Hillwalkers Club September- October 2012 · 2012, starting at 8pm. There are further details in this edition of the Hillwalker. October long weekend Friday 26–Monday 29 October

The Hillwalker ● September-October 2012 1

September-

October 2012

http://www.hillwalkersclub.com/

In the Palace after the Blackstairs hike Photo: Warren Lawless

In this edition

Hike programme: September-October 2012 2 Important dates for your diary 4 Hillwalkers Club 2012 AGM 5 Past events, Mt Leinster hike 6 Slieve Foye and the Mourne mountains 8 Map and Compass Course, Programme 2012 9 October long-weekend trip, Connemara 10 Membership application form 11

Hillwalkers Club


HIKE PROGRAMME September-October 2012 MEET: Burgh Quay DEPART: Sundays at 10.00 am (unless stated otherwise) TRANSPORT: Private bus (unless stated otherwise) COST: €12.00 (unless stated otherwise) 2nd pick-up point: On the outward journey, the bus will stop briefly to collect walkers at the pick-up point. Should the bus be full on departure from Burgh Quay, this facility cannot be offered. Return drop-off point: On the return journey, where indicated, the bus will stop near the outward pick-up point to drop off any hikers. We regret this is not possible on all hikes. GENERAL HIKE NOTES PARTICIPATION Mountaineering is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants should be aware of and accept these risks. People who take part in our club activities do so at their own risk and are responsible for their own actions and involvement. CO-ORDINATION If necessary, tickets are given out on Sundays to ensure that participants reserve a bus place as they arrive. LEADER The leader has the right to refuse anyone who is not adequately equipped (e.g., without appropriate boots, rainwear, food, torch, hat, gloves, etc). The leader may alter the route from that described in the program. The leader sets the pace of the hike and walkers are expected to obey the leader’s instructions at all times. EQUIPMENT It is essential to bring good rain gear (both jacket and over-trousers) and to leave cotton t-shirts and jeans at home! Boots must be sturdy with proper ankle support and a rigid non-slip sole such as Vibram. WALKING STICKS AND RUCKSACKS Remember that walking sticks and rucksacks cannot be brought onto the bus and must be stowed away in the boot during the journey.

«« Introductory hard hike «« This hike is tailored for non-members who are considering joining the Hillwalkers Club. It offers the opportunity to sample a typical club hike, as well as meeting club members. Interested individuals should equip themselves appropriately for a day in the hills: adequate hiking boots, waterproof coat and leggings, hat, gloves, lunch and hot / cold drinks. In order to enjoy the hike, you need a good level of fitness. Membership forms will be available, should you wish to join the club on completion of the introductory hike. Enquiries: 086-356 3843. Please be advised that you should not undertake any club hiking activities: (i) if you have any known medical ailment which may impair your ability to participate in club activities, or (ii) if you are taking any form of medication that will put your health or safety of others at risk. Should you be in any doubt on these matters, a doctor should be consulted prior to undertaking any club hiking activity


Sunday 9 September 2012

**Introductory Hard Hike** Leader: Garry Byrne 2nd pick-up point & return drop-off point: Bus stop before the roundabout at Loughlinstown. Route: Shay Elliott * Coolalingo * Wicklow Way * Mullacor * Cullentragh * Cullentragh Little. Distance: 15 km Ascent: 550 m Maps: OS 56, Harvey, East and West Mapping Sunday 16 September 2012 Leader: Michael Sheils 2nd pick-up point (*different return*): Bus stop before the roundabout at Loughlinstown Route: Aughavannagh * Forest track * Lugnaquilla South Prison * Corrigasleggaun * Kelly's Lough * Forest track * Drumgoff Distance: 18 km Ascent: 710 m Maps: OS 56, OS 61, Harvey, East and West Mapping

Sunday 23 September 2012 Leader: Mark Campion 2nd pick-up point only (*different return*): Bus stop before the roundabout at Loughlinstown Route: Barravore * Fraughan Rock Glen * Benleagh * Cannow * Lugnaquilla *

Corrigasleggaun * Spot Height 683 * Clohernagh Brook * Drumgoff Crossroads Distance: 19 km Ascent: 860 m Maps: OS 56, Harvey, East and West Mapping

