as we were unable to access thestandard approach from the east, and were requiredto approach the summit from the snowier north, itwas likely we would have needed ice axes andcrampons and perhaps even to be roped up, if wewere to have any chance.
In the event, we had a really fabulous walk of aboutsix hours through a landscape unique in Europe. Froma hiking point of view, we probably covered 15 to 20kilometres over firm, gentle hills and ridges of crushedstone and ash.
As we got closer to the volcano, we traversed vast,high terraces littered with volcanic bombs droppedout of the sky by ancient eruptions. The scale andtexture of the landscape and its lunar-like feel, and thecontrast of the familiar blue sky and cloudscape withthe sterile, dark monochrome surface of lava andtephra, shocked and enthralled us in equal measure.
All around was a burnt, torn and pummelledlandscape. Great rivers of lava emerged from fissureson the mountain’s flanks, and flowed down from thesummit crater, only to stall far out on the dusty plains;these were brand-new landforms from out of the hotdepths of the Earth, some only now submittingthemselves to the attentions of wind and rain, snowand ice. Dramatic incised channels, created bytorrents of meltwater released off the summit ice-capby sudden eruptions, allowed us easy access upwardsfrom one terrace to the next. On these high and wideterraces, the same fine dust that grounded most ofEurope’s airlines in 2010 swirled about us in playful
Above: A viewfrom the slopes of Hekla. EoinGuilfoyle is visibleon the left.
Below:Information panelat the track-headnotifying visitorsof the manydangers posed by the volcano to human life.
little ‘dust devils’ and shaped the ground intoconstantly shifting and changing micro-dunes andlittle drifts.
All the time, we kept our ears cocked for anysubterranean rumbling that might have heralded aneruption, one part of our minds saying ‘Bring it on,’relishing the prospect of that once-in-a-lifetimeexperience! In the event, the mountain remainedslightly disappointingly quiet and allowed us to exitback to our jeep, and on to our friends in Reykjavik.
Later that evening, our friends told us that one oftheir friends was in the area and had witnessed thelast eruption, in 2000. They told us that he would neverforget the sound, the colour of fire and ejecta mixingwith cloud in the evening sky, and the deep earth-shake seeming to emanate from deep beneath hisfeet. This secondhand telling of the man’s story, andthe images conjured up by it, explained to us why theancient Icelanders felt this mountain was indeed the‘Gateway to Hell.’ It left us a little jealous to havemissed out on such a primal experience and on havingsuch a story for ourselves to tell! ■
WE HAD A FABULOUS WALKTHROUGH A LANDSCAPEUNIQUE IN EUROPE.
Imagine for a moment waking up in a roundedAfrican hut with stone walls held together bymud and with a pointed, circular grass roof. Thegolden glow of daybreak permeates the wood-slatted doors and windows. The door is swungopen by whomever has got up first, and the vistathat presents itself takes your breath away. Every
morning, when I woke up on our trek in the North WolloHighlands, each of my senses was brought alive bysounds, smells, tastes and sights impossible to captureeither in words or pictures.
Ethiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, is a landlockedrepublic in north-east Africa, the Horn of Africa, with apopulation estimated at 108 million, the second mostpopulous country in Africa. It is Africa’s oldestindependent country. It has never been colonised and itserved as a symbol of African independence throughoutthe colonial period. Ethiopia has a unique culturalheritage, being the home of the Ethiopian OrthodoxChurch, one of the oldest Christian denominations. Itwas a monarchy until a coup in 1974.
In 2007, Irish Aid initiated a project, fundingcommunities along an 80-km stretch of themagnificent North Wollo Highlands to build tukuls,so that they could accommodate trekkers in thismagnificent region. Tukuls are the round mud hutswith a conical straw roof that are found throughouteastern Africa. The tukuls for trekkers are entirelyrun by the local communities and are a sustainableincome-generating project.
➤Margaret O’Mahony lives in Corkand is an active member of the CorkMountaineering Club and ofBishopstown Hillwalking Club. Shehas been enjoying hillwalking for overfifteen years.
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NORTH WOLLO HIGHLANDS TREKMargaret O’Mahony travelled to Ethiopia for a seven-day trek through the North Wollo Highlands led bythe Irish charity Africa Direct.
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Above: Part ofLalibela town, thefinal stop on thetrek.
Below: A busystreet in AddisAbaba, theEthiopian capital.
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THERE IS AN AIR OF PEACE AND TRANQUILLITY ON LAKETANA’S MANY ISLANDS.
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Above: Thebeginning ofthe Blue Nile atthe outlet ofLake Tana.
Africa Direct is an Irish, Cork-based charity run byvolunteers, which raises funds to support projects indeveloping countries, with a philosophy of helping thepeople to tackle poverty in their own areas. AfricaDirect leads treks to the North Wollo Highlands andthis is one of its ways of sharing the experience ofEthiopia in a culturally and environmentally mindfulway. In doing this, the charity supports the localcommunities, who run the tukuls, and also visits theprojects it is developing with local communities.
Our trip with Africa Direct to North Wollocommenced on Friday, October 19th, 2018, when ourgroup of fourteen people, including the trek leader, LizO’Donovan (an Africa Direct member), met at Dublinairport. We landed in Addis Ababa, the bustling capitalcity of three million people, where the extremes ofpoverty co-exist with affluence.
We met Getish Salew, who was to be our local guidethroughout our stay; he was selfless in his attention tothe needs of the group and was expert in dealing withtransport, accommodation, etc.
On that first day, we had the honour of havingafternoon tea with Sonja Hyland, Irish Ambassador toEthiopia, who especially acknowledged Getish’svoluntary work with Africa Direct.
The source of the Blue NileThe second day involved a long bus journey throughthe Ethiopian countryside to Bahir Dar on the southernshore of Lake Tana. Our third day commenced with awondrous boat trip across Lake Tana to visit the islandmonasteries. The islands and peninsulas of Lake Tana
collectively house more than 20 monastic churches,some of which date back to the 14th century. What wasextraordinary was the simplicity of the monks’ lives onthese islands and the fascinating treasure housesthere: items of immense historical significance are keptin stone houses, which are showing signs ofdeterioration from the natural elements.
There is an air of peace and tranquillity on theseislands, with monks living their simple lives of prayerand fasting. We visited the outlet of the Blue Nile,where it exits Lake Tana, its source. (The river meets upwith the White Nile in Khartoum in Sudan.) It was atLake Tana that I caught my first ever glimpse of ahippopotamus in the wild and enjoyed the magicalpelicans.
Start of the trekThe trekking began the following day. We went on ashort bus journey through the Ethiopian countrysideand then divided into two groups, as the community-run tukuls can only accommodate seven guests pernight. The tukuls, which each sleep two to three people,are managed by the local community. Each group wasaccompanied by a guide. The two guides, Getish Salewand Zinabie, were generous and accomplished guidesand were extremely knowledgeable about thegeography, geology, vegetation and people. They werealso fun teachers of Ethiopian dance!
Each day, the groups trekked to a new location at apleasant pace for 6-7 hours through the countrysideand along the escarpments. Smells varied from wildthyme, sage, juniper and eucalyptus, each step offeringa variety of spectacular views, with the sounds ofchildren laughing and singing out “Hello, Hello,Helloooooooo” as we passed by.
We walked through green pastures where childrenand adults were herding their precious cattle. Womenand men tended crops of chickpeas, green lentils,
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 45
ETHIOPIA
wheat and teff, which is the grain from which theirstaple flatbread, called injera, is made.
The days started with a breakfast of freshlyscrambled eggs, eaten while sitting at the edge of anescarpment, viewing the valley below. Donkeys,provided by the local people as part of the initiative,carried our rucksacks and we carried small day-packswith drinking water, which was available at all night-time and lunch-time stops. Daytime temperatures werea pleasant 22-25 degrees Celsius.
We trekked 105 kilometres from Werot, a short busjourney from Bahir Dar, to a district close to Lalibela.Midway through each day, lunch was available atanother tukul. Walking between the villages isreasonably flat and would be possible for people withmoderate levels of fitness. The greatest ascent was1,000m. The community-run tukuls are at altitudes ofbetween 2,800m and 3,000m, which means thattemperatures at night can fall rapidly. Therefore,clothing for cold nights is required, as well as goodsleeping bags.
