No 88 Winter 2008 ISSN 0790 8008 €3.20 (£2.20)

THE MAGAZINE FOR WALKERS AND CLIMBERS IN IRELAND

www.mountaineering.ie www.berghaus.com

Lead. Don’t follow.

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BERGHAUS and are registered trade marks of Berghaus Limited. ©Berghaus Limited 2008. GORE-TEX® GORE® and PACLITE® are registered trade marks of W.L. Gore and Associates. On the Gleann Chochán horseshoe in the Twelve Bens, Connemara. membership Photo: Adrian Hendroff.

The next five years The Strategic Development Plan 2009-2013

he five-year Strategy of the The MCI intends to capitalise on these dependent on your active engagement. Mountaineering Council of achievements through the appointment The MCI will continue to work in TIreland for 2009-2013 is of a Hillwalking Development Officer with partnership with its members and all included as an insert in this issue of a core focus on developing a range of relevant bodies to promote the Mountain Log. It is ambitious and supports for our club and individual mountaineering in Ireland. has been informed by extensive members whose primary interest is consultation with the membership, hillwalking. This will include increased If you have opinions on the new Strategy partners and key stakeholders. I hope efforts to make the services that the MCI or would like to become involved in its that you will find time to read it and provides of more direct relevance to more implementation, then I would urge you to be able to agree with the strategies members. come along to our AGM which will be listed in the programmes for action. held on Saturday 21st February 2009 at The continued implementation of the the scenically located Knockree Youth Mountaineering in Ireland includes MCI’s environmental policy and support Hostel, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow (see page rambling, hillwalking, bouldering, rock for the work of Leave No Trace will raise 7 for more information). This is your climbing and alpinism. This Strategy sets awareness and appreciation of how we opportunity to have an input into out a clear vision for the future growth can use the uplands of Ireland in a decision-making within the organisation. and promotion of these activities, with a respectful and sustainable manner. major focus on support to members and The MCI Board and staff are committed clubs primarily engaging in hillwalking, At all times the Strategy emphasises how to fully implementing the work set out in together with enhanced support for youth mountaineering activities can contribute this Strategy for the next five years. With participation in our sport. to our quality of life. the continued support of all our members, funding partners and The Strategy will build on the real The Strategy places tremendous stakeholders, I have no doubt that the achievements of the last five years under demands on the MCI. It sets targets MCI will meet the challenges that lie the previous strategic plan. These include which will grow the membership base of ahead. the establishment of our offices at Sport the MCI. This will help place the HQ, the development of a new organisation on a sound financial footing. Ruairí Ó Conchúir organisational structure and the The MCI will continue to place volunteers Chairperson recruitment of highly motivated and at the core of its work. This is your professional staff, including the MCI’s first organisation and its future development ever Chief Officer. is, as has always been the case, www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 3 contents

WELCOME TO... ISSUE 88 The Irish Mountain Log is the membership magazine of the Mountaineering Council of Ireland (MCI). The MCI promotes the interests of hillwalkers and climbers in Ireland.

Mountaineering Council of Ireland Sport HQ, 13 Joyce Way Park West Business Park Dublin 12, Ireland Tel: (+353 1) 625 1115 Fax: (+353 1) 625 1116 [email protected] www.mountaineering.ie

Hot Rock Climbing Wall Tollymore Mountain Centre Bryansford, Newcastle County Down BT33 0PT Tel: (+44 28) 4372 5354 [email protected] Features Editor: Patrick O’Sullivan 22 Christmas Quiz Tel: (+353 1) 837 8166 (pm, wknds) €1,500 in prizes to be won. [email protected] Features Editor: Peter O’Neill [email protected] 24 MCI Summer Alpine Meet Literary Editor: Joss Lynam Tel: (+353 1) 288 4672 (pm) [email protected] 26 Acquiring mountain skills

Advertising: MCI Office Eimear Daly learns to be [email protected] self-reliant. Production: Cóilín MacLochlainn [email protected] Printing: Kilkenny People Printing 28 Ag siúl i La Gomera Tel (+353 5677) 63366 Tugann Seán Ó Fearghail cuairt The Irish Mountain Log is published by ar na hOileáin Chanáracha. the Mountaineering Council of Ireland four times a year – in March, June, September, December. The material 32 Jewels of Connemara published in the Log by the voluntary Adrian Hendroff walks in the editorial team and contributors must not be taken as official MCI policy unless Twelve Bens and the Maamturks. specifically stated.

Copy deadline for the Spring 2009 37 The Coomloughra issue of the Irish Mountain Log is Horseshoe Saturday, February 14th, 2009. Lee Campbell takes on Caher, PARTICIPATION AND RISK Carrauntoohil and Beenkeragh. Readers of the Irish Mountain Log are reminded that hillwalking and climbing are activities with a danger of personal 40 Journey to the South Pole injury or death. Participants in these Kevin Dempsey returns to activities should be aware of and accept these risks, and be responsible Antarctica to walk in the footsteps for their own actions and involvement. of Amundsen and Scott. The MCI publishes and promotes safety and good practice advice and through Bord Oiliúnt Sléibhe (BOS, The Irish 45 A Moroccan winter ascent Mountain Training Board) administers a Deirdre McCarthy climbs North range of training programmes for walkers and climbers. Africa’s highest peak Regulars 6 News 14 IMRA news 48 Training news 52 Access & Conservation news 54 Books 60 The last word

4 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie editorial

Be prepared

“Only the Spirits of the Air know what awaits me behind the mountains, but still I travel on.” – Eskimo proverb quoted by Kurt Diemberger in Spirits of the Air.

e-reading this excellent book by Diemberger recently, I was R struck by the aptness of the proverb which gives the book its name. At one level, it is a reflection on life’s uncertainties and how we have to continue on our journey despite those uncertainties. However, it is also very appropriate when applied to real mountains. There is a great deal of uncertainty in our chosen sport and we must try to make it as safe as possible by reducing that uncertainty and controlling the risks as much as we can.

One way of doing this is to ensure that we are as well prepared as possible and have suitable experience to tackle our objective. In this issue, MCI’s Training Officer, Tim Orr, continues his excellent series about the various mountain training programmes that are available in Ireland. These are currently being reviewed and strengthened by the training boards, Bord Oiliúint Sléibhe (BOS) and Mountain Leader Training Northern Ireland (MLTNI). There is also information about the seasonal meets being organised by the MCI in the coming year so that members can engage in more informal training, learning from others, as well as participating in the more formal courses on offer. As we get to the end of the MCI year, apart from the meets being organised in the coming year, we also have the AGM to look forward to. This year’s AGM will be particularly important as the MCI is about to embark on the new five-year strategy which was recently approved at an EGM during the Autumn Meet in Macroom and in which the focus will be on trying to ensure that the National Governing Body for our sport remains relevant to the membership while enhancing its support for youth participation, providing safe ways into the sport for future generations of hillwalkers and climbers. If you have any opinions on how that should be done, then you should come along to the AGM, which will be held in Glencree on Saturday, February 21st 2009 at the Knockree An Óige Hostel. On behalf of the Editorial Team, the MCI’s staff and the Board of Directors, I would like to wish readers of the Irish Mountain Log a happy and enjoyable Christmas period and that the ‘Spirits of the Air’ will look after you in the hills in the coming year.

Patrick O’Sullivan Editor, Irish Mountain Log

ON THE COVER: Members of the “Last Degree” Changes in the Editorial Team expedition team on their way to the geographic South Rita Connell, News Editor, and Eoin Reilly, Pictures Editor, have both decided Pole in December 2007 with a sun parahelion overhead to stand down from their voluntary posts on the Editorial Team. I would like in the night sky. Photo: Kevin Dempsey. to thank them both very much for the significant contributions they have made to the Irish Mountain Log over the past few years and wish them well in the THIS PAGE: On the Caher ridge heading towards future. Carrauntoohil, McGillicuddy’s Reeks, Co Kerry. Photo: Lee Campbell. Patrick O’Sullivan, Editor www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 5 news

GENERAL ENQUIRIES News [email protected] BOARD OF DIRECTORS Get all the latest news at www.mountaineering.ie President Alan Tees [email protected] New MCI staff members Chairman Ruairí Ó Conchúir [email protected] New climbing wall instructors Honorary Secretary Ross Millar THE MCI has appointed two part-time climbing instructors who will be based at the Ozone [email protected] Wall in Belfast. These posts are funded by Belfast City Council. Honorary Treasurer Paul Skeggs has been an active climber for over 15 years. David Batt His first climbing experiences were on limestone crags in the [email protected] southwest of England in the Avon and Cheddar Gorges. He has also climbed on the Peak District’s gritstone edges and the BOARD MEMBERS Tomás Alyward crags of Snowdonia, the Lake District and the Scottish [email protected] Highlands. He moved to Belfast in 2007 and is busy exploring Ursula MacPherson the climbing that Ireland has to offer. His favourite route to date [email protected] is Fair Head’s Hell’s Kitchen. Vincent McAlinden Paul worked as a solicitor before changing direction to work [email protected] as an outdoor instructor. He feels that a day pushing paper Deirdre McCarthy around a desk doesn’t come close in terms of job satisfaction [email protected] to instructing people in the mountains or on a climbing wall. He currently also works as a Jerry O’Dwyer freelance instructor at an outdoor centre in the Mournes and is looking forward to enthusing [email protected] people about climbing and mountaineering whilst at the Ozone Wall. Patrick O’Sullivan Anja Jones is currently training to become a technology [email protected] and design teacher. She has been climbing indoors for several Dawson Stelfox [email protected] years but only took it up seriously in the last three years. In that time, she has gone on trips to Fontainebleau, Buoux, STAFF AT SPORT HQ Chateau Vert and the Peak District with the Northern Ireland Chief Officer Youth Climbing Team. One of the things she loves about Stuart Garland climbing is that she can always push herself but that it’s not [email protected] necessarily about competing against other people, more about Administrator competing with yourself. As well as climbing, Anja likes a Una Feeney variety of water sports but these are now really only summer [email protected] activities, when she is having a break from climbing!  Accounts Administrator Terry Canavan [email protected] Training Officer Tim Orr Win these climbing holds [email protected] Training Administrator FOLLOWING ON from the success of the climbing holds. Photographs or drawings or Kate Hebblethwaite recent MCI Climbing Wall Managers’ Seminar, plans of walls would be useful for the [email protected] we are delighted to offer climbing wall selection process. Entries should be sent to Access & Conservation Officer operators the opportunity to win 100 [email protected]. Closing date Aodhnait Carroll Entre-prises climbing holds. The competition for receipt of entries is Friday, 19 December [email protected] is open to current climbing walls and those at 2009. The judges’ decision will be final. the planning or development stage. Winners will be announced in the next issue STAFF AT TOLLYMORE Preference will be given to climbing walls that of the Mountain Log and in Mountaineering NI Youth Development Officer either have or propose to have open access Matters, MCI’s monthly e-zine. Angela Carlin to the general public and those walls that [email protected] welcome young people. To enter, send us a description and overview of your wall and the current or planned operational status, what your plans are for the future and what you will gain from winning the 100 Entre-Prises

6 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 news Annual General Meeting Calendar of events Saturday 21 February 2009, Knockree, County Wicklow For more information about any of these events, please see the relevant section in this magazine or the events section on the An Óige Youth Hostel at Knockree website. with new extension to rear. Photo: Stuart Garland. Sat 5 Dec 2008 MCI Youth Climbing Competition & Coaching Day Thurs 11 Dec 2008 International Mountain Day Sat-Sun 10-11 Jan 2009 IMRA AGM Conference Newcastle, Co Down Tues 13 Jan 2009 MCI Scottish Winter Meet Information Meeting 7:30pm, Great Outdoors, Dublin 2 Fri-Sun 16-18 Jan 2009 Belfast Adventure Show, Kings THE 2009 AGM will take place in the scenic MCI AGM 2009 Programme Hall, Belfast surrounding of the recently refurbished An Óige 09:30 Check in for walks and activities – these Sat 24 Jan 2009 Youth Hostel at Knockree in the Glencree valley, depart from the car park of the youth Irish Bouldering League Midleton, Co Cork Co Wicklow. hostel (for details, see date t.b.c. As the AGM is the main opportunity for www.mountaineering.ie) MCI Youth Scottish Winter Skills members to have an input into decision-making 14:30 Presentation on Insurance by Perkins Training (contact within the organisation, all members are strongly Slade [email protected]) encouraged to attend. In particular, all clubs are 15:00 Members’ Forum and presentation of Tues 17 Feb 2009 asked to nominate representatives to participate. reports on work in 2008 and plans for Alpine Meet Information Meeting The Members’ Forum, like the AGM, is open 7:30pm, Snow+Rock Store, 2009 Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin 14 to all members. Come along, hear what’s 15:30 Tea and Coffee and opportunity to view Sat-Sun 14-22 Feb 2009 happening around the country, discuss MCI’s Exhibition, etc. MCI Scottish Winter Meet priorities for 2009 and raise any questions or Onich, Scotland (Meeting of Honorary and Individual Members concerns you might have. Sat 21 Feb 2009 if required) MCI AGM 2009 Any motions for discussion at the AGM must 16:00 Annual General Meeting An Óige Youth Hostel, Knockree, be received by the Honorary Secretary on or Co Wicklow 1. Adoption of Standing Orders before Friday 23 January 2009. Motions may be Sat 28 Feb 2009 2. Adoption of Minutes of the last submitted by any three full members and should Irish Bouldering League DCU, Dublin 9 be sent to Ross Millar, Honorary Secretary, Annual General Meeting 3. President’s Address Mon 2 March 2009 Mountaineering Council of Ireland, Sport HQ, 13 Southern Area Members’ Forum Joyce Way, Park West Business Park, Dublin 12; 4. Honorary Secretary’s Report 8:00pm, Mallow, Co Cork e-mail: [email protected]. 5. Presentation and approval of Tues 3 March 2009 Financial Statements Southwest Area Members’ The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting Forum with any associated documents will be published 6. Appointment of Auditors 8:00pm, Killarney, Co Kerry on our website, www.mountaineering.ie, on 7. Nomination of representatives Wed 4 March 2009 Friday 30 January 2009. Members without to other organisations Southeast Area Members’ Forum 8:00pm, Kilkenny internet access can request a printed copy from 8. Motions Mon 9 March 2009 the MCI Office (+353) 1 625 1115. 17:30 End of event Northwest Area Members’ Forum 8:00pm, North West Tues 10 March 2009 Western Area Members’ Forum, ‘Your AGM. Your opportunity to air your opinions 8:00pm, Galway and to hear about the work of the MCI.’ Wed 11 March 2009 Northern Area Members’ Forum 8:00pm, Belfast Thurs 12 March 2009 Eastern Area Members’ Forum 8:00pm, Dublin Sat 14 March 2009 Irish Bouldering League DCU, Dublin 9 Fri-Sun 27-29 March 2009 Outdoors Show NEC Birmingham View of Glencree from Knockree Youth Hostel. Photo: Stuart Garland. Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 7 news First National Trails Day a great success

Events held nationwide

THE FIRST EVER National Trails Day was a roaring success with over 5,000 people getting involved in 67 events organized on various trails around the country. The glorious weather encouraged people to get out and experience the diversity of walking and cycling trails available in Ireland. The idea behind the initiative is to encourage people to use trails to become National Trails Day, Sligo Cormac MacDonnell from the National Trails Office greets more active in the outdoors. Families were some participants at the “Inclusive Family Adventure Walk” organised by Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership and Coillte. treated to exciting and fun events organised by voluntary and professional of the day at Donadea Forest Park. organisations. Walking, family cycling, mountain biking, The partners involved in National Trails Day are Coillte, the orienteering and trail repair events were run in various forms, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, most with a specific theme such as nature, heritage or historical Comhairle na Tuaithe, Fáilte Ireland and the National Trails Office trails. Several events were held on multi-access trails, allowing of the Irish Sports Council. National Trails Day will be held those with push-chairs or wheelchairs to take part. Some events annually. If you would like to get involved in organising an event gave people an opportunity to try a new activity such as for National Trails Day next year, please register your interest mountain biking or orienteering. with Dáithí De Forge on [email protected]. – (Cormac Several walking clubs got involved in organising events, MacDonnell) including the Boyle Curlew Walkers, Nire Valley Bogtrotters, Ballyvaughan Fanore Walking Club and Dublin City Council’s Let’s Walk and Talk Group. Many of these walking clubs hold regular outings – details of your local club can be found on Large turn-out at Carrickgollogan www.mountaineering.ie. MY WIFE, NORA, is recovering from a broken femur and I am Events held on the day included: staggering along with two ski-poles, but we decided that A ‘Trail Repair Workshop’ in Laragh, Co Wicklow, organised • National Trails Day should be supported and that we could by Mountain Meitheal and Coillte manage a bit of the track from the Carrickgollogan (more familiar ‘Lets Walk & Talk’ in the Phoenix Park, organised by Dublin • to us as Kathigallacar) car park. City Council Both car parks were more or less full when we arrived but, A ‘Leave No Trace’ awareness hike in Carrickgollogan Wood • after waving my Disabled Parking card, a space was found for in south Dublin us. The event was not just a walk, it was also a beginners’ An Introduction to Mountain Biking at Ballinastoe in the • course in Leave No Trace, with seven stops to explain the seven Wicklow Mountains principles of LNT. We gathered just beyond the gate, perhaps A guided walk with RTÉ presenter and nature expert Éanna Ní • sixty of us, all ages down to babies, to listen to Ann Fitzpatrick Lamhna in Oak Park Forest Park, Co Carlow of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. An ‘Edge of the World Walk’ along the Atlantic coast in • I looked around and saw one man wearing a good cag and Ballydavid on the Dingle peninsula, Co Kerry hillwalker’s boots, with his equally well-equipped wife. I went A Family Orienteering Trail in Clonbur, Co Galway • over to talk and found he was an ESB Hillwalking Club member A ‘Dusk Bat Walk’ in Glengarra Forest, • and so a fellow MCI member. Well-primed on Leave No Trace, Co Tipperary. we set off, though not before Coillte’s Bill Murphy had handed The award for the most imaginative out pooper-scoopers to the dog owners amongst us. theme goes to the Cork County Bat Even the toddlers and baby-carrying-parents were going a lot Group who held the event in Glengarra faster than Nora and I, and from a felled area we saw the bare Forest. Children were guided along a rounded top of Carrickgollogan suddenly populated by what trail to study bats in their natural habitat might have been a growing forest, if we hadn’t known they were as the sun went down on National Trails humans – surely the largest number ever to stand on the Day. Orienteering on a trail was the order summit at one time?

8 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 news

Participants on Carrickgollogan on National Trails Day. Photo: Joss Lynam.