Sunday 30 September 2012 Leader: Mel O’Hara 2nd pick-up point & return drop-off point: Beside the pond in Sean Walsh Park on the Tallaght By-pass. Route: Knickeen Cross Roads S 982 948 * Stranahely Wood * StoneyRoad * Table Mountain * Camenabologue * SH712 * Cannow * Lugnaquilla * Slievemaan * Ballineddan * Ballinfoyle Cross Roads S 986 903 Distance: 17 km Ascent: 900 m Maps: OS 56, OS 62, Harvey, East and West Mapping

Sunday 07 October 2012

**Introductory Hard Hike** Leader: Frank Keoghan 2nd pick-up point & return drop off point: Bus stop before the roundabout at Loughlinstown Route: Wicklow Gap * Tonelagee * Brockagh Mountain * Lead Mines * Camenderry * Turlough Hill * St Kevins Way at the R765 Distance: 16 km Ascent: 850 m Maps: OS 56, OS 62, Harvey, East and West Mapping

Committee 2011/12 Chairman Dónal Finn Secretary/Project Support Bill Fine Treasurer Jim Barry Sunday Hikes Coordinator Frank Rooney Weekend Coordinator Vacant Training Officer Dónal Finn Membership Secretary Don Reilly Club Promoter Barbara Monahan Newsletter Editor Simon More Special thanks to: Webmaster Matt Geraghty


Important dates for your dairy …

AGM Friday 12 October 2012 The next Annual General Meeting of the Hillwalkers will be held in the Teachers Club on Friday 12 October 2012, starting at 8pm. There are further details in this edition of the Hillwalker. October long weekend Friday 26–Monday 29 October 2012 The club will be heading to Connemara for the long weekend in October (26-29 October 2012). We’ll be staying at the Alcock and Brown Hotel in Clifden, walking in the local area. Bookings now open! There are further details in this edition of the Hillwalker.

Christmas party Saturday 8–Sunday 9 December 2012

This year, for a change, we will be celebrating in the medieval coastal town of Carlingford in the Cooley peninsula.

• Hiking will be organised in the area. • Accommodation in the nearby Adventure Centre. • 3-course meal and a DJ ‘til late in The Four Seasons Hotel.

Full details in the next issue of The Hillwalker!

Club members interested in leading a hike, contact Frank Rooney: [email protected]

Please note that you can also follow the Hillwalkers Club on facebook www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hillwalkers-club/153861187966138http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hillwalkers-club/153861187966138

Our magazine archives go back to 1993, and our photo archives as far as November 2008, so why not refresh your memories by visiting

www.hillwalkersclub.com

Thanks to our webmaster Matt Geraghty, a

mobile phone friendly version of the hikes page is available at http://m.hillwalkersclub.com/


Hillwalkers Club 2012 AGM

8.00 pm, Friday Oct 12th, 2012 The Teachers Club,

36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1 The 2012 AGM of the Hillwalkers Club will be held at the Teachers Club, Parnell Square. The following agenda is proposed:

1. Welcome 2. Secretary’s Report 3. Treasurer’s Report 4. Sunday Hike Co-ordinator’s Report 5. Club Promotion Co-ordinator’s Report 6. Membership Secretary’s Report 7. Editor’s Report 8. Training Officer’s Report 9. Motions / Any other business 10. 2013 Committee - nominations and approval 11. Meeting Close

Committee 2013

Nominations are invited from members to serve on the Hillwalkers Committee for 2013. Anyone interested in helping is invited to contact Donal Finn (m: 087 205 1255 e: [email protected]) or any other committee member to discuss what is involved in being a committee member. Interested persons should complete the NOMINATION FORM below and return it to the club secretary by 28 September.

Nomination Form 2013 Committee

I nominate …………………………………………………………………………… to be a member of the committee

of the Hillwalkers Club for 2013.

Signed Proposer …………………………………………………………………

Signed Seconder …………………………………………………………………

I accept the nomination - Signed Nominee ……………………………………………

Please return the nomination form to William Fine, 57 Liberty Court, Blackpitts, Dublin 8.