Walking outdoors day after day with splendid viewsand in a comfortable climate brings a wonderful senseof wellbeing. Experiencing the hospitality of theEthiopian people was an important part of this holiday.Each lunchtime, there were ritual ablutions followed bythe coffee ritual, where an Ethiopian woman wouldbring a tray of roasting coffee beans, still smoking, toeach person so they could inhale the aroma.
An array of food spread on trays to feed the hungrytrekkers was then shared, while the pounding of coffeebeans drummed a beat in the background. Curriedpotatoes, chickpeas, spinach and cabbage were servedon platters of injera.
Striking views out over the plains, with donkeysgrazing and Ethiopian chatter, was the backdrop tothese wholesome meals. The lunches were rounded offwith coffee served from a special clay pot; I have nevertasted coffee like it; even non-coffee drinkers wereconverted.
The memory that will always stand out for me isarriving at the first village, Mequat Mariam, set on apromontory of the plateau at 2,800m. We camethrough a field of high wheat and suddenly we wereat the edge of an escarpment with spectacular viewsacross the valley. Each tukul seemed to be placed onthe most extraordinary viewing point, generally atthe edge of a cliff looking over the basin below andacross to more mountains and cliffs. Even the viewsfrom the stand-alone tukul toilets were awesome,though these toilets were somewhat precariouslyperched for night-time visits!
Another highlight of this trek came at Aterow(meaning ‘chickpea’), where we walked from our loftytukul into a gorge with a waterfall, which was thehome of a troop of gelada monkeys. All of uswatched in stunned silence. When faced with wildlifeand witnessing beauty, it can touch a primal part ofour being; this was one such moment of coalescingfeatures, wildlife, beauty and a group silent in aweand appreciation of the moment.
Above: An islandmonasterychurch.
Below:Guesthouse at Aterow.
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Links■ Africa Direct organises annual treks to Ethiopia.
This year’s trek will start on October 20th. Pleasesee www.africadirect.ie or [email protected] for more information.
■ Getish Salew guides for private treks as well: seewww.ethiopianhighlandtrekkingandtour.com.
■ Bishopstown Hillwalking Club plans to organisemore trips to the Semien Mountains in Ethiopia in2019-2020. For information contact the Irishcoordinator, Sean Cotter of BishopstownHillwalking Club at [email protected].
Above left:Bete Giyorgis(Church ofSaint George)in Lalibela.
Above right:Landscape inthe SemienMountains.
Below: Geladamonkeys atAterow.
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LALIBELA TOWN IS SET AMONGVAST ROCKY ESCARPMENTS,EACH CORNER PROVIDING A DIFFERENT SCENIC VISTA.
Work supported by Africa DirectIt was also very special to visit the two schools atSendenna and Wajella, which have been supported byAfrica Direct to build new, more sustainable schoolbuildings, an impossibility without this assistance. LizO’Donovan and the group were welcomed with singingand heartfelt appreciation for the work of Africa Direct.
Upon arrival at each camp around sunset, our hostswould greet us with tea and snacks. The evening mealwas shared around the fire, food which was wholesomeand a joy to the palate. The day-time views werematched at night by star-filled canopies blanketing thevalleys. The moon illuminated the valleys below in amystical night light that was breath-taking. We ate,talked, sang and danced around the night-time fire.
Language differences were no barrier to this sharingand enjoyment.
Our seven-day trek was over all too quickly. There is atimelessness to walking day after day, where all of oursenses were stimulated. Our final stop at the end of thetrek was at Lalibela, a town high in the mountains ofLasta and famous for its rock-hewn churches. At analtitude of 2,630m, it is set among vast rockyescarpments and mountains, so that each cornerprovides a different scenic vista. It is a growing moderntown and a place of sacred pilgrimage for faithfulEthiopians. The holy places are living shrines, filled withmany pilgrims. We were fortunate to witness the monks’colourful, rhythmic and sacred prayers and chantedrituals.
Our time at Lalibela rounded off an extraordinarytrekking trip, one of rich experiences, outstandingscenery and amazing encounters with noble andgentle people, who provided genuine hospitality, funand care for us as we visited their country.
The two groups met up again in Lalibela and therewas a sense that we had all been touched by ourexperiences and that new friendships had beenforged.
A proportion of the money paid by each trekker for thistrip to the North Wollo Highlands went to provide fundsto help Africa Direct in their work with the schools.Bringing trekkers to this area also provides direct incometo communities along this trekking route ■
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Autumn 201948 Irish Mountain Log
In November 2018, my husband Bertie Cahill and Itrekked across the Wollo Highlands of Ethiopia.Our goal was to reach the summit of MountAbuna Yosef (4,260m), the sixth-highestmountain in Ethiopia and the nineteenth-highestin Africa. To do that, in all we hiked 130 kilometresand ascended more than 5,000m.
Our adventure began in the tiny airport of Lalibela,where a TESFA (Tourism in Ethiopia for SustainableFuture Alternatives) group jeep reminiscent of the1980s drove us to our rendezvous with our guide,Eusebio, our muleteer and his mule. We had chosen togo with TESFA Community Tourism, which was foundedin 2010 to generate sustainable tourism and bringmuch-needed income to remote villages in Ethiopia.
The drive in was a revelation as we trundled along adirt road, across gullies and rivers, avoiding donkeys,goats, sheep, cattle and streams of children, men andwomen who were all competing for space.
The mountains rise sharply like volcanic sentinels outof the valleys. They shelter the most agriculturallyproductive and densely populated plateaux in Ethiopia.We began trekking from Gashena, the gateway to the
highlands of Amhara. We followed a rock-strewnpath across ploughed and golden stubbled fields,where men with sickles manually stacked andthreshed the barley. Children tended animals in thefields, while women collected dry dung to use asfertiliser and building material.
This was an easy three-hour hike with an at timesgradual ascent through the numerous eucalyptusforests found everywhere in Ethiopia. These treesare grown as a crop to provide a steady source offirewood, poles for construction and farm tools.
Shortly before sunset, we wound around to Boyaand our first community guesthouse, whichtottered on a 3,000-metre precipice. We lookedwest across numerous valleys and giant-likemountains to the towering massif of Abuna Yosef.
➤Marian Wallis and Bertie Cahill areboth members of the Ballyhoura BearsWalking Club. (Marian is also a memberof Mountaineering Ireland’s HillwalkingCommittee.) Members of the club walk for5-6 hours every Sunday in the Galty,Knockmealdown and Kerry mountains.Club members have also walked abroadin England, Europe and Africa.
ETHIOPIA
BEARS WALK IN ETHIOPIAMarian Wallis and her husband Bertie Cahill of the Ballyhoura Bears Walking Club paid a visit to Ethiopiawith other club members and set themselves the challenge of reaching the top of Abuna Yosef (4,260m).
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Above: MountAbuna Yosef(4,260m) inEthiopia.
Below:Lunch-stop on the way toTakeze Gorge.
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ONCE THE SUN HAD SET, THE TEMPERATURES PLUNGED TO FREEZING.
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Above: Takingin the viewacross theEthiopianHighlands.
Below left:Local peoplewrapped upwell in the coolmorning air.
The guesthouses are tukuls – round Ethiopian housesbuilt of native materials. There are four bedrooms oneach site with a double and single bed in each. Thebeds are formed by heaping earth into concrete-builtrectangles topped with a mattress. Facilities were basic,though we had access to an eco-type latrine and waterfor handwashing.
A larger tukul acted as a restaurant and kitchen wheresome local women cooked the most delicious meals ofeggs for breakfast and vegetables, rice and chicken fordinner.
That first evening, the setting sun cast a warm, red-tinted glow over the whole panorama of the WolloHighlands. Once the sun had set, temperaturesplummeted quickly from the twenties to freezing: agood base layer as well as warm fleeces, hats andgloves were essential. Within days we had adopted theEthiopian custom of wrapping up in a blanket. Darknessfell within fifteen minutes, so then it was on with thehead torches and a huddle around the campfire.
