mountains of the east

Spring 2021 €3.95 UK£3.40 ISSN 0790 8008 Issue 137

Hiking the Great Leinster Chain from Dublin to Waterford

Solo traverse of five-mile ridge in Patagonia

Mountains of the East

Fitz Roy Massif

www.mountaineering.ie

HILLWALKING • CLIMBING • MOUNTAINEERING

Spring 2021

Contributions of features, news items and photographs forthe Irish Mountain Log are always welcome and should besent to the Editor at: [email protected].

Contributors’ guidelines can be downloaded from theMountaineering Ireland website, www.mountaineering.ie.

To join Mountaineering Ireland and receive four issues of theIrish Mountain Log delivered to your door each year, pleasealso go to the website, www.mountaineering.ie.

Write for the Log

ON THE COVERLooking south from Mount Brandon,Co Kerry, at sunrise

PHOTOGRAPHRICHARD CREAGH

ISSUE 137The 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] Editor: Nicky [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 Summer 2021 issue of the Irish Mountain Log is: Friday, May 14th 2021.

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.

WelcomeSadly, the Covid-19 pandemic is

still with us and keeping us offthe hills and crags. We still needto continue to take care andfollow the public health advice

about social distancing and avoidingcontact with other people (see currentadvice for hillwalkers and climbers, page 5).

This year is Mountaineering Ireland’sfiftieth anniversary. Given the year that’s init, it is difficult to organise any events atpresent to celebrate this significantanniversary. However, we should certainlymark it (see comment from our CEO, page9). In the Irish Mountain Log, we intend tomark this anniversary by publishing somerelevant features, reprints of old articles andsome new material, throughout the year.

The fifty years have seen a growth in oursport on this island. The organisation hasalso changed. From being a purelyvolunteer-run organisation, MountaineeringIreland now has a Chief Executive Officerand a professional staff team to service theneeds of its growing membership. However,Mountaineering Ireland is still governed byits members through a Board of Directors,elected from the membership.

Initially established as the Federation ofMountaineering Clubs in Ireland in 1971,Mountaineering Ireland is now therepresentative body for hillwalkers andclimbers on the island of Ireland. It isrecognised as the National Governing Bodyfor mountaineering, hillwalking, ramblingand climbing by both Sport Ireland andSport Northern Ireland.

Mountaineering Ireland sees its purposeas being to represent and supporthillwalking and climbing. Its vision is thathillwalkers and climbers will become moreskilled, self-reliant and informed, thataccess will be improved, and that ourmountain landscapes will be valued andprotected. It aims to inspire all who engagein hillwalking and climbing throughout theisland of Ireland, and encourage adventureand exploration in the mountains of theworld.

In this issue, given the lack of news, wehave again been able to publish morefeature articles about trips members haveundertaken prior to the pandemic or whenthe restrictions have been eased. There areseveral strong pieces. A call for articles bywomen resulted in several excellent piecesbeing received as well. We have publishedsome of those in this issue, which willhopefully improve the editorial balance inthe magazine.

Keep safe!

Patrick O’Sullivan, Editor

Mountaineering Ireland’sfiftieth anniversary will bemarked this year

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Irish Mountain Log 3

Spring 20214 Irish Mountain Log

44 Diversity in the outdoorsBy Neruja Srikantharajah

48 A Norwegian odysseyBy Peter Owens

52 Rock climbing changedmy lifeBy Anastasija Strizakova

Regulars29 Crossword Competition56 Members’ Support

Ruth Whelan reports

58 Access & ConservationHelen Lawless reports

60 TrainingJane Carney reports

62 BooksReviews of recent books

65 The Last Word– Hamish MacInnes– Peadar Ó Riordán

CONTENTS Spring 2021

FITZ ROY SOLO TRAVERSE

Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll completes traverse

Aidan Ennis on his Great Leinster Chain hike

7

MULTI-DAY LEINSTER HIKE24

News5 Covid-19 advice: be safe,

responsible and considerate6 Increase in call-outs in 2020

Ruth Cunniffe reports

7 Solo traverse of Fitz Roymassif completedPatrick O’Sullivan reports

8 Cork club celebrates 45th yearMargaret Kennedy reports

9 ‘Cork Mountaineering Club’A poem by Myra Heffernan

10 Doug Scott CBE: an appreciationBy Patrick O’Sullivan

12 Active Walkway resourcepack with Active School FlagLinda Sankey reports

13 Get Ireland Walking podcastLinda Sankey reports

14 Viewpoint:‘One from the Hills!’A proposal by Brendan Roche

15 Let’s all #CleanTheHillsBy Aisling Kennedy

15 ...and let’s start now!Mountaineering Ireland response

15 Crossword results16 National walking trails:

the beginningBy Seán Quinn

17 Winter success on K2Patrick O’Sullivan reports

19 Irish death on Mount KenyaPatrick O’Sullivan reports

19 ‘Hill Fever’A poem by Peadar Ó Riordán

News Features20 Sheep, sucklers and

saving livesBy Rodney Magowan

22 Artefacts underfootBy Matthew Seaver andGraeme Warren

Features24 Mountains of the East: hiking

the Great Leinster ChainBy Aidan Ennis

30 My Mourne Wall ChallengeBy Paul Maguire

36 Georgia’s Koruldi RidgeBy Fergal Hingerty

38 Orla Perć: Path of EaglesBy Justyna Gruszczyk

42 Starting rock climbingBy Audrey ElliottP

hoto

grap

hs: H

elen

Law

less

(hill

wal

king

in t

he R

eeks

), Se

an V

illan

ueva

O’D

risco

ll (s

elfie

), A

idan

Enn

is (s

elfie

)

Hillwalking in the Reeks inbetter times (see ‘Mindyourselves: some ways forhillwalkers and climbers tomind their physical andmental wellbeing,’ page 56)

Spring 2021 Irish Mountain Log 5

NewsdeskStaff & BoardGeneral [email protected]

StaffChief executive OfficerMurrough McDonagh,[email protected] OfficerSiobhán Quinn, [email protected] Development OfficerRuth Whelan, [email protected] & Conservation OfficerHelen Lawless, [email protected] OfficerJane Carney, [email protected] & Membership Support administratorLaura Griffin, [email protected] OfficerDamien O’Sullivan,[email protected]

Get irelanD WalkinG initiativeProgramme Manager, Get ireland WalkingJason King, [email protected] & administrative Officer,Get ireland WalkingLinda Sankey, [email protected]

MOuntaineerinG irelanD BOarD OffiCerSPresidentPaul [email protected] [email protected]

BOarD MeMBerSImelda Buckley(Chair of Finance, Audit & Risk Committee)[email protected] Pollard(Chair of Access & Conservation Committee)[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]áinne McLaughlin(Chair of Hillwalking Committee)[email protected] O’[email protected] Thomas(Chair of Climbing Committee)[email protected] [email protected] O’Callaghan(Chair of Mountain Training Board Ireland)[email protected]

Be safe, responsible, considerate

This advice from Mountaineering Ireland isfor all hillwalkers and climbers. It is basedon the current restrictions, in place inMarch. Our understanding is that, while therestrictions will be reviewed after Easter, itis unlikely that there will be any majorrelaxation in the restrictions for some timeafter that.

The purpose of this advice is to highlightthe additional considerations that weshould be aware of due to Covid-19. Itbuilds on the good practice which iscommonplace among responsiblehillwalkers and climbers: checking weatherforecasts, checking access arrangements,selecting routes that are appropriate forfitness, skill and experience, environmentalawareness, etc.

Since the arrival of Covid-19 on the islandof Ireland, many aspects of our lives havechanged. Together, we have adhered togovernment restrictions and public healthadvice. Thanks to this collective effort,progress has been made in the fightagainst Covid-19. We all still need to playour part in keeping it suppressed. Asrestrictions ease, our personal and socialresponsibility becomes ever moreimportant.

Everyone should continue to be awareof the risk factors for getting Covid-19:

● Distance The risk of getting Covid-19increases as the distance betweenyou and others gets smaller. Keep twometres apart, where possible.

● Activity How you spend time withpeople, and what you do with them,can increase your risk. Follow thegovernment’s Stay Safe guidelineswhen spending time with others.

● Time The more time you spend inclose contact with other people, thegreater your risk of getting Covid-19.Keep track of who you spend timewith, and how.

● Symptoms Know the symptoms. Ifyou have any of them, self-isolate andcontact your GP immediately.

Landowners, rural communitiesWhen we are able to return to the hillsand crags, be mindful and respectful ofthe landowners and local communities inthe places where you walk and climb.People living in rural areas may benervous to see groups of people in theirareas. Consider, too, that upland areashave a higher proportion of olderresidents.

Keep group sizes small, parkresponsibly and, if possible, away fromresidences, and plan your route to avoidpassing close to homes or throughfarmyards.

➠ For current and more detailed advice,see www.mountaineering.ie/covid19 ■

Our latest Covid-19 advice for hillwalkers and climbers in Ireland

Summary of current restrictions

Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland

Travel Avoid all unnecessary travel.Exercise within 10 miles of home

Avoid all unnecessary travel.Exercise within 5km of home

Hillwalking, rock-climbing Only individual or householdpermitted (within 10 miles of home)

Only individual or householdpermitted (within 5km of home)

Club activity outdoors No No

Climbing walls Closed Closed

The year 2020 wasan incredibly tryingyear for everyone,and was also aparticularly

challenging year for membersof the eleven mountainrescue teams on the island ofIreland.

On top of the new infectioncontrol protocols that teamshave had to adopt, and theresulting reduced numbers ofteam members able toattend call-outs, there wasalso an overall increase in thenumber of call-outsresponded to by the teams in2020, compared to theprevious year.

When you look at theannual statistics formountain rescue call-outs,you can see that the numberof call-outs actuallyincreased slightly between2019 and 2020 (see table). In2019, there were 330incidents over the twelve-

month period, whereas therewere 345 in 2020, an almost5% increase, with quarterlyfigures varying in relation tothe season and the level ofrestrictions in place acrossthe country.

During the week or soleading up to the cold snapthat was seen earlier this yearacross the country, somemountain rescue teams wereput under enormous pressureby the number of call-outsthat occurred. Some of thesecall-outs were absolutelyneedless, with people puttingthemselves (along with thevoluntary mountain rescuepersonnel) in unnecessarydanger. Heading out for a hikein bad weather, or going ill-equipped and untrained forsome of the conditions likelyto be encountered, is not awise decision to make at anytime, but particularly duringthe ongoing Covid-19pandemic.

Mountaineering Ireland, asthe representative body forhillwalkers and climbers, hasexpressed its concern aboutthe increased number of call-outs. They are encouraging allhillwalkers and climbers toadhere to the Covid-19restrictions in place. When

hillwalking and climbing arepermitted, they are advisingthat people ask themselvesthe three Adventure Smartquestions before venturingout:

Q1 Do I have the right gear?

Q2 Do I know what the weather will be like?

Q3 Am I confident I have the knowledge and skills for the day?

It is particularly important totry to avoid having to call outthe mountain rescue teams atthis time.

The primary advice fromMountain Rescue Ireland isalso to adhere to allgovernment guidelines and toalways ask yourself the threequestions above each timeyou are thinking aboutheading out into the hills ■

Increase in call-outs in 2020A year-end report from Ruth Cunniffe, Public Relations Officer for Mountain Rescue Ireland

Pho

togr

aph

& in

fogr

aphi

c: M

ount

ain

Res

cue

Irela

nd

All eleven teams on the island of Ireland are represented in these numbers

2019 2020

Quarter 1 75 61

Quarter 2 95 57

Quarter 3 103 137

Quarter 4 57 90

Total 330 345


NEWSL0G


Solo traverse of Fitz Roy massif completed

Phot

os: T

odor

Boz

hino

v (F

itz R

oy m

assi

f), R

olo

Gar

ibot

ti/@

pata

goni

aver

tical

(top

o), S

ean

Vill

anue

va O

’Dris

coll

(sel

f por

trai

t)

By Patrick O’Sullivan

In February of this year, Irish-Belgian climber Sean Villanueva O’Driscollcompleted a solo six-daytraverse of the Fitz Roy massifin Patagonia. The five-kilometre traverse involvedaround 4,000m of ascent.From February 5th to 10th, Seanfollowed the ridge south tonorth, summiting ten peaks inthe massif, including CerroFitz Roy (3,359m). This was the first time that this traversewas completed by a soloclimber.

The ridge was firsttraversed in February 2014 byTommy Caldwell and AlexHonnold, who went north tosouth. They named theirroute the Fitz Traverse.Sections of the route rangedin difficulty up to 6c (5.11d).

Sean’s solo climb was thesecond traverse of the ridge,albeit in the reverse direction.He named his climb theMoonwalk Traverse.

Sean started climbing atthe age of 13 in Belgium,

where he is mainly based. He started sport climbing,but soon moved on toclimbing trad routes. Clearlyvery talented, he has gone onto make first ascents of bigwalls in some very remotelocations around the world,including Patagonia, Pakistan,Baffin Island and Greenland.Since his childhood, he hasbeen making twice-yearlytrips to Ireland and, amongstother venues here, hasclimbed at Fair Head, CountyAntrim.

Sean Villanueva O’Driscollreceived a Piolet d’Or in 2010for an expedition he made toGreenland, together with hisclimbing partners, NicolasFavresse, Oliver Favresse and

Ben Ditto. The team put upnine new big wall routesthere, most of which startedfrom a sailboat named Dodo’sDelight. In 2014, they returnedto Greenland on the sameboat and put up another tennew routes.

Since early last year, Seanhas been living in El Chaltén,a mountain village inPatagonia, Argentina, wherehe was trapped by the Covid-19 lockdown. He says he could have beenrepatriated, but it wasn’t abad place to be through theworst of the pandemic inEurope: it was “like being in agiant playground!”

Sean had been thinkingabout doing the traverse in

reverse for some time,because it would be moreadventurous and it hadn’tbeen done before in thatdirection. He carried a largepack with ten days’ suppliesand climbing and campingequipment, plus his faithfultin whistle. He rope-soloed all of the climbing, and he free-soloed some of thescrambling, as the pack wastoo heavy to climb with.

In his traverse, he climbedthe seven main peaks on theridge, and three of the smallerpeaks, in six days.

Completing this traversesolo confirms Sean VillanuevaO’Driscoll’s place among theélite of top world-classclimbers ■

Cerro Fitz Roy (3,359m) and the Fitz Roy massif, Patagonia

CLUBS

CORK CLUB CELEBRATES 45th YEAR

Pho

togr

aphs

: Hea

ther

Joh

nson

(Bla

ckro

ck P

assa

ge G

reen

way

), Ei

leen

Buc

kley

(The

Pap

s), J

ill O

’Lea

ry (T

he G

eara

gh)

Cork Mountaineering Club celebrated its 45th anniversary last November by walkinglocally. The club’s President, Margaret Kennedy, reports

The Blackrock Passage West Greenway: it extends from Blackrock Castle to Passage West in Cork city

These anniversariesseem to be comingaround ever faster!November 6th, 2020,was the 45th

anniversary of the inaugurationof Cork Mountaineering Club.The club is still on the go, witheighty-two members and a fewpeople continuing with unbrokenannual membership to this day.

Alas, courtesy of Covid-19, forthe past year or so we havemostly been a hillwalking clubwith no hills to go to. A plan tohave a repeat of the club’s firstofficial walk on the

Knockmealdowns on theanniversary had to beabandoned.

However, the club’scommittee was still keen tomark this milestone. Workingwithin the Covid-19 restrictionsat that time, members wereinvited to do a minimum of a 45-minute walk on November 6th

and to send a few details on theroute to the club secretary. Allrespondents were entered into a draw for a copy ofMountaineering Ireland’srecently published book, Irish Peaks.

Distant view of the Paps, Co Kerry The Gearagh, Co Cork


Mallow, on the beaches ofGarryvoe, and in Inchydoney.

To the west, we heard ofwalks in Kilmurray Woods andon Sleaveen Hill, known locallyas the Turret, near Macroom,overlooking the Gearagh.

One member walked‘The Token Fire’ under thePaps, while others enjoyedTracton Woods nearCarrigaline, and a stroll aroundCobh.

We learned a bit of historyfrom around Mallow, home ofa white deer herd in one of itsthree castles, and from

Blarney, now a suburb of Corkcity, news of recently addedamenities.

The richness, variety anddiversity of routes not onlyreflected members’enthusiasm but left us lookingforward, when permitted, tothe prospect of evening walksguided by our many well-informed members.

Perhaps the poem above,penned by my friend andfellow club member MyraHeffernan, sums up that day,like so many others lastNovember ■P

hoto

grap

h: M

iriam

Roh

an (R

iver

Mar

tin

Trai

l)

Cork Mountaineering ClubToday our club is forty-five years old,Keeping restrictions, far hikes are on hold.So I stay close to home, as I head out for my walk,I miss all my friends and especially the talk.

Out I go, it’s a quarter to nine,fingers crossed, weather stays fine.Two cyclists I see on their morning spin,My neighbour outside, taking in his bin.

I keep near the hedge as the cars drive past,I wish to God they wouldn’t go so fast.The fields each side are lovely to see,A stream flows through one on its way to the Lee.

Leaves on the trees, all different shades,green, brown, orange and red.Two magpies I see, high up on a shed,Cows out grazing, and also some sheep;Nice and content, they don’t make a bleep.

I approach a house, I know a dog lives inside,I quicken my pace, my fear I can’t hide.Oops, out he comes, barking like mad,The gate is locked, I am so glad.

A postman pulls up, some parcels he drops,shopping online, people missing the shops.I turn round the bend, another car speeds past,I pray to myself the Covid won’t last,For I miss the mountains, the company, chats,Happy anniversary to my club now!Please raise your hats!

Myra Heffernan

Forty-seven members tookup the challenge andenthusiastically clocked up anoverall total of 240 kilometresbetween them. Reportsflooded in of walks by castles,bridges, ponds, rivers, lakes,estuaries, beaches, greenways,parks, woodlands, Cork

Harbour and the university.The army firing range inKilworth even got a mention.

Popular routes in Cork cityincluded Tramore River Valley,the Lough, the Marina and theAtlantic Pond. Further afield,walks were completed alongthe River Blackwater in


Our 50th anniversaryMountaineering Ireland marks its 50th year

In 1971, the Federation of Mountaineering Clubs of Ireland wasestablished with seven member clubs. Today’sMountaineering Ireland has grown from those humblefoundations and is now the representative body for hillwalkersand climbers on the island of Ireland. It has developed andbroadened its reach and support to all those involved in, orlooking to get involved in, hillwalking, climbing andmountaineering activities. Indeed, prior to the Covid-19restrictions, its membership was increasing annually and, bythe end of the 2019/2020 season, it had risen to 14,000-plusmembers, with a total of 191 member clubs.

The year 2021 sees the celebration of MountaineeringIreland’s 50th anniversary and, although it is not possible tocelebrate with all our members in person on the hills and cragsas we would like, we still feel that this major milestonedeserves to be marked in some way. For now, we plan tocelebrate virtually and share some of the wonderful history,including some of the achievements of Mountaineering Irelandand its members over the years, through video(s) to be airedon our social media platforms in the coming months. Please note: if you have any old photographs, video footageor other interesting materials related to MountaineeringIreland’s history which you would like to share with us, pleaseemail us at: [email protected].

It is hoped that, as the year progresses and restrictions ease,we will be able to hold events around the island of Ireland, withour members, to help celebrate and mark this special occasiontogether.

In the meantime, keep safe and best wishes,

Murrough McDonaghChief Executive Officer

Spring 2021

River Martin Trail, Blarney

AN APPRECIATION

DOUG SCOTT CBE

Pho

togr

aphs

: Chr

is B

onin

gton

(Sco

tt d

urin

g Ev

eres

t cl

imb,

197

5), D

ouga

l Has

ton

(Sco

tt o

n Ev

eres

t su

mm

it)


An outstanding British mountaineer and pioneer of big-wall climbing

Doug Scott, anoutstanding Britishmountaineer, died inDecember 2020, havingbeen diagnosed with aninoperable brain tumour

earlier in the year. He was aged 79.Scott’s impressive list of pioneering

first ascents in the Greater Rangesincluded the first ascent of the south-west face of Mount Everestwith Dougal Haston in 1975.

All told, he took part in forty-fiveexpeditions and made thirty firstascents. Among the many awards givento him, Doug received the third lifetimeaward of the Piolet d’Or in 2011, following in the footsteps of two other

While initially known as an aid climberon British rock, in the Dolomites and onthe Troll Wall, as he became moreexperienced in the Greater Ranges, DougScott became a committed advocate forfree climbing and an alpine-styleapproach to big climbs. He felt that theway you climbed was more importantthan your success on a route.

His many first ascents included thefirst European ascent in 1970 of theSalathé Wall on El Capitan, in Yosemite,

mountaineering luminaries, WalterBonatti and Reinhold Messner.

Douglas (‘Doug’) Keith Scott was bornin Nottingham, England, in 1941 and waseducated there. As a child, he wasencouraged to explore the surroundingcountryside, particularly the PeakDistrict, by his father, an enthusiasticamateur sportsman. He saw people rockclimbing in Derbyshire while on a hikingtrip there with the Scouts, and thatstarted a lifelong passion.