PAST EVENTS

It was one of the best days in July. Twenty-two hikers ably led by Jim Barry headed south for Bunclody. An hour and a half later we were sipping coffee in the bar of the Halfway House. There was a nice blend of exotic nationalities: Tina & Maggie from Estonia, Joris

from Belgium, Lea from Slovenia, Ines from Madrid, as well as our own Søren from Denmark. Oh, also Cecelia from the Isle of Wight! Views were great, and pace was leisurely. Warren was earwigging on three conversations at once, trying to get some new material. After we got to the top of Black Rock Mountain, a lunch stop was declared near the turfcutters hut. A nice hatch of paragliders could now be seen circling around the masts on Mount Leinster. At 795m, this peak is the highest in Leinster outside Wicklow. We duly reached the top, and took turns to photograph Warren sitting on the trig pillar.

Later on, Jim proposed a gentler option for reaching the finish, which was availed of by some. The rest of us dutifully climbed Knockroe, and headed for home. In fact Jim's short cut took longer, and we were already changed into our dinner gear when the gentler option arrived at the bus. The conquest of the Lord Bagnell in Leighlinbridge was a bigger navigation challenge than Mount Leinster. There was a huge wedding reception in progresss, but in our colourful apres-hike gear, crashing it did not appear to be an option. After several attempt to penetrate

the defences, Jim found the back door into the pub/food area, and it was all plain sailing from there on (provided you stayed with the excellent salad counter: some didn't, but that's another story.) Getting back to Dublin was very efficient. We unloaded ourselves at Burgh Quay at about 8.45pm. A big thank-you to Jim for organizing everything, including the weather.

Text: Brian Madden



Photos: Pádraig Hanratty

Mystic Mourne Mountains (above); Still waters run very deep (right)

Not a one-horse town (Carlingford, from Slieve Foye) (left); When the sun says goodbye to the mountains (below)


MAP AND COMPASS COURSE PROGRAMME 2012

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Date: Tues 30th Oct 2012 Venue: 7.00 - 9.30 pm, Rm 102, An Óige Hostel, Mountjoy St., D7.

Topics: Mountain Skills I: Map, Scales, Legend, Grid References, Personal Equipment

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Date: Tues 13th Nov 2012 Venue: 7.00 - 9.30 pm, Rm 102, An Óige Hostel, Mountjoy St., D7.

Topics: Mountain Skills II: Contours, Features, Mountain Hazards.

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WEEKEND 1 - MOUNTAIN SKILLS 1

Dates: 17th/18th Nov 2012 Meet: Sat 17th, 09.45 am, Laragh, Wicklow.

Activity: Practical exercise in the Glendalough area, navigation by map only.

Optional Saturday overnight in the Glendalough area, not included in cost.

1. Map setting 2. Feature recognition

3. Self-location 4. Route choice

5. Distance estimation 6. Handrail features

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Date: Tues 4th Dec 2012 Venue: 7.00 - 9.30 pm, Rm 102, An Óige Hostel, Mountjoy St., D7.

Topics: Mountain Skills III: Distance, altitude, timing, Emergency procedures. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tues 11th Dec 2012 Venue: 7.00 - 9.30 pm, Rm 102, An Óige Hostel, Mountjoy St., D7.

Topics: Mountain Skills IV: Compass, bearings, route card.

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WEEKEND 2 MOUNTAIN SKILLS 2 & NIGHT NAVIGATION

Dates: 15th/16th Dec 2012 Meet: Sat 15th, 09.45 am Laragh, Wicklow.

Activity: Practical exercise in the Glendalough area, navigation by map & compass.

Optional Saturday overnight in the Glendalough area, not included in cost.

1. Revision of 1st weekend 2. Walking on a bearing

3. Back-bearing 4. Sight-bearing

5. Pacing 6. Steep ground work

NIGHT NAVIGATION - WICKLOW MOUNTAINS

Date: Saturday 15th Dec 2012

Saturday activities on Weekend 2 to continue until approx. 8 or 9 pm to include night navigation.