Photo: Barry O’Donoghue. Hen harriers: have you seen any? Request for reports of sightings HEN HARRIERS live in habitats that are commonly visited by hillwalkers, including upland and off the beaten track areas. Anyone who sees one of these threatened rare birds in the coming We stopped where the path starts to zig-zag and steepen. There was a very handy months is asked to report the sighting to flat-topped boulder on which Nora could sit while we talked to the ESB hillwalker and his wife, who politely vacated the boulder. They had already been to the top and were Barry O’Donoghue of the National Parks waiting for the multitude to descend to see which way they were going. and Wildlife Service on 087-911 0715 or We headed straight back to the car park and were passed by the multitude heading by email to [email protected]. There will in the general direction of the Lead Mines Chimney, with no doubt a couple more stops be more information about these elegant for the inculcation of the remaining principles of Leave No Trace. birds in IML 89. We chatted briefly with the lads at the car park and left while the going was good. A lovely walk in good company on a perfect autumn day. – (Joss Lynam) ‘Leave No Trace’ skills and ethics manual Worrying erosion in Glenmalure Leave No Trace Ireland has produced a new training manual, a Skills and Ethics PAT AND MARGARET DUNNE, who own the very popular Zig-Zags route beside booklet, as another useful aid for Leave Carrawaystick Waterfall in Glenmalure, Co Wicklow, have been in contact with the No Trace Masters and Trainers to assist Irish Mountain Log to say that the route above the Zig-Zags, which leads to them in teaching the Leave No Trace Cloghernagh and Lugnaquillia, has become badly eroded in recent months. principles. The booklet contains more in- The area in question is the eastern spur of Cloghernagh down to the top of the Zig- depth information on the background of Zags. Hillwalkers are asked to consider using alternative routes to Lugnaquillia over Leave No Trace, the principles, and the the winter months. Those using the Cloghernagh route should walk with care and skills to employ when using the outdoors. keep to the centre of the path to avoid widening the damaged area. Copies are available for free to use when The Dunnes also report that greater numbers of walkers have been using the Zig- teaching Leave No Trace. Please email Zags since completion of work on the agreed access route earlier this year. This, in [email protected] to combination with the very wet weather over the summer, may be contributing to the request copies. erosion on the open hillside above.

Erosion damage on the ZigZags. Photo: Helen Lawless. MCI promotes the principles of Leave No Trace www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 9 news

Countryside Access & Activities Network (CAAN) news Walk Northern Ireland

Brochure shortlisted for award

THE WALK Northern Ireland brochure, produced in March 2008, has been short-listed for this year’s CIPR (Chartered Institution of Public Relations) Pride Awards in the ‘Best Publication’ category within Northern Ireland. The brochure gives a taste of the vast array of stunning walking routes available in Northern Ireland. Each county receives its own section, with walks available in a range of lengths and surroundings, as well as detailed information on start and finish points, the nearest town and points of interest and facilities including car parking and refreshments along the way. Also included in the brochure are a list of walking providers, for those people who wish to take away the stress of booking a walking break, and practical information including accommodation, safety and getting to and around Northern Ireland. The brochure is backed up with further information on CAAN’s website, www.walkni.com. Copies of the brochure are available via the Belfast Welcome Centre Tourist Information Centre for Belfast and Northern Ireland, and Tourist Information Centres throughout Northern Ireland. It can also be ordered online or downloaded from www.walkni.com or www.discovernorthernireland.com. Return of the Ulster Way

ENTHUSIASTIC WALKERS will be delighted to hear that the long- awaited revamped Ulster Way is set to reopen this spring. The 585-mile circular route around Northern Ireland will provide a great opportunity to view the scenery, encounter myths and legends and sample the local culture along the way. The original route has changed significantly, since it is now divided into Quality and Link sections. The Quality sections are mainly on already established Waymarked Ways, which are predominantly off- road and pass through Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Walkers will be encouraged to use public transport along the Link sections as they are mainly on public roads. However, the really keen will be able to walk these sections as well! CAAN’s website, www.walkni.com, will have its own designated section for the Ulster Way, including interactive mapping, route descriptions and printable maps. Trip planning will be made easy with up-to-date information on public transport, walker-friendly Ricky Bell completing the first Irish ascent of Divided Years accommodation and places to eat along the route. in the Mourne Mountains last summer. Photo: Craig Hiller (for more of his photos, see www.hillerscapes.co.uk).

10 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie news December eleventh

International Mountain Day 2008

INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN DAY, December 11th 2008, will focus on Mountains and Food Security. It will address the vulnerability of mountain areas and the communities that live in them, and in particular the effect of soaring food prices on household food security among those mountain communities. It will also emphasise the potential for supporting traditional production systems and promoting niche products. International Mountain Day is an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands. The UN General Assembly designated 11 December as International Mountain Day in 2003. This followed on from the success of the UN International Year of Mountains in 2002, which increased global awareness of the importance of mountains, stimulating the establishment of national committees in 78 countries and strengthening alliances by creating the Mountain Partnership. The Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) is the lead coordinating UN agency for International Mountain Day. For more information visit: www.fao.org/mnts/intl_mountain_day_ en.asp. Ousland ‘inspirational’

Polar explorer enthralls audience

BORGE OUSLAND, the Norwegian explorer, gave an impressive presentation about his polar journeys at an evening in the National College of Ireland on 18th September. Ousland’s journeys included the Antarctic Traverse, the Arctic Traverse (solo) and the North- South Traverse of the Patagonian Ice Cap. Finally, we were shown his hardly believable journey from Franz Josef Land to the North Pole in the darkness of winter, which included team members having to swim across leads towing a sled with their food and gear. The audience of around 200 was stunned by the presentation, but not into silence as there were plenty of questions. Watching the audience leave, they seemed to be inspired, if not to emulate Ousland, at least to push their own targets a little higher. Ousland had also gone to Everest with a commercial expedition, stopping at the South Summit when his oxygen ran out. This seemed out of character with his polar trips and, when asked, he said: “Oh, it was a holiday.” – (Joss Lynam) www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 11 news

North Face of the Eiger with the South West Flank and West Ridge on right of picture, the route followed by Barrington in 1858.

Remembering the first Eiger UIAA news ascent: an Irish success story General Assembly success

150th anniversary commemorated in Bray The 2008 General Assembly of the UIAA (International Mountaineering and IRISHMAN CHARLES BARRINGTON Barrington, and it is clear from the letter Climbing Federation) was held in Teheran, made the first ascent of the Eiger in that at one point he had to do the route- the capital of Iran, from 16-18 October. It August 1858. Barrington was born in finding and take the lead. was opened by the Vice-President of Fassaroe, Co Wicklow, in 1834 and He ended the letter by writing: “Thus Iran. The meeting’s agenda included arrived in Grindelwald in the course of a ended my first and only visit to elections to the Management Committee European tour. Seemingly on the spur of Switzerland. Not having enough money and the Executive Board, discussions on the moment, he engaged two guides, with me to try the Matterhorn, I went the significant increase in the number of Christian Almer (later Coolidge’s guide) home.” Just supposing he’d had the items of mountaineering and climbing and Peter Bohren, two of the best guides money…. equipment carrying the UIAA Safety in Grindelwald, and did a tour of the Historically, Barrington’s ascent of the Label, as well as issues related to Oberland, finishing with an ascent of the Eiger is undoubtedly the most important competitive sports. The Ski Mountain- now standard route on the Jungfrau. Irish first Alpine ascent. eering Federation (ISMF) voted not to On his return to Grindelwald, it appears Back in Wicklow, Barrington married become a UIAA unit member. Barrington boasted about this ascent and and settled down, not engaging in any was told that he ought to do something more Alpine adventures after this. View of Alamout Peaks from Shah Alborz summit (4,200m) in Iran. difficult, like the Matterhorn or the Eiger! The 150th anniversary of his ascent He accepted the challenge and set off for was commemorated by the unveiling of the Eiger at 3:30am on 11th August with plaques in Grindelwald and Bray. Two the same guides. They climbed what is representatives from Bray went to now more or less the normal route, the Grindelwald, and the Mayor and several SW flank and West Ridge, now graded others from Grindelwald came to Bray on AD. They reached the summit at noon 31st October for the unveiling there of a and were back at the hotel at about plaque at the Heritage Centre. The 4:00pm. He described the climb in a Barrington family was there in strength. letter 24 years later to his brother, the Joss Lynam represented the MCI. – (Joss naturalist and mountaineer R.M. Lynam)

12 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie news

The Commissions reported on successful UIAA events and ongoing projects such as youth camps, the Dublin Mountains plan updating of the Tyrol Declaration, research into mountain medicine and an Dublin Mountains Partnership launched assessment of the use of mountaineering themes in advertisements. At the launch of the Dublin Mountains Partnership at Tibradden, Co Dublin. Photo: Stuart Garland. Peak fees in Pakistan

The Ministry of Tourism in Pakistan has announced that the prices for peak fees will remain at the same reduced levels as in the past two years. The Ministry will charge no fees for peaks up to 6,500m. Climbers will only have to pay 10% of the normal fee for mountains situated in Chitral, Gilgit and Ghizar, except on Spantik/Golden Peak, 5% of the fee for any peak during the winter season (December-February) and 50% of the normal fee for all peaks except for those already mentioned. Bill Murphy, Chairman of the Dublin Mountains Partnership, said that the initiative brings together the key stakeholders to address the many issues faced by forest and other land managers in managing access to lands The Dublin Mountains Partnership (DMP) for recreation on the urban fringe. The was officially launched by the Minister for partnership has agreed a management Communications, Energy and Natural structure, which will include staff and Resources, Mr Eamon Ryan, TD, at an volunteers, and has set out a ten-year event in Tibradden Woods on Friday, vision and plan of action to improve the View of Latok 1 (7,145m) 24th October, 2008. facilities and manage recreation and in northern Pakistan. The partnership has been established other uses of the area. The partnership to improve the recreational potential of will also tackle antisocial and Mountain medicine the public lands in the Dublin Mountains, unauthorised use of land through a while balancing that recreation with the range of programmes – from the The UIAA Medical Commission held their objectives of the various land-owning promotion of the Leave No Trace annual meeting in October. Doctors from organisations. message and the development of a 15 countries met in the Czech Republic The members of the DMP are Coillte, volunteer ranger service to the to discuss mountain medicine and how Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County development of areas for scrambler to better spread accurate information Council, the Dublin Mountains Initiative (of bike use. amongst UIAA members. Among the which the MCI is a member), the National The DMP will be upgrading trails, topics was the continued expansion of Parks and Wildlife Service, and South improving signage, working to improve the joint Diploma in Mountain Medicine Dublin County Council. public transport links and addressing for doctors, which the commission At the launch, the Minister said that the antisocial behaviours such as dumping. manages together with partner Dublin Mountains are one of the greatest The work on the ground of the organisations ISMM and MedCom ICAR. assets of the city and that in no other partnership will be headed up by the The commission is also keen to spread capital is it as easy to get out into the Dublin Mountains Recreation Manager, health information among mountaineers mountains and away from it all as in who has just been appointed. –(Carol without medical training. The advice Dublin. He emphasised that we have to Ryan) booklet Travel At High Altitude, written by work together to protect and develop this the UK organisation Medex and partly asset in a way that best serves • For more information see www.dublin funded by the UIAA, is being translated everyone’s interest. mountains.ie. into various languages. www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 13 news IMRANews Get all the latest news at www.mountainrescue.ie New sponsor announced

Ordnance Survey Ireland sponsors IMRA

PAUL WHITING industries, but they are xxxxxxxx. proud to also be able to Photo: IMRA. A RECENT SPONSORSHIP agreement facilitate IMRA’s Search between OSi and the Irish Mountain Management Programme Rescue Association puts OSi data at the and to contribute to the centre of the life-saving search and outstanding work carried rescue activities of IMRA’s member out by the Mountain Rescue Mountain Rescue Teams. Teams. Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi), the The Irish Mountain national mapping agency of Ireland, Rescue Association relies operates in the public and commercial on accurate map data to interest to create and maintain the coordinate search and definitive national mapping and related rescue operations. The geographic records of the State. The provision of OSi Discovery organisation feels that it has a central role Series data to IMRA’s teams will enable including urban, rural and tourist & leisure to play in the social and economic them to respond to call-outs with greater mapping in a variety of scales. The development of Ireland. Its mission is speed and to manage their search Discovery Series 1:50, 000 scale and OSi excellence in providing quality mapping operations with increased efficiency and Trail Master interactive route planning and geographic information services to precision. software have long been the mainstay of meet society’s needs. OSi produces a complete range of hillwalkers, climbers, cyclists, tourists and OSi data has many uses and digital and paper mapping products outdoor enthusiasts in Ireland. applications across a broad range of

Members of An Garda Síochána Hillwalking Club along with Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy donate the proceeds of their recent sponsored walk of the Wicklow Way to IMRA (represented by Mary Mullins, Secretary of IMRA, centre) and the Laura Lynn Hospice.

14 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie

IMRA news Dublin & Wicklow volunteers wanted

Join the Dublin/Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team

THE DUBLIN/WICKLOW Mountain Members of DWMRT on a Rescue Team is now recruiting new training session in Co Wicklow. members. The team has a long history in mountain rescue going back to the An Óige MRT. It recently launched the first mountain rescue base in Wicklow, which is located in Roundwood Garda Station. The team provides a mountain rescue service primarily in the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains area. The team is seeking enthusiastic individuals who are interested in working as part of a team to achieve high standards of casualty care in the mountains. It is looking for people with a a varied and interesting internal training [email protected] before 31st strong interest in outdoor activities, in programme with opportunities to attend December 2008 to express your interest particular with a hillwalking or climbing specialised external training courses in and to receive an application form. New background. Good navigational and hill mountain rescue techniques. member selection and assessment will skills are required as well as the If you are living in Wicklow, south commence in January 2008. commitment to participate in regular Dublin or surrounding areas and are For more information about the training and call-outs. The team provides interested in becoming a mountain rescue Dublin/Wicklow team, please visit the volunteer, please email website www.dwmrt.ie. Ways you can help IMRA this Christmas

16 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008

news Autumn Gathering

A great time was had by all in Gougane Barra in west Cork

Gougane Barra. Photo: Christine Hughes.

OVER THE YEARS, I have enjoyed attending Everest to the South Pole,’ using slides and a number of MCI’s Autumn Gatherings. I video clips in a highly energetic presentation. have found that they get you off the routinely Pat certainly seemed to motivate people to trodden paths to gather with friends and get off their seats that night for, as soon as meet new faces in areas that you may not the band struck up, many a weary leg was have visited before. seen weaving around the dance floor. When I arrived in Macroom for this year’s Despite a late night, there was a good Gathering on 10-12 October, I still didn’t turn-out on Sunday morning for an early fry really know where it was! It’s in an area that I and then on to either a gentle GPS session have previously overlooked while concen- or a relaxing Environmental Officers’ (EO) trating on its well-known neighbours, the training workshop. The EO training started Galtees and the mountains of Kerry. with a talk and a discussion on liability Stepping inside the Riverside Park Hotel on insurance and access issues, pertinent the Friday evening, hosts Cork Mountain- Hillwalking in Gougane Barra topics for the MCI. There was also the eering Club soon put paid to my ignorance. during the Autumn Gathering. opportunity to go on a walk and, outside the The weekend’s walk leaders were waiting Photo: Stuart Garland. hotel, the mobile climbing wall was put to there with maps and pens in hand, eager to good use by many of the local youngsters. sign up participants for a choice of walks in With northern lands beckoning, I headed the area over the following two days. Many with more fantastic views. After that, we back home after a great weekend, but I was of the other walkers seemed enthusiastic for spent a lot of time lying in the sun and hardly home when I received a full report by the Gougane Barra Horseshoe, so my mind ended up being the last of the three groups e-mail from the EO of the North West MCI. was quickly made up. to get back to the bus, but we did make it That prompted me to send a report to my People who had arrived earlier were back in time for the EGM. own club, the Blayney Ramblers, which is emerging from an illustrated talk on bats by The EGM was the “official” part of the what I think these weekends are all about: Conor Kelleher, chair of the Irish Wildlife weekend, the purpose of which was to communicating the MCI message and Trust. However, we were able to join a very formally adopt the new MCI Strategic socialising with fellow mountaineers. enjoyable ‘Seisiún’ later with Pat Speight, a Development Plan for the next five years. I Thanks to Cork MC and the organising great storyteller, after which we relaxed in the had recently attended an MCI area meeting committee, Margaret Kennedy, Joan bar, catching up with acquaintances among with our Club Secretary, so I was aware of Fitzgerald (Treasurer/Membership Secretary), the other walkers and climbers attending. the importance of the new Strategy to all John Paul Curtin (President), Ella Dineen and MCI members. Usually, these meetings start On Saturday morning, there was a melée Máire Ní Mhurchú, for a very enjoyable outside the hotel, with buses and cars going late but, due to the MCI Board’s efficiency, I weekend. They even arranged the weather this way and that, but eventually we were all was practically pulled out of the shower to for us! – (Nicky Hore, Blaney Ramblers) sorted and heading for the hills. The ensure that there was a quorum of clubs in morning’s thick fog soon evaporated to attendance. In the end, there was a fairly reveal the beautiful Cork countryside as we good turn-out of club reps, who all gave approached the Sheehy Mountains on the ‘The Plan’ the thumbs up. I hope the MCI Cork/Kerry border. Board, staff, clubs and members will be able Gougane Barra has a strong attraction for to support one another in carrying out all the Cork people as it is the source of the River proposed actions, which will ultimately Lee and the hermitage site of St Finbarr, now improve everyone’s enjoyment of the marked by a little chapel on the lakeshore. mountains. The horseshoe walk around the lake takes in Shortly after the EGM, food and drink the summits of Bealick, Conigar and were served and downed by many hungry Foilastookeen. Our bus party split into three mouths, appetites no doubt sharpened by groups and, led by Ella Dineen of Cork MC, the EGM and possibly the day’s activities. our group was soon tramping across open Full marks to the Riverside Park Hotel’s staff ground. We crossed a stream and ascended for an excellent meal. The MCI dinners in warm, sunny weather. On top of the large always have interesting guest speakers and grassy plateau there was a great view to this was no exception. Pat Falvey is a great Bantry Bay and the many mountains around adventurer and his exploits are well known. us, including the Paps. We went past some For a full hour, he took us on a whirlwind lovely small lakes and then climbed further, journey through his life, ‘From Cork to

18 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie news Wee Adventure Film Festival Friday, Feb 13th, 2009

EXHILARATING, INSPIRING, breath- taking, thrilling! Like what you are hearing? How about kayaking down the roaring, crocodile-infested Nile, breaking the Irish Sky Diving Formation record, tackling 15ft waves on a windsurfer or hurtling down a rockstrewn hill on a mountain bike? If this is what you like, then you’ll love the Wee Adventure Film Festival. We are delighted to be holding the Wee Adventure Film Festival (WAFF) Girls Outside event at climbing wall. again this year. At last year’s festival we Photo: Stuart Garland. screened sixteen adventure films, including Base Jumping, Kayaking and ‘Girls Outside’ project grows Bouldering, that captured the essence of adventure sports; the rush, exhilaration and fun. This year, we are excited to see Girls go outside again in County Sligo what the amateur film-makers of the adventure sports world can come up with IN 2007, the MCI and the Sligo Sport for hillwalking, climbing and scrambling. again! and Recreation Partnership ran “Girls The project will have a strong emphasis We are currently looking for films for Outside,” a programme of hillwalking and on developing skills and it is hoped that, the 2009 festival. We want good quality, climbing for teenage girls in the Sligo by the end of the programme, well-edited short films, up to 10 minutes region. Over 200 participants got a first participants will have gained sufficient long, to show at the second Wee taste of the outdoors, with forest walks, experience to be able to take part in both Adventure Film Festival. days out to Carrowkeel, a chance to try hillwalking and indoor climbing with The event is taking place on Friday the out climbing on a mobile climbing wall minimal supervision. The ultimate aim is 13th of February, 2009, in The Sugar and a trip to Petersburg OEC. to develop a youth mountaineering club Club, Dublin. Doors will be opening at This year (and next), thanks to in the area which will offer both the Girls 7:30pm and films will begin at 8:00pm continued funding from the Irish Sports Outside participants and other young sharp. Keep an eye on our website for Council under the Women in Sport people in the area the chance to further updates. programme, Girls Outside is getting even participate in these activities on an Please go to www.waff.ie for more more adventurous. ongoing basis. information or contact John Connolly at The project will offer girls the chance to This programme, like many MCI Youth [email protected] for info on film submissions. build on what they’ve already learned, initiatives, needs volunteer support! with a six-month programme of activities Experienced walkers and climbers can be including weekly visits to a climbing wall a great asset and inspiration to novices and opportunities taking up the sport. We’re looking for people with a range of skills – you might be able to show some inspiring slides of a mountaineering trip at a Girls Outside social evening, or maybe you’d be willing to join in a walking or climbing session, or to offer some help with establishing a club? If you would be willing to volunteer a little of your time and experience, please contact the project coordinator, Deirdre Cunningham: email girlsoutside@ mountaineering.ie; telephone (+353) 86 109 2663. – (Angela Carlin & Deirdre Cunningham)

Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 19 youth news New climbing wall scheme

NICAS launched in Ireland

have thriving junior clubs. The MCI is keen climbing and bouldering award that focuses STUART GARLAND to promote good practice in climbing and to on developing technique and movement The National Indoor Climbing Achievement advance technique so that new climbers skills (approximately 20 hours). Scheme (NICAS) was launched in Ireland at can catch the bug of what climbing is really • Lead climber. An award that the MCI’s Climbing Wall Seminar on October all about – vertical movement. concentrates on the skills required to lead 1st. This new proficiency scheme to The NICAS scheme is split into five levels. climb and lead belay proficiently develop and accredit the skills of indoor Each level progressively introduces skills, (approximately 30 hours). climbing will be delivered shortly at a knowledge and responsibilities which build • Advanced climber. The top level number of climbing walls around Ireland. upon the previous level. The whole scheme award that focuses on improving NICAS is supported by the requires over 100 hours of climbing for a performance with a deeper understanding Mountaineering Council of Ireland, British motivated student, depending on aptitude. of the sport and the wider world of climbing Mountaineering Council, Mountaineering Candidates receive a colourful log book (approx 50 hours). Council of Scotland, Mountain Leader which guides them through the scheme. The scheme has been developed and Training England and Mountain Leader Once each level is completed they receive a trialled over nearly three years in the UK and Training UK. certificate which is recognised by the MCI is now being launched in Ireland. There has NICAS is run by the Association of British and the ABC. You can join the scheme at been wide consultation within the industry, Climbing Walls (ABC) and aimed primarily at any level and it is fully transferable including an 18-month pilot that saw over youth climbers (aged 7 to 25). The scheme throughout Ireland and the UK. 2,000 youngsters go through the scheme in improves training, boosts participation and ten ABC climbing centres. This was a great increases recognition of achievement in the The scheme in more detail success, and schools, colleges and universities have been particularly keen to sport. • Foundation climber. An entry level take it up. The scheme has also been Indoor climbing has reached such a level award aimed at complete novices that designed to complement the new national of popularity that many schools, scout and recognises their ability to climb safely under Climbing Wall Award (CWA) for instructors, youth groups regularly use climbing as part supervision (approximately three hours). of their programmes. Now there is a uniform to give them a uniform template to train • Top rope climber. A top rope budding wall rats with. scheme for climbing development, with proficiency award aimed at promoting best To deliver NICAS, the ABC has recognised awards that participants can practice in climbing and bouldering on an established a network of Primary Centres show for their efforts. artificial wall (approximately eight hours). around the country whose role is to train, • Technical climber. A more advanced Aims of the scheme advise and supply materials to other climbing walls and instructors in their • To develop climbing movement skills and improve levels of ability. area. Most of the Primary Centres run outdoor courses so NICAS • To learn climbing rope-work and how to use equipment safely. graduates can have the opportunity to apply their newly honed skills to • To develop risk assessment and management skills in the sport. real rock. Any school or organisation with a climbing wall can apply to • To work as a team, communicate with, and trust a climbing partner. become an Awarding Centre by contacting the ABC Training Trust. • To develop an understanding of the sport, its history and future So, look out for the young climbing challenges. stars of the future. They are found in climbing walls all around the country • To point the way to further challenges in climbing beyond the and NICAS will find many more of scheme. them and help them to develop their full potential – wherever it may lead. If • To provide a record of personal achievement and accreditation. you see a young climbing lizard at your wall eagerly filling in a log book Climbing walls are where most in between climbs, you’ll know people, young and old, are now they’re on the right track…. introduced to climbing for the first Details of the scheme and how to time. Youth are particularly attracted participate in it as a candidate or to indoor climbing as it is much more Awarding Centre can be found on accessible than outdoors. www.mountaineering.ie or  Consequently, many climbing walls www.nicas.co.uk.

20 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie youth news Irish Bouldering League 2008-2009

Youth climbers take IBL by storm Irish Bouldering

Andrew Colligan League results ANGELA CARLIN in action at the The results of Round 1 (held in DCU on DCU wall. THE FIRST ROUND of the 2008/09 Irish October 11th) were as follows:- Bouldering League took place on October 11th on the DCU wall. This year, Male: 1. Gary Lawler. 2. Andy Kelly. 3. there was a healthy number of entries in Juan O Raw. the youth category and a very high Female: 1. Joan Mulloy. 2. Hannah standard was achieved. Fogg. 3. Maggie Chojan. The junior winner was Andrew Colligan, Juniors: 1. Andrew Colligan. 2. Katie aged 14, who stormed to victory with a Maxwell. 3. Scott Larkin. total score of 244. Andrew has gone from strength to strength this year, with Round 2 was held at the PlayAtHeight leads on the routes ‘Rose de Sable’ Climbing Wall in Dingle on November (Fr7a) and ‘TCF’ (Fr7a) in Buoux, as well 1st-2nd 2008. Excellent venue, great as succeeding on the Fontainebleau routes, great crowd, a very enjoyable boulder problem ‘Musclor’ (Font 7a). round! The results were as follows:- First in the female juniors and second junior overall was Katie Maxwell, aged Male: 1. Kevin Power. 2. Ricky Young. 14, with 200 points. Katie flashed an climbers that didn’t make the podium 3. Harry Fogg. impressive total of six of the 20-point (yet!). There are definitely some future Female: 1. Maggie Chojan. 2. Angela option problems and eight of the easier rock stars out there.... Carlin. 3. Anna Cronin. versions. The IBL male and female categories Juniors: 1. Peter Wainwright. 2. Naoise Third place overall and second junior also saw some very notable male place went to Scott Larkin, and performances from climbers who are still Ó Muircheartaigh. 3. Ciaran Rogers. fourth place overall and second junior young enough to get a mention here: female place went to Tara O’Neill, with Juan O’Raw was the third-placed male Upcoming rounds 180 and 167 points respectively. on 316 points, with all points scored on Round 3: NUIG, Galway, Saturday, This meant that the top four places the 20-point versions – no half measures November 29th 2008. there! Conor Craig was just one point went north of the border this time but, Round 4: Midleton, Co Cork, January with the next round in Dingle, it’s still a behind Juan to take joint fourth place. 24th, 2009 very open competition in the youth In the female category, Hannah Fogg Round 5: DCU, February 28th, 2009 category. Perhaps the next round will see put in a great performance to come some of the younger climbers do well: second on 239 points. For further information and results, see Thanks to all the event organisers and • there were some impressive www.climbing.ie. performances on Saturday from young route-setters for their hard work. 

Jake Haddock wins in UK The UCD wall, Dublin. AFTER THE Northern Ireland Youth Climbing Team’s successful debut at the Manchester round of the Youth Climbing Series in April, and wins for Katie Maxwell and Andrew Colligan in the IBL junior section in Dublin, we entered three young climbers in the Resin Juniors Bouldering Competition in Rochdale, near Manchester. Jake Haddock (16), Andrew Colligan (14) and Tim McGlinchey (15) headed to Rochdale on 15th November to compete against some of Britain’s best young climbers in the 14-16 age category. With five problems completed, first place was a four-way tie. With ever-increasing tension, Jake held his nerve to win on the sixth and final problem, Font 7b, by two points; just one hold! Tim and Andrew finished a very creditable fifth and sixth and, having two years to go in this group, their future looks very bright. – (Eddie Cooper) www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 21 Mountain Log Christmas Quiz €1,500 of prizes to be won! Prizes sponsored by

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How to Enter Discovery Series Sheet 83 and 78, 1:50,000. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey Ireland. Simply answer all the questions correctly (you can photocopy 1st Prize: €500 worth of Berghaus Vouchers if you like) and send to: 2nd Prize: €300 worth of Berghaus Vouchers Mountain Skills Quiz, MCI, Sport HQ, 13 Joyce Way, € Park West Business Park, Dublin 12. 3rd Prize: 200 worth of Berghaus Vouchers 5 Runner-up Prizes of OSI’s Trail Master DVD You can also send your answers by email to [email protected] (If entering by email please put Mountain Log Quiz in Subject Line Bundled software (East, West, Shannon & South) and number your answers 1-10, (a), (b), (c) etc. worth €100 each. Closing date for receipt of entries is 16th January, 2009. The winners will be the first all correct answers pulled out of a hat at No cash substitute for prizes. the MCI’s AGM in February. The winners and correct answers will be Competition open to MCI members only. published in the Spring 2009 issue of Irish Mountain Log. One entry per person only.

22 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 Mountain Skills Quiz quiz Refer to opposite page for map questions. OSI Discovery Series. Sheet 83 & 78. 1:50,000

1. What is the height gain (within 10m) from the shore of Eagles Lough to the summit of Knocknagantee? a) 340m b) 360m c) 380m 2. What is the closest translation of the name Knocknagantee? a) The hill of the talking/chat b) The mountain of the eagles c) The hill of open view 3. What is the height (within 10m) above sea level of the highest house/building on this section of map? a) 130m b) 210m c) 495m 4. What is the correct six-figure grid reference for the summit of Knockmoyle? a) 665749 b) 749665 c) 675751 5. What compass bearing would you walk on to travel from Knockmoyle to Knocknagantee? a) 175 degrees b) 356 degrees c) 260 degrees 6. While walking this bearing between Knockmoyle and Knocknagantee, what best describes the feature that you pass through halfway? a) Valley b) Re-entrant c) Saddle 7. Starting at the shore of Eagles Lough and following the course of the stream past Lough Coomanassig and then directly on to the summit of Knockmoyle, how long would it have taken Mr Naismith on one of his good days (5km per hour and 10 min per 100m gain)? a) 1hr 32min b) 1hr 10min c) 52min 8. The row of lakes running west into Lough Adoolig are commonly referred to as what? a) Partitioned lakes b) Paternoster lakes c) Particularly nice lakes 9. Who first climbed a famous rock/gully route on the East face of Knocknagantee? a) Frank Kelly b) Frank Winder c) Frankly I don’t know 10. If you were to follow the source of the river Inny along its full length, to where it meets the sea, what Bay would you find yourself standing at? a) Dingle Bay b) Derrynane Bay c) Ballinskelligs Bay

Name:______

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Club/MCI Membership No: ______

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Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 23 alpine meet AlpineMeet

MCI Summer Alpine Meet, Innertkirchen, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, July 4-18th, 2009 A new adventure starts here

Walking in the Alps. Photo: Robbie Fenlon.

he Bernese Oberland has meet. The Meet has a social aspect, with a quiet Alpine village but also the access been described as the some organised events but mostly informal point for some of the most spectacular “playground of Europe” get-togethers. Musicians are encouraged to walking and rockclimbing in Switzerland. Tand is the birthplace of bring their musical instruments. The campsite is a short drive from Grimsel alpine tourism, especially in its What the Meet is not is a way to have pass, Furka pass and Susten pass. Nearby is eastern part with the famous your holiday organised for you. The courses the start of the renowned ‘Via Alpina,’ a tourist resorts of Interlaken, that the MCI organise are to introduce Lauter-brunnen, Grindelwald and people to the skills needed for walking and climbing in the Alps, with the long-term Rockclimbing instruction Meiringen. The region at the foot will be available at aim of making participants capable of of the trio of Eiger, Mönch and the Alpine Meet. Jungfrau is amongst the most independent activity in Alpine areas. There are also courses for people who want to popular walking and mountain refresh or upgrade the skills learnt on areas in the Alps today. previous meets. A natural progression is for people to participate in courses in the first The 2009 MCI Summer Alpine Meet is few years and then return to the Meet as aimed at walkers, rockclimbers and alpinists independent walkers/climbers. of all ages. The purpose is to get people The professional mountain guides are at together in an Alpine area where they can the Meet not only to run training courses walk, rockclimb, boulder and climb but also to share information with Meet snow-covered or rocky Alpine peaks. They participants on mountain conditions and can meet old friends and make new ones. recommended routes in the area. It is a grand gathering of active, This year, we will also be encouraging independent mountain people. experienced climbers and walkers to share The Meet is an occasion to share some of their expertise and knowledge with information, learn new skills, find climbing other participants through the medium of partners, join walking groups and generally conversation and informal trips to local share in the exploration of an Alpine area. walking and climbing areas. Anyone Many people return to the Meet from year interested in participating should contact to year, using it as a base to take on new the Meet organising team at email: challenges in a new area. Others may be [email protected]. visiting the Alps for the first time, joining The Meet will be based in the village of more experienced friends or taking part in Innertkirchen in the Bernese Oberland. It is one of the MCI courses that supplement the

24 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie alpine meet multi-day walking trip from Meiringen to Kandersteg. There are numerous spectacular walks within easy reach of the campsite. The excellent Swiss train service allows for easy access to nearby walking areas as well as providing train services to and from Zurich Airport. Alpine peaks around the Innertkirchen Pick your Alpine Meet Course for 2009 area are numerous. The Sustenhorn (3,504m), Gwachtenhorn (3,420m) and Walking courses Tierberg (3,091m) are all easily accessible Adventures off the Trail (1 day with an International Mountain Leader) 8:1 ratio - €45 from the very friendly Tierbergli hutte and Alpine Flora and Fauna (1 day with an IML) 8:1 ratio - €45 make excellent introductory or Alpine Walking Navigation and the use of Maps and GPS (1 day with an IML) 8:1 ratio - €45 acclimatisation peaks prior to attempting Alpine Walking Trip with overnight in Hut (2 days with IML) 6:1 ratio - €125 some of the bigger Oberland 4,000m peaks, Alpine Trek from Meiringen to Kandersteg (5 days with IML) 6:1 ratio - €315 which are just round the corner over the Oberaar joch. There are several other snowy Climbing courses peaks within easy striking distance above One-day Introduction to Rockclimbing (with UIAGM guide) 6:1 ratio - €100 the Susten and Grimsel passes. One-day Improvers’ Rockclimbing (with UIAGM guide) 6:1 ratio - €100 The area is also world famous for its One-day Multi-pitch Rockclimbing (with UIAGM guide) 2:1 ratio - €200 rockclimbing, including the extraordinary One-day Bouldering Workshops (with UIAGM guide and climbing coach), granite walls of Grimsel and Eldorado. ratio 10:2 or 5:1 - €50 Other well known climbing areas are Handegg, Englehorner, Mittagsflu and Alpine courses Wendenstock and the Furka pass. There is a Adventure Walking 5 days (with Union Further local single-pitch crag at Meiringen. Internationale des Associations de Guides de information Rockclimbing grades in the area span from Montagnes guide or IML) 6:1 ratio - €500* Information packs and details grade 3 to 9a (a Fred Nicole route in the Introduction to Alpine Mountaineering 5 days on all the courses can be Grimsel area). As far as bouldering is (with UIAGM guide) 4:1 ratio - €670* downloaded concerned, we are in the process of Intermediate Alpine Mountaineering 5 days from our website establishing contacts with local climbers and (with UIAGM guide) 2:1 ratio - €995 * www.mountaineering.ie. will have an update soon. Advanced Alpine Mountaineering 5 days (with Please note that the closing For 2009 we are adopting a new UIAGM guide) 2:1 ratio - €995 * date for applications is approach to the Summer Alpine Meet. We Tuesday 31 March will be keeping all the main features but we * All these courses will be five-day courses, 2009. have developed and incorporated a wider commencing at 18:00hrs on Saturday 4 or Saturday range of disciplines in order to make the 11 July, and run over a six-day period with one rest day. Meet a more inclusive and organic event. The rest day will be agreed at the time on the basis of There will be a wider range of courses, weather conditions. trips and workshops, together with informal outings specifically designed for the walking, sport climbing, trad-climbing and bouldering communities. These new aspects Walking in the Alps of the Meet are being developed at the time near Kandersteg. of print. For the latest updates see the MCI Photo: Cara Shields. website. Information Evening Are you considering attending the 2009 Meet? Well, join us at the Summer Meet Information Evening in the new Snow+Rock Store, Unit 3.2-4.2, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin 14, at 7:30pm on Tuesday 17 February 2009. This will be an opportunity to meet some of the people involved in this year’s event, to see a presentation and to get full details on all the courses available on the 2009 Meet. Staff from the shop will be present to give an insight into the gear you will need for the Meet. The store is located near the Tesco Petrol Station (map and directions on the MCI website). Book your place at the information evening now: [email protected].