He attended Loughborough Teachers'Training College for two years and thentaught geography, history and PE for tenyears, at the same secondary modernschool in Nottingham that he hadattended. He was married three timesand had five children. Scott ended upliving in the Lake District, where hepassed away in December.

with Peter Habeler; the first ascent ofChangabang (6,864m) in the GarhwalHimalaya, with Chris Bonington andDougal Haston in 1974; the first ascentof the south-west face of Everest withHaston in 1975, when they famouslysurvived a bivouac in the open, 100mbelow the then 8,848m summit (nowofficially 8,848.86m); and the firstascent of the south face of Denali,also with Haston, in 1976.

In 1977, Scott joined Bonington againon The Ogre (Baintha Brakk, 7,285m) inthe Karakoram, where he broke bothankles in an abseiling accident on thedescent from the summit and had tocrawl off the mountain on his knees,assisted by his fellow mountaineers, in an epic descent that highlightedScott’s determination to survive,whatever the odds.

In 1979, with Peter Boardman andJoe Tasker, Scott made the third ascentof Kanchenjunga (8,586m), the firstwithout supplementary oxygen and thefirst via a new route on the north ridge.He subsequently climbed the northface of Nuptse (7,861m) in Nepal andShivling (6,543m) in India with GeorgesBettembourg and various otherclimbers.

In 1982, Scott made an alpine-stylefirst ascent of the south-west face ofShishapangma (8,027m) via the right-hand couloir, with Alex MacIntyreand Roger Baxter-Jones, in what wasthe sixth successful ascent of thatmountain.

Following his success on El Capitan’sSalathé Wall, Scott pioneered big-wallclimbing with his ascents of MountAsgard (2,015m) on Baffin Island,Canada; Mount Kenya (5,199m) inKenya; and The Ogre (7,285m) andShivling (6,543m) in the Karakorum.

Doug Scott wrote several very popularmountaineering books, including BigWall Climbing; The ShishapangmaExpedition (with Alex MacIntyre), whichwon the 1984 Boardman Tasker Award;Himalayan Climber: A Lifetime’s Quest tothe World’s Greater Ranges; Up andDoug Scott during Everest climb in 1975

Doug Scott on summit of Everest in 1975


Pho

togr

aphs

: Dou

g Sc

ott

(Dou

glas

Has

ton

on H

illar

y St

ep),

Com

mun

ity

Act

ion

Nep

al (s

choo

l ope

ning

)

About: The Hard Road to Everest, the firstpart of his biography; and The Ogre.He also contributed to several otherexpedition books and was an excellentmountain photographer.

Scott was President of the Alpine Clubfrom 1999 to 2001, where he promotedethical mountaineering, and he wasmade a CBE in 1994. He was also patronof the British Mountaineering Counciluntil the time of his death.

Scott received many other awards andaccolades during his lifetime, includingthe John Muir Trust LifetimeAchievement Award for hismountaineering achievements and hiscommitment to conservation andsupporting mountain peoples. Asmentioned above, he also received thePiolet D’Or Lifetime Achievement Awardin Chamonix in 2011.

Last year, Scott received a prestigiousHonorary Membership of the

International Climbing andMountaineering Foundation (UIAA).He was also made a Freeman of the Cityof Nottingham in 1976, and receivedmany honorary degrees in the UK.

Doug Scott’s life appears to have beena voyage of self-discovery, from his initialdiscovery that he was a good climber, to his later realisation of his abilities inbig-wall climbing and high-altitudemountaineering, and his focus on ethicalmountaineering and ‘pure’ alpine-styleascents. It was also a spiritual journey forhim, as his interest in Buddhism grew.

He became involved in supportingmountain communities in Nepal throughCommunity Action Nepal (CAN), thecharity he established in 1989. In his lateryears, he focused very much on raisingfunds for that charity, and devoted muchof his time to working for it and visitingits projects in Nepal.

Whenever he gave a talk, Scott insisted

on having time to sell various items,such as his own posters as well asartefacts produced in Nepal, in supportof that charity.

Over the years, Scott visited Irelandseveral times. The talks he gave werealways interesting and impressive, withgreat supporting images, but in lateryears his focus in the intermission andafterwards was always on hisfundraising for Community ActionNepal. One of his last fundraisinginitiatives in the lockdown was asponsored stair climb in support ofCommunity Action Nepal.

“Doug was an amazing person andhad an absolutely amazing life,” saidChris Bonington. “He has given so muchto so many people.”

May he rest in peace.

Doug Scott: born May 29th, 1941; diedDecember 7th, 2020 ■

Dougal Haston on the Hillary Step. This classic image among Everest fans is part of Scott’sexquisite back-catalogue of mountain imagery.

Doug Scott pictured with Chris Bonington, with whom hefrequently climbed.

Doug Scott and his last wife, on behalf of their charity CAN, officially open a school in Nepal.

An ailing Doug Scott takes part in the stair-climbingEverest Challenge 2020 in the same outfit he woreon Everest in 1975 (see photo opposite).


Active Walkway resource pack with Active School Flag

Imag

e: G

et Ir

elan

d W

alki

ng

By Linda Sankey, Get Ireland Walking

Since 2017, Get Ireland Walking has partnered with Active SchoolFlag to encourage and support the physical educationprogramme in schools and promote active learning across awide variety of subject areas.

Research shows that all children and young people need sixtyminutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.In Ireland, 83% of primary school pupils do not meet thesephysical activity guidelines, and 90% of post-primary pupils donot meet the physical activity guidelines either.

Sitting time adds up – sitting eating, sitting doing homework,sitting using the computer, sitting during school, sitting whilewatching TV or gaming … the list goes on.

The good news is that physically active children have moreactive brains!

Sitting Less + Moving More = Learning BetterAfter twenty minutes of physical activity, students tested

better in reading, spelling and maths and were more likely to readabove their grade level.

The Walkway resource pack was developed for schools to usewhile working towards the Active School Flag. The resource packprovides everything that schools need to mark out awalking/running route around the perimeter of the schoolgrounds. The Walkway can be used to energise the school day,support physical education and promote active learning.

It can also be used to generate extra active minutes foreveryone throughout the school day! Students can beencouraged to walk the Walkway with their friends before schoolstarts. Take active break times – walking doesn’t require a change

NEWSL0G

of clothes or footwear, so it’s an ideal lunchtime activity for bothstaff and students. Research suggests there are many benefitsto walking meetings. Teachers can bring meetings outdoors onthe Walkway route. The Walkway can be used to support theoutdoor and adventure strand (orienteering, walking activities,team challenges) and to help develop children’s fundamentalmovement skills.

The Walkway is an environmental cue for inquiry, questioningand the solving of problems during teaching, learning andassessment activities. It facilitates learning activities thatsupport the teacher’s role as a leader and a facilitator of subjectlearning through the medium of physical activity.

In primary schools, key teaching approaches such as play-based learning, inquiry-based learning and cooperative learningare all interlinked and are essential to ensuring our childrendevelop important life skills and competencies.

The Walkway pack includes an Ideas booklet, which has lots ofdifferent ideas about how the Walkway route can be used topromote cross-curricular learning.

Schools across Ireland have adapted the Walkway to suit theirenvironment, Boston National School in County Clare uses thebeautiful dry-stone walls there, while Coláiste Bríde in Clondalkin,Co Dublin, has inspiration quotes on their Walkway. SS Michaeland Peter Junior School in Arklow, Co Wicklow, has an Active FairyRoute on its walkway. Why not see if your children’s school isworking towards the Active School Flag?

➲ Find out more at:www.getirelandwalking.ie/walkingprogrammes/schoolsand www.activeschoolflag.ie ■


Imag

e: G

et Ir

elan

d W

alki

ng

AUTHOR: Linda Sankey is CommunicationsOfficer with Get Ireland Walking. Get IrelandWalking is an initiative of Sport Ireland,supported by Healthy Ireland and hostedand delivered by Mountaineering Ireland.FIND OUT MORE: To find out more about GetIreland Walking, visit the websitewww.getirelandwalking.ie, contact us on (01) 625 1109 or email Linda Sankey [email protected].

Get Ireland Walking’s vision of a vibrant culture of walkingthroughout Ireland, and our mission to empower peopleto choose to walk more often for recreation, transportand health as part of their everyday life, informseverything we do as an organisation.

With that in mind, we are thrilled to announce that wehave launched our first podcast series!

The podcast will shine a light on the many individuals inIreland who live, work and play in the walking space. Thepodcast is presented by Get Ireland Walking’scommunications officer, Linda Sankey, and researcherDylan Power.

We will chat with walking researchers; people whodeliver walking programmes and events; policy-makers;and – most importantly, – we’ll talk to real walkers to helpshine a light on some of their amazing programmes andthe groups that walk every day in Ireland.

➲ You can find out more at:www.getirelandwalking.ie/podcast

➲ If you have a story that you think might make apodcast, contact us [email protected].

➲ Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcast or wherever youlisten to your podcasts ■

Get Ireland Walking podcast


Pho

togr

aph:

Bre

ndan

Roc

he


I imagine that we all get a buzz fromhiking in the hills, be it from overcominga challenge, reaching a summit, seeing astunning view or simply experiencingcompanionship with our fellow hikers.We particularly get great pleasure fromour interaction with the beauty of ourstunning mountains. However,occasionally, when we encounter litteron our hikes, we may experience theopposite – anger and bewilderment atsuch outrageous behaviour by our fellowhuman beings. There is no doubt aboutit: beauty dies where litter lies!

Experienced hikers know to leavenothing but footprints behind.Unfortunately, some others are thecomplete opposite in this respect andleave all sorts of rubbish. For everyproblem, there are many solutions, but Iwould like to suggest one simplesolution to reducing the growingproblem of litter on our hills: we shouldsimply promote the practice that, whenwe are out on the hills, we bring backhome just one item of litter for recycling.This ‘power of one’ will work to reduce,and eventually eliminate, this nationaltravesty.

Consider the numbers involved andthe possible mathematics. I go outhillwalking perhaps forty-plus times ayear, so I would bring homeapproximately forty-plus pieces of litterfor recycling. Now, multiply this by thetens of thousands of regular hillwalkersthat there are and it becomes tons and

tons of rubbish being recycled.The good example of removing one

recyclable item from the ground eachtime we go hiking would also highlightthe problem to others with or near us atthe time. With support and publicity,the most likely outcome from thiscampaign would be that there wouldbe little or no litter left on our awesomehills and mountains.

It is important to note that thisinitiative potentially only works if youconfine your efforts to just removingone item on each visit to the hills. Whyso? Removing a greater number ofpieces of rubbish on each visit wouldspoil the hikes for you and ultimatelylead to disillusionment andabandonment of the practice. So, stickto one item. It is simple and it will work.Try it.

National Spring Clean Week is thetime for a club or individuals to perhapsorganise a clean-up on a bigger stage,where there is a more serious problem.So, go on! Adopt this simple practiceand promote it, so that we will have thecleanest, as well as the most beautiful,hills in the world!

It is so simple to remove one can orpiece of plastic or a glass bottle oneach hike. We have shown the worldhow to do it with plastic shopping bagsand, surely, we can do the same simplywith the litter on our beloved hills? It’s awinner, so let’s do it!

We have Tidy Towns, so why not TidyMountains? What a novel and simpleway to contribute towards putting abad year behind us, and a wonderfuland enchanting environmenthenceforth before us.

Do it. Think and do. “One from theHills!”

Hillwalker Brendan Roche is the foundingChairperson of Setanta Mountain GoatsHillwalking Club. He is also founder andmember of Blackrock Tidy Towns, Co Louth,winner of Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town in 2019 ■

‘One from the Hills!’Brendan Roche has this great proposal: “Let’s remove one piece oflitter from the ground every time we go hiking.” He explains why

VIEWPOINT

Let’s all #CleanTheHills

Pho

togr

aph:

Cha

rlie

Per

kins

Let’s take responsibility for the hills and crags where we recreate, writes Aisling Kennedy

It was raining – a lot. We walked backdown to Ticknock car park after beingup at the top of Three Rock in the DublinMountains. Then we saw it, a wetchocolate bar wrapper lying on theground. We all considered pocketing it,but none of us picked it up.

We all know that plastic does not everfully decompose. It just breaks downinto smaller and smaller pieces. There isstrong evidence to suggest that thesetiny pieces of plastic do get eaten and

make their way into the food chain. Oneof us should have picked up thatchocolate wrapper!

There is a Clean Coasts initiative, the#2MinuteBeachClean. Imagine if everysingle person collected rubbish for twominutes each time they visited thebeach. Imagine if every person whowent out hillwalking or climbing pickedup some rubbish while they were out! It could be a #CleanTheHills!

Of course, it is not possible for all

kinds of rubbish on the hills to becleared up by hikers. Larger items suchas dumped mattresses will not fit inyour jacket pocket! However, the countycouncils provide telephone numbersand email addresses to report theselarger pieces of rubbish.

We are the people who benefit mostfrom these beautiful areas. If we want tokeep them pristine, then we need totake responsibility for what other peopleleave behind ■

NEWSL0G

...and let’s start now!Aisling Kennedy’s challenge to hillwalkers and climbersaligns really well with Brendan Roche’s ‘One from the Hills’proposal that, when we are on the hills, we should all bringhome just one item of litter for recycling – see Viewpoint,opposite page.

Mountaineering Ireland has decided to promote the One from the Hills initiative. Start now by carrying a smallbag with you on your next outing, to take home one item,such as a drinks can or that wet chocolate bar wrapperthat we all try to ignore.

Always keep safe – put your hand into the bag and usethat to pick up the litter, thus avoiding direct contact withthe item.

If you come across bags of rubbish or other illegaldumping, report it to the local council, or theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1850 365 121(Republic of Ireland), or the Environmental Crime Unit(Northern Ireland), 028 9056 9453. You can also downloadthe EPA’s ‘See it? Say it!’ app and use that to reportdumping, littering or other pollution.

Crossword results

1 2 3 4 5

6 7

8 9 10 11

12 13

14 15 16 17

18 19

20 21

G

L

E

N

C

O

A

G

H

A

N

A

N

A

N

N

E

O

L

E

G

B

E

D

I

N

G

O

E

L

L

E

K

S

H

I

R

E

S

P

A

T

S

S

Y

E

W

M

M

C

A

H

E

R

C

L

E

A

R

R

H

R

R

A

A

R

E

T

E

R

E

I

O

D

C

E

U

S

A

C

I

K

I

L

I

M

A

N

J

A

R

O

The winner of our crossword in IML 136 was Maitiú Ó Coimín, of Trá anBhaile Bhoicht, Ballybough, Dublin 3, who won a set of men’s IcebreakerOasis Crewe baselayers (top and leggings), a prize worth €169.90, fromour crossword sponsor, Basecamp. The solution to the crossword isshown below. Mountaineering Ireland will contact the winner to arrangecollection of his prize.

Icebreaker Men’s 200 OasisLong Sleeve Crewe Top

plus Men’s Icebreaker Oasis Leggings


National walking trails: the beginning

Pho

togr

aphs

: Sea

n Q

uinn

Col

lect

ion

(old

new

spap

er im

ages

), P

atric

k O

’Sul

livan

(Mar

lay

Par

k)

A walk in the English Peak District in 1964 inspired the creation of Ireland’s first waymarked way

to address a large outdoorrally of British ramblers. Italked about the need forwalking trails in these islandsand the benefits and joys ofour shared recreationalactivity.

At that time, access to ourcountryside in Ireland wasbecoming a problem forwalkers here. With one of our

members, JB Malone, the IrishRamblers’ Club decided toexplore developing a long-distance way, focusing primarilyon County Wicklow, our mainrambling area. The first sectionwas established in 1980 and theproject was successfullycompleted in 1982, resulting inthe establishment of the nowvery popular and muchappreciated Wicklow Way, thefirst such waymarked trail inIreland. There are now forty-fournational waymarked trails in

the Republic, totalling over4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles)in length – see irishtrails.ie.These include many popularlooped walks, such as theTramline Loop on Howth Head,Co Dublin. More waymarkedtrails are being developedaround the country all the time,as community groupsrecognise the many benefitsthat walking brings to rural andurban communities, includingthe health benefits and theagri-tourism possibilities ■

NEWSL0G

Members of the Irish Ramblers’ Club set off to explore the proposed Wicklow Way in 1965

Tom Stephenson, father of the Pennine Way and then secretary of theRamblers’ Association in Britain, sets off on a walk with Seán Quinn of theIrish Ramblers’ Club, and others, in 1964 to explore the proposed Way,which opened in 1965. The notice reads: “NO ROAD: Any Person foundtrespassing upon the Moor or taking dogs thereon will be Prosecuted.”

Start of the Wicklow Way in Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, Co Dublin

By Seán Quinn, The IrishRamblers’ Club

In 1964, shortly after the Irish Ramblers’ Club wasestablished, Angela Murphy,the club’s Vice-President, and Iwent walking in the EnglishPeak District with some Britishramblers. We were there at theinvitation of Tom Stephenson,the then Secretary of theRamblers’ Association (nowThe Ramblers) in Britain, whowas exploring the possibility ofestablishing a long-distancewalking trail along thebackbone of England.

Inspired by the great UStrails, this had first beenmooted in 1935. It wouldbecome the now famousPennine Way, running 256miles from the Peak District tothe Scottish border.

It was officially opened in1965, after thirty years’ work,the first such walking trail inthese islands. It was a greathonour for our infant club to beinvolved in this historic eventand that I had the opportunity


➤ Seán Quinn is the Founding President of the Irish Ramblers’ Club. He is a member ofMountaineering Ireland and An Taisce, a lifemember of An Óige, and a founder member of Na Coisithe, the family walking group. He was the government’s chief environmental adviser for many years

Pho

togr

aphs

: Svy

123

(K2)

, Noe

l Han

na C

olle

ctio

n (N

oel H

anna

)

Winter success on K2• Nepalese team summits on last 8,000m peak to be climbed in winter

• Noel Hanna reaches over 7,300m on K2 in winter before winds force retreat

8,000m peaks to climb,winter or summer. Itslocation is more northerlythan the other mountainsin this élite club, whichresults in more extremeweather on the mountain,with lower temperaturesand stronger winds. It wasfirst climbed by twomembers of an Italianexpedition, AchilleCompagnoni and LinoLacedelli, on July 31st, 1954,via the Abruzzi Spur, stillthe most popular route.

By 2018, of the 367people who had summitedon K2 in the summerseason, 91, or almost one infour, had died on thedescent, sadly including GerMcDonnell, the CountyLimerick man who madethe first Irish ascent of K2 inAugust 2008.

K2, the Savage Mountain, in summer


K2, the ‘Savage Mountain,’ an 8,611mpeak in the Karakoram on thePakistan/China border, has finally beenclimbed in winter. The first winter ascentof the world’s second highest mountainwas made on January 16th, 2021, at about5.00pm local time, by a group of tenclimbers from Nepal, who walked thelast 10m to the summit together, arm inarm, singing the Nepali national anthem!

This is the first time that a first winterascent of an 8,000m peak has beenmade by an all-Nepalese team, althoughmany of the winter first ascents bypeople from other countries have beensupported by Sherpas and otherNepalese porters and climbers. It wasseen as a joyous and proud achievementfor Nepalese people in Nepal and aroundthe world.

* * * * * *

K2 is recognised as one of the mosttechnically difficult of the fourteen


Noel Hanna on the Godwin-Austen Glacier with K2 in the distance ➤

Four separate teams establishedthemselves in K2 Base Camp (4,960m)in mid-December 2020, aiming toacclimatise, establish camps andattempt to summit via the Abruzzi Spurin the official winter climbing period, if asuitable weather window occurred.

Advance Base Camp (5,200m) wasthen established up the Godwin AustenGlacier, at the foot of the Abruzzi Spur.In the following month, Camp 1(6,100m), Camp 2 (6,700m), Camp 3(7,300m) and Camp 4 (7,600m) wereset up and stocked. Camp 4 is usuallylocated on top of the Shoulder belowthe Bottleneck and has been seen asessential for successful summit bids.

The four teams attempting the winterascent were:

• Mingma Gyalje Sherpa’s team ofthree Sherpas. ‘Mingma G’ has alreadyclimbed K2 twice in summer and haspreviously tried unsuccessfully to climbit in winter.


Pho

togr

aphs

: Nim

sdal

Pur

ja C

olle

ctio

n (s

ucce

ssfu

l She

rpas

), N

oel H

anna

Col

lect

ion

(enj

oyin

g a

nip)

Dawa Temba Sherpa, Dawa TenjinSherpa, and Kilu Pemba Sherpa.

“History made for mankind. Historymade for Nepal!” Nims Purja said onInstagram after the ascent. All of thesummiteers returned safely to basecamp the next day.

* * * * * *

Sadly, there were five deaths on K2 thiswinter. A Catalan climber, Sergi Mingote,fell to his death while descending fromCamp 1 to Advance Base Camp on theday of the successful summit bid. ABulgarian mountaineer, Atanas Skatov,also fell to his death later, whiledescending the mountain in February.

After the successful ascent in January,the other mountaineers waited in basecamp to see if there would be anotherweather window. The Sigurjonsson teamdecided to try for the summit in a shortweather window in early February. SajidSadpara turned around at the bottom ofthe Bottleneck when his oxygen

regulator malfunctioned.The other three –Sigurjonsson, Ali Sadparaand Prieto – continuedclimbing up the Bottleneckand were not seen again,despite various helicoptersearches.

