In the latest article on his teams training for the upcoming Oxfam Trailtrekker event, Stephen Wilson gives an account of his successful attempt at the mammoth Mourne Seven Sevens Challenge.
So, at 6am on Saturday the 7th August 2010, myself and team mates Darren Graham and Eve Young, set off to Donard Park once again to take on the Mourne Seven 7’s challenge as preparation for the Trailtrekker. Despite the lack of sleep, the bacon bap’s provided by Eve had us in high spirits on the journey, but there was a definite sense of trepidation, and possibly some fear in the air, as we considered what we were about to take on.
The challenge is so named because it involves getting to the summit of each of the 7 peaks in the mourne’s that are over 700m high. What they don’t tell you is that in order to do that within a decent time you will also need to get over at least 2 other peaks below 700m! The only rule is that all walkers must reach the checkpoint at Ben Crom Dam by 2:30pm, and the route you take is entirely your own choice. Darren and myself did some limited research on the best route to take and opted to start with Slieve Donard and go anti-clockwise around Ben Crom reservoir. Hiking 29km, the target times were 10 –12 hours and we hoped to do it in under 12.
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Matt Loughrey has taken on an amazing challenge. He has decided to climb Croagh Patrick on 365 consecutive days in order to raise money for families in need in the West of Ireland. Matt began the challenge on June 5th for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. On Sunday 12th September, Matt will be making his 100th climb of the iconic mountain. The ascent will start from the base of Croagh Patrick at 10am and Matt is looking for 100 other climbers to accompany him on that day. The …
The Achill August Hillwalking Festival will take place from the 28th to 30th August. The programme for the festival is as follows:
Saturday 28th August 2010:
Walk A: Walk to Annagh
Visit Achill’s most secluded beach and explore the secrets of its surrounding landscape. Enjoy the seclusion and tranquility surrounded by high corry walls. This walk will be fully guided and includes a visit to the Signal Tower.
Depart: Dooagh Beach Car Park at 9.30am sharp. (There will be a short briefing before departure.)
Duration: Full day (approx. 7 hrs)
Grade: This walk is moderate, with …
Athlete Hannah Shields, the first Northern Irish woman to scale Everest, is encouraging people to sign up for the NSPCC HACK – Hike Against Cruelty to Kids. The 23-mile hiking challenge takes place on Saturday 11 September 2010 in the Binevenagh Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Limavady.
Hannah, who does her training in Binevenagh as well as in the Mournes, said: “I’ve been encouraging people to sign up for the NSPCC HACK as it’s a great challenge for a really worthy cause in one …
Amanda Phelan of the Irish Independent takes the new activity scenic tour bus to County Wicklow. The trips which have options to walk, horseride or cycle in the Wicklow Hills are the brainchild of Terry Lambery of Hilltop Treks.
Barnados are to run a Full Moon Walk on Lugnaquillia on Saturday July 24th. These Full Moon Walks are an excellent opportunity to see beautiful landscape by the light of the moon, while raising much needed funds for the Barnardos Children Charity. Each person will need to raise just €175 to participate.
Where: Lugnaquillia 925m (Leinster’s Highest Mountain) Co. Wicklow. (Strenuous, 6hrs, 13Km).
Meeting at: Glenmalure Lodge @ 5:30pm.
Camping is available, please arrive earlier if you wish to camp approx …
In our first article looking at the Classic Walks in Ireland, Raymond Cummins gives an account of tackling the Blackstairs Challenge Walk, a walk which covers 26km over a total ascent of 1,525m. The walk took place on May 22nd in searing heat which gave the challenge an extra dimension.
Although a Corkman originally, The Blackstairs are the mountains I live closest to, and see them everyday when I drive home from Dublin. I never tire of seeing the beautiful silhouette. Last May after some 4 years I returned to Ireland with my wife Suzanne. During my time in Kent I did very little hiking. The Blackstairs Challenge was my first challenge walk in some 6 years. My first hike was some 16 years ago in a day of rain and hailstones in The Gap of Dunloe.
At 4.45am I got up and cooked breakfast, and made the final preparations, for the day. With my good friend Mark we headed off to the finish in Glynn, with concerns over the heat off the day, already on our minds. I am over 16 stone in weight, and was a bit concerned it might be a problem.
Are you up for a 10HD?
This new event which takes place on Saturday June 26th offers a mixture of cycling and hiking for lovers of the great West of Ireland Outdoors. Described as neither a race nor a competitive event, the 10HD will take place at a more leisurely pace.
The Ten Hour Day leaves Newport, Co. Mayo for a 90-minute cycle before a six-hour hike on part of the Bangor Trail. The hike will take in the summit of Nephin Beg Mountain (627 m), before another 90-minute cycle brings the group back to Newport.
So, are you up for 10HD – A Ten Hour Day?
Dates : Thursday June 10 to Sunday June 13.
The pretty villages of Cong and Clonbur, on the Mayo Galway border, stand on the narrow isthmus between the great western lakes of Corrib and Mask. Based just outside Cong, these three days of guided walking will introduce our small group to this interesting landscape, dominated by water. Lough Mask lies north of the villages, with Corrib to the south, while the land between is one of sinks and springs, with the famous Cong dry canal. Two days are graded easy, with …
Wicklows Mountain Rescue Teams were alerted by the Gardaí and asked to assist two Polish nationals who had become cragfast in the Kevins Bed area of Glendalough. The two men had managed to cross some particularly dangerous ground but eventually became stuck, unable to move any further and also unable to retreat from their predicament.
Members of the Dublin & Wicklow and Glen of Imaal Red Cross Mountain Rescue Teams used ropes to descend approximately 200 meters to the mens location from the ‘boardwalk’, a manmade pathway above the upper lake cliffs in Glendalough. The two men were assisted down to the lakeshore below and from here they were evacuated using the Wicklow Mountains National Park & Wildlife Service boat.
Both men were thankfully uninjured. The rescue teams ended the operation just after 10:30pm last night.
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The Yew Everywhere Extreme is a general-purpose base-layer made with a lightweight wicking fabric featuring flat-lock stitching as …
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