Snow+Rock are sponsoring the information evening in Dundrum on February 17 www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 25 hillwalking

Participants on a safety discussions, we tried to imagine Mountain Skills II every possible situation that could course on Beenreagh arise on the mountain. To give you a in Co Kerry. Photo: www.outdoors general idea of the way we were ireland.com. thinking, one of our group voiced the seemingly genuine concern that, if the Mountain Rescue Team is supposed to come get you, and they are all voluntary, what if they were all invited to a wedding? What if everyone on the Mountain Rescue Team ate a really hot curry the night before and they were all indisposed? After that, we were whisked off to the Glenbeigh area or the Gap of Dunloe to practice our compass skills and map reading. It soon became clear that some of us couldn’t read maps, and most of the group had little sense of direction but, with a little patience on our instructor’s part, we soon got the hang of it. Although compass skills won’t help you find your car in a busy car park, they can prove immensely useful when your view is obscured by the mist at the Acquiring mountain skills top of a mountain. Among the group, physical fitness Eimear Daly learns to be self-reliant varied. I started as I meant to go on: at the back! As shameful as it sounds, I was even outrun by the vegetarians his time last year the friend to lead me blindly up and in the group. I was sure that they would be hanging back, muscles only trekking that I down various tracks, hills and peaks. When a work colleague mentioned weakened by the lack of protein. Not was doing was the T that they were going on a Mountain at all! They seemed to be buoyed up kind of hard slog one does Skills course, I sat up and took notice. by their trail mix and spurred on at when searching for the Independence! The importance of the thought of the healthy fruit and perfect shoes for an evening independence is not lost on me, as I wholegrain sandwiches that they were out! Excursions up and down work at Irish Guide Dogs For The going to have for lunch. the aisles of the shoe shops Blind, where visually impaired people As part of the course, everyone was encouraged to think about the safety were my only adventures and regain theirs. We spend a lot of time teaching guide-dog clients how to of the group, as well as their own the satisfaction of a perfect work best in their partnerships with safety, so that nobody would get left fit and coordinating colours their dogs, as well as about dog behind. Everyone was encouraged to was my driving force. Sweat welfare. The Mountain Skills course look for the signs of hypothermia in would pour from my brow, saw a sort of reversal in these roles, themselves and in each other, and to adrenaline rushing as I with guide-dog mobility instructors, carry enough equipment to cope with contemplated the horrors of trainers and kennel staff finding the common problems that occur when you are mountaineering. inadequate footwear…but themselves back in the classroom…not to teach, but to learn. You would think that wandering for entirely different reasons Nathan Kingerlee was our around on the tops of mountains at to most hillwalkers. instructor. He runs an Adventure & night would be another ‘no no,’ but Training company based in Kerry and part of the course was a night So, you can understand that I am specialises in hillwalking, navigation exercise. Take away all the probably not the first person you rockclimbing, mountaineering, visible features and you discover would think of as a hiking partner. kayaking, canoeing and team pretty quickly how good your However, this didn’t stop a friend building. compass skills are and how useful our from asking me to be theirs, to go up Each day began with a quick instructor’s helpful hints could be, Carrauntoohil, no less. With no presentation about the skills we would such as ‘don’t head left over the cliff’! concept of height, distance or the be practicing that day. Anyone who We all took turns at guiding the group Devil’s Ladder, I was marched to the knows us will know that we can be a in the dark and at one stage we summit on a beautiful June tricky bunch, but our instructor almost ended up in someone’s back afternoon…and I was hooked! successfully dealt with our comments, garden! Since then, I have always been queries and occasionally unruly Another test of the skills we were heavily reliant on the aforementioned behaviour. During our mountain acquiring took place on Tomies. We

26 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie I started as I meant to go on: at“ the back! I was even outrun by the vegetarians...” were asked to drop other be my own guide. After all, people’s bags at different points there will always be the on the mountain, according to Mountain Rescue Team to help the map. It resulted in complete me out if I get into difficulty. chaos, with one particular bag Hopefully, that is less likely now being declared ‘MIA.’ I that I have acquired my concluded that as a group we Mountain Skills, but let’s just were far less talented than our hope that no one gets married canine trainees, who can seek or has a bad curry the day and retrieve with ease. before, just in case!  I don’t want to give the impression that this course was all fun and games. It was hard • The aim of the Mountain work at times and our muscles Skills Scheme is to give really felt it at the end of each hillwalkers the ability and day. You become a really cheap confidence to look after date because even a small drop themselves in the mountains. of wine in the evening leaves Mountain Skills provides you slightly blurry-eyed. But training in Equipment, Map there is nothing like the sense Reading, Navigation, Mountain of satisfaction at the end of a Hazards, Moving on Steep day when you are exhausted Ground, and Emergency INSURANCE but thrilled at your achieve- Procedures. ments. If you want to broaden your • Nathan Kingerlee can be YOU CAN TRUST mind and stretch those muscles, contacted on +353 (0) 86 860 then look no further. I’m 45 63, or you can find out Should the worst happen in the mountains, it is reassuring to already looking for the next about the courses he offers on have reliable insurance. mountain to climb, when I will www.outdoorsireland.com. BMC Insurance is designed by experts to give you reassurance and peace of mind wherever you travel. All our policies for walking, climbing and skiing are designed to be free of unreasonable exclusions and restrictions.

Mountaineering Council of Ireland (MCI) members (individual and club members) can take advantage of the BMC’s insurance as a benefit of their MCI membership. You can apply for this insurance via the Members & Services section of the MCI website www.mountaineering.ie. IMPROVED FOR 2008 • REDUCED annual • NEW rate for couples – premiums – save 10% save over 25% • INCREASED benefits for • BASIC medical and rescue rescue, baggage and cover available online cancellation cover • NO age loading until • ADDITIONAL premium 70 years discounts online

www.thebmc.co.uk BRITISH MOUNTAINEERING COUNCIL FREEPOST NAT 11244, Manchester M20 7ZA T: 0161 445 6111 F: 0161 445 4500 www.mountaineering.ie E: [email protected] hillwalking

Ag siúl i La Gomera Tugann Seán Ó Fearghail cuairt ar na hOileáin Chanáracha.

View of Roque el Cano (hound’s rock) at amach ar thrá ag an deireadh, tig Vallehermoso. roinnt blianta anuas, La Gomera Photo: Seán Ó téann grúpa againn ag Chaitheamar seachtain, san iomlán, leat dul ag snámh!) Fearghail. L siúl in áiteanna ar La Gomera, agus muid ag stopadh • Bí an-chúramach ag dul le fána, sa phríomhchathair San Sebastian agus déan go mall é. Tá na clocha éagsúla gach Cáisc. Ach i agus ag siúl gach lá. beaga an-sleamhain, agus an- mbliana bhí an Cháisc an- An chéad lá, rinneamar siúlóid ó ghéar, má thiteann tú orthu. luath ar fad, díreach tar éis Lá San Sebastian féin. Bhíomar ag úsáid Fhéile Pádraig, agus bheadh léarscáile agus leabhair le Discovery Tar éis an chéad lá, rinneamar sléibhte uile na Mór Roinne Walking Guides, agus chuireamar dhá iarracht cloí níos fearr leis na shiúlóid as an leabhar as a chéile an lá treoracha a bhí sa leabhar, agus fós faoi shioc. Ní raibh le sin; is é sin, chuamar amach ar chuid rinneamar iarracht dul ar an mbus déanamh ach dul go dtí na de cheann amháin agus thángamar ar (nó guagua, mar a deirtear ar na hOileáin Chanáracha. ais ar an gceann eile. Ach tá na fánaí hoileáin) go dtí tús na siúlóide. níos géire ná a shamhlófá, agus an Ach ní bhíonn busanna ann ró- Nuair a scaipeadh an focal go talamh an-chrua, de bhunús mhinic, agus ar lá amháin ní raibh mbeimis ag dul go Tenerife, agus ar bolcánach. Chaitheamar i bhfad níos ceann dá laghad le fáil. Déardaoin ndóigh, chuig oileán eile nár chuala mó ama ar an tsiúlóid ná a bhíomar Mandála a bhí ann, agus ina dhiaidh aon duine mórán tráchta faoi (is é sin, ag súil leis. sin Aoine an Chéasta, Domhnach La Gomera), b’éasca go leor an freagra D’fhoghlaimíomar cúpla ceacht Cásca, Luan Cásca, agus ní bhíonn a shamhlú: “Ó sea, ag dul ag fóinteach an lá sin, agus ní busanna ann ar na féilte móra. déanamh bolg le gréin ar an trá, ag ól dhearnamar na botúin chéanna arís. Rinneamar socrú le cúpla tiománaí fíona, srl.” Ach ní mar sin a bhí. Bhí Seo iad na botúin: tacsaí teacht faoinár ndéin agus muid La Gomera iontach maith ó thaobh na a thabhairt chuig tús na siúlóide. Ar cnocadóireachta de, agus iontach • Agus tú ag siúl ar La Gomera, an mbealach sin, bhíomar ag siúl gach suimiúil ó thaobh an dúlra de – agus tosaigh ag an pointe is airde den lá roimh 10:00 r.n.; ní fiú a bheith ag bhí grian agus fíon le fáil comh maith, tsiúlóid, más féidir leat, agus caith iarraidh siúl níos luaithe ná sin, ní sa ach gan mórán deise againn luí ar an an lá ag dul le fána. (Tá bua eile Ghearmáin atá tú! In ionad €3 nó €5 trá. ag an bplean seo: má thagann tú a chaitheamh ar bhus agus cúpla uair

28 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie hillwalking an chloig a chaitheamh ag feitheamh agus an chomharsanacht ina páirc leis na bláthanna agus na radharcanna uirthi, b’fhearr tacsaí a fháil láithreach náisiúnta anois, agus tá siad ag chuig na hoileáin eile a bhreathnú. ar tháille idir €5 agus €10 an duine, iarraidh í a athchruthú sa chaoi ina Ina dhiaidh sin, leanamar an ach ceathrar a bheith inti. raibh an ceantar cúig chéad bliain ó chonair ar an ardchlár, ag fánaíocht shin. tríd an fhoraois bháistí. Uaireanta, An dúlra fuaireamar radharc ar an tírdhreach, Tá foraois bháistí i lár an oileáin. Cúpla siúlóid ach is iondúil nach raibh le feiceáil Cuirtear an bháisteach ar an sliabh is Bhíomar amuigh ag siúl gach lá, ach na brezos os ár gcionn, agus tá sé airde (Garajonay, 1,487m) agus bíonn agus seo iad na turais is fearr a iontach doiligh a shamhlú go bhfuil sé fliuch ansin i gcónaí. Is cuid iontais rinneamar: gaol aige seo leis an bhfraoch beag a é, ach is féidir luí ar an trá, bolg le fhásann i gCo Chill Mhantáin. gréin, agus fiche nóiméad níos déanaí (1) Garajonay (i lár an oileáin go I lár na siúlóide, stopamar le a bheith ar Garajonay, sna scamaill, sa Hermigua sa tuaisceart) haghaidh cupán caife i mbialann in El cheobhrán, agus tú ag iarraidh Mura bhfuil an t-am agat mórán Cedro a raibh cuma iargúlta uirthi, seaicéad lomra breise a chur ort féin. eile a dhéanamh, bí cinnte go ach a bhí lán de shiúlóirí agus San fhoraois sin, fásann an fraoch ina ndéanfaidh tú an tsiúlóid seo. turasóirí eile – ár leithéid féin. chrainn mhóra, 10-15 mhéadar ar Thosaíomar ag siúl gar do bharr Díreach tar éis El Cedro, d’éirigh an airde (brezos a thugtar orthu sa Garajonay – is féidir dul ann i mbus cosán an-sleamhain agus an-ghéar ar Spáinnis). nó i dtacsaí. Bhíodh láithreán fad, ach ar a laghad bhí cosán ann. Tá na hoileáin uile scartha óna searmanais ag na Guanches, Rinne an cosán fiarlán, ag ísliú leis chéile comh fada sin go bhfuil áitritheoirí bundúchasacha na cois easa, an t-aon eas amháin sna sainfhlóra acu, éabhlóidithe i n-oileán nuair a tháinig na Spáinnigh, hoileáin a mbíonn uisce ann i gcónaí. gcaitheamh na mílte bliain. Tá breis is díreach ag an mbarr. Rinneadh Má bhíonn an veirtige ort, ní cóir duit 500 planda eindéimeach sna hOileáin tochailt seandálaíochta ar an láithreán dul an treo sin – bhí duine nó beirt Chanáracha (i.e. ní fhásann siad áit ar sin le déanaí agus tá sé atógtha sa inár ngrúpa a raibh an-fhaitíos orthu, bith eile ar domhan) agus tá cuid acu chaoi ina gceaptar a bhí sé tráth. Is fiú agus nach raibh aon rogha acu ach A wayside le fáil in Garajonay. Tá Garajonay féin roinnt bheag ama a chaitheamh ansin, greim géar a choinneáil ar an aill an landmark. Photo: Seán Ó Fearghail.

www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 29 hillwalking

Ancient cave dwelling. Photo: Seán Ó bealach ar fad. sna cnoic uair amháin, ach anois tá Fearghail. Ach ina dhiaidh sin thángamar cuma thréigthe ar an gceantar. Bhí na Tabhair leat: amach i dtuaisceart an oileáin. Aeráid fánaí clúdaithe le seanléibhinn • Cúpla focal Spáinnise agus foclóir thais bhogthe a bhíonn sa taobh sin, talmhaíochta, agus bhí cróite agus Spáinnise. agus sin an ceanntar ina bhfuil an bóithigh tógtha i roinnt des na • Léarscáil agus leabhar treorach: talmhaíocht agus na feirmeoirí uile. pluaiseanna, ach bhí gach rud ag titim molaim na cinn ar scála 1:40,000 Tá sé glas le dambaí agus canálacha as a chéile agus ní raibh deoraí ann. ó Discovery Walking Guides, agus beaga uisciúcháin ar gach taobh. Ag Ag teacht chuig an deireadh, má tá Córas Suite Domhanda an deireadh, in Hermigua, chuamar ar baineadh geit asainn – rinne saithe (GPS) agat, is féidir na bealaí a bhus ar ais go San Sebastian. beach fiáin ionsaí tobann orainn. íoslódáil ón dlúthdhiosca. Cúigear a bhí sa ghrúpa an lá sin, • Buataisí siúlóide atá caite go (2) Jerdune go Santiago sa agus cuireadh cealg phianmhar i maith: ar chlocha géara deisceart gceathrar dínn. Ní fhacamar in am an bolcánacha a bheidh tú ag siúl. Sa deisceart atá an tsiúlóid seo, fógra a bhí scríofa ar chloch: Abejas • Cóta báistí agus seaicéad lomra; agus í go hiomlán difriúil leis an peligrosas! ná déan dearmad ar an bhforais gceann thuas; ní bhíonn mórán báistí bháistí. ar an taobh seo, agus tá sé ina Nótaí • Leabhar leis na bláthanna agus na fhásach, nach mór. Ní ionad mór turasóireachta é La plandaí a aithint. Arís, shiúlamar ón bpointe is airde Gomera; ní ionad saoire ach Valle go dtí an fharraige. Ba chosúil go Gran Rey. Sna bailte eile mar San Brief synopsis mbíodh daoine ina gcónaí go hard Sebastian, tá cúpla óstán beag agus The island of La Gomera in the Canaries árasáin. Sna bailte seo, ní thiocfá ar turned out to be a big surprise when a aon duine a mbeadh aon teanga eile group of us went to walk there at Easter, acu ach amháin an Spáinnis. In Valle when the mountains of mainland Europe In the centre of La Gomera Gran Rey, is féidir teacht ar dhaoine a would still be iced up. bhfuil Gearmáinis acu. Níl Gaeilge le On our first walk, we learnt some “there is rainforest; the north is cloisteáil áit ar bith, faraor. useful lessons. You have to travel slowly Níl ach corr-shráidbhaile i lár an and carefully as the slopes are steep and rainy and lush; while the south oileáin – ní mór duit do lón, fleasc the small pebbles underfoot are sharp, if agus uisce féin a iompar leat. you fall on them. Also, if possible try to is warm and dry. walk from the highest point of your

30 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008” www.mountaineering.ie hillwalking walk. This way you will always end up near the sea and can go for a swim afterwards. To get around the island there are buses – but they are not frequent and even less so on feast days. We ended up making an arrangement with a taxi driver to pick us up each morning. Shared between four of us, this cost twice as much as the bus fare, but gave us the independence to go where and when we wanted. It also gave us a chance to practise our Spanish over a 40-minute trip and to learn a lot about the island.

The environment La Gomera has three main natural divisions. In the centre there is rainforest where it is always cloudy and misty. The north is temperate, rainy and lush – all of the agriculture is now there. The south is warm and dry and everywhere there are abandoned farm buildings and terraces. The Canaries have been isolated for so long that they hold more than 500 endemic plants, not found anywhere else. Some of these are found only on La Gomera.

Sample walks There are lots of good walks on La Gomera, so best to mention just a couple of the best.

(1) Garajonay (in the centre of the island to Hermigua in the north) This starts in the centre of the island, on the highest peak, Garajonay, where there was a Guanche ceremonial site. El Sombrero. This has been excavated and rebuilt. On Photo: a high plateau you walk through a forest Leis Na Cnocadóirí (féach an suíomh Seán Ó of heather trees and try to imagine that www.cnocadoiri.com agus r-phost Fearghail. these are related to the humble heather [email protected]) a bhíonn Foclóirín of Wicklow. Coming out of the forest the Seán Ó Fearghail ag siúl. Is í an [Some vocabulary] path drops very steeply – vertiginously, Ghaeilge gnáth-theanga labhartha an Aeráid: climate according to the guidebooks – and chlub seo. Tá taithí aige ar an zig-zags alongside the only waterfall in chnocadóireacht in Éirinn, ar fud na Áitritheoirí bundúchasacha: the islands which always has water. hEorpa agus sna Himiléithe leis na aboriginal inhabitants Eventually you arrive in the north of the blianta fada. island, on farmland where you walk Ardchlár: plateau along dams, irrigation channels and Athchruthú: re-create Seán Ó Fearghail walks with Na agricultural terraces to arrive at the Cealg: sting village of Hermigua. From there, we Cnocadóirí (website took a bus back to San Sebastian. www.cnocadoiri.com or email Conair: path address [email protected]). He Cróite agus bóithigh: (2) Jerdune to Santiago in the south has had extensive experience of huts and byres This walk is totally different, as the walking in Ireland, throughout various Déardaoin Mandála: south has little rain and is almost a mountain ranges in Europe and in the Holy Thursday desert. At one time people lived in the Himalayas. hills here, but they are now deserted. Fiarlán: zig-zag The terracing is falling apart and there Foraois bháistí: rainforest are deserted sheds and byres in the Note: The normal language of Na Seaicéad lomra: fleece Jacket caves. We also got stung by a swarm of Cnocadóirí is Irish, not just during wild bees before we saw a sign painted their walks but also during their Sainfhlóra: distinctive flora on a rock: Abejas peligrosas! After this social events and weekend walking Saithe beach: swarm of bees walk, we had a swim in the sea and then trips. The club welcomes new Seanléibhinn talmhaíochta: took a ferry back to San Sebastian where members and any walkers who would old agricultural terracing we were staying.  like to practise their Irish in the mountains – there is no better place. Uisciúchán: irrigation

www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 31 hillwalking

“A feel of warmth in this place. In winter air, a scent of harvest. No form of prayer is needed, When by sudden grace attended. Naturally, we fall from grace. Mere humans, we forget what light Led us, lonely, to this place.”