At a webinar organisedby the Europe NepalChamber of Commerce forTourism (www.encct.eu) atthe end of February, NoelHanna, who was part ofthe Seven Summit Treks

team, said that the winds on K2 werepredicted to be 30 km per hour on the daythat the Sigurjonsson team went for thesummit, and deteriorating the next day.Noel felt that it was not safe to continueclimbing that day, so he returned to basecamp. The Sigurjonsson team felt that itwas manageable and set off for the summit.

Noel had arrived at base camp onDecember 29th, 2020 and spent forty daysthere or in the higher camps. Thetemperature at base camp fell to -20°C,resulting in ice forming in the tents.

* * * * * *

The Sherpas who summited K2 onJanuary 16th were already acclimatisedfrom other climbs before they went to K2.On their summit day, the winds were 5-10km/hr but rose to 10-15km/hr when theywere reaching the summit. Even at thosewind speeds, they all had some degree offrost-nip or frostbite due to the windchill.Nims Purja was the only one who climbedwithout supplemental oxygen, puttinghimself at greater risk of cold injury.

They climbed up to Camp 3 and then leftthere at 1.00-2.00am the next day,reaching the summit just before 5.00pmon January 16th, a 16 to 17-hour day. Happily,they all got back down safely to base campthe following day.

After the Nepalese ascent, Noel’s SevenSummit Treks team rested at base camp,waiting for another weather window. OnFebruary 5th, winds were forecast to be10km/hr till 8.00am, and then 15km/hr till4.00pm. Noel said that you would need tobe fast to avail of a one-day weatherwindow.

Eight of the successful Sherpas after their climb of K2, pictured at Advance Base Camp.

• Nirmal Purja’s team, comprising‘Nims’ or ‘Nims Dai,’ who is a Magar, with six Sherpas in support. Nims holdsthe record for the fastest ascent of thefourteen 8,000m peaks, which heclimbed in six months and six days in2019.

• Icelander John Snorri Sigurjonssonwith Pakistani Muhammad Ali Sadparaand his son, Sajid Sadpara, a team ofexperienced independent climbers, whowere joined by Chilean mountaineer, JuanPablo Mohr Prieto.

• The Seven Summit Treks forty-nine-person commercial team, comprisingtwenty-two clients with variousexperience on 8,000m mountains andtwenty-seven climbing Sherpas, includingSona Sherpa. This team included NoelHanna, the County Down man who madethe second Irish ascent of K2 in August2018, safely getting back down to basecamp the same day.

A winter ascent of K2 was firstattempted in 1987 by a Polish expedition.There have only been five winterexpeditions to K2 since then, until theattempts this year.

In the week prior to the successfulclimb, Camp 2 was apparently destroyedby high winds and had to be restockedbefore the summit bid could be made. Asfar as I can establish, the successfulclimbers went up to Camp 3 in thepreceding days and then left from thereon their summit bid. They put in fixedropes from there up to the summit cone,in what was possibly a sixteen-hour climb.They reached the summit at about5.00pm local time on January 16th, 2021.

Along with Mingma G, Nims and SonaSherpa, the other summiteers wereMingma David Sherpa, Mingma TenziSherpa, Geljen Sherpa, Pem Chiri Sherpa,

NEWSL0G

Enjoying a nip at K2 Base Camp (Noel Hanna is in the middle)


Pho

togr

aph:

Noe

l Han

na (c

limbi

ng fi

xed

rope

s), F

ranc

o P

ecch

io (M

t Ke

nya)

Irish death on Mount KenyaBy Patrick O’Sullivan

A forty-year-old Irishmandied from altitude sicknesson Mount Kenya (5,199m) atthe end of January 2021.Dubliner Piers White, anoutdoor enthusiast, wasclimbing Point Lenana(4,985m) on Mount Kenya,the second highestmountain in Africa.

Piers had entered theMount Kenya National Parkthrough the Naro Moru Gatethree days before hebecame ill. The park is aWorld Heritage Site. He wasovernighting in the AustrianHut (4,790m) prior tomaking his summit bid. Thehut is near the Lewis Glacieron Point Lenana.

Kenya Wildlife Servicereported that Piersdeveloped breathing

problems during the nightand was evacuated in themorning by a mountainrescue team to Mackinder’sCamp. Piers was airliftedfrom there in a criticalcondition to NanyukiCottage Hospital. Sadly, hewas pronounced dead onarrival at the hospital.

Piers White was a teacher,a charity worker and anentrepreneur. He had abroad interest in sport and

had been a marathonrunner. In 2011, he startedthe annual fundraising Runin the Dark in Dublin, anevent which is now held inmore than fifty citiesaround the world. He wasalso instrumental in settingup the Mark Pollock Trust.

Mountaineering Irelandoffers its sincerecondolences to Piers’ familyand friends on their tragicloss ■

Hill FeverWhen winter days are overAnd dawns the sun of May,I love to take a rucksackAnd westwards make my way.

To leave behind the city,The hustle and the work,To smell again the heatherOn Maamtrasna and Maamturk

To see again each furze clad hill,To hear the honey bee,To breathe the clear and salty airOn Croagh Patrick and Mweelrea.

To hear again Atlantic waves,Walk in the woods so green,And hear the cuckoo calling,O’er Ben Gower, Ben Ban, Ben Breen.

Then turn my face to KerryFrom care and sorrow freeTo stroll where MassatiompanSlopes down to the sea.

Or climb to Brandon’s lofty peakAnd watch the young lambs play;Or walk among the bluebellsOn the shores of Brandon Bay.

To wander down a Sligo laneWhere hawthorn blossoms bloomOr stand again upon that hill,Where Maeve lies in her tomb

And watch the evening sun go downAs the day draws to a closeOr stroll along the riverbankAmongst the violets and primrose.

To roam the hills of DonegalWith the wild deer and woodcock,And hear the sweet song of the larkHigh up o’er Altan Lough.

But Oh, that God would grant meWhen sweet May dawns again,To rest awhile on ErrigalOr in the Poisoned Glen.

Peadar O’Riordan

after the son left them at the Bottleneck; itis not clear what happened to them.

Noel waited at base camp to see if therewas anything he could do to assist in thesearch for the Sigurjonsson team. APakistani army helicopter attempted tosearch for the three climbers, but didn’t findanything. With the weather conditionsdeteriorating, the search was abandonedand Noel trekked out to Skardu. He hadbeen above 7,300m on K2 in winter, but feltthat it would have been foolish to try to gohigher in the winds that were forecast atthat time on the Savage Mountain ■

The team went toCamp 1 and then toCamp 2. Noel felt itwas taking longerthan it should haveto climb betweenthe camps each day.In Camp 2, there wasa problem with thegas, and the stovewouldn’t light. It wasvery cold there thatnight, at -30 to -40°C.

They went on toCamp 3 the nextday, but only arrivedat 5.00-6.00pm,when they should have arrived at 1.00-2.00pm. The forecast had changed bythen and the winds were forecast to be20km/hr from midnight to 8.00am, andthen 30km/hr from 8.00am. Noel feltthis was too dangerous. However, theSigurjonsson team decided they wouldstill try for the summit, despite theforecast.

Noel’s oxygen regulator wasn’t workingproperly the next day, so he went backdown and was back in base camp thefollowing day, February 6th. TheSigurjonsson team were not seen again

Climbing fixed ropes between Camp 2 and Camp 3

Mount Kenya

MOUNTAIN RESCUE

SHEEP, SUCKLERS AND SAVING LIVES

Pho

togr

aphs

: Rod

ney

Mag

owan

Rodney Magowan reports

One farmer’s view of volunteering with a mountain rescue team

David Sheridan farmsacross several holdingsaround Letterbreen andFlorence Court inCounty Fermanagh,with some furtheracreage just across the

border. In fact, one of his fences is theborder!

Lowland sheep and suckler cows arethe family’s main enterprises, but Davidhas a third passion – helping save lives asa member of the North West MountainRescue Team.

“Back in 2013, the local section of theNorth West Mountain Rescue Team heldan open day at their base beside one ofour farms,” David recalls. “Severalneighbours and friends were alreadymembers, so I called in and was mightilyimpressed. One member, the late MaudCunningham BEM, encouraged me to jointhat day, saying that I knew a lot of thecountryside already, was farmer fit,practical and reliable.

“So, with all that praise, joining seemeda great idea – and it was! Eight years later,the North West Mountain Rescue Teamare again recruiting and I would urge

“Remember, the team’s aim is to findthose lost in often bleak landscapes and,where necessary, stabilise their condition.Then, if need be, they are packaged on aspecialist stretcher and carried to a placeof safety for onward transport to hospital.

“Call-outs are mainly local, but, in majorincidents, our section has been deployedto back up other teams as far afield asMayo, the Mournes and Cave Hill. Takingpart in actual rescues and potentiallysaving a life gives me a great buzz, and thewhole experience of working in a team isgreat crack.”

At home, David farms with the supportof his father, Robert, and his son, Lee,across several holdings, miles apart. It is acontrast to being in the mountain rescueteam, extracting casualties, often inhorrendous weather conditions.

Early innovators in many farmingtechniques, David and his family wereamong the first in Northern Ireland to useexpanded metal flooring in sheep sheds,and sponging to tighten up lambing. Theewes they have are Cheviot Suffolk

David Sheridan overlooking his lands beside Lough MacNean in County Fermanagh

country folk to consider applying.“The North West Mountain Rescue

Team is a voluntary body covering all ofNorthern Ireland other than the Mournes,from bases in Fermanagh, Magherafeltand Ballymena. The Mournes have theirown mountain rescue team.

“You do not have to be some sort ofsuper-fit Bear Grylls or latter-day MaryPeters. Just being farmer fit or even vet fitwould be an advantage,” David quipped.

But how does he cope if there is a call-out when he is busy in the lambing shedor a cow is calving? Simply by not beingon call at very busy times of the year.

“Though, make no mistake, being in theteam is a serious commitment, withtraining two evenings a month at thelocal section base beside us. Then, thereare province-wide courses and exercisesmost months, often with otherorganisations such as the coast guards,police, RNLI, fire brigade and ambulanceservice.

“Some folks even get to higher levelcourses across the water or in theRepublic. Indeed, we all aim to get Rec3and Rec4, Rescue and Emergency Careand First Aid qualifications.


crosses put back, almost always, toSuffolk tups, though some Texel rams areused. “We have lambs for sale now mostmonths of the year, with ewes lambing inbatches from Christmas through to April.The Suffolk-sired lamb tends to finish andget away sooner than those from a Texeltup.

“As regards suckler cows, these days wesupply what the market wants, sellingcontinental-bred, single-suck weanlings inEnniskillen, from ten months old, forothers to finish. Bidders want well-forward suckler calves with colour, andprices this year have certainly beenpleasing. I guess that makes up for all theBrexit red tape hassle when we, as usual,buy our replacement suckler cows in theRepublic.”

With the North West Mountain RescueTeam being forty years old in 2021, Davidwould love to see more farm folk andthose from rural backgrounds comingforward to volunteer.

“The training is practical, down to earthand suits a wide range of abilities. You willnot be asked to handle anything on call-out that you have not already been welltrained to cope with.

“Farming is great, and producing stockthat suits the market is brilliant. However,so is helping to save a life by bringing alost, often injured, walker back to his orher family.

“Remember, the team is alwaysdelighted to advise those enjoying

outdoor activities on their preparation asregards their gear and their plans. Havethey prepared a route, can they map-read,have they told others where they areheading and when they are likely to return?Did they check the local weather forecast?

“As in farming, having a plan andpreparing to succeed makes for successand safety on the hill,” David affirmed.

“Anyone in difficulties in the hills shouldring 999 or 112, ask for the police andrequest that they deploy mountain rescue.Our role is to rescue people in difficulties

from places no ambulance can reach.”

For an informal chat about joiningthe North West Mountain RescueTeam, email [email protected] orvisit www.nwmrt.org. Both activemembers (such as David Sheridan) andsupport staff are required from allacross Northern Ireland. While othersstand back, as a volunteer member ofa mountain rescue team, you will beequipped to step forward and helpthose in danger ■

David Sheridan (on the far right) with other members of the North West Mountain Rescue Team and the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland helicopter

David Sheridan tending his sheep on the hills above Lough MacNean in County Fermanagh


➤ Professor Graeme Warrenis based in the School ofArchaeology, University College,Dublin ([email protected])

ARCHAEOLOGY

ARTEFACTS UNDERFOOT

Pho

togr

aphs

: © N

atio

nal M

useu

m o

f Ire

land

A report by Matthew Seaver of the National Museum of Ireland and Graeme Warrenof the School of Archaeology, University College, Dublin (UCD)

Why looking at the ground as well as the view could be a good thing

comparatively small andmountains are very big. Mostof the mountains are alsocovered in peat, which hasoften, but not always, formedafter a period of humanarchaeological activity, deeplyburying the evidence. Findingartefacts in mountainlandscapes is, therefore, very challenging.

We know comparativelylittle about how themountains were used over

The human useof mountainlandscapes inIreland isvaried andcomplex.Although we

sometimes think ofmountains as wild or naturalplaces, they have been livedin and journeyed through bypeople for centuries.Archaeological evidence iskey to furthering ourunderstanding of how peopleengaged with these beautifuland sometimes challenginglandscapes.

Some of this evidencetakes the form of buildings,walls and other structures,such as the megalithic tombswhich lie on many of ourmountains. However, anotherkey source of evidence is theartefacts that can be found inour mountain landscapes.Here, hillwalkers can reallycontribute to our under-standing of Ireland’s past.

Most artefacts are

time, and the evidence fromartefacts can really help.However, to understandthose objects, we first have to find them!

A team of archaeologistsundertaking survey work in amountain landscape mightonly have a week or two tocover an area, and might onlywalk each path once. That isno substitute for the kind ofknowledge of a landscapemany hillwalkers havedeveloped through repeatedvisits and observation. Itemsthat you find on your walkscan be of great importance.

This short summary

highlights some of theartefacts that can be foundon our hills and why they areimportant. Critically, we alsoprovide advice on what to doif you do find something:how to record it, what yourresponsibilities are, and whoto report it to.

Reporting is vital. Withoutit, the find cannot contributeto establishing the story ofIreland’s mountains.

There are four hundred and fifteen objects thatincorporate the wordmountain in the ‘find-place,’

in the National Museum ofIreland collection, althoughmany more objects in themuseum were found inupland townlands. Of these,two hundred and forty-nineare prehistoric stone tools,predominantly made of flintor chert. These distinctiveobjects often grab the eye ofhikers. A flint arrowhead inthe museum came from theSugar Loaf in Wicklow, and a tanged chert arrowheadwas recently found atLackendarragh, in the Nagles Mountains, in Cork(Figure 1).

These finds of stone tools

➤ Matthew Seaver is anarchaeologist working with theNational Museum of Ireland([email protected])


Figure 1. Chert tanged arrowhead, probably Early Bronze Age, fromLackendarragh, Nagles Mountains, Co Cork

Figure 2. Early Medieval leather shoe from Lugduff, Glendalough, Co Wicklow

3 cm

Pho

togr

aphs

: © N

atio

nal M

useu

m o

f Ire

land

are fantastic evidence of howprehistoric people used themountains. Prehistoricbronze tools, predominantlyaxe heads, have also beenfound on mountains, with arecent Late Bronze Age axefound at Donard in the Glenof Imaal, Co Wicklow.

As well as burying theseancient tools, blanket bogoffers potential for thediscovery of organicmaterials, which have beenpreserved by the peat. Theseinclude the footwear of

previous visitors. A shoe fromLugduff Mountain in CountyWicklow was radiocarbon-dated to the 8th or 9th centuryAD and features in theNational Museum’sGlendalough Exhibition(Figure 2).

A wooden deer trap fromKnockymullgurry, Co Carlow,was found by a walker on thesummit of the BlackstairsMountain and dated to theIron Age (Figure 3).

Items found can raiseintriguing questions. A recent

discovery of a leadpapal bulla or seal atSkeheenaranky, CoTipperary (Figure 4),shows thatsomeone, probablyin the 15th century,took a documentwhich had comefrom Rome intomountains at

Galtymore on theLimerick/Tipperary border.Perhaps this shows the use of mountains as refuge orcommunication routes?

More recent objects couldalso be of archaeologicalsignificance. For example,crashed World War II aircraftmay be encountered onmountainsides ■


Most of the objects discussed abovewere found by chance and werereported through the civic duty ofhillwalkers. Artefacts are protected bylegislation, so this is what you shoulddo if you find an object of possiblearcheological interest. Museumcurators never object to questions, so ifyou are unsure don’t hesitate to ask.

● Record the find and the site Takephotographs of the find and of the findlocation. Stand back from the object andshow the location in its landscapecontext. If you have something you canuse for a scale (e.g., water bottle, phone,etc), that can be helpful.

● Get location information If you have aGPS, please record the location. If yourphone or camera is set to location,brilliant. If you have a map, work out thegrid reference as best you can.

● Take notes As soon as you can, makenotes about what you found and where it was.

● Should you pick up the object to takehome or leave it there? If the object isembedded in the ground or appearsfragile, record its location and get intouch with the contacts below beforedoing anything further. An object mayonly be preserved because of the specificenvironmental conditions of its find spot.Removing it can lead to degradation andultimately destruction.

● Report it Artefacts can onlycontribute to our developingunderstanding of the human past inIreland if they are reported to theappropriate national authorities, so theycan be properly evaluated. Finders will bekept informed and engaged with whatthey have discovered.

■ In the Republic of Ireland, allarchaeological objects found without aknown owner are the property of theState and must be reported withinninety-six hours. Using detection devicesto search for archaeological objectswithout consent or excavating for themwithout a licence are offences. Contact

the National Museum of Ireland [email protected] or +353 1 677 7444, or An Garda Síochánato report objects found.

■ In Northern Ireland, archaeologicalobjects found must be reported withinfourteen days and, if readily portable,deposited with a relevant authority(usually National Museums NorthernIreland), which can hold them for threemonths for recording. Disturbing theground to recover archaeological objectswithout a licence is an offence. Objectsfound usually belong to the landownerunless deemed treasure. ContactNational Museums Northern Ireland,Historic Environment Division,Department of Communities, [email protected], or a local police station.

■ Possessing a detection device atmonuments protected by law in bothjurisdictions is an offence. Archaeologicalobjects should not be moved betweenthe two jurisdictions without the relevantexport licence or/and in the case of theRepublic of Ireland, import licence.

What should you do if you find something?

Figure 4. Lead papal bulla or seal of Pope Martin V (1417-1431) fromSkeheenaranky, Galtee Mountains, Co Tipperary

Figure 3. Deer trap from Knockymullgurry, Blackstairs Mountain, Co Carlow, in Conservation Laboratory of National Museum of Ireland

2 cm

LONG DISTANCE HIKING

MOUNTAINS OF THE EASTAidan Ennis sets out to hike the Great Leinster Chain from Dublin to Waterford

Above: View ofMount Leinsterfrom slopes ofBlackstairsMountain

Below: Earlymorning at theGPO on O’ConnellStreet, Dublin:start-point of the hike

Opposite top left:Perfect overnightshelter spot onday one

Opposite centre: Route of the Great LeinsterChain hike

It was eerily quiet in front of the GPO on Dublin’sO’Connell Street. It was 3.45am on a Saturdaymorning and the city appeared abandoned, likesome post-apocalyptic scene or, in this case,the reality of Covid-19.

It was August 22nd, 2020, and public healthrestrictions were in place, which ensured that no pubsor nightclubs were open, but inter-county travel wasallowed again. There was no reason to be here ... except,that is, if, like me, you were going for a hike. I was eagerto get moving. It was going to be a long day.

The proximity of Dublin city centre to the nearbymountains has been referred to by many famouswalkers. JB Malone, the driving force for the conceptand creation of The Wicklow Way, observed in hisbook, The Open Road (1951): “Here, within a few hours’journey from O’Connell Street, is some of the finestmountain scenery in Ireland.”

The Irish botanist Robert Lloyd Praeger wrote in The Way That I Went (1947), “You can set foot on theheather six miles from the centre of Dublin and, savefor crossing two roads, not leave it till you drop downon Aughrim, thirty miles to the southward as the crow flies.”

I really liked the simplicity of the idea of setting outfrom Dublin’s main street, hiking over the ‘Mountainsof the East’ and walking home to Waterford. I had nothiked in the Wicklow Mountains for years. My brother,the late Colm Ennis, always maintained that theBlackstairs deserved a full traverse once a year. It hadbeen ten years since I last completed that hike withhim.

My planned route was to start at the GPO in Dublinand walk over the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains toreach Lugnaquillia, before descending to follow theWicklow Way as far as its end point at Clonegall. I would then traverse the Blackstairs, descend to NewRoss and follow the River Barrow along quiet countryroads to finish at the GPO in Waterford city.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Aid

an E

nnis

➤ Aidan Ennis is a long-distance ultralight hikerwho has walked and climbed extensively inIreland, Scotland, the Alps, the Pyrenees and theNepal Himalaya. Epic hikes he has completedinclude the 800-km Haute RandonnéePyrénéenne, the Chamonix to Zermatt HauteRoute (200 km) and a 10-day hike on the ScottishCape Wrath Trail (326 km), which he did with hisbrother, the late Colm Ennis. In 2019, Aidancompleted the Three Peninsulas Hike in Kerry,covering a 461-km route on the Beara, Iveragh andDingle peninsulas (see IML 133).