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COURSE TRAINERS

MARK CAMPION, DONAL FINN, JOE KELLEGHER, TOM KENNY & ITA O’HANLON

COST

€125 PER PERSON

PARTICIPANTS MUST BE A MEMBER OF AN OIGE OR THE HILLWALKERS CLUB.

BOOKING

CONTACT DONAL FINN BY EMAIL AS FOLLOWS: [email protected]


October Bank Holiday weekend 2012 Walking in Connemara

Friday 26-Monday 29 October Leaders: Simon More and Mel O’Hara There will be two organised walks each day, aimed to suit members of the Hillwalkers and fit hard-moderate walkers. A range of walks are planned: in Connemara, on Inishbofin and in the northern Maumturks. The relevant maps include OSI Discovery series 37 and 44, and Harvey Connemara. Hotel accommodation: Alcock and Brown Hotel, Clifden Cost: €250, payable in full at the time of booking, which includes twin-share hotel accommodation, meals and bus transport. The hard-moderate hike to Inishbofin will incur an additional €20 for the ferry, payable on the day. Bookings now open, with two payment methods available:

• Cheque payable to ‘Hillwalkers Club’, posted to the Club Treasurer, Jim Barry at 156 Comeragh Rd, Drimnagh, Dublin 12

• Electronic transfer to Hillwalker account at Bank of Ireland (sort code: 90 00 33; Account number: 13 28 90 18). You must include your full name and ‘October’ at the time of electronic transfer.

Bookings are not secure until payment in full has been made. Payment queries to Jim Barry ([email protected]). Meals: Breakfasts (Saturday, Sunday, Monday), lunches (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) and dinners (Saturday and Sunday) are included in the price Bring: Suitable walking boots, rain gear, walking gear, warm clothing, towels, toilet gear, flask, torch, first aid kit, camera, binoculars etc Meeting place/time: Luke St (off George’s Quay) at 1545h on Friday 26 October Return: Arriving back into Dublin at approximately 2000h on Monday 29 October


Membership Application Form The Hillwalkers Club 2012-2013

Name (Applicants must be over 18)

Address

Were you a member before? ¨ Yes, last year ¨ Yes, some time ago ¨ No

New members: How did you hear about the club? …………………………………………..……………………

An Óige Membership Number (Applicants must be a member of An Óige) [Further information at http://www.anoige.ie/membership]

Contact Telephone Numbers (optional)

Daytime ................................ Evening .................................. Mobile .................................................................

Email Address (required) ……………………………………………………………………....………………….…. The club issues a regular newsletter by email. The newsletter is also available through the Club webpage [www.hillwalkersclub.com].

Please read and sign the following PERSONAL DECLARATION

PERSONAL DECLARATION I am over 18 years of age and wish to apply for membership of the Hillwalkers Club. (*)

(*) Please note that personal accident insurance is only available to members between 18 and 75 years of age.

I accept that mountaineering is an activity with a danger of personal injury or even death.

I am aware of and shall accept these risks and wish to participate in these activities voluntarily and shall be responsible for my own actions and involvement.

I accept that the Hillwalkers Club establishes the bounds on its activities through the constitution and rules of the club [available at www.hillwalkersclub.com/constitution.htm] and I agree to abide by these.

Members should not undertake any club hiking activities if:

(i) they have any known medical ailment which may impair their ability to participate in club activities, or,

(ii) they are taking any form of medication that will put their health or safety of others at risk.

If a member is in any doubt on these matters, a doctor should be consulted prior to undertaking any club hiking activity. If you agree and accept the terms of the PERSONAL DECLARATION, please sign and date here.

Signature ............................……………………...................... Date .................……….......................

The 2012-2013 membership year runs from 01 October 2012 to 30 September 2013.

2012/2013 Membership Fee €35.00 Please send this form with the membership application fee (cheque or postal order only, payable to the Hillwalkers Club) to Don Reilly, Dunany, Santry, Dublin 9. Please allow two weeks for processing of the membership application.

NB: PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR APPLICATION BY REGISTERED POST!

Documents

Hillwalkers Club September- October 2012 · 2012, starting at 8pm. There are further details in this edition of the Hillwalker. October long weekend Friday 26–Monday 29 October