John Montague

Jewels of Connemara Adrian Hendroff walks in the Twelve Bens and the Maumturks

Loch Doire an Chláir (Derryclare Lough) with Binn Doire Chláir he N59 Galway to two more summits loom, one grey- inconveniently on three OSi 1:50,000 to the rear on a cold Clifden road always green, the other rising like a great maps. The bulk of them can be found November morning. peak and completing the sweep of this on OSi 37, which covers all of the Photo: Adrian T fills me with an air Hendroff. of expectancy and mountainous stretch. Twelve Bens with the exception of The silvery ribbon of road leads Binn Leitrí, which is tucked away in anticipation as I approach further west past Recess and then the top corner of OSi 44. Most of the the crossroads of Maam takes several bends before the contrast Maumturk Mountains, or Sléibhte Cross. Nestling in the between the glittering lakes on the left Mhám Toirc, a horseshoe-shaped shadows of Leic and rugged mountain summits on the range of mountains that sits Aimhréidh and surrounded right appears sudden and dramatic. immediately to the east of the Twelve by beautiful lakes both These are some of the oldest Bens, can be found also on OSi 37. large and small, the roads mountains in the world, the quartzite However, three of the eastern Maumturks – Binn Mhór, Mullach from Maam Cross lead to peaks of Beanna Beola, the Twelve Bens, or “Pins,” as some call them. Glas and Corcóg – are split between the four corners of The Irish for Connemara is OSi 44 and 45. The advent of OSi Connemara. For me, it is Conmhaicne Mara, meaning “people Trail Master software has made it a gateway to a hidden of the sea.” These people were a possible to include all the details on a heart of Ireland where the branch of the Conmhaicne, an early single printed sheet, but there is also wind and rain is tribal grouping that had a number of the Harvey Superwalker Connemara cleansing; where spirits branches located in different parts of 1:30,000, which covers the whole of Connemara National Park in a single are lifted by sunlight Connacht. When traversing high-level ridges and rugged mountain tops in spread, including all of the filtering through layers of the wilderness of Connemara, perhaps Maumturks and the Twelve Bens. cloud scudding through like the Conmhaicne, the closeness of the valley, often filling the the sea and majesty of the landscape Gleann Chochán Connemara skies with fills me with a spirit of wanderlust. One of the finest walks in Ireland, if rainbows. However, in the end, they always not the finest, is the Gleann Chochán leave me with peaceful contentment. Horseshoe. Encompassing 16km and On passing Maam crossroads, the view To me, the mountains of approximately 1,500m of total ascent, on the right is filled with a vision of a Connemara are precious, special and it is a high-level ridge walk traversing conical, beehive-shaped mountain priceless, like jewels in the crown. six tops: Binn Dhoire Chláir, Binn rising steeply from the bog. Beyond it, These jewels are spread rather Chorr, Binn Dhubh, Binn Bhraoin,

32 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie hillwalking

Binn Gabhar and Binn Leitrí. In my my preference is to do this horseshoe high ridge, with the exception of opinion, it is a tough but rewarding in an anti-clockwise direction so as to back-tracking your steps, there is no walk, taking in some of the most get the tarmac walk out of the way at easy escape route down into Gleann outstanding mountain scenery in the start. From the road, turn left onto Chochán. You could descend from the Ireland. The Irish historian Roderick the bohereen, cross the bridge, strike col at Mám Eidhneach, or the one O’Flaherty suggested in his writings out towards open mountainside at any between Binn Bhraoin and Binn that the mariners of old called these convenient point before the farmyard, Gabhar, but the valley floor is The rugged mountains the “twelve stakes.” and finally head up the slopes of Binn notoriously boggy and there may be monolith of Binn Starting at the recently refurbished Dhoire Chláir. access issues lower down; so it is best Gabhar as seen from Binn Bhraoin. Ben Lettery (Binn Leitrí) Youth Hostel, One word of warning: once on the avoided. Many years ago, I was lucky Photo: Adrian Hendroff.

www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 33 hillwalking

T he W e s Binn Bhreac t ▲ e r Twelve Bens n W R344 a y

Binn Fhraoigh ▲ Maumonght Muckanaght ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ Binn Bhán Lo 729m ch An Chailleach E ▲ í id r sa h 454m ive Binn Dhubh n n R o e in ▲ F Binn Chorr Bheag gl h a n M b c e ám a h Eid n Owenglin w hne ac m O h á M ▲ Binn Chorr 711m forestry ▲ Binn Bhraoin bridge P Gleann Chochán ▲ Binn Dhoire Chláir START HERE ▲ Binn Gabhar

▲ Binn Ghleann Uisce

▲ Binn Leitrí

START HERE N59 hláir n C ▲ Ben Lettery Youth Hostel bridge a ire Ballynahin o ch L D ake h N59 Loc

Routes for the Gleann Chochán Horseshoe and the enough to tackle this circuit on an down to the col at Mám na bhFonsaí, ascent of the entire horseshoe. Owenglin Horseshoe exceptionally fine day. It made up for followed by another rise over a broad Sections of the route up this mini-face in the Twelve Bens. a lot of frustrations, as only the expanse of smooth bare rock to Binn or gully require hands on rock, but Map: Cóilín weekend before I had been soaked by Dhubh, the ‘black mountain.’ From taken slowly and steadily it is not MacLochlainn. deluges while exploring the hills of the summit, there are commanding difficult as there are plenty of good Kerry. views of the white cone of Binn Bhán. holds. The summit of Binn Gabhar, The summit of Binn Dhoire Chláir The descent off Binn Dhubh is steep ‘mountain of the goat,’ is normally is rewarding in itself, if you intend to again, with an easy rock step to be decorated in pink thrift in late spring bag just one Ben on the day. To the negotiated, down to the col at Mám and is a good place to take in the east, the magnificent Maumturks lie Eidhneach. In a previous article (Climb surroundings and to reflect back on invitingly, with the deep blue waters Every Mountain, IML 86), I described the day’s adventures. The end of the of Loch Eidhneach decorating the this col in the heart of the Bens as horseshoe is soon reached, after Binn midground. To the southeast, Loch “remote and surrounded by a fortress Leitrí is surmounted, and a steep and Doire an Chláir is one of the more of peaks in all directions.” From here, rocky descent, partially through prominent lakes dotting the plain. To another sustained climb follows up a rough, wet vegetation, eventually leads the west, the solid masses of Binn broad and rocky ridge which dog-legs back to the youth hostel. Leitrí, Binn Gabhar and Binn Bhraoin to the summit of Binn Bhraoin. ‘Braon’ greet the eye and, to the northwest, can mean ‘drip’ or ‘drop,’ but this Owenglin the rugged, rocky terrain of Binn mountain could also have been named Although the Gleann Chochán Dhubh and Binn Chorr awaits. What after someone called Ó Braoin or Horseshoe is one of the classic routes an all-round panoramic view! MacBraoin (anglicised as Breen and in Connemara and in Ireland, I The rest of the horseshoe involves McBreen). Beyond the summit, generally prefer walking the Owenglin steeply rising and dipping terrain over descend down a steep, scree-covered Horseshoe, simply because it offers a bare quartzite rock. A rocky and slope to the col between Binn Bhraoin variety of escape routes, but ultimately bouldery slope leads up to Binn and Binn Gabhar. I also find it quieter and its terrain Chorr, the highest point of the At the col, a well-deserved rest is more varied than the Gleann Chochán horseshoe at 711m, and then steeply recommended before the steepest Horseshoe.

34 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie hillwalking

With its mountains,bogs, lakes, rivers,“ glens and intricately indented coastline, Connemara is almost a world of its own.” Classic view of the Maumturk ridge from Starting by the bridge over the to descend the gully from the summit with the lake-strewn Roundstone Bog, Binn Idir an Dá Log. Photo: Adrian Owenglin River at L744513, head of Binn Gabhar to the col before Binn islands, sea inlets and the hills across Hendroff. back down the road, away from the Bhraoin. Killary Harbour. cul-de-sac, towards a bend in the road On either route, you should After Binn Bhán, there are four at L747509. At this point, choose a summit Binn Bhraoin from the col other ‘bumps’ to be surmounted, convenient point to leave the road, and then drop down to nirvana at namely grassy Binn Fhraoigh, schisty either striking across the bog towards Mám Eidhneach, where an escape Muckanaght, stony An Chailleach and the col between Binn Bhraoin and route (if needed) could be plotted its subsidiary summit Maumonght (for Binn Gabhar, if it is a dry day, or through grassy and boggy ground on purists like me). It may be useful to ascending the spur up the rough either side of the forestry. note that escape routes are possible at slopes of Binn Ghleann Uisce, ‘peak of If you are fit and willing, however, the three cols between these summits the glen of water.’ then continue on arduously up the and, with care, a descent down to the On the former route, towards the unremitting treadmill slope of Binn valley floor may be safely negotiated col, you will feel like a speck on the Bhán until you reach the summit, at from any of them. If you choose not planet as you trudge along the wide 729m, the highest point in to head down early, simply go south valley floor with mighty peaks rising Connemara and County Galway. at the end of the ridge from point in front and around you. If you Views from its trig point are extensive. 454m, following a fence and then choose the latter route, up the slopes All the main ridges of the Bens can be reaching a track at the foot of the of Binn Ghleann Uisce, you will have comprehensively observed, together slope. Whichever way you plan to tackle the Owenglin Horseshoe, expect a full day in the hills and leave The Twelve Bens prepared. and Lough Inagh as seen from Binn Mhór in the Loch Eidhneach Maumturks on a East of the Bens is the R344, an off- fine autumn day. the-beaten-track road that winds its Photo: Adrian way along the edge of picturesque Hendroff. Loch Eidhneach, a five-mile stretch of water reflecting the day’s moods and lying in a broad, flat valley that is flanked by the Bens on the west and the Maumturks on the east/northeast. Halfway along this road is a minor bohereen leading uphill, away from the lake and gradually intersecting the Western Way. Dotted along this section of the trail are remains of old, ruined farm dwellings and the outline of small fields and cultivated ridges, a stark reminder of the Great Famine of 1845-49. If you follow this minor road (R344) southeast and then www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 35 hillwalking

database of 400m to 600m+ mountains in Ireland). Two 500m+ hills that I strongly recommend are Duchruach and Binn Chuanna. Both of these summits offer sensational views and can be done as a V-shaped circuit starting/ending at the Our Lady of the Wayside chapel in Creeragh. Duchruach rises steeply above Kylemore Abbey and has a broad top composed of hummocky outcrops of rock splattered with small lakes; it has a summit cairn that can be navigationally tricky to find in thick The author on Binn mist. Chuana summit in Binn Chuanna, on the other hand, the Maumturks with southwest, it will eventually lead you (or four) sections, depending on the Cnoc Maol Réidh is a lovely little hill whose summit back to the N59. conditions of the day and/or your behind him. offers magnificent views in all Photo: Úna Hendroff. On my first visit to Connemara experience. These are only ideas, but directions. The unmistakable island of many years ago, I did a recce on this in my view the three eastern Inis Toirc sits proudly in the Atlantic road-loop to sort out potential starting Maumturks – Binn Mhór, Mullach and there are a host of rocky islets to points for future forays in the Glas and Corcóg – could be tackled as be seen. To its north, Loch Muc, An Maumturks. It was a changeable sort a linear point-to-point walk requiring Caoláire Rua and the massive bulk of of day on which the clouds cast eerie two cars (or a car and a bicycle) or a Cnoc Maol Réidh dominate. To the shapes over Loch Eidhneach, in an mammoth circuit starting from the northeast, Loch Fidh sweeps the atmosphere interspersed with light bend in the road at L894491. foreground with the big hills of Binn The middle Maumturks, and shadows, and the mist gradually Ghorm and Cnoc Shiofra behind. And traditionally the hardest, can be peeled away to reveal steep slopes and to the south/southeast, the majestic broken up into one or two circuitous searing gullies of the closer quartzite mountains of Connemara are walks involving a combination of any Maumturks and the chameleon-like a sight to behold. of these summits: Binn Bhriocáin, silhouettes of further-away Bens. This But Connemara is not only about Cnoc na hUilleann, Binn Idir an Dá gave the area a mystical feeling which mountains. Tim Robinson, in his Log and Binn Chaonaigh. I have used was overpowering to the senses. Since book Connemara: Listening To The slopes leading to cols at Mám Éan (the then, I’ve frequented this stretch of Wind, describes Roundstone Bog, with one due north of Cnoc na hUilleann) road several times, over peaches of its 143 lakes and multitude of ghost and Mám Ochioge in the past as days and gloomy mornings, but stories, as follows: always never ceasing to be access points, the Western Way to Cillín Phádraig (and holy well) as a ‘‘I can stand on the little summit just overwhelmed by the surrounding above the ruined house for an overview atmosphere. high-point to trudge up the steep slopes of Binn Chaonaigh, and the of all the complications of the land and water I have described – dazzling The Maumturks northwest spur from Gowlaunard as an escape route, over several when the sun is in the south, as if half I think of the Maumturks as the occasions in the past. a sky had been shredded and strewn Twelve Bens stretched out in a single Last but not least, the grassy and over black earth, impossible to read as line, along with some interesting boggier section of the Maumturks a geography of named and storied dog-legs in between. In fact, it is comprising Meall Dubh, or ‘black places, and scarcely to be believed in as possibly the roughest walking terrain knoll,’ can be attempted rather easily a reality, an interweave of death and in the country and should always be by striking south/southeast from the life, that can, with care, be walked treated with respect. For the Sonia Western Way towards Bucán. Another across safely.” O’Sullivans among you, there is an good reason to break the Maumturks On the Celtic fringe of Europe, and annual marathon walk, which up into sections is that a well with its mountains, bogs, lakes, rivers, traditionally takes place in spring, deserved pint (or pints) may be glens and intricately indented rocky over 24km of tough mountainous enjoyed at the end of each rewarding coast, Connemara is a landscape so terrain, a total ascent of approximately day. rich in scenery that it can be almost 2,400m and taking in the entire You don’t really have to be a Joe considered as a world of its own. The length of the Maumturks from Maam Simpson of the hillwalking fraternity west’s awake!  Cross to Lennaun. I personally have to scale peaks or enjoy rewarding never been a fan of challenge walks, views in Connemara. There are easier Adrian Hendroff is an MCI member as I prefer the whole mountain and lower hilltops, such as Maolan, and enjoys hillwalking. Besides the experience rather than rushing Cnoc Breac, Maolchnoc and Binn Irish hills, he has climbed in England, through the motions. Ghuaire, that may be attempted using Wales and Scotland. His mountain To get the most out of this classic the standard guidebooks or travels abroad have taken him to mountain scenery, my advice is to descriptions from the Mountain Views Iceland, Romania, the French Alps, the break the Maumturks up into three website (www.mountainviews.ie, a Pyrenees and the Dolomites.

36 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 awww.mountaineering.ie hillwalking

The Coomloughra Horseshoe Lee Campbell takes on Caher, Carrauntoohil and Beenkeragh

Towards Caher at the start of the Coomloughra till drying out from of Lough Acoose. Parking is limited, the opposite direction, making for an Horseshoe. a horrendous though, but fortunately, as this was easier descent from Caher. Photo: S downpour early October, walkers and cars were Turning southwest over some boggy Lee Campbell. experienced on the hills thin on the ground. ground, we climbed a gentle slope The Hydro Road was a steep and that led directly to the shoulder of the previous afternoon, tough start to the morning after the Caher. Upon reaching the start of the the blue skies and light seven-hour slog 24 hours earlier. After ridge, the ground was already winds of the new day passing a couple of barred gates, the beginning to dry out and become were a welcome relief. In views to the northwest and the Dingle rockier. As we climbed, the wind contrast, from the top of peninsula started to open up. Mount started to pick up a little. However, Cnoc na Péiste the Brandon could be seen in the distance there were no signs that the fine previous day, you could with its characteristic tuft of mist just weather was going to turn in the next obscuring the summit. As it was a few hours – it was perfect walking barely see 20 feet in front clear day, the air was crisp with a weather. As we ascended the wide of you and you could definite autumn bite to it. ridge, the dizzying drop to our left forget about getting any Soon enough, we reached the above Loughs Com Lothair (from dramatic views of the mouth of the smallest of the three which the walk gets its name) and McGillycuddy’s Reeks! loughs – Lough Íochtair. Only now Eighter became apparent. After a few was the full horseshoe circuit visible – pauses for photographs, the ground Today couldn’t have been more and what a sight it was! Caher, became increasingly steep and the different. Although the weather Carrauntuohil and Beenkeragh were boulder-strewn path narrowed as we forecast had been good, my cynicism all in clear view – not something that climbed. It was now a case of head had got the better of me as I turned in is too often seen in this part of the down and push ahead to reach Caher, for the night after the soaking on the world. Many experienced hillwalkers the first summit of the day and Eastern Ridge. However, the storms have trodden this ground countless Ireland’s third highest peak (1,001m). finally blew off at around 5:00am, times, tortured by the Kerry mists, Caher consists of three tops, the leaving a beautiful morning to wake and returned home having seen first of which is marked with a small up to. Well-stocked up with a full nothing. We were going to tackle the stone shelter which is actually a Irish breakfast in Killorglin, we set off Coomloughra horseshoe, starting with shrine. As we took our last few strides for the traditional starting point for Caher, onto Carrantuohil and then to the first top, the scenery in all the Coomloughra Horseshoe – the Beenkeragh. Once on the ridge, we directions was magnificent – you Hydro Road. This abandoned quarry would not drop below 950m until we could truly see for hundreds of miles. path (no cars can access it) can be started our final descent. The The eastern ridge of the Reeks was found just off the main road, northeast horseshoe can also be attempted in straight ahead with the Black Valley www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 37 hillwalking and Cork mountains filling the frame Climbing Carrauntoohil. far and wide. We decided to push on Photo: Lee Campbell. for Caher’s true summit where we would stop for lunch. Any wind had now almost died away. It was October, but the temperature felt more like June. Indeed, we were quickly running out of superlatives to describe the views and our luck with the weather! Lunch came and went all too quickly as it was difficult to leave such a dramatic resting spot. Navigational skills were certainly not required today and the ridge path ahead was very clear. To our left, the three loughs lay hundreds of feet below, leading the eye back to the starting point of the walk at the top of the Hydro Road. The rocky descent from Caher brings you to a col between it and Carrauntuohil. From here, the volume of walkers increased considerably, with many making their way up from the Hag’s Glen and the Devil’s Ladder. Both routes converge just before the final slope towards the summit of Ireland’s highest peak (1,039m). The summit was crammed with Sunday walkers and some four-legged companions. From here, the route to Beenkeragh looked impossible. The knife-edge ridge between Ireland’s two highest

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38 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie hillwalking

Carrauntoohil and Beenkeragh. peaks had only been a spectacular understandable how this would be an lough. The icy water at the dam was Photo: Harry sight most of the day until this point. intimidating and exhilarating sight for a deserved tonic after our eight-hour Goodman. Now it had become a dizzying reality those descending from Beenkeragh circuit. which had to be crossed. We when tackling the horseshoe in the From here it was a half-hour walk descended from Carrauntuohil’s opposite direction. The summit of back down the Hydro Road to where summit cross and began to follow the Beenkeragh (1,010m) came quickly we had left our cars, which would relatively steep path downward that after the excitement of the ridge. take us back to Killorglin. The light would lead us onto the ridge itself. The descent from Beenkeragh was was now starting to fade and, as we Once on the ridge the path picked its awkward as it went over some large made our journey back to the town, way left and right, providing some rock and loose shale where careful the Reeks were bathed in a warm magical views into the Hag’s Glen and footing was required. Following this, autumn glow. There would be plenty of the iconic rock formation of the the route over the three final peaks to discuss over a few pints that Hag’s Tooth at the head of the valley. was significantly gentler. The first evening!  There were a couple of noticeable peak that we came to was Stuaic Bharr gullies along the way which provided na hAbhann (851m) and after a short Lee Campbell is a member of the steep access points directly onto the dip and a climb we reached the rocky MCI and of the Mourne Ramblers ridge from the Glen. top of Skregmore (848m) which Club. The high point of the ridge (959m), framed some final views of the which consisted of a number of large horseshoe and its lofty peaks and rock slabs, was the most challenging ridges. We felt sorry to be leaving the part of the route. We were fortunate hills after such a magical day. that in such good weather the rock Following the short clamber up the This col offered one of was dry with the numerous footholds smallest and last peak, Cnoc Íochtair presenting no major problems to (747m), one last sting in the tail was “the best perspectives of the anyone in the group. The ridge then the descent to Lough Íochtair below. dropped down onto a small col where Unfortunately, I wasn’t carrying any day, with the Beenkeragh we began our ascent to the summit of walking sticks and my legs and knees ridge in all its glory and the Beenkeragh. This col offered one of had little strength left to deal with the the best perspectives of the day, with steep slopes covered in thick heather. Carrauntoohil cross still the ridge in all its glory and the cross However, after a few stumbles, the of Carrauntuohil still visible. It is ground eventually flattened out to the visible. www.mountaineering.ie ” Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 39 antarctic mountaineering

The team’s tracks stretching back over the Antarctic horizon. Photo: Kevin Dempsey.

Kevin Dempsey returns to Antarctica to walk in the footsteps of Amundsen and Scott.