My route was best described in CW Wall’s book,Mountaineering in Ireland (1944), as following ‘The GreatLeinster Chain.’ The Wicklow and Blackstairs Mountains arepart of the largest mass of granite in north-westernEurope, a geological feature known as a batholith. Thegeologist Daphne Pochin Mould described the batholithin her book, The Mountains of Ireland (1955), as a “great structural feature in the bedrock of Ireland, a great arching fold inOrdovician and Silurian sediments into whichgranite was intruded, and which can be traced for90 miles from Balbriggan north of Dublin down tothe coast of Waterford.”

I set off down O’Connell Street and crossedthe River Liffey. My hike had begun.

Day One 44.6 kmI made good progress through the traffic-free streets of Dublin, following the R114 toRathfarnham. Apart from a fox crossingthe road on its nightly rounds, the onlylife I saw was two lads closing theshutters on a late-night shop. Theyasked me, “Are you going to climbEverest with those sticks?” I replied, “No, Lugnaquillia.” I guessseeing someone with a fully ladenrucksack and walking poles,striding with intent in themiddle of the night, looked alittle unusual.

As I crossed the bridgeover the M50, themountains could be seenahead “like the outworksof a great fortress,” toquote JB Malone oncemore.

A herd of deerlooked at meinquisitively as Iclimbed theMilitary Road.The sun was

risingover

DublinBay with

anintense

golden glowbelow inky

black clouds,illuminating the

unmistakablesilhouettes of the

Poolbeg chimneys,Howth Head and

Ireland’s Eye in thedistance.I entered Wicklow

Mountains National Parkand walked over a small

stream, the source of themighty River Liffey, which I

had crossed only a few hourspreviously. A peregrine falcon

hovered above and a few veryenergetic early-morning cyclists

passed by me as I neared the Sally Gap.I climbed Carrigvore (682m),

finally setting foot on heather. I walked along the ridge over Gravale

(718m) and Duff Hill (720m) and pausedat Mullaghcleevaun East Top (795m).

I looked up at the higher peak, which wasshrouded in dark, angry-looking clouds.

Despite that, I climbed on. The wind pickedup and with it came torrential cold rain. By

the time I reached Mullaghcleevaun (849m), it felt like a full-scale storm.I was utterly alone on the summit. It felt as

remote and as removed as it could be from thecity centre, which I had been in a few short hours

ago. This sudden remoteness was also noted by the ➤Pho

togr

aph:

Aid

an E

nnis

. Map

: Cói

lín M

acLo

chla

inn

Irish Mountain Log 25Spring 2021

DUBLIN

WATERFORD

CARLOW

WICKLOW MOUNTAINS

BLACKSTAIRS MOUNTAINS

KILDARE

KILKENNY

WEXFORD

WICKLOW

Blessington

Baltinglass

Laragh

Rathdrum

Aughrim

Tinahely

Shillelagh

Clonegall

Bunclody

Graiguenamanagh

St Mullin’s

Inistioge

New Ross

Enniscorthy

Mt Leinster▲

Blackstairs Mtn▲

Lugnaquillia▲

Mullaghcleevaun▲

LONG DISTANCE HIKING

Above: OnLugnaquilliasummit, the highpoint of the route

Below left: TheDying Cow Pub,near Tinahely, Co Wicklow

Below right:Admiring the RiverDerry and the oldstone bridge atClonegall, CoCarlow

landscape of fields and forests. My day ended with adelightful evening walk through the peaceful beechforest of Mangan’s Wood above Tinahely.

Day Three 33.9 km (total 121 km)It was a warm start to the day and the trail wound its way through beautiful green rolling hills, whichreminded me of JRR Tolkien’s descriptions of the Shire.

I was really looking forward to a morning coffee in apub with a name that would not be out of place inMiddle Earth, The Dying Cow. The old pub, which onceacted as a stagecoach stop, is over 300 years old.Unfortunately, it was closed due to the Covid-19 publichealth restrictions.

I sat down and rested in the courtyard for a while.The lady of the house gave me an interesting pamphletexplaining the history of the area. I made a note tomyself that one day I would return to explore the areawith my family and have a pint in The Dying Cow.

I continued on to Clonegall, the end or start-point ofthe Wicklow Way. I rested on a bench overlooking theDerry River. Another four kilometres over a hill broughtme down to Bunclody, my stop for the night.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Aid

an E

nnis


author HV Morton, who observed during his grandtour of Ireland in 1890, “You could be lost in the hillswithin an hour of Dublin: you could wander for dayswithout meeting a soul: you could, if injured, lie thereand die in the bog, because your chance of findinghelp would be indeed remote.”

I was glad to be navigating downhill to Barnacullian(714m) and I heeded Morton’s warning by avoidingany rogue bog-holes on my descent to the col belowStoney Top. A welcome forest track brought medown to Glashaboy Bridge, a short distance abovethe Wicklow Gap.

Day Two 42.5 km (total 87.1 km)The car park at the Wicklow Gap was empty. I couldsee Lough Nahanagan, but Camaderry Mountain wasin cloud. I walked to the upper reservoir on TurloughHill, Ireland’s only pumped storage power station,which has been in operation since 1974. The stationcan go from standstill to full capacity in just over aminute. It does this by releasing water from the upperreservoir and allowing it to flow through four turbinesinto the lower reservoir. During periods of reduceddemand, water is pumped back to the upperreservoir, ready for the next release.

As I made my way to the summit of Tomaneena(681m), the wind had thankfully eased from theprevious day. I navigated first to Lough Firrib andonward to the Three Lakes before climbing to TableMountain (701m) and Camenabologue (758m) beforefollowing the ridge to the summit cairn onLugnaquillia (925m). I had met nobody on themountains up to this point but, after a few minutes, I was joined by many walkers who appeared out ofthe cloud in time for a summit lunch.

I headed in the direction of Slievemaan (759m)before following the ridge to Lybagh (646m) andgradually descended to join the Wicklow Way nearAughavannagh. The trail followed small boreens andpleasant trails before contouring around theBallycumber Hills. In the distance, Mount Leinsterand the Blackstairs were visible across an undulating

Above: View ofBlackstairsMountain withMount Leinster inthe distance

Below left:Entrance toCoonogue Laneand BlackstairsMountain

Below right:Stopping for acoffee breakbelow MountLeinster

Black Rock Mountain (599m) on a bright and sunnymorning, but Mount Leinster (795m) above was incloud. I was not noticed by a team of very focusedengineers, who were repairing one of the cables onthe huge TV transmitter mast on its summit.

I continued southward towards Knockroe (540m)before descending to the Scullogue Gap. I foundthe small, overgrown track known as CoonogueLane, conveniently signposted ‘Blackstairs Mtn’from the road.

The walk from Blackstairs Mountain (735m) alongthe ridge to White Mountain (504m) in brightsunshine was spectacular, with views over vibrantgreen fields and rolling countryside as far as theComeragh Mountains in Waterford and all along theWexford coastline.

After crossing the Pollmounty River, it was arelatively flat walk along roads overlooking the RiverBarrow to New Ross.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Aid

an E

nnis

Day Four 0.0 km (total 121 km)Storm Francis, which had been approaching Irelandfor several days, was due to make its presence felt. I took refuge in the Clody Lodge in the middle oftown. It was my first time to visit Bunclody, eventhough I had passed through it many times.

I called into the local hardware store and boughtsome black duct tape to repair a bad tear in mywaterproof leggings. The local newsagent had a veryimpressive selection of maps.

Charlie, the owner of the Clody Lodge, highlyrecommended that I visit Sultan in The Mango Treerestaurant up the street. The chicken curry there wasdelicious and I thanked Sultan for his hospitality. Iwas ready for the Blackstairs Mountains the next day.

Day Five 49 km (total 170 km)After walking five kilometres from Bunclody, I climbed


➤


Above: NorthQuays by the RiverSuir in Waterfordcity

Below: Aidan andson Alex at theGPO in Waterford

Day Six 31 km (total 201 km)I followed a quiet country road, which was once themain road from New Ross to Waterford and runsalongside the River Barrow, as far as a feature knownas The Pink Rock. The Rose Fitzgerald KennedyBridge now towers over The Pink Rock. This bridge onthe N25 over the River Barrow is 887m long and wasopened in January 2020. It is not only the longestbridge in Ireland but is also the longest of its type inthe entire world. The 230m main spans of the bridgeare the longest concrete-only, extradosed box-girderbridge spans ever built.

Suitably impressed, I continued walking and, beforelong, Cheekpoint could be seen ahead, where theRiver Barrow meets its sister, the River Suir. I was nowonly a few kilometres from home, yet the views andback roads were all new to me until I reached theNorth Quays on the River Suir. Reginald’s Tower,Waterford’s landmark monument and Ireland’s oldestcivic building, was visible on the opposite bank. It wasthe first building sailors saw as they approachedWaterford and was the strongpoint of the medievaldefensive walls that enclosed the city.

I crossed Rice Bridge and started walking along The Quay to the GPO. It was a walk I was well used to,the river and marina on one side and, across the road,fine buildings ran as far as Reginald’s Tower. As Iapproached the GPO, I could see my wife, Emily,and our son, Alex, waiting for me.

My Mountains of the East expedition had come toa perfect end in bright warm sunshine. It had been agrand expedition through city, town and village, over

high mountains and rolling hills, along trails, boreensand the banks of mighty rivers. I had experienced allweathers, from cold rain and wind to warm sunshine,and gales that forced me to take refuge from thestorm. I had met wonderful and welcoming peopleon my journey, on the trail and in the towns I passedthrough.

I would never have thought that a walk from Dublinto Waterford could be an adventure. You can drive iton the motorway in a couple of hours these days.However, with a little imagination, there is a never-ending supply of adventures in Ireland. The challengeis to dream them up, mark two Xs on the map, grabthe rucksack and go dream them with open eyes ■

Pho

togr

aphs

: Aid

an E

nnis

LONG-DISTANCE HIKING

THERE IS A NEVER-ENDINGSUPPLY OF ADVENTURES LIKE THIS IN IRELAND

Spring competitionWin a great prize from Basecamp if your correct completed entry for this puzzle is the first drawn from the hat!

CR

OSS

WO

RD

com

pile

dby

CÓ

IL´IN

Mac

LOC

HLA

INN

BASECAMP Crossword#

Basecamp Outdoor Store, Dublin and KilkennyWebsite: www.basecamp.ie

WINAn MSR

Elixir 2 Tentworth €300

MSR Elixir 2 Tent (two-person) €300.00

How to enterComplete this crossword correctly and be in with a chance to win a tent worth €300.00from 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, May 28th 2021. You can also scan the completed page and email it [email protected]. Don’t forget to include your full name, address and membership numberwith your entry as well as a telephone number or email address at where you can be contacted.The winner will be announced in the Summer 2021 issue of the Irish Mountain Log.

Competition prizeBasecamp’s generous prize offer is for an MSR Elixir 2 two-person tent worth €300.00.

Clues Across1 Mountain range in County Waterford (9).8 Small river valley immediately south of Lugnaquillia (2).9 A degree in a climbing scale of increasing difficulty (5).10 California, in short (2).13 A lough in Donegal, also used to season food (4).15 A steep pinnacle of rock or cliff (4).16 A pass or depression in a mountain range or ridge (3).17 This ‘monster’ mountain is in the Karakoram range

in Pakistan (4).18 A lateral ridge or tongue from a main hill or range (4).21 Where the city of Washington is found (1,1).22 Ancient unit of length based on forearm length (5).23 Third largest of Jupiter’s Galilean moons (2).26 Major peak in Swiss Alps, at 4,506m (9).

Clues Down2 Name of one mountain range in Sligo (2).3 Probably the most famous Wyatt who lived (4).4 A small, scenic peninsula in Donegal (4).5 An hour, in short (2).6 Range of rolling hills in the south of England (9).7 Kerry mountain known for its Devil’s Punchbowl (9).11 The county where you will find Ailladie sea cliffs (5).12 Journeys or stumbles (5).14 Cloud-like mass that reduces visibility (3).19 Refuges or hostels in the Alps (4).20 Famous Slieve on east side of Dingle peninsula (4).24 Exercising school discipline (1,1).25 Her Majesty, on post boxes, or in emergency room (1,1).


1 2 3 4 5

6 7

8 9 10

11 12

13 14 15

16

17 18

19 20

21 22 23

24 25

26

U

K

K K

THE MOURNES

MY MOURNE WALL CHALLENGEPaul Maguire tackles the 33.5-km Mourne Wall hike after a 24-year hiatus

Above: Summit ofBearnagh withCommedagh andDonard behind

Below: SlieveBinnian early inthe morning, as I set off fromCarrick Little

The Mourne Wall Challenge is listed asbeing 33.5 kilometres long, with anaggregate ascent of 2,860m and a hikeduration of 14-16 hours, in AdrianHendroff’s walking guide, The Mourne &Cooley Mountains: A Walking Guide (2018).

The hike entails climbing fourteen peaks, half ofthem being in the range’s top ten highest. It is apopular personal challenge, undertaken byexperienced hillwalkers, most of whom attempt tocomplete the full circuit in a single day.

There are two main starting points for this MourneWall hike, both with good parking facilities: CarrickLittle on the south side, and Meelmore Lodge at thenorthern end of the Mournes. I started my mostrecent hike from Carrick Little and walked in aclockwise direction, beginning with Slieve Binnian.It takes a little longer to complete the walk fromMeelmore Lodge.

The Mourne Wall is relatively easy to navigate,although in some areas there are several walls, sosome research, or having a ViewRanger route asbackup, could help, if you are not familiar with thearea.

Among hillwalkers, the Mourne Wall hike has ajustifiable reputation as a serious undertaking. It hadbeen twenty-four years since I had last done ‘TheWall’ with my hiking buddies from Tredagh Trekkersin Drogheda, Co Louth – Willie Redmond, DonaghO’Brien, Ken King Smith and the late Tony Rooney – and a part of me wanted to know if I could still doit. Twenty-four years ago, it had taken me twelve tofourteen hours of tough hiking to complete the hike.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Pau

l Mag

uire

➤ Paul Maguire is a memberof Tredagh Trekkers, ahillwalking club based inDrogheda, Co Louth. Paul hashiked many multi-day routes,including the GR54 in France,the Haute Route fromChamonix to Zermatt, theMount Kilimanjaro climb inTanzania and a 3,500-km ‘thruhike’ of the Appalachian Trail inthe USA.


I bought lightweight hiking gear and did a basicconversion on my van. Then, in March 2017, I boardeda ferry to France with a one-way ticket. I had a five-month adventure as I hiked, kayaked and cycledaround France, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Germany andSwitzerland.

A month after I returned, I set off again and stoodat 5,895m on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro inTanzania.

On St Patrick’s Day in 2018, I started a five-month‘thru hike’ of the Appalachian Trail in the USA. I hiked

Above: Map of‘The Wall’ route

Below: MourneWall from CarnMountain, withMeelmore,Bearnagh andCommedagh inthe distance

Now, at the age of fifty-nine, I would be happy tocomplete the hike in any time. However, I would bedelighted if I could complete it in less than twelvehours. There was only one way to find out!

* * * * * * *

I started walking the hills in 1995, when I firstcompleted the Mourne Wall Challenge. After anabsence from hiking for several years, I solo-hiked theWicklow Way between Christmas and New Year’s Evein 2016 and started to research multi-day hikes.P

hoto

grap

h: P

aul M

agui

re

➤


Map

: Cói

lín M

acLo

chla

inn

▲ Slieve Donard

▲ Slievenaglogh

▲ CarnMountain

▲ Slieve Muck

Slievenaglogh ▲

▲Slievenagore

▲Slievelamagan

▲Cove Mountain

Slieve Corragh

Slieve Beg

Slieve Binnian▲

▲ Wee Binnian

Carrick Big▲

Round Seefin▲

Long Seefin▲

CarrickLittle

Moolieve

Ott ▲Mountain

▲ SlieveBearnagh▲ Slieve

Meelbeg

▲Rocky

Mountain

▲Chimney Rock

Mountain

Bog ofDonard

BrandyPass

Annalong WoodSilent Valley

Hare’s Gap

reservoir

▲ Slieve Loughshannagh

▲ Slieve Meelmore

▲ Slieve Commedagh

P

MOURNE MOUNTAINS3 km

THE MOURNE WALL

Above:Bearnagh withCommedagh and Donard upahead

Below: A look-out tower on Meelmore

Opposite (top):View of Donardfrom Commedagh

Opposite (bottom):The Mourne Wallat the Bog ofDonard – myhighway out!

3,500 km through fourteen states as I went acrossthe Appalachian Mountains, from Springer Mountainin Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. I lived in mytent in the woods, and camped on the mountains, for 144 days with all the bugs and wildlife and in alltypes of weather. A truly amazing trip, where I madelifelong friends and of which I have some fantasticmemories.

Following that trip, in September 2018 my wifeAideen and I spent the month on a backpacking triparound Italy, but plans for other hikes (and a 30th

wedding anniversary trip) came to a sudden haltwhen I received serious injuries in a cycling accident.It was eight months before I could tackle an easywalk in the Mournes again, and a year until I was back to normal activity.

Then, in 2020, plans for foreign trips had to bepostponed due to the onset of the Covid-19pandemic. After the spring/early summer lockdownwas lifted, my hiking colleagues and I reverted to ourweekly walks in the Mournes and Cooley Mountains.A group of us hiked the Mourne SevenSevens and, after that, it was time tohike ‘The Wall’ again.

* * * * * * *

I set off from Carrick Little on a soloeffort on October 2nd, just before thenext Covid-19 restrictions wereimposed. It was just after 7.00am atdaybreak on a fresh, chilly but clearmorning, ideal for hiking.

I travelled light, carrying a light pack,wearing lightweight trail runners andusing a LifeStraw bottle to filter waterduring the day, although I did also carryan emergency distress beacon, just incase.

Watching the Mournes come to life ina magnificent sunrise was special and I

took the time to soak in the morning light as Iascended Slieve Binnian (747m). I met a woman whohad spent a cold night camped at the summit, and acouple from Belfast who had come to catch thesunrise and were now descending to the CarrickCottage Café for a wholesome breakfast.

I took my time on the steep descent from Binnianand enjoyed the views. I crossed Wee Binnian andMoolieve, and then went through the Silent ValleyMountain Park to the dam at the end of the reservoirthere (6.5 km). From there, I went over Slievenaglogh,and then on to Slieve Muck at 674m (12 km), whichwas steep, slow and wet going, but I enjoyed a break,chatting with some hikers.

After Carn Mountain (588m), Slieve Lough-shannagh (619m) and Slieve Meelbeg (708m), I had a half-lunch on Slieve Meelmore at 687m (17 km). For the rest of the day, I just snacked as I walked,following the wall up and over Slieve Bearnagh at739m (18 km), where the route ahead lookedamazing, if daunting.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Pau

l Mag

uire


Pho

togr

aphs

: Pau

l Mag

uire


It was nice, then, to meet my hiking buddies,Donagh O’Brien and Joe Ryan, for a chat when Idescended to Hare’s Gap (19 km), where they hadrested after walking up Trassey Track.

From Hare’s Gap the route rose to (the second)Slievenaglogh (586m) and then went over SlieveCorragh on the way up to Slieve Commedagh. I wasgoing slower as I climbed up to Slieve Commedagh(22 km) and then down from there and up to SlieveDonard at 853m (24 km), the high point of my hikeand Northern Ireland’s highest point.

After the steep descent off Donard, I had tonegotiate a very wet and boggy section, so I climbedup onto the Wall, which became my highway past theBog of Donard. The Wall follows the contours of theterrain, so walking on it requires a lot of concentration.An accident there would have been a problem, as Iwas alone and it wouldn’t be long until dark.

I passed Rocky Mountain (27 km) and took a roughtrail at Long Seefin towards Annalong Wood (28 km).As I was thinking “I’m nearly there,” I turned on my leftankle. You just cannot switch off for a second,particularly when hiking alone. Thankfully, I was fine.

Finally, I left the wall for the short walk down amuddy lane and along the road back to my van in theCarrick Little car park (32 km). As I approached theend of the hike, I watched a beautiful golden sunset, afitting end to a great day.

I was on top of the world. I had completed ‘The Wall’again after twenty-four years. It was great to havecompleted it in 11 hours and 45 minutes, and I was sohappy I had no aches or pains. I had a coffee and anice bun and then called home – “I’ve done it!”

I am very grateful to my hiking buddies. Thanks alsoto Pamela Harbison for suggesting this walk to me,and to Joe Ryan for encouraging me to write thisarticle from the perspective of a non-competitive 59-year-old.

Whatever age you are, you’ll never be any younger,so get out there now. Happy trails! ■

Irish Peaks has been produced in memory of Joss Lynam,who died in 2011 and who made a significant contributionto the development of hillwalking and climbing in Ireland.Joss edited the original Irish Peaks that was published in1982. This new book contains descriptions contributed byMountaineering Ireland members of more than seventyroutes taking in the summits on the MountainViews list of Ireland’s Highest Hundred Mountains.