The next day began at 6.00am, with the rising sunclothing the landscape in soft yellow tones. We walkedeastwards, following the plateau where the farmerswere kept busy protecting their crops from maraudinggelada monkeys. Much of the walk was along theescarpment, with a lunch-stop at Waro, where we wereserved the local staple food of injera, a flatbread, andvegetables.
Day three had a very different pace. It involved aseven-hour walk down a 1,500m steep gully filled withloose stones and rocks. Forest-covered cliffs overhungthe path. The path quickly came alive with men,women and children, who sped past us. Many werebarefoot or wearing plastic sandals. However, our realrivals on the paths were herds of goats, who had nointention of standing to one side for any foreigners. All gave way to oxen, calves and mules.
We descended numerous rocky ‘stairways’ andcrossed plateaux growing the staple grain crop teff, thegrain from which injera is made. The sun was nowrelentless, so we were thrilled to go barefoot across thegreat but treacherous Takaze River.
High-altitude guesthousesWe had now descended to 2,000m and so our nextthree hours involved slithering up the precipitousslopes of the mountain wall which separated us fromGeneta Mariam. This guesthouse was reached by analmost vertical zig-zag path. Nearby was one of thenumerous cave churches for which this area is famous.
The next day brought rain clouds and an eight-hourwalk skirting along the mountainside by contouringthrough forests of junipers and past one tree reputedto be at least 600 years old. This area was poorer andmore remote. The rain lowered the temperature, whichmade the 900m climb up a treacherous gully of loosestones and rocks a little easier. Well-worn stepstestified to generations of use. This region of Ethiopiahas changed very little in the last one thousand years.
We were now so high up that we traversed along thetops of gullies as we swung around the highest point,
ETHIOPIA
to be faced with an ever-stretching complex of ridgesbetween us and Abuna Yosef. We were now on paths sofaint and narrow that only a local could find them.Holding our breath, we hugged the side, manoeuvringalong the escarpment thousands of metres above theravines.
We finally zig-zagged to the mountain pass.Continuous rows of pillar-like formations, tall,inscrutable and forbidding, rose out of the valleys.Scrambling over boulders, we were suddenly assailed
with the most wonderful smells of lavender, thyme,rosemary and bergamot, a natural herb garden.
We now dropped down again to reach ourguesthouse at Tadios Amba (3,600m) just as theskies opened. Cold and icy gusts of wind swirledaround the campsite as we huddled with the localsaround the quickly-lit campfire.
Day five would bring us to the refuge (4,000m) atthe foot of Abuna Yosef in eight hours. After firstcrossing some gardens, the trail quickly changed torock and earth. The paths now appeared to be gluedto the side of the mountain as we ascended to reachthe Ambo Bahir pass. We admired the newpanorama of mountains, home to fewer and poorersettlements.
Thin air on Abuna YosefCrossing one plateau, we launched on to a path up awall-like mountain. This summit brought us into anAfro-Alpine landscape covered in a forest of giantlobelias. Here, women and girls were bent over asthey carried bundles of lobelia home for firewood.Nothing else seemed to grow at this altitude. Thiswas the home of Ethiopian wolves, lammergeyersand other large predatory birds.
Thunder rolled across the range as heavy rain andfog accompanied us along the north-eastern trail tothe guesthouse at Agaw Beret, built by the FrankfurtZoological Society. Forewarned about the cold, wewere still surprised to find we needed to dress inevery stitch we had as well as wrapping ourselves inblankets.
The following day dawned beautifully, with the suncasting a red and golden glow on the face of AbunaYosef. The skies were clear as we ascended the lastthree hundred metres to the top. Icicles weretestament to the low temperature at this level. Thiswas the first time we had experienced the effort of
Left:Guesthouse of tukuls atGenetaMariam.
Below: Lookingdown a gully.
Right: Sunriseat the TadiosAmbaguesthouse(3,600m).
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Travel information■ We used Ethiopian Airlines to fly to, and to fly
within, Ethiopia.
■ We met with and arranged guides and donkeyswith TESFA Trekking upon arrival in Addis Ababa.
■ For further information see www.tesfatours.com.
Above: MarianWallis and herhusband BertieCahill on thesummit ofMount AbunaYosef (4,260m),the sixth highestmountain inEthiopia.
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OUR STRUGGLE WAS OVER. WE HAD ACHIEVED OUR GOAL.
walking in thinner air. At first it was a gradual climb, butthe last 100 metres were steep. We used boulders topull ourselves up to the last scramble along the ridge. Itwas well worth all the effort, as we breathlesslysurveyed the whole world spread below us withluminous clarity. Our struggle was over and we hadachieved our goal.
We descended quickly, passing by the sharp zigit,pentagonal-sided pillars formed from outcrops ofbasalt rock. We were back amongst the giant lobeliasuntil we came to the valley floor, where little wasgrowing. Here everything is about food security as thereis little fertility but large numbers of people.
Ascending to the large compound of Hamusit, wehad a three-hour walk to Ad Mehane Alem. The lasthour was level walking and a welcome relief to tired legs.Sitting that night on the cliff edge, we watched the sungo down over the ancient landscape. The moon was
bright and high in the sky as we chatted to thevillagers about our two countries.
The final day dawned with a long descent to thetown. Again, it was a magnificent walk along theescarpment, with thousands of metres of a drop onboth sides. It soon became a quite treacherous andoverpopulated path, as we encountered localshurrying up and down. On one side, we had Ericaplants (a giant heather) dropping down to regularwoodland and more agricultural land.
We now had good views of the town and suddenlywe were back to the noise of a more modern way oflife. There was a lingering sadness as we saidgoodbye ■
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“Do you not get enough hardship in life withoutcreating more for yourself?” my late father onceremarked, after sitting through a slide-showabout a trip to Denali in 1982. I obviously do not,as here I was, setting off again!
The dream was to visit unexplored valleys andunclimbed summits in Spiti in the north-west of India. Myprevious two trips to India had involved fighting throughdense rhododendron forests in northern Sikkim in veryunsettled weather, so the priority was to improve on this.
After some preliminary discussions with our localagent, climber and guide, Anindja Mukerjee (Raja), wedecided to go to the Losar area of Spiti, a little-explored
area, which contains a number of unclimbed6,000m summits.
Further research revealed that the late JossLynam had travelled through the valley in 1958, aspart of a survey team, and had climbed a mountainthere called Fluted Peak at the southern end of thevalley (see Himalayan Journal 1958).
When we flew out, Raja met us at Delhi airportand the next day we travelled to Manali byovernight bus. The first few hours of the journeywere completed in relative comfort, but the lattertwo-thirds were a harbinger of what was in store forus: very poor roads, roadworks and landslides – allcombined to leave us bone-shaken and more thana little weary.
In Manali, we met our cook, Lakpa, who hadserved on many expeditions, including up to Camp6 on Everest. The quality and variety of the food heproduced on this trip was exemplary.
We also met Pasang, who was to assist us as a high-altitude porter. Pasang had summited Everestthree times. We felt both of these gentlemen werenecessary, as we had just about ten days in the areaand wished to maximise our climbing opportunities.
We spent a day in Manali purchasing food andfuel for the mountains and organising both a jeep to
➤ Jack Bergin is a long-standing memberof Mountaineering Ireland and a pastboard member. An active rock climber, hewas involved with the development ofCoumshingaun as the premier crag in thesouth-east and has a wealth ofexperience in the Alps. He has travelledwidely and climbed in many of theranges of the world, including Alaska,Nepal, and Sikkim (twice). He is anadvocate of personal responsibility andself-reliance in mountaineering.
HIMALAYA
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MENJack Bergin reports on an Irish expedition to Spiti, India, in 2018
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Above:Approaching the summit ofPeak 6,015m inLosar, Spiti.
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Above: KiMonastery,outside Kaja.