“ going back now and we could not We wanted to experience what afford any mishaps in this, the most desolate and harshest of places on our those great explorers had gone planet. We were on our own and on our way to the South Pole. Pat Falvey and his Irish team had through in their quest for the already set out on their marathon 50+ ” day journey from Hercules Inlet to the geographic South Pole. Pole, but by flying to 89° South, or ‘the Last Degree’ (i.e. one degree short he giant, Russian- to stay alive in the eye of a storm high of the Pole), we had leap-frogged T crewed Ilyushin 76 on Mt Vinson following a serious ahead of them and were now the team cargo plane finally crevasse accident. furthest south so far this season. A came to a halt 2km from where Now, I was back for some Last Degree journey is a ‘light’ version it first touched down on the unfinished business. I still wanted to of the classic full traverse of the Polar blue-ice runway at ALE’s live my dream of “Walking Lightly in Ice Cap but is not to be under- Patriot Hills seasonal base the Footsteps of Amundsen and estimated. Being suddenly dropped deep in Antarctica’s frozen Scott,” and to experience just a little of into an extreme environment so deep wastelands. The passengers what those great explorers went into Antarctica is a shock to the body disembarked into the dazzling through in their quest for their holy and mind, and you have no time to grail – the geographic South Pole at sunlight and took their first acclimatise or adjust. Because of the 90 Degrees South. tentative steps into a strange latitude we were at, the relative new world. Among them, on altitude was closer to 3,600m, so the Saturday, Dec 8th 2007, 1:00am. lack of oxygen was an immediate my third visit to Antarctica, I Just short of the 89th Degree South. thought, ‘It’s good to be back!’ problem, along with the 24hr daylight 2,600m above sea level. and the -35°C temperature. Because of Bright sunshine, wind 6 mph, It was Tuesday, December 4th 2007, these factors, the best way to approach temperature -35°C. a Last Degree journey is to treat it like and I also thought back to almost 12 Conditions: ‘Good.’ months before to the day when, with a sprint and to get stuck in from day my fellow climbers, I had escaped one and just go for it! The Twin Otter that had dropped us Typically, a Last Degree journey is from Antarctica’s icy grip, retreating off disappeared from sight and, in an from Mount Vinson in a katabatic about 120km and takes 10-12 days, instant, the full realisation of where but knowing that sleeping would be storm (See IML 86, Retreat from Mount we were settled on us. There was no Vinson), fighting for a number of days difficult and that our appetites would

40 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie antarctic mountaineering

suffer, we planned to attempt a sprint, litres of hot drinks for the five of us reckoning that we could reach our during the day ahead. objective in eight hard days without a By 9:30am, these tasks are all done, break. In fact, seven days would have we’ve packed up our personal gear been great because we would have and started to move outside. Getting arrived at the Pole on December 14th, all our protective clothing and boots the anniversary of Amundsen’s arrival. on in the confines of a small tent is a routine that we get used to very A typical day quickly. We now have about 15-20 By 7:30am, I’m awakening from a minutes to get the two tents down, get restless night’s sleep and thinking the sleds loaded up, get our skis on about beginning to get out of my and be ready to start the day’s hauling -50°C rated goosedown sleeping bag at 10:00am. and starting the day. By 8:00am, we’re At 10:00am, we start hauling. Not all up and, over the next two hours, at 9.59 or 10.01, but at 10.00 on the we prepare and eat a hot breakfast, dot. Routines are very important and drink a full litre of hot tea and melt everything is timed down to the last enough snow to provide about 10 minute. In single file formation, like ducks in a line, compass aimed at 90 Degrees South, we head off. Tim Hewette has a We take as straight a line as the welcome cup of tea. sometimes formidable sastrugi [wind- Photo: Kevin formed ridges of snow] will allow us Dempsey. to, our skis gliding, sliding and scraping along beneath our insulated boots. Our laden sleds, attached to us by ropes that are like umbilical cords, bob and crash, up and over the crusty sastrugi, pulling and dragging on us for hour after hour. After 50 minutes – not 49 or 51, but 50 on the dot – the signal goes up from the front man that we are stopping for our ten-minute break. The lead man pulls to one side and we all then line up side by side. Without removing our skis, we sit on our sleds with backs to the ever present wind

The Twin Otter departs against the midnight sun after dropping the team off at the Last Degree (89°S) on the 8th of December 2007. Photo: Kevin Dempsey.

“Being suddenly dropped deep into Antarctica is a shock to the body and mind.” www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 41 antarctic mountaineering

toilet pit dug. Then we start the never-ending process of melting snow for a brew up, preparing and eating dinner, and sorting ourselves out. Two hours after we stop, we can settle down for a quick read, a game of cards and a bit of laughter and banter before it’s time for the eye shades and the much-needed sleep to ease legs and backs that are tired from burning up the 4-5,000 calories that we eat during the 8-9 hours of hard physical effort, along with the 2-3 hours spent breaking and setting up our camp each day. We live like nomads, moving our home on a daily basis. After seven hours’ sleep, we start the daily routine all over again. Every day, I take 30-60 minutes before bed to write my daily website report, attaching a few photos and using the HET expedition communications kit to get it emailed off to everyone logged on to receive the daily news bulletin from the ice world that is Antarctica. Regardless of the weather, or whatever trials or problems we may encounter, we simply have to make some progress every day. We cannot sit out bad weather days, no matter how bad they are. Rest days are out – we can have all the sleep we want when we have achieved our objective. If we do this every day for 8-12 days without much variance, we will reach the South Pole. Sound easy? A recent report by an accomplished climber after a Last Degree trip described it as being as physically Heading for the tough as doing a 7,000m peak South Pole. Photo: Kevin summit day…every day for 10 days in and unzip the sled cover. We slip on vision and the noise of the wind, skis Dempsey. a row. Mentally, it’s tougher than that our down jackets, grab some snack and sleds, so each of us fills those 50 and, in my experience, success on any bars, chocolate or whatever, and get minutes with our own thoughts on polar travel expedition is all about some much-needed fluids on board. our chosen ‘subject of the hour or overcoming the mental challenge! When we are replenished, we might day.’ If you don’t have something to take a few photos before getting our think about, your mind wanders, Friday, Dec 14th 2007 down jackets off and packing them doubts creep in, tiredness overtakes We must be close now, but in this away. Then we have a quick pee (an you and you start to feel the pressure. white-out we can’t see more than unpleasant procedure in these Best to keep your mind busy. Even 2-3m ahead. Then, as if by magic, at temperatures!), adjust our clothing during the ten-minute breaks, there is about 3:30pm, the low-lying cloud and protective face masks and we are little conversation as each of us cover lifted for about an hour and, ready to roll again. hurries to get sufficient food and with eyes straining the horizon, we Get all this done in 9 minutes 59 drink on board. searched for ‘Our First Sighting.’ We’d seconds and we are ready to move off At 6:00 or 7:00pm (on the dot), been told to expect to be able to see again, 10 minutes after we first regardless of where exactly we are three tiny black dots close together stopped. Mistime it and we could be because the terrain never varies, the from about 25km out. standing around for a few minutes, lead man’s hand goes up and we stop Suddenly, the man at the front getting cold. for the ‘night,’ moving seamlessly into shouts out: “There, there it is... The For 8-9 hours every day the routine our end-of-day routine. South Pole Station... two or three dots is exactly the same. During the 50 Working as a team, within 30 on the horizon dead ahead!” minutes of marching and hauling, minutes we have the two tents up, the We all stopped dead in our tracks, conversation with our team mates is sleds unloaded and secured against staring ahead. Then, one by one, we impossible because of the lack of the wind, our gear in the tents and a all roared out, “Yes! Yes!... I can see

42 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie antarctic mountaineering

The dreaded sastrugi. A frozen choppy sea them!” But they couldn’t be 25km Saturday, Dec 15th 2007 smell it in the air. My mind worked of snow ridges. away. That was another day and a half overtime on trying to get a sense of Photo: Kevin We were up and off in record time Dempsey. of marching and hauling? what had gone through the minds of today but soon had to settle back into We continued for another three my heroes during their final day of our steady, even-paced routine. We hours after that sighting, before setting marching. were still a very tiring day away and up camp, as once again the cloud increasing the pace now would mean By 4:00pm, we knew we had to be descended and enveloped us, wiping pain later in the day. So patience close. out our view of the holy grail. That was called for. night, we went to bed like excited We were in a complete white-out Then suddenly the ground beneath six-year-olds on Christmas Eve, again, which was probably a good us seemed to level off and become unable to sleep with the expectation of thing because the little black dots carpet-like in its smoothness. We our dreams being fulfilled the would have seemed to be moving realised that, in the misty gloom, we following day. In some ways, deep away from us if we had had sight of were now actually standing on the down inside each of us, a part of us them all day long. runway at the South Pole used by the didn’t want this quest to end…what All day long, I imagined we were giant Hercules aircraft, hopefully not would life be like when the years of Scott’s polar party, moving step by just now! wondering, planning and waiting were step closer to our goal. Scott, Evans, My heart raced, bursting to get out all over? Oates, Bowers and Wilson all together. from my chest. I stopped along with Now we were so close that we could my team mates as we lined up side by side, staring into the fog, searching for a sighting of the South Pole marker. Nomads in the Antartic wasteland. Someone was looking down on us Photo: Kevin Dempsey. “We could see the South Pole, but it was still a day and a half of marching and hauling away.” www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 43 antarctic mountaineering

Amundsen and Scott’s The ceremonial quotations upon their arrival. South Pole marker. Photo: Kevin Dempsey. Photo: Kevin Dempsey.

kindly that day because within of Jameson’s Irish whiskey, which I minutes the gloom started to lift. We had carried with me all the way, for Fact file all looked along the line at one Pat Falvey to receive on his arrival in another, giving thumbs-up signals, a few weeks’ time. He assured me Trip organisers with wide grins and tears in our eyes. afterwards that he and his team You can book this trip through Jagged-Globe in the Then we started on the final 400m enjoyed every single drop of the UK (www.jagged-globe.co.uk) which has a towards the Pole marker, which was golden nectar. longstanding relationship with Antarctic Logistics & now visible and beckoning us towards What else can I say about this Expeditions (ALE), the ground operators. You can it. incredible journey? It was a hard-won also book directly with ALE (www.antarctic- Step by step, we eventually got battle and took some time to achieve, logistics.com), the only fully approved and licenced there and, as we gathered around the but it was worth every moment of the operator in Antarctica and which provides the marker, we burst out into a strange hardship. It was one of my Big Dreams logistics for virtually all private expeditions and but wonderful mixture of whoops of fulfilled and now it’s on to live out the research operations there. joy and tears, jumping around on our remaining dreams on my ever skis and pumping our tired arms into expanding list. My belief is that you Timing the heavens above. should live your dreams because no The Antarctic season is short and for Last Degree The time was 16:26 hours on one else is going to do it for you.  expeditions the time period is end November to mid-January. You must allow a minimum of 3 weeks Saturday, December 15th, 2007, a Kevin Dempsey Kevin is a member for the trip plus a week for getting to and from moment frozen in time for ever for me of the Beanna Beola Hillwalking Punta Arenas, say 4 weeks in total. Delays are a part and locked away for instant recall Club. He has been on numerous of life on Antarctica and you could be stuck there for whenever I wish to go back there. trips to the Alpine 4,000m peaks and an extra couple of weeks. By South Pole Station time it was 8:26am, and within minutes of our has also climbed in Bolivia and Chile. He participated in expeditions to Cost arrival we had been spotted by the Antarctica in 2004, 2006 and 2007 The cost of a Last Degree trip is c $42,000, ‘Polies’ at the station. We were the first and plans to go to the North Pole in excluding the cost of travel to Chile and team to arrive at the South Pole that 2009. For further information about accommodation while there, which may cost about season and we were welcomed as Kevin’s expedition, check out an extra $3,000. Then you have to add the cost of heroes. www.south2thepole.com or you can any specialist gear and clothing that you may need to We then spent a most surreal 36 contact him on [email protected]. buy, say another c $2000. hours at the South Pole, during which I made no attempt to get any sleep. I Tips wanted to savour every moment of For travel to and from Punta Arenas (Chile), I would this experience before we began our advise avoiding going through the US and Homeland long multi-airlift homeward journey. Security. Jagged-Globe can organise all of this for We hand-cut blocks of ice from the you. For other information check out the experts in ground, built and opened ‘Paddy extreme adventure travel and expedition McGinty’s Irish Bar’ and celebrated in communications kits: www.thepoles.com. style with our new friends, the Polies. The temperature was a balmy -30°C, at which the beer in our bottles froze unless supped copiously. Before our departure, I left a bottle

44 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie mountaineering

A Moroccan winter ascent Deirdre McCarthy climbs North Africa’s highest peak

Mt Toubkal in winter. ebel Toubkal, at 4,167m, world’s most ‘must see’ spectacles. down the valley, was regrettably is the highest mountain in From vendors selling everything from slightly outside our budget. Morocco and in North dried fruit, sheeps’ heads and mint tea The following day, we set out along J laced with enough sugar to rot your a mule track that took us out of Imlil Africa. Situated in grandmother’s false teeth, to up through walnut groves and past southwestern Morocco, it forms storytellers, snake charmers and another exclusive hotel called part of the Atlas mountain range benign lunatics, it is all there. Kasbah’s, for those who wish to ensure which extends about 2,400km We, however, had a task in hand that a trip to the mountains does not across northwest Africa, through and, after stocking up on supplies, involve skimping on creature Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia headed promptly to join the rest of comforts. This part of Morocco is and separates the Mediterranean our group. Our group was headed by predominantly Muslim and very and Atlantic coastlines from the Irish mountain guide Des Clark, traditional. This, coupled with the whose company, Nomadic Morocco, chilly day-time temperatures, meant Sahara Desert. has been running all types of the head scarves we had brought with mountaineering and trekking trips in us came in very useful. As we ambled While Morocco would normally Morocco since 2000. After haggling along, we passed the little Berber conjure up thoughts of camels, sand with a one-toothed Berber (the village of Aroumd, where young dunes and blistering heat, the idea of indigenous peoples of the Atlas children played along the path and making a winter ascent of Mt Toubkal Mountains), he escorted us in his taxi, people worked in the terraced fields. necessitated packing crampons and ice a clapped-out jalopy of a Mercedes, to This insight into rural Moroccan life axes and multiple thermals instead of Imlil, a small outpost in the heart of was a pleasant respite from the hustle sarongs and sandals. And so it was the Mizane Valley, which, at 1,740m, and bustle of Marrakech. with this somewhat paradoxical kit list is the most popular trailhead in As we left the valley floor and that Claire Michael, Aoife Byrne and I Morocco. It was also the location for trekked along the zig-zag trail the escaped the turkey sandwiches and touched down in Marrakech on Martin Scorsese’s 1997 film Kundun, expanse of the Atlas Mountains was St Stephen’s Day for a winter which depicted the life of the Dalai exposed for the first time. It seemed to mountaineering trip to the wilds of Lama. stretch as far as the eye could see. We Morocco. Here in Imlil, we got our first taste met very few tourists along the way, Marrakech is indeed everything you of the cold nights which lay ahead, as only stopping occasionally to side-step have ever heard about and so much we slept in a little guesthouse in our mules ambling upwards with loads for more. The chaos of the main square, down sleeping bags, each beneath the refuge ahead of us. By late Djemaa el-Fna, provides one of the three woollen blankets. The Richard afternoon we had reached the Branson-owned hotel, about 10km snowline. Within minutes, the sun www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 45 mountaineering

Deirdre McCarthy, Claire Michael and considerably, but the multiple layers Aoife Byrne on Mount Toubkal. were staying on. With not a cloud in Photo: Deirdre McCarthy collection. the sky, the summit of Ouanoukrim afforded a wonderful 360-degree panorama of mountains to gaze at. Perched on the summit, we also had a perfect view across to Mt Toubkal and were able to clearly see our intended route for the following day. The descent took no time at all and was even quicker with the lure of a three- course spread awaiting us at the refuge. As we seemed to have thought of everything except a hip flask, we were left with little option but to have a somewhat sombre New Year’s Eve and, along with the rest of the refuge’s occupants, we were curled up in our sleeping bags by 9:30pm to ward off the -10°C outside temperatures that seemed to permeate through every nook and cranny in the not-so-well had slipped behind the clouds and Mt Ouanoukrim insulated refuge! However, it is not what we did for New Year’s Eve that temperatures had dropped Our mission for the day was to counts, but what we did on New dramatically. However, we had climb the Ouanoukrim peaks, Year’s Day itself. reached our destination for the day, considered a good warm up for Mt the Nelter refuge at 3,207m, which Toubkal. Ouanoukrim is the second Mt Toubkal was to be our base for the next four to highest mountain in the Atlas and it five days. By far the most frequently consists of two summits: the North Up again by 6:00am, we left the used of all mountain refuges in the summit (4,083m), known as Ras refuge before any other group and Atlas, its popularity is due largely to n’Ouanoukrim, and the slightly higher snaked our way up towards Mt its location at the foot of Mt Toubkal. South summit, called Timesguida Toubkal along a route called South It is open throughout the year, (4,088m). An easy scree field Cwm. The steepest climb was at the although new snow can make it separates the two summits. beginning and, once that got us harder to reach in winter. The Nelter From the refuge, we headed up a warmed up, we plodded along at a refuge is named after a French climber snow field and, with daybreak just steady pace, enjoying the view down and geologist who helped raise money upon us, coupled with good snow the valley from the opposite side to for the original construction. conditions underfoot, progress was the day before. Once again the Campsites are available for those steady. With no need to be roped up, sunshine was most welcome to ease wishing to camp in summer months. we ambled onwards and upwards. We the early morning chills. We were We, on the other hand, were availing weren’t long passing some other amazed that even on this snow- of the indoor facilities and a groups up ahead, mainly wheezing covered terrain birds abounded and sumptuous meal of couscous and Britons who seemed for some strange chirped incessantly, venturing daringly close for any crumbs of food. As we tagine awaited us, with copious reason to have forgotten their made it to the col below the well- amounts of mint tea on hand to crampons. As the sun now radiated defined path to the summit, we combat the evening chills. overhead we emerged from the valley stopped to gaze down some amazing Our next day, New Year’s Eve, was a and were greeted on top of the col by gullies. They looked like they could 6:00am start, a somewhat civilised an absolutely stunning view. For miles provide some serious fun for ice hour compared to that of Alpine upon miles mountain tops stretched climbers if they froze over, which starts. For some, it was their first time as far as the horizon, most with apparently they do every now and using crampons and they fumbled in unpronounceable Arabic names, and it again. the morning’s icy temperatures. For made us realise that we were barely As we neared the summit, Des others, it was like tying shoe-laces tapping what Morocco had to offer in directed a few of us along a little with a quick tie-in and away you go. terms of trekking and climbing. From the col, we ascended up along detour and we found ourselves edging a rocky ridge, which provided some along a little ridge while peering down excellent scrambling and a nice drop a rather steep and expansive drop. It We stood on the highest on either side to remind us to added to the excitement, of course, “point in North Africa with a concentrate. After a while the gradient and we were all more than game to relented and a vast scree slope opened get off the main route to the summit panorama of mountains as up. From there it was a hop, skip and for a wee while. Throughout, Des was a jump to the summit. Temperatures on hand to answer our endless far as the eye could see. had by late morning warmed questions about the area, its

46 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 ” www.mountaineering.ie mountaineering

Stone-built refuges used at base camp.