The recommended retail price for Irish Peaks is €29.95.However, there is a special 10% discount for allMountaineering Ireland members who order through theofficial online website, which means you pay €26.95 pluspostage, if it has to be posted out to you. To order yourdiscounted copy, please visit www.irishpeaks.ie.

Irish Peaks, Mountaineering Ireland’s new hillwalking guidebook,is now available for purchase through Mountaineering Ireland’swebsite. It is a must-have, large format hardback with routedescriptions and a beautiful collection of images covering thehundred highest peaks on the island of Ireland. The book can beordered at: www.irishpeaks.ie.

In his review of Irish Peaks in the Irish Mountain Log (No 135,Autumn 2020), Mike Keyes, past Chairperson of the Mountaineering Council ofIreland (now Mountaineering Ireland) says: “If you love or are even curious aboutIreland’s uplands and wild places, this book has to be on your shelf.”

We are hikers on remote trails. We are alpinists navigating rock and snow. We are pioneers on hostile summits. We span seven continents and a thousand landscapes but our intent is the same.

For every trail, for every mountain, for every moment. We are Explorers.

WWW.RAB.EQUIPMENT#WeAreRab


GEORGIA

GEORGIA’S KORULDI RIDGEFergal Hingerty visits one of the most-photographed places in Georgia in the Caucasus

Above: Snow-cappedmountainsreflected in theKoruldi Lakes

Below: Pastoral sceneabove Mestia

Iwoke up in a guesthouse in Mestia, the capitalof Svaneti, a mountainous region on the borderwith Russia, over nine hours by bus fromGeorgia’s capital, Tbilisi. Outside, it was cloudy,but I knew that it was going to be a good day. Ihad a large breakfast and collected my packed

lunch, which included traditional bread and cheese.The Svans have a different dialect, food and culture

to the rest of Georgia. Their valley only got its firstroad in the 1970s, when the country was under Sovietrule. Hospitality is most important in their culture andI certainly found that out, when I stayed there.

My guide, Merab, was waiting for me at the door ofthe guesthouse. We headed off up the road, passingone of the many Svan traditional towers scatteredaround the town. Then the serious business of goinguphill began.

Mestia lies at over 1,400m and, from there, we hikedup an extremely steep track until we got to the cross

on Tshakazagari Mountain at 2,200m. We stoppedthere for a well-earned rest and some water, andadmired the view. Snow-capped mountains at heightsof over 3,000m soared above us in all directions, over asea of inverse clouds in the valleys between.

We then headed for the Koruldi Lakes. This area isone of the most photographed places in Georgia, asusually the snow-capped mountains reflect perfectlyin the lakes. I managed to half-get the photo I wanted,as it was somewhat cloudy, but as we had a long wayto go, we moved on.

In front of us, the first section of the Koruldi Ridgeloomed. A steep climb up a grassy slope brought us to

➤ Fergal Hingerty has visited the Caucasus five times and his climbs there have included Mount Elbrus (5,642m) and Mount Kazbek (5,047m). He walked extensively in Wales, England and Scotland while he was living in the UK. Originally from Dublin, he now lives in Mullingar. Fergal is currently finishing a project he started seven years ago, to climb all of the nearly fifteen hundred recognised summits in Ireland. He is a member of the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) and of Mountainviews.ie.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Fer

gal H

inge

rty


Above: Merab(the guide) onKoruldi Ridge

Left: FergalHingerty onKoruldi Ridge

Below: Theglaciated MountUshba (4,710m)from the KoruldiRidge in betterweather

around 2,800m. From there, it started to get harder andthere was a surprise as a sea of scree faced us. Itlooked as if it reached down from the sky, and weangled right, aiming for the ridge line, two hundredmetres above us.

The route was extremely crumbly, which made thescramble up to the narrow ridge interesting, to say the

Merab reminded me that we had to go down.We moved back down the ridge gingerly, but, at the

halfway stage, we were able to descend the screequickly, which was much easier going down thangoing up! Soon, we were back on the grassy ridge.

As we passed the Koruldi Lakes again, there was aman there from Germany, with a very professional-looking camera. He explained that he had been therefor four hours, but the clouds had not lifted, so I didnot feel too bad about my ‘half picture’ of thereflection in the lake after all!

We stopped at the lakes for a longer break on theway down. From there, it was a relativelystraightforward walk back down to Mestia. The wholetrip had taken us about eight hours, up and down.

That evening, I had a Svan supra, their traditionalmeal, and some of their wonderful Georgian wine, afitting end to a great day in the mountains ■

Pho

togr

aphs

: Fer

gal H

inge

rty

(Mer

ab, F

erga

l), ro

nald

-ber

zins

21 (M

t Ush

ba)

least. We continued on to reach a cross at 3,328m. Bythen, it was more than four hours since we had leftMestia. We climbed a little higher on the ridge to thefirst snowy section at over 3,400m, when the viewreally opened up.

In front of us, the ridge led up to Mount Ushba(4,710m), which could be recognised from manykilometres away because of its ‘rabbit ears’ twinpeaks. It is regarded as the most dangerousmountain to climb in Georgia, due to its steepnessand unpredictable weather. It is a technical climb forexperienced mountaineers. On this occasion, it wascapped by ominous dark-grey clouds, and the windwas picking up.

Even though it would have been prudent to leavequickly, as a storm appeared to be gathering, the sheervista implored me to stay. From Mount Ushba, severalglaciers plunged down into one long glacier that cameout in the valley below at Chalaadi, which I had visitedthe previous day. This was easily one of the mostimpressive sights I have seen in my time climbing. Iwould have liked to have stayed longer, of course, but

HIGH TATRAS

ORLA PERĆ – Path of EaglesJustyna Gruszczyk attempts an exciting Grade 2 scramble along a mountain ridge in the Polish High Tatrasand witnesses a shocking episode when a thunderstorm strikes the mountains there in August 2019

Above: HalaGąsienicowaIt was 6.00am on an August morning in 2019. I

was sitting in an old bus connecting Rybnik toZakopane in the extreme south of Poland, at thefoot of the Tatra Mountains. I had many plansfor what I could do in the Tatras, but the mostimportant one was to attempt to hike on Orla

Perć, the legendary Path of Eagles trail. It follows theridge of the Polish High Tatras between twomountain passes, Zawrat and Krzyżne. The weatherforecast, unfortunately, was bad.

Orla Perć (pronounced Pertsh) is one of the mostdifficult trails in the Polish Tatras. Proposed in 1901 byFranciszek Nowicki, it was built between 1903 and1906. It is 4.5 km in length, with sections of Grade 2scrambling involving use of chains and other climbingaids, but not suitable for via ferrata kit. The trail takes6-8 hours to complete in summer conditions, butmany people do it over two days.

The trail is notorious. It has the highest death rate inthe Polish Tatras, and one hundred and forty peoplehave died there since it was established. One or twopeople die on the trail every year. “Don't worry,” said mybrother, who had walked it before. “They’re probably thekind of tourists who try to walk it in flipflops.” However, I thought about the Polish guide who had died from astonefall there a couple of years before. She was verycapable and had been well prepared.

From Zakopane, I took a bus to Kuźnice, where thetrail to Murowaniec starts. After about two hoursfollowing the pleasant trail, I arrived in the earlyafternoon at Murowaniec Refuge, at 1,500m in HalaGasienicowa, the northern part of the Gasienicowavalley. I had booked a bed for four nights there, in a six-person dormitory. By the evening the forecast forthe next day had improved.

At 5.00am the next morning I went downstairs inthe refuge to the kettle left for the early risers. Thewater in it was already hot. I set off at 6.00am,following the trail with blue markings, heading forZawrat Pass. I was not alone on the trail. The PolishTatras are notoriously crowded and everybodycomplains about the ‘bloody tourists.’ I was notcomplaining, however. As I was going to walk solo overone of the most difficult trails in Poland, I wantedsome people around me. After all, it was going to be achange from hiking in the Nephin Begs!

After half an hour, I passed a small lake, Czarny StawGąsienicowy (1,624m), and then started to climb

➤ Justyna Gruszczyk isa visual artist, a memberof Westport Hillwalkersand a member of PTTKGronie MountaineeringClub in Radlin, Poland.She is based in CountyMayo.

Pho

togr

aph:

Jus

tyna

Gru

szcz

yk

38 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2021

Above: Mapshowing OrlaPerć trail.Justyna’s routefirst appears onthe map to theright of the mainlake, Czarny StawGąsienicowy, inthe upper leftcorner

Below: Czarny StawGąsienicowy

towards the pass. A stone landed one metre fromwhere I was standing. I looked up to find a herd ofmountain goats high on the wall above me. It wastime to put my helmet on. As I climbed up towardsZawrat, I also put my gym gloves on. The way up washidden in a deep, cold shadow. The chains were dampand cold, and the stones wet and slimy. I was carefulbut fast. At 8.00am, I arrived at Zawrat Pass (2,159m),between the two valleys, Gąsienicowa and DolinaPięciu Stawów, and where the Orla Perć trail startsalong the ridge.

This section of Orla Perć hasred markings and is one-wayonly. I did meet some otherpeople on the trail. After somewalking, I arrived at one of themost notorious places on thetrail, the ladder. The weirdthing about it was that it ledstraight down to a precipiceand required a big step to theleft when getting off it.

When I reached Mały KoziWierch (2,291m), the highestpoint on the route, I took abreak. My gloves did not covermy fingers and the skin onthem was already itchy andworn.

After my break, I got to whatI think is the best place on thetrail, Żleb Kulczyńskiego,where a harder route up from

Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy joins Orla Perć. There is atwenty-metre chimney leading up to CzarnyMniszek below the Black Cliffs. It was a beautifulscramble. Upper body strength is required to use thechains there, to pull up on. It seemed quite short –too short, in fact! It was a great scramble and I wishit could have been longer.

I came to the first difficulty on the route for me,going down a little chimney. My legs were too shortto reach the bottom. I climbed back up andsearched for another way down, a Plan B. Plan B,however, was even less safe, so I went back to thechimney and tried again. “Grow!” I moaned at mylegs and, somehow, they listened! As I stretched, thetips of my toes finally touched the ground.

Eventually, the strategy of searching for chimneysand bridging them to descend turned against me.

Map

: EM

eczK

a. P

hoto

grap

h: J

usty

na G

rusz

czyk

➤

Irish Mountain Log 39Spring 2021

THE ORLA PERĆ IS ONE OFTHE MOST DIFFICULT TRAILSIN THE POLISH TATRA

I chose another chimney, but it was unclimbable. I hadmissed some pretty obvious steps beside it. I neededto go back up again but, as I looked up, I saw a large,male boot twenty centimetres from my face. “Stop!” I yelled. The owner of the boot, who apparently hadforgotten to check if there was anybody below him,looked down, surprised.

I was already walking in a little group of fellow-hikerswhen we arrived at another famous scary place onthe trail, the ‘step over a precipice.’ It was perhaps ametre wide and a couple of metres deep, and had achain across it. It posed a psychological rather than atechnical difficulty and, in fact, it could be walkedaround.

When I reached Skrajny Granat (Extreme Granaty)(2,225m) at about 2.00pm, I took the trail off the ridgeback down to Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy and thenreturned to the Murowaniec Refuge in perhaps ninetyminutes. That evening, other people in my dormitorytold me that the second part of the trail was muchmore challenging. There were no steps in places andthe rock was flaky in places.

On Day 2, I was back on the trail at 6.20am. To startwith, I walked with a climber, but we came to ajunction where he turned right towards his rock and Iturned left, back up to Extreme Granaty, to continueon Orla Perć. When I got there at soon after 8.00am,there was no one else around. I was alone on one ofthe most crowded trails in the Tatras!

Clouds gathered over the refuge in Five Lakes Valleyand I started wondering why I was alone. Had I missedsomething, like a bad weather forecast? I had checkedit on three different websites but had no personalexperience of the weather in the Tatras, as this wasonly my third time hiking there. I walked carefully butquickly, waiting for the difficulties to arrive. I was toofocused on the route to even take my camera out.


HIGH TATRAS

Above left: TheOrla Perć pathascending thepeaks of MałyKozi Wierch(2,291m), thehighest point onthe trail

Above right:Czarny Mniszek

Below: ZadniGranat

I did not want the bad weather to catch up withme. I was alone. I could not see or hear anyoneelse, only a deafening silence, with masses of air allaround me. The air seemed to be pressing downon me. In the end, it was not so different from theNephin Begs!

Suddenly, I arrived at Krzyżne Pass (2,112m), theend of the trail. I had not come across any of thepredicted difficulties. It was 9.30am and I hadfinished Orla Perć. All I needed then was to getdown to the Murowaniec Refuge, again following atrail with yellow markings, which took about twohours.

With the other girls from my room, I checked the

Pho

togr

aphs

: Jer

zy O

pioł

a (M

ały

Kozi

Wie

rch)

, Cza

rny

Mni

szek

(Cza

rny

Mni

szek

), Ju

styn

a G

rusz

czyk

(Zad

ni G

rana

t)

weather forecast. A lady inreception said it would rain at3.00pm the next day. Someonechecked another forecast: also rainat 3.00pm next day. I was trying tomake a plan to do something onthat day, my last at Murowaniec. Alittle voice in my head said “Don’tbe greedy” and I decided to listento it. I had done all that I hadplanned to do. In the end, my planfor the next day was simple: a shortwalk to the final station of thecable car at Kasprowy Wierch(1,987m), a quick break to use thewi-fi there and then I would go down. It should takeme four hours in total.

I was on the trail by 9.00am. The weather wasworse and I was walking in fog. I reached the stationat Kasprowy in one hour. I sent my family somephotos and then I went down. I walked as far asLiliowe (1,952m) and then the rain started. “Odd,” Ithought. “It is only midday. I should have had threemore hours.” I descended by the shortest route,walking as quickly as was reasonable. Half an hourlater, I heard the first distant thunder. As Iapproached the refuge, there was the full blast of athunderstorm around me, but I was already safe.

In the refuge, all of the phones suddenly startedringing, except mine, because I had no coverage. Thebuilding vibrated with the cacophony. Peopleanswered their phones, all saying the same things.“Yes, I’m alive.” “Yes, I’m safe.” “What happened?” Iasked the nearest person. “Lightning hit Giewont(1,895m) and people wereelectrocuted. Some werekilled. A lot of them fell offthe trail and they are stillsearching.”

The refuge filled upquickly and, with the newpeople, more news arrived.Five people were dead andmany more were injured ormissing. Then I realised thatI had sent emails earliersaying that I was safe fromthe top of a mountainlocated only five kilometresfrom Giewont. My familymay now be thinking that Iam dead or missing. Iquickly found a way to senda text to my brother andthen I listened to the news.

The thunderstormresulted in the biggest


Above: View fromSkrajny Granatwith Wołoszynand the SlovakTatra in thebackground

Below: The author on the summit ofŚwinica in theTatra Mountains

search and rescue in the history of the TatraVolunteer Search and Rescue. One hundred and fifty-seven people had been electrocuted, some of themrepeatedly. Among the five who had died, two werechildren. One hundred and eighty rescue workers andfive helicopters were involved in the rescue operation.

Was it avoidable? It is hard to say. The trail onGiewont was crowded and it is a difficult route, withchains. The forecast wasn’t very good, but theweather wasn’t like the usual thunderstorm pattern. Itwas just foggy. Another factor was that Giewont is thePolish Croagh Patrick and people climb it for reasonsother than just climbing a mountain, so some of themare not well prepared, and there are also often toomany people on the route at the same time. Whatcertainly would help is if some of them started earlierto reduce the crowding on the trail. There werelessons to be learned and, for me, it means no morelie-ins till 5.00am! ■

Pho

togr

aphs

: Jus

tyna

Gru

szcz

yk (x

xx),

A So

lich

(Jus

tyna

on

Świn

ich)

WHEN LIGHTNINGHIT GIEWONT, A GREAT MANY PEOPLE WEREELECTROCUTED

Spring 2021

ROCK CLIMBING

STARTING ROCK CLIMBINGEvery chess master was once a beginner!

Above: Audrey’sfirst boulderingtaster: the newMeelmore BoulderCircuit in theMournes

Below: Abseilingon Cruit Island, CoDonegal, with IainMiller

A fter hiking on the highest peaksin Ireland and Britain, the nextmove was to start conqueringEurope. A Mont Blanc trip wasbooked, but unfortunately, dueto the Covid-19 pandemic, it had

to be cancelled. It was time to focus onIreland again and especially the beautifulnorth-west.

My friend Teresa Brennan and I decided wewould do a kayaking trip around Owey Islandin County Donegal with Iain Miller of UniqueAscent. However, what we didn’t know wasthat the afternoon would change our lives.We thought the day would be spent exploringthe island, but Iain had other plans. He tookus to Cruit Island instead and said we weregoing to go rock climbing!

We had never rock climbed before. Iaindescribed climbing as a game of physicalchess, and I certainly felt that I was a pawnthen. The first climb involved an ascent of whatlooked like an impossible slab of granite. However, onfurther examination, you could see little crevices toput your feet into. and rock edges on which to pullyourself up. We wore helmets and were secured by arope tied onto harnesses that we wore, so there wasreally no fear of falling, which is half the battle.Reaching the top was exhilarating and we wereliterally and physically on a high! It was like capturingthe Queen on your fifth move in chess.

For our second ascent, we opted for a climb thatwas somewhat easier but made a little scarier by thewild Atlantic waves crashing below. We did a thirdclimb, which was equally challenging, yet achievable,and then called it a day. Even though I am a runner, Ifound the climbing physically demanding, as I was

using my upper body strengthmore than I would have been usedto.

As fate would have it, shortlyafter this adventure, an ‘Intro toRock Climbing’ event popped upon Facebook with Conall ÓFiannachta’s Carraig Climbing inour home town of Sligo. Wejumped at this and bought someclimbing shoes in Call of the WildSligo, in preparation. I found it justas scary as before, climbing on atwenty metres’ high slab, but itgave an equally super feeling ofaccomplishment when we got tothe top. We learned how to tie afigure-of-eight knot and weclimbed three different routes.

We really were getting the bug bythis stage, so we bought some

more gear, a helmet and a harness each, and didanother Intro to Climbing with Conall.

After this, we started searching for climbing coursesand, next, we went to Kerry to do a ‘Climbing forBeginners’ course with Kerry Climbing, run by Piarasand Catherine Kelly. We were hooked by then and,when we returned to Sligo, we booked a lesson withCarraig Climbing on setting up climbs. Then, looking tothe long term, we invested €700 between us in somemore equipment that we were advised we would need.

➤ Audrey Elliott is a memberof Sligo Mountaineering Club.She is a keen mountaineerand also enjoys trail runningand orienteering. Following anintroduction to rock climbingin Donegal last year when theCovid-19 restrictions wereeased, she is now anenthusiastic rock climber,climbing at Scalp na gCapallin County Sligo every week,dry or wet! P

hoto

grap

hs: A

udre

y El

liott

Col

lect

ion

A kayaking trip to Owey Island in Donegal in August 2020 was the beginning of a newadventure in rock climbing for Audrey Elliott and a friend. We follow as the raw beginnersmake the right moves towards their goal of being able to climb independently

42 Irish Mountain Log


Above left:Audrey’s firstindependentclimb at Scalp nagCapall, Co Sligo

Above right:Setting up on topof Scalp nagCapall in the OxMountains

Below: Scalp nagCapall topo

A week later, Mountaineering Irelandannounced events for women, run bywomen, as part of European Week ofSport. We began with an ‘Intro toBouldering’ with rock climbinginstructor Claire Hardy, on SlieveMeelmore in the Mourne Mountains,and absolutely loved it. A boulderingmat will be our next purchase, whenour funds are replenished.

As part of these European Week ofSport events, Teresa and I also spent amorning climbing in Dalkey Quarrywith Mountaineering Ireland’s TrainingOfficer, Jane Carney, and their Womenin Sport Coordinator, Ania Bakiewicz.There were two climbs set up and Iwent for the harder one first. It was thefirst time I had failed. I could not seehow to make the move to gain height.People down below were giving meinstructions and encouraging me todo it, but I could not understand theway to make the move. I was stretched out, holding on,and time was passing. I could feel that I was gettingweaker and weaker, and then, finally, I had to comedown. It was funny, because that morning I had said toTeresa that I was not feeling confident that day.Truthfully, I was probably feeling fear and letting itabsorb me.

After this experience, I went to do the easier climb,but returned later to try the harder one again. I studiedhow others made the move. It involved a techniquethat was called ‘smearing.’ You use smearing when youdo not have an actual foothold, so you rely on yourshoe’s rubber for friction on the rock. I reached for agood handhold and smeared my feet against the rockas I moved up. It was such a relief to make the move,as it really would havebugged me all the way homeif I hadn’t tried it again.

We now had greaterconfidence and, with our newequipment, we couldconcentrate on becomingindependent climbers, whichwas our ultimate goal. Settingup our first independentclimb took us well over anhour, after consulting imagesand videos we had takenduring our lesson. Finally, wecompleted three climbs each(albeit on the same route)and were overjoyed to havesuccessfully set up andclimbed independently. Wehad come a long way in lessthan two months. Wecouldn’t even hug each otherand had to do a not-so-exciting elbow bump.