Below:Descending fromPeak 6,015m.transport us the 200km to Losar and the necessary
porters. While Losar sees quite a bit of indigenoustourist activity, almost all of this is transient ‘through-tourism,’ with almost no tradition of trekking or climbing in the area. The porters would thus have to travel from Manali.
We travelled from Manali to Losar in a jeep that hadno treads on its tyres and was later revealed by thedriver to not have four-wheel-drive capability either.However, the reliable Tata machine ploughed onthrough mud, grime, grit and boulder fields, taking usover the 4,000m Rotang La, followed by the 4,500mKussum La.
From Losar to base campOur base in Losar was the extremely hospitableShambala guesthouse, where Sonam proved to be afantastic host.
There was no time for delay, and the next day was atough accclimatisation exercise, doing a carry up thenorthern end of the steep-sided valley to the site ofour base camp at 4,500m. Although this site wasrelatively comfortable, it was in a steep-sided valleywith a north-south aspect, which meant the sun didnot shine on it until late in the day, and then retreatedagain behind the hills quite early. Also, a constant cold
wind meant that down jackets were indispensable.As the porters had failed to arrive to assist us with
our first carry, we had a rest day, which was spentvisiting the spectacular Ki Monastery about twohours away by jeep. The porters then arrived and wemoved lock, stock and barrel up to base camp.
The plan was to explore two valleys to the east ofthe Losar Valley proper, making the second ascent ofan unnamed 6,015m peak as part of ouracclimatisation, and then to make a first ascent of atleast one unclimbed peak in the next valley.
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WE SPENT A DAY BUYING FOODAND ORGANISING A JEEP AND THE NECESSARY PORTERS.
HIMALAYA
First summit attemptAn early start and a four-hour slog over some roughground brought us to the site of our first high camp atabout 4,950m. There was no recce for this camp site, sowe carried everything we needed with us: two tents,ice-climbing gear, food and stoves, sleeping bags andThermarest mats as well as cold-weather gear. We feltevery metre of the ascent.
First light saw Alan, Raja, Lakpa and myself on ourway to attempt the second ascent of the 6,015msummit. We advanced over rough ground, much of thison moraine, but then managed to traverse onto a cleanglacier at about 5,400m. The next 300 metres of ascentwere the most enjoyable part of the whole expeditionas we made our way upwards on clean, safe ice, neversteeper than about 35 degrees. This brought us to a colat about 5,700m, when the reality of the terrain wewere in dawned upon us.
The first 50 metres of height gain from the col wasakin to climbing on a pile of road chippings – one stepforward, at least half a step back. Progress was thus slow.As we got closer to 5,800m and a subsidary summitcalled Larimo, progress improved on a narrow ridge withplenty of snow. We were now more sure-footed, and10.45am saw us on the summit (6,015m) of thisunnamed peak, well within schedule and all very happy.
However, the descent proved to be veryuncomfortable and set us thinking: the quality of therock was dire and, apart from the 300m of descent onthe glacier, the whole day was spent on very poor,broken rock, scree and moraine, from 6,015m back tobase camp at 4,500m.
Second high campThe following day, we set off to establish anotheradvance base camp at about 4,800m. After a nightthere, we went up the next subsidiary valley and put in ahigh camp there at about 5,000m. By now we had
realised that we were not in a position to attemptany of the unclimbed peaks without at least onemore camp, which would have required either moretime, or more porters, or both. There were two moreaccessible peaks, Dom Rimo and Losar Peak (bothabout 6,025m), that had been climbed before, andwe decided to give at least one of them a go.
We set off with the intention of deciding which ofthe two peaks to climb when we reached the colbetween them at about 5,700m. However, we barelymade it that far. We set off on very rough morainebefore traversing onto a glacier at about 5,400m. Theascent on the glacier was very relaxed, apart fromone brief crevassed area, but the next 100m of 40-degree muck, interspersed with sliding shale, drainedour lungs, our legs and ultimately our willpower.
The others had left their crampons on for thissection but, in my wisdom, I had taken mine off and,yes, that was a mistake. Slumped and gasping at thecol, the words of my father came back into my headand, after a brief confab with Alan about the level of
Above: Shaleand scree ataltitude, hardon old legs.
Below: Icemakes awelcomechange onLosar Peak.
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Without the assistance of Lakpa and Passang,and in particular the spectacularly resourcefuland positive Raja, we would have had little toshow for the trip.
Snowfall and landslides blocking the route wehad approached on forced us to take a circuitousroute back to Delhi, with major delays whilelandslides were cleared and roads re-opened.
The passes were opened about eighteen daysafter our departure, which meant that the porterscould proceed from Manali and retrieve a lot ofour gear. We were lucky that a group fromKilkenny, organised by Kevin Higgins from TyndallMountain Club, was going on a trek with Raja andkindly brought our gear home six weeks after theevent ■
Above: Losarvillage, cut off by the freak snow-storm.
Below: Beginningto snow at basecamp.
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WITH SNOW CONTINUING TO FALL,THINGS WERE GETTING SERIOUS.WE HAD TO GET OUT.
hardship, we concluded that this was ‘no country for oldmen.’
Yes, the landscape was fantastic, the geologyextremely interesting (including fossilised lugworms andclams discovered at about 5,000m) and the companygreat, but the underfoot conditions were appalling. A beer in Manali was suddenly a more attractiveproposition than a 6,000m pile of shale with somesnow on top.
Raja and Lakpa decided that they still wanted to bagthe summit but, after another 30 minutes’ slog, they,too, felt it was not worth it.
So, we all descended to base camp, looking forward toa bit of respite before the porters arrived the followingday. Sadly, it was not to be.
At about 6.00am the following morning, it started tosnow and it continued through the following day. Itbecame clear that things were getting serious and wehad to get out.
I spent the second night in fitful sleep, thinking ofbeing avalanched into the deep gorge adjacent to ourroute out. We were faced with reversing our approach intreacherous conditions. We left camp, carrying onlywhat we thought was necessary and stowed theremainder of our gear in a tent.
We managed the descent with some trepidation, andexcellent route-finding by Lakpa in blizzard conditions,to find Losar under three feet of snow. While we weresafe, the stick-and-mud roofs of the houses were nomatch for the elements. The guesthouse’s roof leakedcopiously and we had to move our beds around therooms to try to avoid the leaks.
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 55
Plans are afoot for another four-weekexpedition to the Indian Himalaya in October2020. If anyone is interested in joining theexpedition, please contact Alan Tees [email protected].
■ Mountaineering Ireland Alpine MeetArgentière, Chamonix, France, July 6-20th, 2019
The 2019 Summer Alpine Meet was the most successful todate, based on the turn-out and the breakdown of thoseattending by age and gender.
Over 65 members attended the meet, with many availing ofthe Alpine walking, climbing and mountaineering courses, andothers learning to lead-climb and to experience Alpine huts andtrails for the first time. All of the participants stayed safe andbenefited from the ideal learning environment.
Youths (under-25s) made up 33% of the participants, withunder-18s making up 8% of all participants. The gender split was58% male and 42% female.
Whilst youth representation has been increasing in recentyears, the Bursary Fund greatly encouraged a further boost innumbers. The fund was used to significantly reduce the cost ofcourses for 18 to 25-year-old aspiring alpinists. The standard ofapplicants covered all abilities from the novice to the veryexperienced. We are pleased to announce that the sameBursary Fund support has already been promised for the 2020Alpine Meet.
The 2020 Alpine Meet will take place in Saas Grund,Switzerland, where free lift passes for resident visitors are justone of the many benefits of this fabulous location. There, we willonce again offer courses and opportunities to meet others andexpand your skills’ repertoire as alpinists.
The Alps offer a lifetime of new venues to explore, accessible tomeet the needs, aspirations and abilities typically sought byclubs, individuals, families and students. The meet sees the
experienced mentoring the inexperienced in an apprentice-stylepathway, and others following the more formal guide/clientapproach.
The Chamonix Valley is rich in well-signed trails,mountaineering routes, climbing venues, accessible huts and arange of accommodation options, including campsites. Makeyour Alpine trip plans for next year now and sustain yourmotivation by preparation, planning and perhaps even a littletraining ahead of the meet, at home or in Scotland.