mountains and peoples, rattling off the Imlil and on to Marrakesh. While our kilometres of ocean coast, making it a name of any mountain top, gully or trip could also have been done in destination for surfing, kite-surfing, protruding spur we pointed to, summer, it is an entirely different mountain-biking, trekking and even highlighting the knowledge of the area experience in winter as much of the skiing. Added to that, it is definitely he has acquired over his years as a snow-covered terrain we walked over the closest non-western country you guide and a resident of Morocco. turns into interminable scree slopes can get to from Ireland. At just a We headed to the summit to rejoin during the summer months. Climbing three-hour flight from Gatwick (and the rest of our group and as we gazed Mt Toubkal and its surrounding peaks now direct flights from Dublin to at our surroundings we realised that in winter is a great introduction to Agadir with Ryanair), you can have this really was a fantastic way to start mountaineering, providing the basics breakfast in Dublin and be in Morocco the New Year, standing on the highest of crampon and ice axe use, some in time for lunch!  point in North Africa with a panorama rocky ridge scrambling and, most of mountains stretched out before us importantly, an insight into how your Deirdre McCarthy was a member of as far as the eye could see. body functions at altitude, as circa the Millennium Youth Initiative run by It turns out we weren’t the only 4,000m is certainly high enough to the MCI in 1999 and has been clever Irish with notions of spending induce altitude sickness. traipsing up and down mountains on New Years in a far-flung land. That We left Morocco with a strong sense various continents ever since! She is night, all around the refuge Irish that we will definitely be returning. currently a member of MCI’s Board of Deirdre McCarthy accents could be heard, with card Morocco is a veritable playground for Directors. en route to Mt games aplenty and the usual the outdoor enthusiast. It not only has Jebel Toubkal. coincidence of someone knowing half enough mountains to explore for • For more information, check out Photo: Deirdre your relations or friends of friends. years, it also has thousands of www.nomadicmorocco.com. McCarthy collection. Mt Akioud The next day, while the rest of our group headed back to Marrakech for some well-deserved luxury and pampering, Aoife, Claire and I, not quite finished with what this wonderful area had to offer, decided to stay on for another climb. We went up a mountain called Akioud (4,010m), which is the next peak north from Ouanoukrim. Although there were tracks in the snow already, we were the only ones on the route that day and the sheer tranquillity of our surroundings was blissful, affording plenty of scope to set out those New Year resolutions and, most importantly, plan where we will spend next New Year’s Eve. Our trek down the valley the next day followed the same route back to

www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 47 training TrainingLog

The latest advice and information from Tim Orr, MCI Training Officer

When I was working Find out more about training as a mountain training If you visit the Training and Safety section of the MCI website, provider, I had a www.mountaineering.ie, you will find the complete guide to what mantra that stayed is going on in the world of mountain training. With regular with me through my updates and new information added regularly, this dynamic section work: “When I stop of the MCI website should hopefully assist and inspire you to get enjoying my chosen involved and develop your skills. profession, I will move BOS headings Here you will find all the information required on to something new to assist you through the more formal structure of BOS awards and and hold on to qualifications. Information on types and levels of training, lists of mountaineering as a approved training providers’ contact details and information about hobby.” I still think upcoming courses and assessment are all there under these this is a sound bit TIM’S BLOGSPOT headings. of advice for all MCI headings instructors, trainers and leaders. If they don’t enjoy it any Information about mountaineering meets, more, then it’s time to move on. Introducing others to the training workshops and free taster sessions will be found under the mountains should be done with passion, enthusiasm and MCI headings of the Training and Safety section. These are understanding. I should quickly point out that this is not the regularly updated to provide members with the most up to date reason I took on the job of MCI Training Officer. That was sources of information and reports on all events taking place. based on a genuine interest in developing mountain training Training headings Under the training headings, we have in Ireland. I saw it as an opportunity to create a network of presented all other kinds of mountain training and safety issues support for trainees and trainers alike. I saw a need for and events: everything from downloadable application forms and someone to delve into the depths of an administrative syllabi to top tips from our training providers. We have also built a process to support all sides, from professional mountain dedicated area for those of you who deliver training to others. For training providers to casual ramblers. those of you wishing to get a little more involved with the ins and An important aspect of providing this support for outs of the mountain training structure and to have your voice mountain training is to try to ensure it has adequate funding. heard, you will find plenty of opportunity under the “Current To that end, a significant part of my work recently has been Open Issues” section within the Training Providers section. devoted to completing the 2009 submission to the Irish Please take the opportunity in your own time to visit these Sports Council for training support grants, a process that sections, work your way through the pages and see what you can caused more than a little anxiety. It is now finally completed, find. If you need further information or have suggestions about signed and delivered. With the anticipation one feels when what else needs to be presented, let us know in the MCI Training caught in the middle of a Scottish snow gully on a fifty Office and we will see what we can do about getting that metres run-out, surrounded by swirls of spindrift, loose, information onto the website. brittle rock, we must now wait to see what the economic times we live in will bring. Even if these are turbulent times Volunteer Training Officers on workshop in Co Wicklow. financially, as motivated escapists, we Photo: Tim Orr. will have more and more reason to take to the hills and seek out the challenges that attract us to our sport, whatever form they take. The year ahead is already looking to be a full one, the busiest yet for mountain training within the MCI. With our four seasonal meets, numerous regional workshops, free taster sessions nationwide and the usual platter of BOS training and assessment courses being run in just about every upland region, it’s time to start planning where, when and what new horizon you will be striving for in the coming year.

48 Irish Mountain Log - Autumn 2008 www.mountaineering.ie training

Participants in the Volunteer Training Officers’ Workshop held in Co Wicklow. Photo: Tim Orr.

Despite the soggy weather, spirits remain undampened in the Training Office. The paper mountains are gradually being scaled and BOS awards regular dispatches from the outside world indicate that, outside our sealed cube, mountain training – both formal and informal – The BOS providers continue to maintain the highest continues to thrive. standards of formal training. Over recent months many new climbers have successfully gained BOS Awards. BOS would like to extend its congratulations to the following:- Mountain Skills forms, the BOS webpages are a great The newly regenerated Mountain resource for your mountain training Mountain Leader Award (ML) Skills scheme has been the main needs. Further details about the Eva Veres Rob Coffey focus of attention. While the three- 2009 Scottish Winter Meet are also Neal McAloon Stephen O’Shea stage structure of the training there. Mario MacRory Pádraic Halligan scheme will remain largely the same, Ferghal O’Grady Gerard Cullen the new candidate course pack, Volunteer trainers Single Pitch Award (SPA) including a log book, and new There is a new page on the Michal Dorcicz Simon Dowley methods of course reporting will website for Volunteer Training ensure a more substantial identity Craig Padnitz Shane Kilcoyne Officers, the VTO section. Juraj Georgievshy Gavin Burns for the MS course as an award in its Establishing a Volunteer Training Patrick Gethings Melissa Eades own right. Considering the huge Officer network throughout Ireland’s Jessie O’Connor Ruairí Leddy number of Mountain Skills course walking and climbing clubs may Karolina Wierzbowska Terrance Clancy and assessment reports that are seem like a very tall order. Our aim Lisa McDonagh Anthony Boxwell flooding into the Training Office, the to have trained individuals willing to Brian Arthur Calliam Johnson newly regenerated scheme is proving pass on informal mountain training Derek Brady Sarah Crowley extremely popular with providers within each club is, however, one Rhys McAllister Karen Kirby Michael Maqamya Niamh Burke and candidates alike. step closer to becoming reality after Karl Daly Other mountain training schemes the great success of the two VTO are also attracting record numbers of weekend workshops held in Multi Pitch Award (MPA) registrations and 2008 looks set to November. We will be working Liam Calnan surpass any previous year in the closely in the forthcoming months number of candidates undertaking with those who attended the Walking Group Leader Award (WGL) formal training. Recognition must be workshops to establish such a Terry Lambert paid to the work of our providers network and will be holding a whose enthusiasm has ensured the number of similar weekend continued popularity of BOS workshops throughout 2009 to courses. welcome new club VTOs. As always, the Training Office is Forthcoming events on hand to answer any of your The Training and Safety section of mountain training queries, so please the MCI website is the first port of do get in touch if you have any call for walkers and climbers looking questions or feedback. for information about forthcoming courses, workshops and events. Kate Hebblethwaite, From training tips to registration Training Assistant www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Autumn 2008 49 newstraining MountainSkills

The BOS Single Pitch Award Scheme is aimed at those promoting and supervising rockclimbing by others. MCI Training Officer Tim Orr reports. BOS Single Pitch Award Scheme

What is it?

The Single Pitch Award (SPA) is the recognised qualification within Ireland and the UK for rockclimbers who want to introduce and supervise others in the single-pitch rockclimbing environment. It is also currently recognised within the Republic of Ireland as the most suitable award for working within the indoor climbing wall setting. BOS, the Irish Mountain Training Board, is currently looking at introducing a specific Climbing Wall Award (CWA) which is currently available in the UK and Northern Ireland.

Who is it for? Participants in the recent Mountain Leader Refresher Workshop in Connemara. Before booking onto an SPA training Photo: Tim Orr. course, candidates must first register with BOS. Candidates registering with feedback from their trainer on both their BOS must hold a minimum of one year’s own personal climbing and on the safe Between training and assessment climbing experience, be current active supervision of others. lead climbers and be able to show evidence of leading at least 15 This important period of consolidation is What does the syllabus cover? recognised climbs on traditional placed when trainee candidates develop their protection. The minimum age for own personal styles and awareness of all registration is eighteen years old and an The training and assessment covers such aspects presented through the syllabus. emphasis is also placed on the A minimum of one year is recommended skills as: choice of venue, rope candidate’s desire to become a for all but the most experienced management, correct use of equipment, supervisor and leader of others. candidates, during which time they will group management, emergency strengthen and secure their knowledge procedures, crag etiquette, access and through practical observations of other How long is the course? conservation. experienced SPAs. Trainee candidates must also demonstrate their continued Training courses will also endeavour to The SPA training is run over twenty personal development as climbers by hours, usually during a two-day period. include an evening session at an indoor keeping a log of their own climbing All teaching sessions are run within small climbing wall. At the end of their training progression, and are required to present groups through practical based lessons course candidates will be given a briefing evidence of an additional minimum both indoors and outdoors. Through plan for the required consolidation period amount of lead climbs. concentrated and realistic workshops, before going forward for assessment. trainees gain individual guidance and

50 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie training

Your guide to the BOS Single Pitch Award Scheme

approves independent providers to do The SPA assessment Booking and costs so. There are currently nine providers in the Republic of Ireland, all experienced Similar to the training, assessment is and qualified mountaineering instructors. A full list of upcoming SPA training and normally run over two days. The first day Through ongoing moderation of assessment dates can be found under of the assessment is generally given over standards, the MCI and BOS are able to the Training and Safety section of the to personal climbing and safety, where assure an exceptionally high standard of MCI website. Once you have registered the assessor will clarify that the candidate delivery for this important national with BOS, the providers should be is working above a minimum acceptable qualification. contacted directly and will look after you safety standard. Having reached this level from there on. Courses are priced by the and successfully demonstrated their In Northern Ireland, the SPA scheme is individual provider and are listed on the ability and understanding of all safety overseen by Mountain Leader Training MCI website. Providers can also be issues, on the second day of assessment Northern Ireland (MLTNI) and delivered contacted directly to facilitate group candidates are given a real group to through Tollymore Mountain Centre. bookings and may also be able to supervise and look after. Under the arrange accommodation, food and watchful eye of the assessor, candidates transport for you, if necessary.  are expected to organise and deliver a safe, enjoyable and progressive learning experience for their group. Frequently asked questions

On completion of the assessment each What is a single pitch rockclimb? candidate will be given an individual feedback report from the director of assessment. Log books, first aid For the purposes of this scheme a single certificates and written papers will all be pitch route is one which: checked and the candidate will be • is climbed without intermediate stances presented with further training guidance • is described as single pitch in the and their overall assessment result of pass, guidebook defer or fail. • is non-tidal • is non-serious and has little objective Participants in the recent Mountain Skills Who delivers the training and danger Providers Workshop in Cork. (Photo: Tim Orr.) assessment? • presents no difficulties on approach or retreat, such as in route finding, basic rope work and introduction to scrambling or navigating. The MCI does not directly run SPA climbing courses. training and assessment courses but What grade do I need to climb at? Where to after the SPA?

For training, you should be comfortable There are a number of routes that can be lead climbing at v. diff (vd) on leader progressed once you have gained the SPA placed protection. During the assessment award, most notably the Multi Pitch Award you will be expected to lead climb at (MPA). The MPA is again a minimum grade of severe (S). leader/supervisory award but it specialises in allowing you to take clients into the What training can I undertake more serious environment of the multi- before SPA? pitch environment.

All of our SPA providers also specialise in Beyond the SPA and MPA, candidates can training courses to help bring you up to complement these awards with their the pre-required level for SPA training. Mountain Leader (ML) and then later These courses could include learning to progress onto the Mountain Instructor lead, rescue and emergency for climbers, Award (MIA). www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 51 access & conservation Access&Conservation

The latest news from Aodhnait Carroll, MCI Access & Conservation Officer How to walk and leave no trace Considerations when planning a walking festival or challenge walk event

ALWAYS FOLLOW the Leave No Trace principles of outdoor ethics. Participants gather for the Mourne Marathon. These are as follows:

Plan Ahead and Prepare Use the Environmental Impacts and Areas of Conservation checklist, as follows: (i) Establish whether there are any other events planned at the same location and time. Consult with other charities that are known to have an interest in this form of fundraising. Start your planning early so that you can still change in the event of a clash of dates. (ii) Plan and map all potential walking routes in the area of your planned event. This should be done in conjunction with local walking club representatives (where appropriate), if they are active and familiar with the terrain. The following should be taken into account when identifying your route: range of walks required, level of difficulty (type of terrain and distance), time of year (likely weather conditions, daylight hours, and availability of walkers) and walkers’ ability. (iii) Find out if the lands concerned have a legal Natural Conservation Designation. For example, the land may be part of a Natural Heritage Area or a Special Area of Conservation. This can be checked by talking to local National Parks and Wildlife staff, at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. They will advise you what to do, if this is the case. (iv) Make an assessment of how the festival may impact on the environment. Walking festivals should be underpinned by the principle of conserving the environment. Minimising impact on fragile vegetation and soft ground is important. This type of terrain can only take small numbers and only at certain times of the year. Tramping on plants during the growing season, for example, will have a greater impact than later in the year, and untold damage can be caused by 200+ people walking along a riverbank or close to a (ix) Does the area have a heavy seasonal tourist influx? If so, it is nesting site. important to understand that there will be many other users. Bank (v) The Festival Committee should be mindful of and promote the holiday weekends must be avoided. Avoid weekend events at busy principles of Leave No Trace when planning a walking festival. It locations, especially in summer months. should be distributed and explained to each walker and festival (x) After each festival, in the debriefing stage, there should be an worker. assessment of the environmental impact. This should feed into and (vi) Take measures to limit the number of participants in the event guide the next festival. The aim should be to leave no trace of the (e.g. by using pre-booking). existence or passage of the event. (vii) Departure times could be staggered and the groups should not follow each other on the same route – this will reduce the The Mountaineering Council of Ireland’s Environmental Policy impact on the environment. However, it is better to avoid vulnerable includes a section on organising events. Remember, it isn’t smaller sections of terrain altogether. groups that do less damage but fewer boots over the route per day. In other words, there is no difference between sending 100 people (viii) Take into account the level of use of the area (an area that over a single route on one day and sending the same number out in has little activity throughout the year will recover better from the five groups of 20 at intervals. The key principle is dispersal of impact of one large event than an area that is subject to heavy use on impact (where erosion is an issue). a regular basis).

52 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 access & conservation

A challenge event gets underway. • Dogs should not be allowed on any walk where any farmland is included.

Travel and Camp on Durable Ground • Examine the environmental impact, particularly erosion, of any route proposed. • Consider alternative event formats with reduced impact on vulnerable terrain. • Vary the route, e.g. arrange a number of different walks in the area; change the route from year to year. • Consider scheduling the event for later in the year to avoid damage during the peak growth season. • Different walks should start from different points in the area and vary each day. • Route selection should avoid areas where it is likely that significant damage may be caused. For example, some areas can take high numbers, e.g. forest tracks, while bog areas can not. • Ascending vulnerable sections of a route will cause less impact than descending. Consider altering route direction. • It is not always necessary to avoid routes that are already Be Considerate of Others damaged. The important thing here is for organisers to request that the walkers do not widen eroded routes by walking on the vegetated Share our trails, yield to all, treat another’s property as you would treat margins. your own, let nature’s sound prevail. • All participants should be expected to use agreed routes and be briefed on the need to avoid the damaging impact of short cuts or • Inform and consult with the relevant authorities to establish crowding on footpaths. environmental and social concerns for the area. If they do not approve or support your proposal, look elsewhere or revise aspects of the event. Leave What You Find • Most of the countryside (including the hills) is privately owned. • Introduce the Leave No Trace principle of ‘Leave What You Find’ Ask landowners for permission to cross their land. Ensure they fully to all people involved in your event. understand the nature and scale of the groups involved. Ensure all • Are the participants aware of the value of not taking “souvenirs” landowners are indemnified against any accident or injury that may away from the areas that they visit? arise from the walking festival. • Have you encouraged all your members to take photographs of • Start walks at venues with car parking. Ensure drop-off/pick-up interesting objects rather than taking the objects themselves? points are accessible by coach. • Cause no disturbance or inconvenience to the local community Dispose of Waste Properly or environment. Consider the impact of numbers taking part on Pack it in, pack it out narrow roads, limited parking, toilet facilities, waste disposal, water supplies and local people. Look realistically at the capacity of the • The assistant leader, taking up the rear of each walking group, local facilities. Seek and follow local advice where necessary. should be responsible for ensuring that no litter is deposited, • Manage the event to avoid the accumulation of too many people especially after stops. Litter includes biodegradable items such as tea at any one place or time. A challenge will probably attract numbers bags and fruit skins. of spectators who may cause as much or more disturbance as the • Ensure all litter and markers are removed after the event. participants. • Try to ensure there are services at the start and finish of each • Consider other users and be prepared to look elsewhere if your walk, e.g. toilet facilities and bins for people to place their garbage. event will spoil other people’s enjoyment of the area. • Are you and your club aware of the many options that are • Keep participants away from local settlements during antisocial available to minimise the impact of going to the bathroom when in hours and respect the local community. the out of doors? • Consider making a donation towards environmental maintenance. Minimise the Effects of Fire • Any damage caused by your event must be reported • If your event is in the summer months you should be aware of immediately to the landowner. the fire hazard potential and alert the Fire Service of your presence and carefully brief all participants. You may wish to introduce a no Respect Farm Animals and Wildlife smoking rule. This is not a common issue for Challenge Walks as • Avoid busy farming environments and land where livestock (ie fires are rarely lit at these events, but if you should want to light a sheep/cattle) are grazing. fire, you should ensure that it will cause minimal impact. • Local farmers can be the worst affected. Organisers must realise that the countryside is a working landscape in which people live. In *If you are unsure about how to answer or address any of the particular, be aware of activities such as lambing, sowing or questions above, please feel free to contact the MCI Access and harvesting, and the need to close gates properly and not climb over Conservation Officer to organise a Leave No Trace Awareness day for walls or fences. your event organisers.  www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 53 books Books Literary Editor Joss Lynam presents reviews of some recent publications.