Teresa and I now climbevery week, climbing on Scalp

na gCapall in the Ox Mountains, dry or wet! If wedon’t go climbing at the weekend, we take a half-dayoff work just to climb. When I do climb, I just want todo more and more. However, each time I startclimbing, the fear does not go away: I get a feeling ofdread and ask myself, “Why am I doing this?”

However, after I start to move on the rock, my innerstrength returns and I feel I can take on the world!

If you are looking for something daring to do, rockclimbing will take you out of your comfort zone andchallenge your body and your mind. It will also giveyou a mental boost that will last for days, and anitchy feeling of the need to return.

Checkmate! ■

Pho

togr

aphs

: Aud

rey

Ellio

tt C

olle

ctio

n

DIVERSITY IN THE OUTDOORSNeruja Srikantharajah discovered her true inner strength through mountaineering

Above: Day 11 on the Tourdu Mont Blanc‘Where are you from?” When I

hear that question, I normallyhave to gauge the personasking it before answering. I know what people are asking,but it is just such a difficult

question for me to answer. It’s not just about thecolour of my skin; I have a story to tell.

I am Tamil, but my parents fled the war in theirhomeland, Sri Lanka, and went to live in Paris, where I was born. The first language I spoke was Tamil, but Ialso speak French and hold a French passport. Mychildhood started in France, I went to school there,and a lot of my family still live there.

However, my parents moved to London when I wasnine so that my brother and I could have an Englisheducation. I lived in London for fifteen years, where Ialso went to university. I got dual citizenship eightyears ago and, therefore, I am also British.

So, what I actually still say when I am asked where Icome from is: “London.”

My parents’ focus was always on providing theirchildren with a better life than they had. They workedhard to get us educated, and were very protective. Asmembers of the South Asian community in London,we faced racism and, as a girl, I was vulnerable.

I discovered the mountains when I moved to theLake District ten years ago for my first job, as anengineer. The change was massive. I was now a Tamilwoman in a white-dominated area, in a jobdominated by white men, away from what had beena more diversified community in London.

The first mountain I climbed was the highest peakin England, Scafell Pike (978m). I didn’t really knowwhat I was taking on and, since ignorance is bliss, Ibraved it out. What stuck in my mind was howintimidated and out of place I felt at that time. It tookme a further three years to really embrace theoutdoors.

The first time I really noticed the lack of diversity inthe outdoors was on the Tour du Mont Blanc. I metso many amazing people while hiking the eleven daysof the route through France, Italy and Switzerland

➤ Neruja Srikantharajah is an outdooradventurer, hiker and climber. She is amember of Mountaineering Ireland and theBritish Mountaineering Council. She joinedthe Feel Good Factor Club, based in CoDown, in September 2020 and she hopes tocomplete her Mountain Leadership trainingin Ireland. She has started an Instagrampage, @so_little_a_time, to promotediversity in the outdoors.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Ner

uja

Srik

anth

araj

ah C

olle

ctio

n

REGARDLESS OF HOWFRIENDLY EVERYONE WAS,THERE WAS NO ONE ELSEWHO LOOKED LIKE ME

DIVERSITY


Above: Day 6 of 8on the O Circuitin Torres delPaine NationalPark, Patagonia

Below: Standingon the summit ofCotopaxi volcano,at 5,897m, inEcuador

but, regardless of how friendly everyone was, therewas no one else who looked like me.

I subsequently trekked the O Circuit in Patagonia’sTorres del Paine National Park in Chile over eight days,camping every night and carrying all my ownequipment and food. It is as dramatic as it appears inthe pictures you see in the magazines, and it is aswindy as they say it is. I struggled to move on certainsections of the hike, getting blown backwards by thestrong winds. There were nights when I thought thetent would collapse, and nights when I wore

everything to keep warm. Despite all of that, theexperience was a very special one. On that trek, Irealised that I am stronger than I think and thatdreams can come true, if we can find it in ourselvesto pursue them. However, when I looked around me,once again I didn’t see anyone that looked like me.

By far the hardest thing I have done so far in mylife was to summit the volcano Cotopaxi in Equador,standing at 5,897m. It tested my mental ability toreally trust in myself and to realise that it wouldn’tbe my body that stopped me from reaching the

Pho

togr

aphs

: Ner

uja

Srik

anth

araj

ah C

olle

ctio

n

➤



summit, but my self-belief. For the first time in mylife, I trusted myself when others doubted me. Irealised that sometimes it is too easy to give up anda lot harder to have the energy to prove the doubterswrong. This was an experience which left meexhilarated, but also humbled by how difficult it wasto hike at altitude.

I was one of only two women in a group of sixpeople attempting to summit Cotopaxi that time. Iwas excited by the prospect, but also nervous, as Iwas the only brown woman there and I felt it would

Above: Exploringthe MourneMountains

Below: Switching to moreappropriate shoesfor a boulderingsession atMurlough Bay, Co Antrim

be assumed that I was the weakest person in thegroup. I feel this is an automatic assumption thatpeople make based on how society portrays us, notone that is spoken out loud, but one that can be felt

– a silent judgment.I moved to Northern Ireland in July

2020 and, naturally, I wasapprehensive. I knew about thebeautiful coastline and that surfingwas popular, but I was pleasantlysurprised on my first hike up SlieveDonard, where the mountain meetsthe sea. The Mourne Mountains aredesignated an Area of OutstandingNatural Beauty for good reason.

At Fair Head, it was love at firstsight. I had started climbing a coupleof years previously, but my first evertrad climb was on those striking seacliffs, and it was truly a magicalmoment in my life.

Since then, I have climbed a fewroutes at Fair Head including TheBlack Thief (VS, 4b), The Fence (VS,4c) and Girona (VS, 5a). Thesurrounding beauty alone makes thisa special place to climb, but the factthat I am able to do it makes meproud of my ability, to have defiedP

hoto

grap

hs: N

eruj

a Sr

ikan

thar

ajah

Col

lect

ion

DIVERSITY

MY FIRST EVER TRAD CLIMBAT FAIR HEAD WAS A TRULYMAGICAL MOMENT


Left: Learning to tradclimb at FairHead, Co Antrim

Below: Hiking on Suilvenin the ScottishHighlands,standing at 731m

society’s perceptions and to have discovered allof this on my own.

I have achieved so many things. However, tothis day I fail to give myself credit for thoseachievements. Many of my trips have been full ofadventure and, each time, I have come back abetter and stronger person. I have backpackedaround Australia, New Zealand and across sevenSouth American countries, volunteered inBorneo and road-tripped across the USA,Iceland, Norway and the Scottish Highlands. So,why am I still so apprehensive?

I hope that I will inspire others like me to gooutdoors and into the mountains. It is never toolate. I would like to become the role model that Iwish I had had when I was younger.

My ambition is to encourage diversity inoutdoor recreation, among participants but alsoamong the providers and other staff involved inthe sector. How can others like me feel that theoutdoors is a space for them, if they don’t seethemselves there at all levels?

My dream is to see more people like myselfout in the mountains, but also featured insports magazine covers and represented withinthe leading gear brands advertising material aspart of outdoor culture, and not just as tokenrepresentation. I want people to hear our voices,understand our cultures and values, and seethe changes that will make us feel welcome ■

A NORWEGIAN ODYSSEYPeter Owens finally accomplishes a long-held dream

Above: Approachinganchorage inStefjord, belowthe majesticStetind (1,392m)

Below right: Route sailed fromKinvara, CoGalway, toLofoten, Norway.Return journeyfollowed thesame track

In Ed Webster’s book Magic Islands of Lofoten,this archipelago of islands in Arctic Norway isdescribed as the perfect climbing destination,with beautiful expanses of clean rock risingfrom the sea.

We had acquired a 13-metre sailing yacht, Danú,bought for long-distance adventuring. It was in poorshape and first needed two years of a refit in a yard inGalway. During those grim winter days in theboatyard I would imagine a wild archipelago waitingto be explored, routes waiting to be climbed.

The trip was to be composed of three parts: sailingfrom Galway to Lofoten, climbing what we could, andsailing back home to Ireland.

The crew of four for the outward leg – myself, BarryOwens, Paddy Griffen and Paul Murphy – set sail onDanú from Kinvara, Co Galway, on June 28th. We sailedpast Tory and on to the Hebrides and Shetland and, after14 days, we tied up in Henningsvaer, nestled in thecentre of the Lofoten archipelago. That night, we all sleptwith incredible soundness, only to be awoken by KevPower at 7.30am, knocking loudly on the hull. He had justflown up from Dublin. The last climber, Sean Murnane,had already arrived in Lofoten some time before.

➤ Peter Owens started climbing with KevinStreet (now DIT) Mountaineering Club in1988 and has travelled to many placesaround the globe in search of rock and ice.Despite requests by relatives to grow up anddo something safer, he still gets a thrill fromthe outdoors – from travelling toadventurous places, to pulling hard moveson rock. He is the author of the most recentClimbs in the Burren and Aran Islands rockclimbing guide and lives in Kinvara, CoGalway.

Pho

togr

aph

and

map

: Pet

er O

wen

s

NORWAY


Above: Cloud spills overthe Lofoten chainof mountains andislands

Below: The yacht thatgot them there,Danú, tied up inHenningsvaer,Lofoten

Paul, Barry and Paddy aimed to climb Vagakallen, animpressive peak dominating the skyline aboveHenningsvaer. Although just 943m high, the mountainrises straight from sea level, making it spectacular andextraordinary.

Myself and Kev found Sean camped out in abeautiful spot looking across the sea at Vestfjorden tothe Lofoten chain. We had coffee, geared up and tookin some local rock at Gandalf Crag. By 10.00pm wewere still going, the midnight sun egging us on and on.Finally, close to midnight, and realising that our fingers

were losing skin, we headed back to the boat. Therewe were met by the dusty, parched trio of theVagakallen party, extolling tales of grand vistas,maidens in distress and airy moves. It was still brightdaylight at 3.00am, but the beers flowed as we allsat out on deck, happy with the first day out.

Vestpillaren of PrestenThe next day, we planned to climb the classicVestpillaren, E2, on the famous pillar of Presten. At467m, this majestic sweep of rock rises up from sealevel, and our route took a devious line up cracks andcorners on the right side of the cliff. I led off on thefirst pitch, and thereafter we swapped leads to makeup time. Sean got the famous slanting corner atpitch 9, a fine jamming and layback right-leaninggroove. After a long day, we were at the end of thedifficulties, 12 pitches done.

A few days later we climbed another of the many

Phot

ogra

phs:

Pet

er O

wen

s

THE VAGAKALLEN PARTY HADTALES OF GRAND VISTAS,MAIDENS IN DISTRESS ANDAIRY MOVES

➤


great climbs on Presten, the long and fine Korstoget,6c+, which ran parallel to our previous climb but withsome harder pitches.

South Pillar of StetindWe next planned to climb the South Pillar of Stetind,perhaps Norway’s most famous mountain. At justunder 1,400m, it’s not high, but the South Pillar gives15 pitches up to E2.

In fine weather, we slipped our lines and motoredback out to Vestfjord and eastwards to thespectacular anchorage in Stefjord, with the returncrew of James O’Reilly, John Sweeney and MantasSeskaukis on board. We approached the anchoragein the evening, sailing towards the tiny hamlet at thehead of the fjord, waiting for the depth sounder toregister. Suddenly, the depth shoaled to 10 metres,with our boat almost on shore. We dropped theanchor and killed the engine. Surveying the scene, itwas arguably one of the most idyllic anchorages I hadever seen, with Stetind’s magnificent north facerising directly 1,000 metres above the fjord.

Loaded up with gear, James and I snaked our waythrough the forested lower slopes, which eventuallyopened out onto scree and led towards a giantamphitheatre that formed the east side of Stetind.The route traversed a small snow slope and followeda ramp to the King’s Seat, the start of the South Pillar.

We geared up and led off, the first pitches goingquickly, climbing a shattered slab. Despite its

NORWAY

Left: Barry Owensscrambles upVagakallen

Below: Peter Owens highon the SouthPillar of Stetind

popularity, route finding was difficult, slowing usdown when off the line. James led out up a grooveand made a difficult traverse to the base of a largecorner system above. The corner becameincreasingly steep and, glancing up, I could see theway above was barred by a blank wall. An exciting,blind fumble around the arête led to a steep slaband on to the central part of the pillar. Now theroute finding was easier and the upper pitches clear.Fine cracks led up around an overhanging sectionand, after 15 pitches, we were on the summit.

Unlike sharp alpine pinnacles, Stetind’s summit issurprisingly broad and flat and you could almosthave a game of football up there. We gazed down tothe fjord and to a small speck, Danú, 1,400 metresbelow. The panorama of peaks as far as you couldsee was inspiring; there could be a lifetime ofclimbing to be had in this area alone.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Pad

dy G

riffe

n (B

arry

Ow

ens)

, Jam

es O

’Rei

lly (P

eter

Ow

ens

on S

outh

Pill

ar)

WE SET OUT TO CLIMB THESOUTH PILLAR OF STETIND,PERHAPS NORWAY’S MOSTFAMOUS MOUNTAIN


Return voyageWe now prepared for the voyage back to Ireland.

We stopped briefly at Scalloway in the Shetlands andthen sailed directly to north-west Scotland, a force 9gale coercing us to hove-to on the way. We observedthe sea state and listened to the wind howlingthrough the rig, finding ourselves transfixed and inawe of the surroundings. Like many situations in amountain environment, once you are committed to aroute, there first comes an acceptance of yoursituation and then clarified thinking.

Above: Perfect granitecorners on theSouth Pillar ofStetind

Below: James O’Reilly on the summit of Stetind

When the gale passed, we pushed on, rounding CapeWrath and sailing southwards through The Minch andon to Tory.

The passage, below the cliffs of Sliabh Liag (SlieveLeague), was spectacular; at last, we could point off thewind and ease the sheets, giving a fine sail eastward toTeelin, arriving at 8.30pm on the 7th of August, fourteendays after leaving Lofoten. We tied up alongside theharbour wall and immediately made our way to TheRusty Mackerel for some well-earned pints.

Over 3,000 miles sailed from Kinvara! It’s nice when aplan comes together ■

Pho

togr

aphs

: Jam

es O

’Rei

lly (g

rani

te c

orne

rs o

n So

uth

Pill

ar),

Pet

er O

wen

s (J

ames

O’R

eilly

)


ROCK CLIMBING CHANGED MY LIFE

Anastasija Strizakova describes how she had always struggled with feelings of insecuritybut, when she started rock climbing, it profoundly changed her life

Above: Ecstatic inPatagonia withMonte Fitz Roy inthe background

Below right: AdmiringMontsant rockformations inSpain

For the first twenty-four years of my life, Idid not have any long-term hobbies, ormeaningful interests. I tried many activities,including dancing, volleyball and kitesurfingbut, without any immediate progress, Ialways felt a sense of judgment and

embarrassment, and thus quickly ended everything. I was an insecure, shy and socially awkward personand I struggled with this fear of failing continually, soquitting always seemed like the safer option.

However, my mindset changed when I started rockclimbing. I am grateful for that, because with it camethe realisation that I need adrenaline and adventurein my life in order to feel alive.

I first discovered rock climbing in 2014 at the age oftwenty-four, when I booked a taster session atAwesome Walls Dublin. Even though I wasn’t great at

climbing, I remember being fascinated by it andthoroughly enjoying solving the mental and physicalchallenges of getting to the top of a route.

At the time, I needed a new focus in my life, so Idecided to pursue the sport and work hard to controlmy feelings of insecurity, fear and shyness. A few

➤ Anastasija Strizakova is half-Latvian, half-Ukrainian, and shemoved to Dublin fifteen years ago.She started climbing in 2014 andenjoys all types of climbing, but ismost passionate about outdoor sportclimbing. She loves getting lost innature, hiking in the mountains andswimming in mountain lakes.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Mar

ina

Gon

zale

z M

azza

(Ana

stas

ija in

Pat

agon

ia),

Con

or M

cGov

ern

(Ana

stas

ija a

t M

onts

ant)

ROCK CLIMBING


Above: Tackling the EatIt boulder at FairHead, Co Antrim

Below: Seconding ConorMcGovern on OnReflection, E6 6a,at Ailladie, in theBurren, Co Clare

months later, I noticed drastic improvements in myclimbing and knew that there was the potential foreven more growth. Eager to push my boundaries, witheach new year, I invested more energy and time intoprogressing through the indoor grades, ultimatelyleading up to 7c routes by the end of 2018.

In 2015, I started transitioning to outdoor climbing.With trad (traditional) climbing and bouldering beingthe two main disciplines in Ireland, I began visitingDalkey Quarry, where I learned the basics of tradclimbing. However, I perceived trad lead climbing to beextremely dangerous. Nevertheless, I felt immensehappiness being close to nature. As long as I wasoutdoors, I was happy to just second other climbers ortop rope. It wasn’t long before I started changing mymind and shifting my goals towards leading tradroutes.

With trepidation, I started leading Hard Severe (HS)and Very Severe (VS) routes such as Street Fighter inDalkey Quarry. The more routes I led, the more I wantedto lead. Over time I was leading harder routes likeGargoyle Groove Direct, Blood Crack and Tower RidgeDirect, by practicing the routes first by secondingsomeone else or by using a top rope.

Often, I travelled to places like Ailladie, Fair Head, theMourne Mountains or Glendalough, where I learned tomulti-pitch climb, but I would only lead up to VS. Theunfamiliarity of new crags and routes was stopping mefrom wanting to climb harder grades.

In the middle of all the trad climbing fun, I also wenton some epic bouldering adventures in Glendaloughand Glendasan, at Fair Head and in the Gap of Dunloe,where I was introduced to the art of falling onto crashpads and to mentally challenging top-outs.

Having heard so much about outdoor sport climbing,I soon started traveling to Spain, Sardinia and Croatiawith the aim of improving my outdoor sport climbing

skills. With hard work and enthusiasm, I slowlyprogressed through grades, redpointing my first 6c+ inthe Spanish Sella climbing area in 2017. That is alsowhen I took my first outdoor falls, which taught me abit more about committing to executing a move andnot giving up simply because I thought I might fallmid-move.

Through climbing, I discovered the magnificentnature of the world and the diverse lifestyles peoplelive. It made me realise that I wasn’t satisfied with my9-to-5 office job. I was eager to escape and explorethe world in order to redefine my values, develop newperspectives and establish my priorities.

Consequently, I saved up, quit my job and went solobackpacking around the world.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Clim

bing

Hol

st P

hoto

grap

hy (A

nast

asija

bou

lder

ing)

, Con

or M

cGov

ern

(sec

ondi

ng o

n O

n R

eflec

tion

)

➤


In January 2019, I travelled around the globe fromSouth America to New Zealand, Japan and lastlyFrance, exploring our planet’s various cultures andnatural wonders. There was an abundance of sightsand activities I wanted to experience, so Ideprioritised rock climbing from being my main focusarea. Nevertheless, I still climbed in someunforgettable places like Paynes Ford in New Zealand,Valle De Los Condores in Chile, San Carlos deBariloche in Argentina and Gorges Du Verdon inFrance, where I learned to adapt to new rock typesand to trust complete strangers with my life.

I returned to Ireland in June 2019, right in time forthe trad season. Having enough money and no desireto return to the reality of a full-time job, I decided togo trad climbing around theisland. I visited Ailladie, FairHead, the Mourne Mountains,Muckross Head and OweyIsland, living a simple andminimalistic van life andexperiencing the beautifullines and wonderful energiesof those places. I also venturedover to North Wales,accomplishing more trad goalson crags such as Rhoscolyn,Dinas Cromlech and Gogarth,and in the Slate Quarries.

From the beginning, I knew Iwas physically able to climbmy wish-list routes, but I hadto work really hard onmanaging my headspace. Ihad to put my fears aside,trust my gear and take thefalls. Within three months I

ROCK CLIMBING

Above:Multi-pitching inGorge du Verdon,France

Below:Baking in the sunon Route 32, E26a, at Ailladie

had climbed most of the routes that I had writtendown in my goals journal. The most memorablewere Sunstone, E3 6a, at Ailladie and Left WallDirect, E3 5c, at Dinas Cromlech, North Wales. Atthe end of the season, I led the crux pitch of FaceValue, E4 6a, at Fair Head, which is my highestgraded trad climbing achievement to date.

Additionally, I gained invaluable experience byseconding on some existing harder routes, such asLord of the Flies, E6 6a, at Dinas Cromlech,Northern Exposure, E5 6b, at Fair Head and Very BigSprings, E7 6b, at Ailladie, as well as on a couple offirst ascents, including Lobster Link, E3 5c, on OweyIsland, and Rathlin Red, E4 6a, on Fair Head.

Pho

togr

aphs

: Con

or M

cGov

ern


At the end of the trad season, I still hadn’t run outof money, and I was psyched to continue climbing.So, I headed off in the van again and took the ferryto Spain for some winter sport climbing on theworld-class Siurana, Margalef, Montsant, Chulillaand El Chorro crags. My key goals were to on-sight a7a and redpoint a 7c route.

I recalled my last sport climbing trip to France,when I was fearful and lacking in strength,confidence and self-belief. I wondered whether Iwas physically and mentally strong enough to pull itoff this time. I really wanted to test my limits andfelt that my growth and development in tradclimbing should help me work through the barriers Ihad created for myself previously.

I quickly realised that in order to succeed Ineeded to stay positive, use the correct tactics,always try my absolute hardest and, mostimportantly, believe in myself.