The courses are run at cost and are not for profit. They are just oneof the many benefits of your Mountaineering Ireland membership.
See you in Saas Grund, July 4-18th, 2020! ■
Recent and upcoming events
Training
Jane Carney reports on training news and events run by the Training Office
Photographs: Gerrard O’Sullivan (Perroni Ridge), Oliver Wynne (Carris McKnight)
Ice climber Carris McKnight on Mer de Glace
56 Irish Mountain Log
Elaine Mullan and ColetteMahon on the Perroni Ridge,Chamonix, during this year’sSummer Alpine Meet
Written byJane Carney, Training Officer
Autumn 2019
Photographs: Mountaineering Ireland Training Office
Training awards andregistration fees■ Increased registration feesIncreases to the registration fees for the Leadership andInstructor Awards came into effect on January 1st, 2019, when aregistration fee was also introduced for the Skills schemes.
Providers, please continue to support your candidatesthrough the registration process. Screenshots from the websitecan be very helpful to candidates and can clarify the distinctionbetween scheme or award registration and joining the Council,i.e. Mountaineering Ireland membership.
■ Leadership and Instructor Award registration fees will beincreased from €50 to €52 (from £45 to £47).
■ Rock Skills Scheme registration fee for over-18s: €22 (£20).(Under-18s free.)
■ Mountain Skills Scheme registration fee for over-18s: €22(£20). (Under-18s free.)
■ Indoor Climbing Assistant registration fee: €22 (£20).
■ Climbing Wall Development Instructor fee: €69 (£57).
■ Rock Climbing Development Instructor fee: €69 (£57).
■ All award and scheme candidates can avail of the reducedMountaineering Ireland membership rate of €30 at the time ofregistration ■
■ Mountain Training UK name changeIt was agreed with the full support of Mountain Training BoardIreland that the Mountain Training UK (MTUK) organisationshould henceforth be known as Mountain Training UnitedKingdom and Ireland (MTUKI).
■ The MTUKI Walking Scheme ReviewThis review has commenced following the successfulcompletion and implementation of the Climbing Awards Review.
We request that members, candidates and other stakeholdersemail the Training Office with comments for feedback to theMTUKI meeting in November. Periodical updates will beprovided.
■ Training Grant applicationsPlease submit your Training Grant applications for theDecember 2019 MTBI meeting. New applications are now beingaccepted for Quarter 3 and 4 for review in December 2019.
■ Club Training Officers WorkshopsPlease see the calendar of events on page 59 for details.
■ Download these useful training guidelinesPlease see the National Guidelines for Climbing and WalkingLeaders and the Good Practice Guidelines for Hillwalkers,available on the Mountaineering Ireland website’s Trainingpages Training Downloads ■
News for members,candidates, providers
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 57
Student Training& Safety Seminar
2019
16th-17th November2019in
Tollymorenational outdoor
centre
please submittopics or
suggestions
see website formore details
TrainingPhotograph: John Orr
News for providers■ Sport Ireland Coaching is to share a data protection (GDPR)update with providers.
■ The MTUKI Walking Scheme Review has commenced and weare seeking comments for the December MTBI meeting. Pleaseemail your comments to [email protected].
■ The revised Provider Handbook is now live on the website.Please review and ccontact the Training Office with anycomments, edits or queries.
■ Two new Accredited Training Groups (ATGs) have beenapproved: Cappanalea Education & Training Centre andTollymore National Outdoor Centre. Mountaineering Irelandwelcomes applications for ATG status, which is open toproviders or groups of providers. Please contact the TrainingOffice for details.
■ New providers have been inducted for the new Rock Skillsscheme and Rock Climbing Development Instructor scheme.
■ IMPORTANT! The QQI (formerly FETAC) Level 4 Rock Skillsscheme stays. The QQI Rock Skills Module will remain as a QQIoffering. The proposal to remove it from the QQI list has beenoverturned. The QQI Level 4 Rock Skills scheme aligns with theNGB Rock Skills Introduction and Intermediate levels launchedin January 2019.
■ For future CPD events see the calendar of events, page 59.
■ Providers are reminded to continue to submit course reportsin a timely manner and evidence of assessment forms for allpass candidates of the ML, RCI, MPA, LLA and Level 1 ClimbingCoach awards. These should include useful feedback and actions.
■ Data Protection Slides: providers are reminded to use theseslides when delivering any ML, RCI, MPA, LLA and L1 CC courses.
■ Providers are again reminded to start populating coursereports early to flag any issues pre-course, such as candidateswith lapsed membership or other council membership (such asthe BMC or MS), those not registered and those using the wrongemail or membership number. Colleges and outdoor courses areasked to submit fully completed manual registration forms wellahead of any courses (6-8 weeks) ■
Group photograph at the top of a climb during the Alpine Meet (from left):Carris McKnight, David Hurley, Anna-Claire Garvey and Oliver Wynne
Come along and develop your wintermountain skills, expand yourknowledge and meet fellow walkers,mountaineers and climbers who enjoy snow and ice
FOR FURTHER INFORMATIONCall the Training Office on 01 625 1112or email [email protected]
DISCOUNTS for early bookings andgroup bookings
INFORMATION EVENINGBasecamp Store, Dublin, October 22nd, 7pmCome along to find out more about the range of courses and training that will available on the Winter Meet
Main photograph View from the slopes of Buachaille Etive Beag looking across Glencoe to Aonach Eagach Ridge. Photograph by Andy Ravenhill
• 25th September Club Support Meeting, Cork• 3rd October Club Support Meeting, Newry• 18-20th Oct Autumn Gathering, Dungarvan,Comeraghs• 22nd Oct Winter Meet InformationEvening, Basecamp, Dublin, 7-8pm• 1-4th Nov Mountain Leader Assessment• 2-3rd Nov Club Training OfficerWorkshop, Wicklow• 8-10th Nov MTUKI meeting, Plas y Brenin• 15-17th Nov Student Training & SafetySeminar, Tollymore NationalOutdoor Centre• 21st Nov Club Support Meeting, Dublin• 23-24th Nov Train the Trainers, Wicklow• 27th Nov Club Support Meeting, Galway• 2nd December MTBI Training Meeting, SportHQ, Dublin• 6th December Senior Providers Workshop(CPD), Sport HQ, Dublin• 18th December Lynam Lecture, CharteredAccountants Ireland, 47-49 Pearse St, D2, 7.30pm
• 28th January Summer Alpine MeetInformation Evening, Basecamp, Dublin, 7-8pm• 30-31st January Train the Trainers, Wicklow• 1-2nd February Club Training OfficersWorkshop, Mournes• 8-15th February Winter Meet, Onich, Scotland(note revised date)• 6-9th March Mountain Leader Assessment(venue to be confirmed)• March/April MTUKI Meeting, GlenmoreLodge, Cairngorms (TBC)• 23-24th May Skills/CPD Workshops inTeaching Navigation, Scrambling & Rock Climbing, Wicklow• 4-18th July Summer Alpine Meet, SaasGrund, Switzerland
Please see the website or contact the Training Officeon (01) 625 1112 for further details. Please book early
Photograph: Gerry Kenny
Key dates 2019
Key dates 2020
Update to rock climbing moduleon instructor training coursesOutdoor courses available in Ireland that offer Quality and QualificationIreland (QQI) awards and modules need to be aware of the recentchanges to the Single-Pitch Award QQI Level 5 and 6 modules.Mountaineering Ireland has four modules within the QQI listings:
• Level 5 Mountain Skills
• Level 4 Rock Skills
• Level 5 Single-Pitch Award Training
• Level 6 Single-Pitch Award Assessment.
The changes to the climbing awards need to be adopted by thoseoffering the Level 5 and 6 Single-Pitch Awards. The key changes are:
• The experience requirements pre-training and assessment are now toinclude indoor and outdoor sport climbing leads. (The fully boltedoutdoor sport climbing venue at Altnadue, Castlewellan, is now open.)
• The duration of the training course has increased from two to threedays (20 to 24 hours, to include one full day at a climbing wall).
• The introduction of two new and additional modules: (1) Teaching Skills and (2) Managing an Assistant.
Please contact the Training Office to discuss the transitionalarrangements for candidates and the course requirements for trainersand those managing outdoor course provision. The Training Officer,Jane Carney, can be contacted for further details on (01) 625 1112 ■
Stay safe out there!Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 59
Climbers Colm Peppard and Jeff Thomas on an AD grade climb on Aiguille Purtscheller,high above the Trient Glacier
As the autumn months closein, the days shorten and theweather invariably changesfor the worse. It could be theright time to consider how
you are going to keep your childrenactive through the dark winter months,or indeed how to maintain your ownhealth and fitness. How about tryingindoor climbing?
Indoor climbing might just be theultimate full-body work-out, accordingto various reports in the media, whichdetail how beneficial rock climbing is toyour overall wellbeing, both physical andmental.
For children, climbing offers theopportunity to exercise the entire bodyin complex and variable movementpatterns. Climbing develops and
exercises balance, strength, agility,mobility and problem-solving skills, all ofwhich will stand the children in goodstead for the rest of their lives.
This applies to adults too; climbinghas long been lauded for the beneficialeffects it has on adult bodies of all ages,keeping minds active and maintainingmobility, all in the comfortable andsocial environment of a climbing wall.
Now that I have explained how greatindoor climbing is, let me answer a fewof the other important questions youmight have.
■ Where to go?A quick Google search will locate yournearest climbing wall. Bear in mind thatthere are different types of climbingwalls, offering a variety of climbingoptions, so do your research so thatthere are no surprises.
Every climbing wall has a goodwebsite with information regardingwhat they offer, and there is alwayssomeone on the end of the phone thereto give advice and guidance.
■ What are the differenttypes of climbing wall?Some climbing walls specialise inbouldering. These walls are relativelylow in comparison to roped walls,although still high enough to challengeall levels of climber. At around fourmetres in height, they are protected bydeep matting at their base and offer avariety of climbing challenges to suit allabilities.
Some climbing walls have bothbouldering and roped walls, providing
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDES
No5: FIRST VISIT TO A CLIMBING WALL
In the fifth in our series of Climbing Good Practice Guides, climbing wall instructor and coach John Harrisonoffers his advice on choosing the climbing wall that will best meet your needs.
Photographs: John Harrison Collection
➤ John Harrison began climbing outdoors inthe mid-nineties, when climbing walls were fewand far between. He now has twenty-plusyears of climbing experience, outdoors andindoors, all over the world, and is a qualifiedclimbing wall instructor, climbing coach androute-setter. He is part of the two-person teamthat designed, built and opened the SuasClimbing Centre in Gillogue, Co Clare, in 2017.
Young climbers receiving instruction
Autumn 201960 Irish Mountain Log
top-rope climbing and lead climbingopportunities, in addition to thebouldering possibilities.
Top-rope climbing has pre-placedropes linking the belayer and climber viaa set of anchors at the top of the wall.That means the climber is continuallyprotected from above by the rope andnever really takes a fall of any distance.
In lead climbing, the rope is tied to theclimber and attached to the belayer onthe ground. As the climber ascends, theyclip the rope through carabiners on thewall as they go. A slip in this case couldresult in a fall of several metres, beforethe climber is held by the belayer, whichcould be exciting!
■ Do I need to book?For the most part, if you are new toclimbing, it is essential to book inadvance. A quick call to your localclimbing wall will help inform you aboutthe many different options available toget you going. These range from simpletaster sessions designed to get youclimbing quickly, so you can find out ifyou like it or not, to more involvedintroductory courses that will set you upwith some basic climbing and rope skillsand give you a good platform toprogress from when you return.
■ What clothing and whatequipment will I need?Again, your chosen climbing wall will behappy to advise. In my experience, youshould wear clothes that offer comfortand that stretch as you move; nothingtoo fragile, as the holds and wall surfacecan be quite abrasive, and nothing toobaggy either, as you may be in danger ofgetting caught on a hold if you fall. Youmight get sweat and chalk on yourclothes, so not your Sunday best either.You should also wear clean trainers, notsandals or flip-flops.
Specialist equipment such asharnesses, belay devices, climbing-specific shoes and even chalk is usuallyavailable for rent or provided as part ofyour introductory course.
If you get serious about climbing, youwill at the very least want to invest in agood pair of climbing shoes that fit well,and to invest in a chalk bag.
■ What age categories are catered for?Climbing is a sport for all ages. Ropedclimbing indoors can usually begin atthe age of six or seven, as the child’sconcentration levels are at a stage ofdevelopment where they can learn andtake instruction well. This is not a hard-and-fast rule, but a guide.
Each climbing wall will have their ownrules and guidelines relating to age and
will offer a variety of options to get yourkids going.
NICAS and NIBAS (National IndoorClimbing/Bouldering Award Schemes)are two popular programmes offered byclimbing walls designed to bring yourchild through a series of progressiveexercises, equipping them with all theskills necessary to become strong,competent and independent youngclimbers. Many climbing walls also haveyouth clubs to get your kids climbingwith other children in a fun socialenvironment.
There is no upper age limit. Adults ofall ages and abilities can avail of further
coaching, equipping them with goodclimbing techniques and movementskills, taking away some of the mysteriesof climbing and paving the way toprogression, getting stronger andclimbing harder and for longer.
Ask about adult clubs, if you arelooking to meet fellow climbers. Whilethe centres themselves might not run aclub, there is usually a local climbingclub to get involved in.
■ Is there anything else I should know?Climbing walls can be great places tohang out, meet like-minded individualsand grab a coffee or something to eat. Ifyour end goal is to climb outside andprepare yourself for the followingsummer, then you are in the right place.
If all you ever want to do is climbindoors, then – guess what? – you arealso in the right place. All theinformation you need is there – goodcontacts, good advice and decades ofclimbing experience amongst the staffand other climbers. Think of climbingwalls as incubators for progression in thesport of rock climbing, which you canaccess with little more than a phone call,email or social media message ■
Bouldering
Facility waiver
Photographs: John Harrison Collection
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 61
Photograph: John S Turner
Books
regions. He touches lightly ontrips that for many of uswould have been theadventures of a lifetime. Questinto the Unknown documentshis exploration of the climbingin North Africa, the MiddleEast, Scandinavia, Canada andthe Americas, the Himalaya,south-east Asia, SouthGeorgia and Antarctica.
He describes an idyllicchildhood, his youth spentdeveloping the crags of theEnglish Peak District and theformation of the RimmonMountaineering Club. Howardrecords the club’s years ofclimbing in the Romsdal Valleyin Norway, where they put upthe Rimmon Route on the TrollWall.
Interspersed with thesetales are some detours,including whaling-ship
voyages in the SouthernOcean and a thousand-milecanoe trip in the CanadianArctic.
As part of the preparationsfor Troll Wall, Howard designedthe modern climbing sitharness, now used by allclimbers. He founded thecompany Troll ClimbingEquipment, pioneeringclimbing equipmentdevelopment andmanufacture in the 1960s, andworked with climbers like DonWhillans. Throughout his timeat the company, Howard’sexploration and climbingserved as innovation lab andfield testing for the company.
Throughout the book,Howard treats his personal lifelightly, but doesn’t shy awayfrom the cost of hisdedication to travel in other
areas of life: relationships thatcame and went, and familymoments missed.
His descriptions carry thereader from solo climbing inthe Antarctic to the souks ofMorocco, remote Bedouincamps in Jordan, and on toIndia and opium tribes inThailand. Each story is broughtto life by his dry humour andpleasure in connecting with thepeople that he meets, as wellas his descriptions of routesand trails explored. Howard’sdrive to go to areas otherwiseunexplored by westerntravellers opened up manyareas, such as the Jordan Trail,to adventure tourism, andpaved the way for so many ofthe trips we can now take forgranted.