During my four-month trip, I on-sighted several 7aand 7a+ routes, and one 7b on the last climbing dayof the trip (which I’m convinced was a gift from theuniverse). I flashed a few 7bs and redpointed several7b to 7b+ routes. I achieved my 7c redpoint goalwithin the first month of the trip and led three moreshortly after that. I then redpointed two 7c+ routes,after which I started thinking about climbing an 8a.

I wasn’t sure how realistic that was, since I hadonly led two 7c+s, but I decided to try anyway. Threeweeks and nineteen redpoints later, I led my first 8ain El Chorro, a beautiful 38m technical face climbwith the smallest holds I have ever crimped in mylife. I had never invested so much time and energyinto one route, but that high sense of achievementand gratification when clipping the chains at the topin total ecstasy made me appreciate why people dothis. As soon as I lowered off, I was already dreamingabout leading a new one.

With two more weeks remaining, I went toSiurana, where I fell in love with another 8a faceclimb and redpointed it within six days. Anotherglorious fight, which initiallyseemed impossible but whichI eventually climbedsurprisingly smoothly andeasily. I couldn’t believe what Ihad achieved and how much Ihad grown as a climber.Looking back on it now, italmost seems unreal.

Rock climbing hasprofoundly changed my life,turning me into a happier,more confident andcourageous person inconstant search for adventure.It has taught me theimportance of connectionsand relationships with ourliving planet. It has made merealise that only I candetermine the success ofaccomplishing a goal and reapthe rewards of self-fulfilment.

Right: On Very BigSprings, E7 6b, at Ailladie

Below: On Deseo enVida, 8a, in ElChorro, Spain

Climbing at my absolute limit has helped meexperience that meditative focus – flow –and forgetabout life’s worries, which for me is an absolutelyirreplaceable state of being. Through climbing, I striveto create a life that I don’t want to run away from. Iencourage everyone to try out this sport andappreciate the journey it may take you on ■

Pho

togr

aphs

: Tan

ja M

arin

cich

(Ver

y B

ig S

prin

gs),

Con

or M

cGov

ern

(Des

eo e

n V

ida)


Written byRuth Whelan, HillwalkingDevelopmentOfficer

Members’ supportP

hoto

grap

hs: H

elen

Law

less

(mai

n ph

oto)

Here are some ways for hillwalkers and climbers to mind their physical and mental wellbeing

Minding our mental and physicalwellbeing has never been moreimportant. Maintaining positive healthand wellbeing can be more difficult atthis time of continuing restrictions,particularly when we do not have accessto the hills and crags, where we wouldnormally go to rejuvenate and relievedaily or weekly stresses.

There are many factors that caninfluence our wellbeing, such as exercise,diet, sense of belonging, relationships,career, location and sense of purpose.Many of these have been affected by thecurrent situation. The sense of belonging,and the strength we gain when we walkwith our friends in the hills or climbtogether on the crags, is a wonderfulboost to our wellbeing.

We can now look forward to a timewhen we will be able to get out on thehills and crags together again, hopefully inthe not too distant future. Right now,though, in these uncertain times andparticularly during the current lockdown,it is important to take time to assess ourown wellbeing and replace some of our

Mind yourselvesnormal daily or weekly routines with otherpositive means of supporting our mentaland physical health. Here, below, are a fewsignposts to help keep us fit and healthy!

Keep wellThe Keep Well campaign, launched latelast year by the government, aims tosupport people and communities inminding their physical and mental healthover the months of lockdown. It showspeople of all ages how they could better

look after their physical and mentalhealth and wellbeing by adding healthyand helpful habits to their daily or weeklyroutines.

The Keep Well campaign providesguidelines, information and tips on howwe can all make a plan to do things thatcan help us to keep well through thelockdown months. Keep Well builds onthe In This Together campaign, which ranearlier in the year.

Here, below, are the five main Keep Wellthemes.

■ Keeping active Keeping active andgoing outdoors, even during the winter, isimportant to help maintain our physicaland mental health and wellbeing.

■ Staying connected Staying connectedwith people, addressing isolation, andsupporting volunteerism and initiativesthat support person-to-personconnection are all important to our ownwellbeing.

■ Switching off and being creativeSwitching off and being creative or


Hillwalking on Purple Mountain in the Reeks, Co Kerry

By Ruth Whelan

For most of us it has been much toolong since we were able to get outinto our wonderful mountains. As theevenings get brighter, there is now apep in our step with the anticipationof restrictions being eased. The ideaof finally being able to get back outon the hills and crags either has youvery excited or maybe a little bitapprehensive, so here are a fewpointers to help you prepare.

Take time to regain yourfitness and refresh yourskillsThere is no better way to regain yourfitness or build your skills than beingout on the hills and crags. However,after a lengthy break in activity, yourfitness and skills might need a littlebit of extra help.

As well as cardio exercises andwalking long distances (incorporatinghills as much as possible), doing specificexercises – focusing on the muscles weuse for hiking and climbing – can dowonders for our performance.

Mountaineering Ireland’s website andYouTube channel have lots ofinformation and videos to help yourefresh your skills. Check out ‘Tips onreturning to the hills’ for a specific talkon building your confidence and fitnesslevels, by Kathryn Fitzpatrick.

Our staff team members are also onhand to support and provide advicedirectly, so please drop us an email orgive us a call with any questions you mayhave.

ReconnectYes, I am going to mention the “Z” word!Kickstart with a Zoom meeting and re-engage with your walking buddies, clubor groups. Motivate each other by havingan online session. Find out where you areat in terms of fitness, skills and activities,and then make a plan to focus on keyareas.

If you are a member of a club, restassured our clubs are working hard tokeep you safe by following our guidelines,in line with government advice, to helpprotect their members. If you are nervousor unsure about anything, raise it withthe group or a committee member.

Small group sizesWhen we are able to join eachother for exercise in groups again,keep the numbers small and inline with the government’s advice.This will help make parking andthe necessary social distancingeasier, reduce the environmentalimpact and allow for easier groupmanagement. This will also helpleaders build up their confidenceagain, with smaller, moremanageable group sizes.

When the day doesarrive...■ Be Covid-smart Check out ourcurrent guidelines on returning tohillwalking and climbing on ourhome page.

■ Be adventure-smart Askyourself the three key questions:

• Do I have the right gear for the dayahead?

• Do I know what the weather will belike?

• Am I confident that I have the skillsand knowledge for my planned walkor climb?

It has been a few months since youwere out there, so start off easy andknow your limits.

As people start to move again, theremay be more pressure on emergencyservices, so always be prepared tochange your plans to keep safe.

■ And finally... Enjoy the adventure! ■

Spring 2021

learning something new, getting back tonature, or finding other ways to relax, canalso help our general wellbeing.

■ Eating well By nourishing our bodiesand minds, we can develop a betterconnection between the food we eatand how we feel, and positively impacton our physical and mental wellbeing.

■ Minding your mood Equip people withinformation on where to go, if they needsupport. Or link in with your localcommunity helpline to ensure thatpeople can access the support theyneed.

ResourcesSport Ireland and Sport Northern Irelandhave resources and signposts to expertadvice and guidelines, with practical tipsto maintain your mental health andwellbeing.Sport Ireland ‘Be Well’:www.sportireland.ie/covid19/be-wellSport Northern Ireland wellbeing hub:www.sportni.net/wellbeing

Zoom Round the MountainsIf you have yet to see our Zooming Roundthe Mountains online video series, youcan watch a whole range of them on

Mountaineering Ireland’s YouTubechannel or at www.mountaineering.ie.

There are lots of videos there to keepyou entertained, as well as to help youmaintain or brush up on your skills, andmaybe learn something new.

You can get some tips on buildingyour hill fitness and confidence, and youcan learn more about the flora of theuplands and the glacial features of theIrish uplands.

Hopefully these videos will providesome solace and will help you getgeared up and ready for when we getout hillwalking and climbing again! ■

Gearing up to get moving again


Written byHelen Lawless, Access &ConservationOfficer

Access & Conservation

A busy start to 2021


‘Helping the Hills’ upland path network eventOn January 15th, 2021, Mountaineering Ireland hosted an onlinenetwork meeting for people involved in managing uplanderosion on the island of Ireland. Interest was greater thanexpected, with fifty-six participants joining online on the day.

The main input to the event came from the Croagh PatrickSustainable Access and Habitat Restoration Project, withpresentations from the Chairman of the Croagh PatrickStakeholders Group, and from the Croagh Patrick Path Manager.

There was a clear desire for continued networking andinformation-sharing on this topic. A steering group is beingformed to progress this. A recording of the event is available onwww.helpingthehills.ie.

Review of access legislation in Northern IrelandThe Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs inNorthern Ireland is currently undertaking consultation regardingaccess for outdoor recreation in Northern Ireland.Mountaineering Ireland, along with other members of theNational Outdoor Recreation Forum, is proposing that a newOutdoor Recreation Bill be introduced to provide a betterlegislative framework to support the development of outdoorrecreation in Northern Ireland. The bill would make it clear that:

● access to the countryside for the purpose of recreationmust be exercised responsibly and sustainably, and

● access to private land should principally be throughagreement with landowners.

Watch out for public consultation on access for outdoorrecreation in Northern Ireland over the coming months. A strongresponse will help move this forward.

Blackstairs and Wicklow windfarmsMountaineering Ireland recently made submissions in responseto planning applications for two commercial windfarms, whichraised concerns due to their siting and scale. One is onCroaghaun, north of Mount Leinster in the BlackstairsMountains, and the other is on Kilranelagh Hill in the Glen ofImaal, Co Wicklow.

In both cases, the turbines proposed are larger than any thatwe’re aware of, currently existing on the island of Ireland, and,

due to their location, would intrudesignificantly into scenic landscapesfrequented by hillwalkers.

The Kilranelagh site is particularlysensitive as it is rich in archaeology and ispart of the Baltinglass hillfort complex.

Mountaineering Ireland’s submissionson the Croaghaun and Kilranelaghwindfarms can be accessed on theDownloads page within the Access &Environment section ofwww.mountaineering.ie.

Zoom talks now onlineAs part of Mountaineering Ireland’sJanuary/February series of Zoom events,we had two excellent presentations byphysical geographer Peter Wilson.

The first, titled Glaciation and GlacialFeatures of the Irish Mountains, showedhow glaciers were powerful agents inshaping Ireland’s mountain landscapes.

The second, After the Ice, dealt with thenatural landscape changes that haveoccurred in the mountains since the ice

disappeared about 12,000 years ago.In another presentation, Flora of the Irish Uplands, Russ Mills

from mountaintrails.ie looked at some of the more identifiablewild plants to be seen on Ireland’s mountains.

All three events had attendances of over 200 people, with 255 online for the flora talk.

These talks have been uploaded to Mountaineering Ireland’swebsite and our YouTube channel and are recommendedviewing for all who have an interest in Ireland’s mountainenvironment, especially Mountain Skills and Mountain Leadercandidates.

➠ If you have queries on these, or other aspects ofMountaineering Ireland’s Access and Conservation work, pleasecontact [email protected].

Helen Lawless provides a brief outline of some of Mountaineering Ireland’s Access and Conservationactivities since the beginning of the year.

Frank McMahon (left) and Croagh Patrick Path Manager, Matt McConway, at work onpath repair at Croagh Patrick. Photograph: Michael McLaughlin

Responsible Enjoyment of Special Places with Empathy, Care and Trust

Wildflowers are announcing springacross Ireland’s hills andcountryside and in our urban wildspaces. With Covid-19 restrictingour travel, many of us arediscovering details in our locallandscape that we hadn’t noticedpreviously – including thewildflowers that grow there.

In addition to the intricacies ofthe flower’s structure, many flowershave a relationship with certaininsect species, or we can observehow they respond to the weather.

A bit of Googling will reveal that

every flower species has its ownstory, such as how it got its name,its use in traditional medicine, or itsvalue to wildlife. Not to mentionhow they lift our spirits!

Celebrate the beauty of nature bytaking photos of wildflowers yousee and sharing these with friendsand family or on social media.

➠ For more on wildflowers andtheir stories, visitwww.wildflowersofireland.net orfollow Helen Lawless on Instagramat helen_lawless_mountains ■

Say it with flowers

Developing a National Outdoor Recreation StrategyHillwalkers and climbers are encouraged to participate in consultation on new strategy

Comhairle na Tuaithe, the nationaladvisory body on outdoor recreation, is developing a new National OutdoorRecreation Strategy. This new strategywill set out a vision for outdoorrecreation in Ireland and provide aframework to guide the growth anddevelopment of the sector over thecoming years.

But will that make any difference forhillwalkers and climbers?

Mountaineering Ireland is representedon the Working Group that is developingthe strategy and we have highlighted anumber of issues that we believe shouldbe addressed in the new strategy, asfollows:

■ Benefits There should be a focus onthe very significant benefits thatoutdoor recreation activities bring –including the health, wellbeing andeducational benefits for participants,engagement with the naturalenvironment and local economicbenefit.

■ Increasing numbers It is great to seemore people enjoying the outdoors, butincreased participation in outdooractivities is placing a greater strain onthe goodwill of private landowners,especially in situations where there areno arrangements in place to permit ormanage access. The new strategy shouldinclude a commitment to develop legalmechanisms to balance access forresponsible recreational users witheffective protections for landowners.

■ Investment Meeting the increaseddemand for outdoor recreation in a waythat is environmentally sustainable willrequire continued investment.

Investment is needed in expandedparking, the development of new trails,maintenance of existing infrastructureand interventions to address uplandpath erosion.

We also need more Rural RecreationOfficers and people on the ground tohelp manage activity at busy sites.

■ Responsible recreation There is a

need to build greater public awarenessthat enjoyment of the outdoors comeswith responsibility attached.

Being responsible means planning youractivity, having the skills and equipmentyou need, and engaging positively withthe environment and with other people.

■ National and local The NationalOutdoor Recreation Strategy shouldencourage the development of localoutdoor recreation strategies to guidethe development of outdoor recreation atcounty level. That way, the strategy willhave greater impact for all who enjoy theoutdoors.

➠ You can help Respond to publicconsultation on the development of thenew National Outdoor RecreationStrategy, or [email protected] to share yourideas.

Consultation is due to take place inMay and will be publicised onMountaineering Ireland’s website andsocial media and through our members’ezine ■


Common dog-violet, our most common wild violet, foundon grassy hedgerows, in woodland and on heaths, fromMarch to May. The flower is just 15-25mm across, the planthas dark green, heart-shaped leaves. ‘Dog’ in its name refersto its lack of scent compared with the sweet violet. Thecommon dog-violet is the food plant for the larvae of someof our rarer butterflies. Photograph: Helen Lawless

■ Summer Alpine Meet 2021The 2021 Alpine Meet is planned for Saas Grund, Switzerland,July 4-18th, 2021. The online information evening on 25th ofJanuary attracted a record attendance, with 69 people, albeit all online. This is evidence that alpinists are enthusiastic to getback out there. The event was recorded and is available on thewebsite for anyone to watch. Please spread the word and sharethe link.

■ Online Winter Skills SeriesThe January online Winter Skills Series was a great success,with over 1,400 bookings in eight days and 400+ post-eventvideo views. The Winter Skills Series consists of four 60- to 90-minute webinars, the videos of which are available to watch onthe Mountaineering Ireland website and YouTube channel.

■ Student and Youth Winter Skills SeriesThe Student and Youth Skills Series is free and will take place on April 6th, 11th, 13th and 18th, 2021. This will start with a paneldiscussion and time for Q & A. It will go on to include threewebinar sessions focusing on (1) Hillwalking, (2) Mountaineeringand Scrambling and then (3) Climbing. The series is advertisedon the Mountaineering Ireland website and bookings can bemade via the link or directly through Eventbrite.

Please book for each of the stand-alone sessions that youwish to attend. These sessions are free and open to membersand non-members alike, so please spread the word to yourfellow students and friends and I will make sure there areenough spaces.

■ Self-led movie night and socialWhy not select and watch a video or the live session with yourfellow club members? Then you can get together on Zoom tohave the post-video analysis with your fellow mountaineers ormembers of your club.

Maintaining friendships and socialising has never been sodifficult and important, and we all need help to stay sane inthese times. Like any good book club, you don’t have todiscuss the book, but it can be a good starting point!

■ Please consult the Mountaineering Ireland website,www.mountaineering.ie, for more info, to book or for updates ■

News for members

Training

Jane Carney reports on training news and events run by the Training Office

Forthcoming meets

Written byJane Carney, Training Officer

Training opportunities■ First-aid skillsWhile Mountaineering Ireland does not administer first-aidcourses, it does share information on how to access first-aidtraining. All too often a near-miss or incident makes you aware ofthe need for more training, and it highlights the desire to be ableto do the right thing in the event of an incident or accident. Pleasesee details of first-aid provision at: www.mountaineering.ie/TrainingAndSafety/FirstAidforAwardSchemes.

The first-aid providers can deliver bespoke or certificationcourses to suit your needs, and online provision may be possible.

■ Training grant applicationsPlease submit your applications for the June-December period. Atthis stage, the ‘skills fade’ we are all experiencing needs addressingwith a kickstart, and accessing grant support is an ideal way toaccess a qualified trainer to support your training needs.

■ Training awards, registrationRegistrations remain open, but courses have ceased to run due togovernment restrictions. We are back to exploring our areas of 5-kmradius in the Republic or 10-mile in Northern Ireland, for recreation.Providers and leaders enjoyed a brief period of return to coursedelivery, which we hope will be the case again shortly. Participantsand candidates will again need to wait for a return to the mountains.Please see the growing suite of skills videos on the training pages ofthe website, to keep up your knowledge or to refresh ■


While reflecting on the year that has been, it would be easy toforget the benefits and positives of spending less time in mycar and more time with my children, exploring my local area,being outside in nature, and much more. The days arestretching out, it’s getting lighter, and our senses are

heightened and alert to changes in weather against ourfamiliar 5-km backdrop. It reminds me of my first divingexperience and the childlike fascination on first seeing thisnew world right under my nose.

I wonder about the reflections I might make next year?

A reminder to self to be patient, kind, positive and thankful!

Brief notes■ Please see the newly launched Happy Hikers leaflet, formerlythe Walk Safely leaflet, on the website.■ Please continue to share the AdventureSmart message aboutthe three questions to ask yourself before venturing out on thehills with those less experienced than yourself in the outdoors.■ Please continue to observe the Covid-19 restrictions updateson the website.■ Thank you for continuing to provide those newer to theoutdoors with positive role models for responsible recreation,particularly in relation to: •Taking home your litter • Leavingno trace • Camping responsibly • Parking considerately •Route selection • Being equipped • Checking the weather •Learning the skills.■ Please continue to help share the messages, good practiceand good example ■

News for providers■ Due to the current Level 5 lockdown in the Republic, with therestriction to essential travel within a 5-km radius of your home, andthe current restrictions in Northern Ireland, delivery of the NGBawards, instruction and leadership have ceased on the island ofIreland, with specific exceptions.

I would again like to thank all providers for their cooperation andsupport during this prolonged cessation of work. We will continue tosupport providers and candidates, pending their return to businessand training in the future. The Training Office will continue to monitorthe situation as it develops.

■ Protocols during Covid-19Please see the latest guidance on the Mountaineering Ireland websiteand check update emails.

■ Move to the MTUKI Candidate Management System (CMS) fortraining course reportingProviders are to continue to use the existing reporting system untilthe go-ahead to switch is given.

■ Safeguarding Level 1 refresherA reminder to providers to complete the online Safeguarding Level 1refresher before your certificate lapses.

The link has been sent out to you all. Safeguarding Level 1 has beencompulsory since March 2018, so certificates are likely to be runningout. There is also good news that the full course can be deliveredonline by our Hillwalking Development Officer, Ruth Whelan, if youhave lapsed or are a new trainer ■


Please contact the Training Officer, Jane Carney, withany training queries, on 01 625 1112 or 01 625 1115 ■

Stay safe out there!

Call to action■ Mountain Training Board Ireland is preparing for the next StrategicDevelopment Plan and is seeking expertise to support a number ofworking groups. The topic areas are diverse and include:

• Gender and diversity • Providers and pathways • Environment

• Partnership-working •Quality of workforce and continueddevelopment • Potential new wave of participants and pathways

•Mentoring • Collaboration • Development of the idea of anetwork •Youth • Communication strategy.

Please contact the Training Officer, Jane Carney, on 01 625 1112 or 01 625 1115, to express your area of interest.

• 6th April Online Student & Youth SkillsSeries, 1. Panel Discussion/Q&A, 7-8.30pm

• 11th April Online Student & Youth SkillsSeries, 2. Hillwalking, 11am-12.30pm

• 13th April Online Student & Youth SkillsSeries, 3. Mountaineering/Scrambling, 7-8.30pm

• 18th April Online Student & Youth SkillsSeries, 4. Climbing, 11am-12.30pm

• May Skills Workshops (TBC)

• 8th June Online MTBI Meeting

• 26th June Online MTUKI Meeting

• 4-18th July Summer Alpine Meet, Saas Grund, Switzerland

• September Skills Workshops (TBC)

• 19th September Online MTBI Meeting

• 13th November Online MTUKI Meeting

• 30th November Online MTBI Meeting

Please see the website for events and bookings orcontact the Training Office for further details.