Una Vejsbjerg Hillwalker andclimber
Autobiography from an intrepid climber and inventor
QUEST INTO THE UNKNOWN: MYLIFE AS A CLIMBING NOMADBy Tony HowardVertebrate Publishing (2019), 422pp, 48 photographs, £14.99, ISBN 978-1-911-34-283-0
Tony Howard’s story is one of alife dedicated to exploration,where climbing was theimpetus to explore remote
Line also tells a more generaltale: that of the climbingexperience and of themountain as well, of the beautyof the mountain landscapes,the colours, the unforgivingweather and the losses.
The poet and writer takes usto many places: to Yorkshire,North Wales, the Alps, theDolomites, and so on. Whereverhe is walking, he is alwaystrying to keep his balance –hence the title. As Wilsonexplains, the expression, ‘theequilibrium line,’ describes ‘thealtitude on an alpine glacierwhere the snow gained is equalto the ice lost.’
In a similar way, climbingcosts about as much as itrewards. Throughout the fourparts of this collection ofpoems, the reader experiencesthis precarious balance, seeinghow the storm, the mist, thefingers numbed by cold andthe falls are accompanied bythe greens and blues, the
peacefulness and thefamiliarity of the slabs.
Wilson is at home in themountains, so much so thatthey are the place he alwaysreturns to. They are where hefeels the greatest urge to write,using words and soundsinspired by what he issurrounded by. If the hollow ofthe death is omnipresent in thepoems, when you take a stepback, the verses in this inspiringbook all come together to form
a beautiful praise of themountains.
Upon finishing this book,you cannot but agree with theverse about Bwlch y Moch,Tremadog – Wilson has almostbecome a native speaker ofthe language of the rocks!
Marine Dessaux Hillwalker andFrench visitor to Ireland whovolunteered as a reviewer afterreading a previous issue of the Irish Mountain Log
The climbing experience expressed in a volume of poetry
THE EQUILIBRIUM LINE: POEMSINSPIRED BY CLIMBINGBy David WilsonThe Poetry Business (2019), 87pp, no photos or maps, £9.95, ISBN 978-1-912-19-674-6
Diving into David Wilson’sverses is like getting into astory, his story.
With his subjectivity andexperience, the gritstone hecurls his fingers around comesalive. However, The Equilibrium
Autumn 201962 Irish Mountain Log
Approaching Bwlch y Moch
Photograph: Mountain Rescue Ireland
A warts ‘n’ all history of Irish mountain rescuesick adults and childrenattempting to climb CroaghPatrick. He points out that,while the mountain rescueservices cannot restrictaccess to the hills, “onoccasion, participation in aMountain Skills course istactfully recommended.”
The book carefullydocuments thedevelopment of MountainRescue Ireland, formerlyknown as the Irish MountainRescue Association (IMRA),since its inception in the1960s. The author explainshow, in the early days, rescueteams were made up ofhillwalkers and others with
CALL OUT: A HISTORY OFMOUNTAIN RESCUE INIRELANDBy Patrick Holland (MountainRescue Ireland)Lettertecbooks, Cork (2019), 182pp,€20.00 (ppbk)
This impressive bookchronicles the evolution ofthe mountain rescueservices in Ireland from the1960s to the present. Theblack-and-white photographon the front cover is incontrast to the colour photoon the back cover, theformer involving a rescue in1967 and the latter one in2009. Equipment has clearlychanged, and yet (as theauthor points out), the act ofcarefully carrying a casualtydown the mountain tomedical assistance andsafety remains the same.
In essence, what PatrickHolland has accomplishedhere is to produce a detailedaccount of the work carriedout by the mountain rescueservices in Ireland since 1967and the challenges regularlyfaced by those voluntaryservices. The challengesdescribed are not only fromthe mountain environmentbut also those from withinthe organisation itself, whichinclude tribalism, lack offunding and resources,ineffectual administration at
Buy nowThis is the book werecommend mosthighly from our autumn 2019
reviews
of the media after an inquestinto the death on Mweelreaof a walker whose body wasnot found for four days, aftera thousand person hours ofvolunteer search time hadbeen expended, involvingseveral teams.
This book should be ofinterest to anyone who walksor climbs in the hills andmountains of Ireland. We allknow that the voluntary24/7/365 mountain rescueservices on the island ofIreland deserve the highestcommendation, but thisbook details what goes onbehind the scenes in thedelivery of those servicesand how much theindividuals named havecontributed despite thechallenges faced personallyand by the Mountain RescueTeams they belong to.
Pamela Harbison Hillwalker andmember of Tredagh Trekkers, ahillwalking club based inDrogheda, Co Louth
Literary EditorPeter O’Neillpresents reviews of some recentlypublished books.local level and interagency
strife between MountainRescue Ireland, An Óige andCivil Defence.
As a past chairperson ofthe South Eastern MountainRescue Association (SEMRA)and of Mountain RescueIreland, Pat is well placed towrite a book on the historyof call-outs in Ireland. Thereare only three chapters, andthe first two make veryinteresting reading as theydetail particular call-outsthat the Mountain RescueTeams have responded toover the years. These includemissing or overduehillwalkers, injured walkers
and climbers, missingpatients, plane crashes,people who were lost ordisorientated, suicides,medical emergencies and, inone case handled by NorthWest Mountain RescueTeam, when a cow had fallendown a gully! On anotheroccasion, the author himselfrequired assistance after afall.
Hillwalkers areaccustomed to meetingpeople on the hills who areless than adequatelydressed. Pat has met peoplewalking on ice wearingrunners, children in the hillswithout warm clothing, and
local knowledge. The dearthof resources is shocking bymodern standards. In 1985,Dublin Wicklow MountainRescue Team (DWMRT) hadno radio equipment. Teammembers were alerted by aknock on their door. WhenSEMRA was founded in thelate 1970s, they did not havea stretcher.
The problem of securingfunding is documented, asare other issues such asteams not taking up grants,and poor administration. In2013, Mayo Mountain Rescuereceived only €7,000 infunding from the State. Thiswas brought to the attention
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 63
Photographs: Kurt Diemberger Collection (Diemberger and Schelbert), Towiki60 (Slea Head)
Books
two people to have made thefirst ascents of two 8,000mpeaks.
Herman Buhl was the otherperson to make first ascentsof two 8,000m peaks, NangaParbat and Broad Peak, thelatter with Diemberger. Buhlwas descending in a storm
with Diemberger on Chogolisawhen he fell to his death froma cornice.
Vertebrate Publishing hasalso previously published inebook format The EndlessKnot: K2, Mountain of Dreamsand Destiny, Diemberger’saccount of the 1996 disaster
on K2, when his Britishclimbing partner Julie Tullisand fellow Brit Alan Rousedied with eleven others. Bothbooks are translations fromthe original German and areexcellent reads.
Patrick O’Sullivan Editor of theIrish Mountain Log
Personal account of a climber’s most memorable climbs
SUMMITS & SECRETSBy Kurt DiembergerVertebrate Publishing (2019), Kindleedition, 314pp, $4.15. This ebook isbased on the print edition,ISBN 978-1-91256-00-35
In March 2019, Summits andSecrets by Kurt Diembergerwas published in ebook formatby Vertebrate Publishing. Itwas first published in hardcopy in 1970 and is an accountof Diemberger’s earlier climbs,including his first ascents ofBroad Peak in 1957 andDhaulagiri in 1960. Thoseascents made him one of only
Autumn 201964 Irish Mountain Log
Kurt Diemberger, left, and Albin Schelbert on May 13th, 1960, on the summit of Dhaulagiri, Nepal,after the first ascent of this mountain.
This third edition of theRucksack Readers’ guide to theDingle Way has been fullyupdated. The user-friendlyformat has also been improvedon so that, apart from being inthe usual ringbinder andprinted on rainproof pages, it isslimmer to help it better fit intoa hiker’s pocket.
It also now has larger-scalemaps, clearly showing thecurrent route, which has beenaltered in several places sincethe last edition of this guide.
The authors are bothexperienced hikers andguidebook authors, and havemuch experience of walking onthe Dingle Way. They are veryenthusiastic about the Way,and seem to have a good
handle on the culture of theDingle Gaeltacht.
The Dingle Way is 183 kmlong and goes around theDingle peninsula, starting andfinishing in Tralee. It is usuallydivided into eight dailysections. Almost half of theroute is on roads and lanes,albeit quiet countrythoroughfares. Apart from thecountry lanes and roads, thereare also cliff-top paths andlong beach walks. Because ofthat, the sea and mountain
views from parts of the Waycan be very impressive.
The main part of the guidedescribes each of the eightsections of the Way in somedetail, illustrated by theappropriate parts of the mapat a scale of 1:55,000, makingthem very clear. Overall, thisguide is a very comprehensiveupdate to the previous editionand is very easy to use.
Patrick O’Sullivan Editor of theIrish Mountain Log
Comprehensive update to Dingle Way guidebook
DINGLE WAY (SLÍ CHORCA DHUIBHNE)By Sandra Bardwell &Jacquetta MegarryRucksack Readers (2019, 3rd edition),
72pp, 75 colour photos, 23pp of
contour route maps (1:55,000),
€15.99 (£12.99) (ppbk),
ISBN 978-1-898481-89-8
Slea Head, Co Kerry
Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature 2019
Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 65
The Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature continues to attract a substantial number of entries. There were thirty-twoentries this year from Great Britain, Canada, Italy, New Zealand and the USA. The award will be made at the Boardman Taskerevent at the Kendal Mountain Festival on Friday, November 15th, 2019. The judges for the 2019 award are Roger Hubank (Chair),Katie Ives and Tony Shaw. They have shortlisted six books, as follows:
No Easy Way, by Mick Fowler(Vertebrate Publishing)This is Fowler’s third volume of memoirsof his mountaineering exploits in theGreater Ranges. It is written in hisinimitable style, self-deprecating andunderstated. It was reviewed in IML 128.
Lands of Lost Borders, by Kate Harris(Dey Street Books)Harris’s book is an account of an epicjourney, fraught with difficulties anddangers, made by the writer and herpartner, following the old Silk Road.
Inner Ranges, by Geoff Powter(Rocky Mountain Books)Powter’s book is a wide-ranginganthology of essays and articles by aprize-winning Canadian climber andjournalist, reflecting his life-long affairwith the mountains.
The Equilibrium Line: Poems Inspired byClimbing, by David Wilson(The Poetry Business)This is an interesting second collection ofpoems examining the challenges ofclimbing in different settings and whereto draw the line. This book is reviewed inthis issue (see page 62).
Hangdog Days, by Jeff Smoot(Mountaineers Books)Smoot’s shortlisted book is anengaging account of the changesthat took place in American rockclimbing in the 1970s and 1980s, toldin an enthusiastic way.
Paul Preuss: Lord of the Abyss, by David Smart(Rocky Mountain Books)This book is an account of the life and deathof the influential Austrian climber Paul Preuss,who soloed many first ascents in the EasternAlps, scorning artificial aids in preference ofclimbing in an ethical Alpine style.
Banff Mountain Book Competition 2019The shortlist has also been announcedfor the various categories in the BanffMountain Book Competition. Thiscompetition, which is a major part ofthe Banff Centre Mountain Film & BookFestival in the Canadian Rockies at theend of October, celebrates mountainliterature in all its forms. It has eightcategories.
In the Mountain Literature category,Mick Fowler’s No Easy Way, published
by Vertebrate Publishing, has beenincluded in this year’s shortlist, togetherwith Hangdog Days by Jeff Smoot,published by Mountaineers Books, PaulPreuss: Lord of the Abyss, by DavidSmart, published by Rocky MountainBooks, and Inner Ranges by GeoffPowter, published by Rocky MountainBooks, which were all also included inthe Boardman Tasker Award shortlist. Inaddition, the judges for this prestigious
book prize have also shortlistedWaymaking, by Helen Mort, ClaireCarter, Heather Dawe and CamillaBarnard, an anthology of prose, poetryand artwork by women inspired by wildplaces and also published by VertebratePublishing (see our review in IML 128),and Rising, by Sharon Wood, which ispublished by Douglas & McIntyre.
The winner will be announced inOctober ■
Autumn 201966 Irish Mountain Log
Gerry WalkerWild camper, charity walker, club mentor
Gerry Walker sadly passedaway in March this year, aged57. He had cystic fibrosis andhad been in hospital for sometime. Gerry was a member andpast Chairperson of theWayfarers, and a member ofMountaineering Ireland. Hegrew up in Walkinstown, Dublin,and studied at DIT Kevin Streetand Trinity College, obtainingan honours degree in maths.
He joined the civil service inthe mid-1980s and worked inthe Central Statistics Office asa senior statistician withresponsibility for the nationalcensus. He is credited with re-designing the census form.
From an early age Gerrywould go fly-fishing, but healso had a passion forhillwalking and, after joining theWayfarers, realised that his maininterest lay in the mountains.
In 1987, Gerry met the love ofhis life, Margaret, a fellowWayfarer. They married in July1989 and would havecelebrated 30 years of a veryhappy marriage this year.
They initially lived inRathfarnham, Dublin, butmoved to Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow, to be close to themountains. Gerry loved theirextensive garden because itgave him space to indulge inhis other hobby, beekeeping.
On his first weekend awaywith the Wayfarers, in Kerry, weheard Gerry’s nebuliser buzzingaway in the morning. Then atbreakfast he produced acocktail of tablets for his cysticfibrosis. But he never wantedhis health problem to definehim… and it never did.
In his first year in the club, he climbed Monte Peridio(3,355m) in Spain. In Irelandover the years he took part inthe long-distance walks –Maumturks (15 times), GloverHighlander (20), Galtees (15),Blackstairs (30) – andparticipated in the last officialMcGillycuddy Reeks walk,
before it was cancelled forinsurance reasons.
Like Margaret, Gerry’s realpassion was backpacking andwild camping. He loved wildremote places. He was also anearly adopter of newtechnology, being one of thefirst with an altimeter watchand a GPS, and he acquired aselection of tents and campinggear, all chosen for theirtechnical advantages.
He enjoyed meeting peopleand loved mentoring new clubmembers. As a club stalwart,he organised many tripsabroad. He also travelledextensively with Margaret inEurope and North America andvisited China, New Zealand,Malaysia and Borneo.
Gerry was always settingnew records. He organised acharity walk in aid of cysticfibrosis in the mid-1990s,aiming to ascend all the IrishMunros in 48 hours: despitebad weather, that goal wasachieved.
Gerry received a double lungtransplant at the FreemanHospital in Newcastle, England,in 2008. To honour Martin, hisdonor, he took on anotherchallenge, 4Peaks4Life,climbing Carrauntoohil in June,then Snowdon, Ben Nevis andScafell Pike in five days in July.He reached the final summiton July 29th, 2009, exactly oneyear after his operation; it wasalso his and Margaret’s 20th
wedding anniversary.Gerry decided that the
Wayfarers should do a charitywalk in aid of the Irish MotorNeurone Disease Associationwhen a club member, PeterMcIntyre, was diagnosed withthe condition. He set us thetask of climbing 42 peaks inWicklow, in small groups, onDecember 4th, 2011, calling theevent his ‘Marilyn Munros.’ The€10,000 we raised waspresented to Peter and the IrishMotor Neurone DiseaseAssociation in January 2012.Sadly, Peter died soon after.
In 2013, Gerry set himselfanother challenge: to climb the50 highest peaks in Ireland. Hecompleted them in six months,climbing Mweelrea withMargaret.
Gerry always carried a camera,snapping shots of hikers andnature; he often won awards inclub photo competitions.
His environmental agendawas extensive – access, littering,the use of quad bikes, oranything else he saw as a threatto the uplands.
Gerry will be fondly missed bymany. He was helpful, full ofenthusiasm and good humourand committed to all thingsmountaineering. He may nothave climbed Everest but,considering his many healthchallenges, he probably climbedhis own Everest many times.
May he rest in peace.
Members of the Wayfarers
Gerry Walker: born 1962; diedMarch 22nd, 2019
The Last Word
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Autumn 2019 Irish Mountain Log 67
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