Please book early!

All events depend on what is permitted under the latest government guidance on Covid-19.

Key dates 2021

Online Skills SeriesStudent and Youth

Sundays April 2021

on Zoom

Books

The Summit, Mountainviews’2020 annual (their sixth), looksvery professional in lay-outand is packed with attractivephotos. Continuing with theirtrademark online ethos, this64-page publication isavailable as a download fromthe Mountainviews website,www.mountainviews.ie.

The annual includes aboutten hillwalking accounts ofvarious lengths, four technicalarticles relating to mapping,navigation and history, plus areport from theMountaineering IrelandHillwalking Committee. If youthought that Mountainviewswas all about day walks, Irishmeasurements and lists, some

of these articles will cause youto reconsider.

With the year that is in it,Covid was part of our life, somany of the articles tend toreflect the restrictions towhich we were all subjected. At home in Ireland, a greatvariety of interesting walkingis presented, from the farwest of Donegal, to lowlandrambles in the midlands, toDingle and Killarney in thesouth-west, and on to thesuperb Eskatariff horseshoe inCounty Cork.

Further afield, lengthypieces on the Thorong-Latraverse on the AnnapurnaCircuit in Nepal, on a Cornishcoastal walk, and encouraging

walkers to visit France, all withsumptuous photos, will haveus all travelling abroad as soonas we are able to do so.

Many Irish hillwalkers havehistorically been reluctant tovisit the Alps due to theperception that it is all aboutropes, crampons and ice axes,but the writer recommendsmany venues where a pair ofwalking boots and a sun hatare more the thing.

Altogether, a very worth-while read.

Margaret Tees Hillwalker,mountaineer and a member of theNorth West Mountaineering Club.She has ‘compleated’ the Munrosin Scotland and more recently hasbeen taking on the Corbetts, alsoin Scotland

Mountainviews 2020 annual packed with great articles

THE SUMMIT:MOUNTAINVIEWS ANNUALNUMBER 6, 2020By Mountainviews.ie64pp, numerous photos, ppbk.Download it free from the websitewww.mountainviews.ie.

his life, which does justice tothis ‘high achiever.’

The biography takes us fromTyndall’s early days inLeighlinbridge near Carlow tohis theories on glaciers, hisinnovative research on crystalstructures, radiant heat andgases, and to his mountain-eering successes. His work onradiant heat and gases alertedthe scientific community tothe effect of greenhouse gaseson climate.

He went to England in hisearly twenties and quicklyclimbed the social ladder there,exchanging ideas andbecoming friends withluminaries such as ThomasHuxley, Michael Faraday andAlfred, Lord Tennyson.

It seems that it was Huxleywho sparked Tyndall’s interestin the movement of glaciers,when they spent time togetherin the Alps. Tyndall’s work inthat area prompted him tomake further trips to the Alps,where he started exploring andmaking first ascents. Heenjoyed the freedom thatmountaineering gave him and,while initially linked to his

research, it soonbecame an end in itself.

Tyndall made the firstascent of theWeisshorn in 1861, butEdward Whymper beathim to making the firstascent of theMatterhorn, which theyhad both attemptedbefore Whympersucceeded in 1865, theend of the golden ageof mountaineering.After Whymper’ssuccess, Tyndall wasthe eighth to climb theMatterhorn, when he made thefirst traverse of the mountainthe following year, climbing upfrom Breuil and back down toZermatt.

Tyndall became a notedlecturer and author, with manybooks and papers to his name.A paper that he produced onthe structure and motion ofglaciers was very well receivedby his peers.

Tyndall’s interest inmountaineering and work inthe physical sciencescontinued throughout his life,and he returned to the Alps

annually until 1890. He died in1893, sadly from an overdose ofmedicine administeredaccidentally by his wife, Louisa.

The author, Roland Jackson,is well qualified to write thisfascinating and authorativebiography of Tyndall, which Icertainly enjoyed reading. Thebook is clearly well-researchedand Jackson acknowledgesnumerous sources, includingKevin Higgins from TyndallMountaineering Club.

Patrick O’Sullivan Editor of the IrishMountain Log

Irishman who reached heights in science and climbing

THE ASCENT OF JOHNTYNDALL: VICTORIANSCIENTIST, MOUNTAINEER,AND PUBLIC INTELLECTUALBy Roland JacksonOxford University Press (2018), 556pp, 16pp photos, 26 images, £25, ISBN 978-0-19-878895-9

John Tyndall (1820-1893),scientist and mountaineer, wasclearly a very impressiveindividual. Surprisingly, this isthe first biography about himsince the first was publishedseventy-five years ago.However, this book is certainlya substantial andcomprehensive examination of


Pho

togr

aphs

: Seá

n Ly

sagh

t

Exploring the landscapes and rewilding in the Nephin Beg Wilderness in County Mayo

He compares the “importedpicturesque” form of NorthAmerican-style forestedwilderness with the wide openspaces of the river catchmentsand the mountain tops, andconcludes that “the idea ofrestoration [is] entirelyproblematic. If you were tryingto restore the great flowpeatlands of the Bog of Erris,you would be faced with theimpossible task of removing theentire forest.” So, better to leave

WILD NEPHINBy Seán LysaghtStonechat Editions (2020), 281pp,€20, ISBN 978-0-9568918-4-6

Wild Nephin is Seán Lysaght’ssecond collection of proseessays, following on from EagleCountry (reviewed in IrishMountain Log 126). In this newwork, he quarters the WildNephin Ballycroy National Parkand environs in County Mayo,and describes a series ofwinter excursions to thisremote area.

Accompanied by fishermen,falconers, farmers and friends,he conveys elements of theNephin Beg mountain range tothe reader in an elegant andeasy-going style. Always a keenobserver of nature, he excels inthe avian and botanicalspheres. We are treated toaccounts of greenshanks,grouse, goshawks and geese aswell as his beloved eagles.Trees and plants encounteredin ‘flow country’ (openmoorland) and in theextensively forested parts ofthis ostensibly barren regionare given liberal treatment.

A keen angler, yet reluctanthunter, Lysaght introduces usto some of the hunting andfishing lodges that pepper thisarea and brings us on anocturnal stalk of theTarsaghaunmore River by

Buy nowThis is the book werecommend mosthighly from our spring 2021

reviews

corragh, Glennamong andCorraunabinnia are all in here.

Lysaght’s descriptions of hisascents and descents aremore poetic than your averagehillwalking guidebook prose,and there are passages thatare reflective as well asinformative. Channelling hisinner Nan Shepherd, andname-checking the likes ofTim Robinson and otherwriters in this genre, we get up-close and personal with the mountain terrain and theentrancing qualities of simplybeing and walking.

In Wild Nephin, Seán Lysaghtpays fitting homage to one ofIreland’s finest and least-visited mountain ranges, in amost engaging and readablestyle. I highly recommend WildNephin: it is a most enjoyableread and well worth having inyour collection.

John O’Callaghan Member of ClareOutdoor Club and MountaineeringIreland, experienced hillwalker andmountaineer, widely travelled

Literary EditorPeter O’Neillpresents reviews of some recentlypublished books.

lamplight, to estimate numbersof spawning sea trout.

He is invited to participate insome falconry and providesthe reader with some insightsinto this form of hunting, forsnipe in this instance. Heinvestigates an ancient burialchamber, discovered bychance in the last few years,and manages to convey anexcellent sense of the placethat is now known as WildNephin.

In one of the best-writtenchapters in the book, ‘TheNephin Forest,’ the authorsummarises the National Parksand Wildlife Service’s ‘rewilding’plans for the Wild NephinWilderness area. It concludesthat Wild Nephin is “aconstruct of policy rather thana discovery.”

Conceding that “rewildingcan be either a deliberateoutcome of protection, or a by-product of neglect,” Lysaghthesitates in becoming overlypolemical. Instead, he presentstwo contrasting views of WildNephin: Robert LloydPraeger’s in the 1930s, andAmerican wildlife writerJeremy Miller’s in 2017, i.e., pre-afforestation and then the‘modified landscape’ of today.

well enough alone and let theexisting forest become an“ancient pine and spruce forest”one day.

Already, there are a greatvariety of bird species andother fauna in Wild Nephin, and Lysaght is optimistic there will be more. In the finalparagraph of the book, headvocates retention of thehuman presence in thewilderness area, to provide “a deeper sense of what it is toendure at the edge of things.”

There is plenty for thehillwalker to appreciate in thisbook. Using Barry Dalby’seponymous map as his vademecum, he describes his walksamong the hills and valleys ofthe Nephin Beg mountainrange. Slieve Carr, Birreen-

Forest plantation returning to nature at Srahrevagh in Wild Nephin

View from Mount Eagle lookingtowards Nephin Beg


Books

epitomised the adventurepossibilities in North Wales.

The guidebook has thetypical Rockfax format, with‘traffic-light’ colour-codedgrading, clear descriptions andinspiring photos. Distance,height gain, duration andgeneral terrain details are givenfor all routes. Parking areashave GPS locations and anassociated QR code.

The sections on gear,navigation, scrambling andrope skills are all verycomprehensive – comparableto many books that are purelyinstructional.

The environment section hasgood basic information on rocktype and formations, and also ashort piece on flora and fauna.

A glossary of Welsh words,with pronunciations, gives theopportunity to use greetings orask for assistance in the locallanguage. Translations of Welsh

mountain names, plus featuresand place names, help thereader to develop a greaterunderstanding of the localarea.

The adventures… well, whereto begin? These are wide-ranging, from a first foray intothe magnificent Cwm Idwalwith a 4km hike, to someabsolutely super enduranceoutings. The latter include theWelsh Munros (45km, 3,720mascent) and an interestingscrambling itinerary called theUltimate Oggie 7.

Another incredible adventuredescribed is Snakes andLadders in the now abandonedLlanberis Slate Quarries. TheLlyn Peris Circuit, an ‘Easy’ walk(8km, 250m ascent), also takesa tour through the quarries, buton the main paths.

All the classic routes areincluded, but also some less-travelled ones. A route on my

‘to do’ list now is the CyfrwyArête (Diff), one approach toCadair Idris, i.e., ‘Chair of Idris,’ a warrior poet. Two long ‘Hard’walks to Aran Fawddwy insouth Snowdonia are worthchecking out, and also the‘lonely and remote’ CwmPennant in west Snowdonia.

There are endearing snippetsof Welsh legends aboutdragons, King Arthur, Gelert theHound, an enchanted fairy and bottomless lakes.

This is a perfect guide forfirst-time visitors to Snowdoniaand for more frequent visitors,and is also suitable for mixedinterest groups. I expect mostpeople will find new routes toenjoy in this guide.

Colette Mahon Mountaineer andclimber, a member of WexfordHillwalking and Mountaineering Cluband a member of the Board ofMountaineering Ireland and theWomen With Altitude committee

Hillwalks in Snowdonia to tempt the adventurous

SNOWDONIA: MOUNTAINWALKS AND SCRAMBLESBy Mark ReevesRockfax (2020), 300pp, numerousphotos and maps, £24.95 (ppbk), ISBN 978-1-873341-63-6

Snowdonia Mountain Walksand Scrambles by MarkReeves definitely lifted myspirits when it arrived in thepost a few weeks ago. Thestunning cover photo fromBristly ridge across to Tryfan

The author Robert MadsAnderson’s stories of hisclimbs on Everest are verypersonal memories, thoughrather prosaic in style for hisfirst four attempts. There are alot of repetitive descriptionsof his surroundings on thesefirst attempts, with very littleon planning, etc. The twoexpeditions where he wasguiding (in 2003 and 2010) aremuch more readable, givingthe reader a betterappreciation of a normalEverest expedition.

Robert Mads Anderson wasobviously in his elementclimbing unroped on Everest,making it seem normal andletting the reader feel theterrifying moments when thatline between life and death isalmost crossed. He managesto give the reader a real feelingof what solo climbing entails,

and especially soloing onEverest.

His description of what it islike to be alone in the freezingcold on Everest’s North Faceis fascinating. It obviouslytakes nerves of steel and atotal belief in your own ability to take on a solo climb. Robert had that unique self-confidence, going back timeand time again to put himselfthrough that torture on theseven expeditions where hesolo climbs, and guiding ontwo further expeditions.

I think “nine lives” isunderestimating hisexperiences and, withoutdoubt, luck has played a largepart in his survival.

His recall of climbs iswithout reference to actualdays or dates. We do not getdetails of day-by-day events,but are dropped directly onto

the steep slopes and go fromthere. His description of thefreezing cold conditionsencountered in winter makesus shiver, as it is beyond ourimagination.

If you are a reader of theusual books on commercialexpeditions to Everest, thenthis book may not suit you.However, if you like teeteringon the edge of falling, then you will be on the edge ofyour seat as you read this.

I was hesitant, reading thefirst few chapters, but I gotdrawn in as the climbsprogressed to the finale ofsummiting Everest in 2003.The photographs are alsooutstanding.

Denis Reidy An experiencedmountaineer who has climbed inthe Alps, the Himalayas and theAndes

Edge-of-your-seat accounts of Everest climbs in testing conditions

NINE LIVESBy Robert Mads AndersonVertebrate Publishing (2020), 220pp, many photos, £14.95, ISBN 978-1-83981-037-4

This is not your usual‘commercial expedition’ storywith a saga from planning theascent, getting the teamtogether and acclimatising tothe final hours of summit day.



Hamish MacInnes in action using his own-design ‘Terrordactyl’ ice tools in 1972

The legendary Scottish mountaineer,mountain rescue expert and author,Hamish MacInnes, died peacefully at hishome in Glencoe, in the ScottishHighlands that he knew and loved so well,in November last year, at the age of ninety.

Over the course of his long life, Hamishmade many first ascents and took part inmore than twenty major expeditions tomountains ranging from Everest toRoraima in South America.

He was also prominent in mountainsearch and rescue and has beendescribed as the ‘father of modern

mountain rescue in Scotland.’He designed equipment that

revolutionised both climbing andmountain rescue, in particular an all-metal ice-axe to replace the existingwooden-shafted ones, and a collapsiblestretcher, the eponymous MacInnesstretcher, which is still used today bymountain rescue teams.

MacInnes was a prolific writer, withalmost thirty titles to his name, includingguidebooks, mountain rescue handbooksand novels. His 1972 InternationalMountain Rescue Handbook is stillconsidered a standard text in mountainsearch and rescue, and Call-out: A climber’s tales of mountain rescue inScotland (1973) is an account of hisexperiences leading the GlencoeMountain Rescue Team.

He also worked as a mountain safetyadviser on the sets of a number of big-budget movies, including The EigerSanction and The Mission.

Hamish was awarded an OBE in 1979for services to mountaineering andmountain rescue in Scotland, and wasmade an Honorary Fellow of the RoyalScottish Geographical Society in 2007.He also received honorary doctoratesfrom several Scottish universities.

In 2018, a documentary film wasproduced for BBC Scotland, Final ascent:The legend of Hamish MacInnes.

Renowned amongst mountaineers the world over, in Scotland Hamish’sreputation as a fearless climber wasbased on his audacious attempt to climb Everest in 1953. There were twoexpeditions to the mountain that year,

a well-funded official Britishone, with numerousclimbers, Sherpas andporters, and a second one,led by 23-year-oldMacInnes, with one otherclimber, John Cunningham,and a solitary porter. Beatento Everest Base Camp bythe official British team,which put Hillary andTenzing on the summit,MacInnes and Cunninghamswitched to Everest’sneighbour, Pumori (7,161m).In the end, they were forcedback by avalanches close tothe summit. MacInnesalways maintained that

the attempt was not hare-brained, andthat it was a forerunner of the modern,lightweight expeditions to the GreaterRanges.

Although MacInnes was born inGatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries andGalloway, he was always associated withthe Glencoe area, where he lived for muchof his life, becoming known as ‘the Fox ofGlencoe.’

From an early age, Hamish was a naturalclimber with innate abilities. He climbedthe Matterhorn as a teenager. At eighteen,he did his national service with the Britisharmy and climbed extensively in Austriaand Italy. Back in Scotland, in 1953 heclimbed three impressive winter routeswith Chris Bonington on Buachaille EtiveMòr in Glencoe, Agag’s Groove, Raven’sGully and Crowberry Ridge Direct.

He completed the first winter traverseof the Cuillin Ridge on Skye with TomPatey, and he made the first winter ascentof Zero Gully on Ben Nevis in 1957. He wasalso part of a group, which included ChrisBonington and Don Whillans, that madethe first British ascent of the Bonatti Pillaron the Aiguille du Dru in the French Alps.He was hit by rockfall during the climb and completed it with a fractured skull.

Hamish set up the Glencoe MountainRescue Team in 1961 and led it for morethan thirty years. He persuaded the Britishgovernment to set up the ScottishAvalanche Information Service in 1988.

He returned to Everest three times,including once as deputy leader, underBonington, on the expedition that madethe first ascent of its south-west face in1975.

Hamish MacInnes’ hearse, with twocrossed ice-axes on its roof, passedthrough Glencoe village in his honourbefore he was cremated in Glasgow.

May he rest in peace.

Gerry Burns

Hamish MacInnes: born July 7th, 1930; died November 22nd, 2020

The Last WordP

hoto

grap

hs: J

ohn

Cle

are

(Ham

ish

ice-

clim

bing

)

Hamish MacInnes OBE‘The fox of Glencoe’ – mountaineer, mountain rescue expert, author

Hamish MacInnes in front of Everest and Khumbu Icefall in1975

Peadar Ó Riordán, an experiencedhillwalker and a popular member of theIrish Ramblers Club, passed awaypeacefully in St Vincent’s Hospital at theend of January 2021, at the age of 72.Originally from Cloghane, Co Kerry, helived in Dublin for most of his adult life.

It was with great sadness thatmembers of the Irish Ramblers Clubrecently learned of Peadar’s untimelypassing. He was a very endearing person.

Upon joining the Irish Ramblers Club inaround 1985, Peadar quickly became verypopular. He will be greatly rememberedfor his company and his friendship. Fellow Ramblers were always glad to chatwith him and he was always verywelcoming and supportive to new hikers.As an Irish speaker, he loved engaging inthe ‘cúpla focal’ on hikes.

Peadar walked on the club’s Grade 1walks for well over twenty years but, inrecent years, he walked on the Grade 3+and Grade 3 hikes.

Apart from his participation in thehikes, Peadar contributed greatly to theclub, leading hikes and organising clubweekends away, particularly weekends

that included challenge walks,such as the Glover Highlander,the Galtees and the BurrenWalk. He loved going to theWicklow Heather Restaurantin Laragh after a hike, and thewelcome shown to him bythose who knew him from theother hikes organised that dayrevealed the affection he washeld in.

Apart from hiking in Ireland,Peadar also hiked with theclub in Scotland, Wales andon the continent. He lovedthe long-distance challengewalks and completed many ofthem, many times. Hisfavourite long walks includedthe Art O’Neill Challenge, theLug Walk and the MaamturksWalk. Peadar completed theMaamturks Walk in recordtime – 6½ hours for a walkthat normally takes 10 to 12hours to complete, a greatachievement. The checkpointon the last hill, Leenane Hill,had not opened when he

reached it: the crew were still makingtheir way up from Leenane as hedescended!

Peadar had aprodigious memory andwas able to recall indetail his many hikeshere and abroad, thenames of the mountainsand his hikingcompanions.

His love for themountains and naturecame from his homearea. He was born inCloghane, near the baseof Mount Brandon, andhe loved to go back toKerry and take in MountBrandon. As a youngfellow helping out onthe farm, he sometimeswalked cattle across theConor Pass to the Fair inDingle. Like all Kerrypeople, he was afanatical Kerrysupporter.

In Dublin, Peadar lived close to MarlayPark and, during his retirement, heenjoyed the benefits of the park. Manyother walkers there would stop to sayhello and have a chat with him.

Peadar had a great love of poetry andheld many poetry evenings in his home.One of his poems, Hill Fever, is includedin this issue of The Irish Mountain Log(see page 19). This poem will awakenyour desire to get back to themountains and it is a fitting tribute to Peadar.

In his later years, when he was not asactive, Peadar loved to receive TheRambler and The Irish Mountain Log tokeep up to date with the hikes, newsand articles. He fully intended to renewhis membership for 2021, but sadly, itwas not to be. Peadar passed away onthe 28th of January, 2021, at 72 years ofage. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.

Condolences to Susan, his family andfriends.

Gerry Maguire

Peadar Ó Riordán: born July, 1948; died January 28th, 2021

The Last WordPeadar Ó RiordánHillwalker, poet, accomplished challenge walker and popular member of the Ramblers

Peadar Ó Riordán

Peadar Ó Riordán



Mountaineering IrelandSUMMER ALPINE MEET

July 317th, 2021, Saas Grund, Switzerland

For details see www.mountaineering.ieor contact [email protected]

00353 (0)1 625 1112

SUBSIDISED BURSARY PLACES for 18 to 25yearolds

BA Hons in Geography and Outdoor Education

Learning Through Adventure

www.gmit.ie/outdoor-education

Looking for cool mountain comfort on fast, agile day hikes? With capacities from 18 to 22 litres, the new AirZone Active range is our lightest ever collection of fully ventilated backpacks. www.rab.equipment

Feel the breezeAIRZONE ACTIVE

mountains of the east

Documents