The mountain that killed his father...

occupies the first half of the book, while the and his daughter when aged 23. The book Paul Harrington second half is about his son – the author, deals with the constant juggling of family life John Harlin III, John Harlin I being the and mountaineering projects up until his author’s grandfather. death at the age of 31. John Harlin II was famous for making the The second half of the book deals with the first American ascent of the 1938 route on adult life of the author, John Harlin III, who is the North Face of the Eiger. A few years himself a competent climber and editor of later, he went back in winter and led an the American Alpine Journal, but who has international team which established a always had to live in the shadow of his second route on the face, the Harlin Direct. famous father... “Are you the real John Sadly, John Harlin II was killed high on the Harlin?”... “When are you going to climb the face during the ascent of the route, when a face?” Eventually, at the age of 49, John fixed rope he was jumaring on gave way. Harlin III decided he could no longer hide The first half of the book gives a good from the Eiger and he climbed it with Robert insight into the character of John Harlin II. Jasper and his wife Daniela under the Initially, the author seems harsh in describing scrutiny of an IMAX film crew. his father’s motivations and manner, Parts of the book are slow going, but particularly when one remembers how young other chapters move you along quite quickly The Eiger Obsession: Facing the he was at the time. But, as the chapters and make excellent reading. Those who are Mountain that Killed My Father progress, you see the softer side of John well read on the leading mountaineers of the By John Harlin III Harlin II and his inspiration to and effect on time and their exploits will enjoy the climbing Hutchinson, 284pp those around him. You also see him chapters. Many prominent figures crop up 16pp colour photos maturing as a father and becoming more and are cast in a different light than that h/b £18.99 ISBN 978-0-091-92558-1 receptive towards the needs of his wife and shown in other publications. children. As a hard-core mountaineer, he In summary, an enjoyable read and a This is a book of two halves. The story of was quite rare in that he had his children at a valuable addition to the historical John Harlin II from the family perspective relatively young age, his son at the age of 21 mountaineering literature. A life less ordinary...

throughout his school days, only to discover personal life builds to its crescendo, the Stephen McMullen he was a classic dyslexic in later life, and tension is almost unbearable. The weight of finally chronicling the dilemma of marriage responsibility to his family and loved ones Psychovertical and parenthood whilst participating at the burdens the approach to the final pitch of By Andy very sharp end of big wall and alpine the Reticent. Building a makeshift crash pad Kirkpatrick climbing. on a ledge from empty water bottles with Hutchinson, The threads of his life are interwoven with tops half unscrewed to cushion the death 277pp a pitch-by-pitch account of a 12-day solo fall 3,000 feet up El Capitan illustrates the 16pp colour ascent of the Reticent wall of El Capitan in state of Kirkpatrick’s mind at this point.That photos, many Yosemite Valley, USA, at the time probably state of mind is what is required to succeed b&w sketches the hardest and most dangerous big wall in on routes like the Reticent. It took h/b £18.99 the world. From slow, stumbling steps, Kirkpatrick his entire life to realise that he ISBN 978-0- Kirkpatrick’s climbing career developed from was not ordinary but rather a quite unique 091-92096-8 grit edges to Alpine epics to extreme and special person and a world-class Patagonia to showing up for the initial climber. From humble pitches of the Reticent unfit and full of Kirkpatrick’s last challenge was to beginnings, self-doubt and the silent accusation of overcome his dyslexia and produce this Andy Kirkpatrick leaving behind a wife and two children to superb book which will inspire, entertain, charts a life less ordinary. This book gives a take on a route so difficult that the risks horrify and uncomfortably reflect to each of very honest and sometimes uncomfortable involved in climbing most of its pitches are us the question of balancing one’s account of growing up in a broken family, of deemed to be unjustifiable by most. responsibility to others with what one must the struggle of a mother to raise her child As the climb and the narrative behind his do for oneself. alone, of being branded slow and stupid

54 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie books The important Himalayan ascents

first ascents on most 8000ers. There is a Food prices are up, but book prices aren’t – Joss Lynam slight tendency towards American and UK everything below is £25 or less. climbs – the 1956 ascent of Muztagh Tower by the NW ridge by the British is If you’re a Falvey fan, you have to have A (deservedly) described in full, while the Journey to Adventure for its superb photographs (€27.95) (reviewed in IML 84). (equally deserving) ascent by the SE ridge by a French party almost simultaneously Just across the Irish Sea there are dozens of gets two lines. Apart from the Poles, the trails, and who better than Paddy Dillon to Eastern Europeans are under-represented. describe them in The National Trails (£16.99) But overall, this is an excellent book, (IML 85). and the omissions are due to the authors’ concentration on the development of In the Summer 2008 issue (IML 86), we Himalayan mountaineering, as the reviewed a sheaf of walking guides to three continents, from the English Lakes to Bhutan.... introduction makes clear. The British ruled India, so it is not surprising that the great We thought you might like to try some other majority of early climbers were Imperial. activities – canyoning? Or cycling in the Alps? They kept Everest for themselves but they (see IML 87) permitted the Germans to go to Kangchenjunga in 1929. Other German, Not forgetting, in the same issue, the French and American “heavy” expeditions astonishing biography of Tomaz Humar, and the Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan to the 8000ers followed. But change was ground-breaking Burren Guide. Mountaineering from the Age of already happening: first Smythe on Kamet Empire to the Age of Extremes Then there are paperback editions of award- and then Tilman and Houston showed By Maurice Isserman & Stewart Weaver winners Venables’ Higher than the Eagle Soars you could climb a 25,000ft peak with a Yale University Press, 579pp (IML 84) and Andy Cave’s Learning to Breathe. small party, and then Tilman and Shipton Numerous b&w photos, maps and drawings showed you really could organise a trip to There are so many interesting books out this h/b £25.00 ISBN 978-0-300-11501-7 the Himalaya on the back of an envelope. Christmas that you’ll need a roomful of aunts Then came the World War, and after it and uncles to buy them for you, but beware; they might keep them! – (Joss Lynam) Two American mountaineers have taken the “heavy” ascents of Everest and the the brave step of trying to encompass in a other 8000ers. With them out of the way, readable book the important Himalayan lighter expeditions became the norm and ascents, from those of the Schlagintweit in such numbers that the authors could only chronicle those they believe “are brothers in the 1850s to multifarious Higher than climbs in the early 1990s. either particularly notable in their own right the eagle soars The authors, Maurice Isserman and or particularly revealing of the time and Stephen Stewart Weaver, have certainly studied the place from which they emerged.” Others Venables’ subject – there are more than a thousand may have different choices (I, for instance, autobiography notes, easy to reference, not just quoting would have concentrated less on Everest). culminating in his sources, but full of information that is well In “The Age of Extremes,” the final solo ascent of worth reading on its own. They have chapter, we see large expeditions to Everest is now out in paperback found some unexpected sources. For difficult routes, with members sometimes for a mere £8.99, instance, files found in Berlin after the war pursuing their personal ambitions, while at well worth buying. reveal that Paul Bauer was a Nazi official, the other extreme, there are successful often at odds with other German solo and mountaineers such as Merkl (Nanga two-man trips to the great peaks. In the Parbat 1932, ‘34, ‘37). middle, sadly, is the development of The authors are a little addicted to commercial ascents. Learning to rows. The Diemburger-Buhl versus This is a very readable book; I enjoyed it Breathe Schmuck-Wintersteller row on the greatly, particularly since, unusually for successful first ascent of Broad Peak and Andy Cave’s mountaineering books, the authors give award- the multifarious rows on several American us a lot of interesting biographical winning expeditions (and others) get more than information about the mountaineers tale. their fair share of space. themselves, and also their cultural On the other hand, there are omissions. background. Shipton’s Blank on the Map trips before The route sketches are by Dee and after Everest 1938 are dismissed in a Molenaar, himself a Himalayan sentence, the East Karakoram is hardly mountaineer, and the many black-and- mentioned, nor are the mountains of Lahul white photographs included relate well to and Spiti, nor are routes other than the the text. www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 55 books Essential skills...

I pinched a book once from an old expeditions. The massive amount of Calvin Torrans bookstore in Smithfield Market in Belfast. It information given is presented in a very was the late fifties and the book, more of a attractive and clear format. Intelligent booklet really, was on mountainering and sub-headings and generous illustrations had an illustration of a climber on the cover, make dipping into it a pleasure, and the showig how it’s done – in this case showing advice and expert tips given are useful, how to hammer a piton in using a rock. My whatever your level of experience. All those first thought was, ‘why doesn’t he use a things you mightn’t have thought of, such claw hammer?’ Well, equipment has come as dealing with depression on expeditions or a long way since then; the hammer has seeing off a polar bear – Richardson has been and gone, and the evolution of thought of them all. instructional books has eagerly kept pace. The sections on ski mountaineering, Unfortunately most of them are compiled by snowshoeing and expeditions to remote people who spend too much time areas are particularly valuable as there is a instructing and not enough time climbing, lot of interest in these activities among Irish Mountaineering: but recent publications from Libby Peters, moutaineers and not much accessible The Essential Skills for Mountain Alan Fyffe, Xxxx?? Cunningham and Alun Walkers and Climbers Richardson have broken that mould. information. By Alun Richardson Now Alun Richardson has upped the ante As well as being a superb instructional A&C Black, 362pp again with this superb volume which manual, this book looks so good that Very numerous photos and sketches sweeps across all aspects of someone might like to give it to you for h/b £25.00 ISBN 978-0-7136-8692-0 mountaineering from hillwalking to major Christmas, so drop hints early and often!

The man behind the lens

His first wife Hilda bore him a son, John, genius. However, his legacy stands and was John I. Murray born in 1920, whose own life mirrored his confirmed by Wainwright who, on hearing of father’s – action in World War II and a career his passing, said: “A future without a new A Camera in in cosmetics. WAP’s progress in cosmetics Poucher book is a bleak prospect for me the Hills: The was meteoric. By 1925, he had his own firm and countless others.” Life and Work and had written Perfumes, Cosmetics and of W.A. Soaps. A standard work, it has run to ten Poucher editions, is still in print and made him a Homage to By Roly Smith world authority. In 1934, he joined Yardley al-Andalus: Frances and stayed until he retired in 1959. He The Rise and Lincoln, 192pp foresaw the potential in toiletries for men Fall of Islamic 72pp b/w and didn’t hesitate to wear his own Spain photos, 30pp products. His new position gave him the By Michael colour photos money and time to indulge his other passion Barry h/b £20.00 – mountain photography. Andalus Press, ISBN 13: 978- A stylish dresser, teetotaller, connoisseur 256pp 0-7122-2898-6 of fine cigars and fast cars, WAP used Leica hdbk €35 35mm cameras – the best, and what an Lavishly illustrated with many of Poucher’s advance on earlier heavy cameras using Michael Barry (a member of the Marley finest pictures and full of anecdotes, this glass plates. His first books were large- Hillwalkers) tells the story of al-Andalus, its well researched biography explores the man format black-and-white picture books of rise to splendour and sophistication, and its behind the lens. Britain’s mountain areas giving details of decline. Full of photos and illustrations, this Born in 1891, on leaving school William exposure, films and filters. The illustrated book is aimed at all, including those Arthur Poucher joined a local firm of guide books to Wales, the Lakes and interested in Spain and its rich heritage, chemists. This introduced him to cosmetics Scotland followed in the 1950s and ‘60s. exploring an intriguing story that has and photography. He qualified as a chemist, Next, the colour books, his last being a relevance for today’s world. Centuries of winning a bronze medal in 1913. At that re-issue of his book on Ireland in 1986. His Islamic presence in Spain and Portugal left time he considered medicine as a career. favourite book: The Magic of Skye; his an indelible stamp, like the wonders of the World War I intervened and he served with favourite view: the incomparable panorama Alhambra and the Great Mosque of the Royal Army Medical Corps. The carnage of the Cuillins from Elgol. All who have seen Curdoba. The legacy also extends to the of the Somme turned him against medicine this glorious vista would concur. rich seam of learning, in science, medicine, but left him with two ambitions: to marry his Poucher is now seen as a meticulous literature and philosophy that was later sweetheart and to make his name in recorder rather than as a photographic transmitted to the rest of Europe. cosmetic pharmacy.

56 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie books There is more to Skye than the Cuillin Ridge

for more detailed books. His short account of island weather, Tom Fox however, is spot on! Birkett opens with a detailed account of getting around the island, A year in the life of highlighting what is worth seeing, but you would need a 1:50,000 the Isle of Skye map to hand to follow his detailed descriptions. The diagrammatic By Bill Birkett map is too lacking in detail to be of use with his text. The Frances Lincoln, 128pp. description is more suited to a travel guide than a coffee-table book. 115pp colour photos, 1 diagrammatic map He gives a concise account of the island’s complicated history, h/back £14.99 from the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to the final revolt that put an ISBN 978 0 7112 26449 end to the infamous Clearances, but he can only touch on the subject due to space limitations. But it is a photographic essay and, from the fine collection of The Isle of Skye is more photographs, we see that he has an in-depth knowledge of the than the Cuillin Ridge for island after his many visits over the years. The extensive captions do which it is famous, and Bill make up, somewhat, for lack of text. Birkett attempts to Birkett’s extensive knowledge of rockclimbing on Skye comes highlight the many facets of the island in this photographic essay, through, as this is what brought him to the island first, and he which focuses on three key areas: the Red Cuillin, the Black Cuillin includes many of the popular climbing spots in the extensive and the peninsula of Trotternish. collection of photographs, many of which have not been reproduced The trouble with this type of book is that text takes second place. to the standard that we have come to expect from coffee-table Many of the topics are not dealt with in enough detail – he hasn’t books nowadays. the space – and the text does not do justice to the subject. The As a photographic essay, the author has covered the island articles on people and culture, climbing and mountaineering, flora extensively, but I feel that justice was not done in the printing to the and fauna and the historical introduction would send you scrambling fine collection of photos. The book did not work for me.

Skiing beyond the piste

backcountry skiing may seem difficult, including choosing the necessary John A.C. Breen daunting or downright dangerous. However, equipment, navigation, uphill movement, as the ski resorts become increasingly various ski mountaineering techniques, crowded, a growing number of experienced knowing the mountain environment, skiers are viewing the wide open spaces decision-making in avalanche terrain and beyond the piste as attractive alternatives taking care of oneself. It finishes with an with new challenges. all-important topic, which we hope we will For experienced skiers that take up never have to use but need to be fully backcountry skiing, it means adding new familiar with – namely, rescue techniques skills to those that have been acquired over and emergency preparedness. the years, skills such as navigation and I particularly like the easy writing style and route finding, assessing snow condition and the practical way the various subjects are avalanche risk, and being proficient in the covered. The use of highlighted tips and use of avalanche transceivers and rescue photo diagrams throughout the book to techniques. But for those in love with skiing illustrate particular points helps to convey and the mountains, it offers the reward of the intended messages in a clear and being one of the most enriching experiences concise manner. Good reference books in Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski that there are, combining as it does the joy English for ski mountaineering/touring have, Touring and Ski Mountaineering of skiing on untracked snow with that of with the exception of a few classics, been By Martin Volken, Scott Schell travelling and living in wonderful snow- limited. & Margaret Wheeler covered mountains away from the This book, with its broad but practical The Mountaineer’s Books, 344pp maddening crowds. coverage of the equipment and the skills Numerous photos and diagrams In the introduction to this book, the that a skier should be aware of in s/b £15.95 ISBN 978-1-59485-038-7 authors indicate that their aim is to provide transferring from the semi-controlled an in-depth explanation of all the various environment of piste skiing to freedom of Despite the massive development of ski skills, knowledge and techniques that are the wilder backcountry environment, is to be resorts throughout the Alps, many areas crucial to safety and success in the diverse welcomed. It fully meets the aim the authors remain relatively untouched. These activities of ski touring and ski set themselves and outlined in the untouched areas are the preserve of ski mountaineering. The book introduces the introduction and is a must buy for anyone mountaineers/tourers. To the inexperienced, various skills involved in a systematic way, interested in backcountry skiing. www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 57 books What it’s really like in mountain rescue!

In the description of how mountain dogs in mountain rescue. It traces the Paul Whiting rescue was introduced into Britain, there’s history of their involvement and the creation an excerpt from a 1939 article by Dr Donal of the various Search & Rescue Dog Duff, the father of mountain rescue in Association (SARDA) groups in the UK. It Scotland. The article is informative and highlights the special relationship between instructional on the training mountaineers the handler and the dog, the training, and should undertake. Update some of the how the dog searches and finds casualties. institutions mentioned and it would be as What is really good about this book are useful and sensible today as it was nearly the countless interviews with mountain seventy years ago! rescue team members and casualties. Each A chapter concentrates on pure chapter contains at least four or five mountain rescue, with accounts of Mountain incidents told through the eyes of the team Rescue Teams (MRTs) responding to those members involved. injured while climbing or walking in the In my opinion, Mountain Rescue is a mountains. It looks at a number of ‘must read’ for any hillwalker or climber. It incidents, what led to the injuries and how helps to put into perspective the huge the teams involved responded. amount of time and commitment that the One chapter covers search volunteers in mountain rescue teams put management; another covers remote rescue into their training, the planning and Mountain Rescue medicine, tracing the development of preparation, and into the call-outs they By Bob Sharp & Judy Whiteside stretchers, the medical equipment used by respond to. Hayloft Publishing, 264pp teams and the drugs that teams can Very many colour photos administer; a third is dedicated to the Royal s/b £20 ISBN 1-904524-39-7 Air Force MRTs, describing some of their rescues and also discussing the use of Flicking through the pages of this book, I helicopters in mountain rescues. was initially disappointed. The title, Mountain The chapter on team training includes Rescue, is a little misleading; I was risk assessment, operating procedures for expecting a manual on mountain rescue working with helicopters, avoiding but, on consideration, a more appropriate avalanches, and other skills required title would have been “What it’s really like in according to the National Training Guidelines mountain rescue.” However, once I began for Mountain Rescue (England and Wales). reading, my disappointment soon The chapter “It’s a dog’s life” is the best disappeared. description I’ve seen anywhere of the use of

Spectacular canyons

Most people think of Jordan as a bleak desert; it is actually a land Joss Lynam of unexpected beauty and great variety. In the north, the visitor will find meadows and woodland; the south has spectacular canyons Jordan: Walks, Treks, Caves, (Petra is only one of many) and towering sandstone and granite Climbs & Canyons mountains. By Di Taylor & Tony Howard There is a short, but very comprehensive introduction. It has the Cicerone, 331pp usual sections on getting there, the best time to go, food, clothing, Numerous colour photos maps, etc, but the sting is in the tail! ‘Be prepared’ is not a heading & sketch maps you expect in your average guidebook. This one warns you of flash p/b £17.00 floods, tells you the maps are probably not available and that ISBN 978-1-85284-520-9 sandflies are more dangerous than mosquitoes, and warns that mostly there are no rescue facilities! This is the 2nd edition, but a Nevertheless, the authors paint a picture that Jordan is a vastly enlarged edition, of a book wonderful country to visit, with very friendly inhabitants. The which was published in 1999. It photographs would also attract you; hillsides, canyons and more is mainly walks, treks and canyons, and interestingly, a couple of shots of the authors taking canyons; caves are rare, and the food with locals (can you sit cross-legged?). main rockclimbing area, the Their writing shows that the authors love the country and hope Wadi Rum, has its own guidebook, Treks and Climbs in the Wadi that visitors will also “be as good to this land and its people as they Rum, 4th ed, 2007. But with those exceptions, this guide, by the will be to you.” Finally, this is the first guidebook I’ve seen with the experts on the area, covers everything else in 150 routes, some very foreword by a queen – HM Queen Noor of Jordan. short, others one day or multi-day.

58 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie The MCI continues to provide the book service previously operated by Joss Lynam. We can supply you with guidebooks and maps to almost any part of the world. For the walker, there is a large collection of Cicerone guides and books, or the wider selection of books and guides distributed by Cordee which also includes many climbing guides. Books reviewed in the Irish Mountain Log can usually be purchased through Joss Books with a members’ discount. To place an order, ring the MCI office on (01) 6251115 or email [email protected].

www.mountaineering.ie the last word

George Barry Climber and Munroist

GEORGE BARRY, who died in April 2008 IML 86). Remarkably, he achieved this at the age of 88, devoted much of his objective in the period of ten years long life to walking and climbing. following his retirement and was almost Originally from Cork, George spent his seventy when he scaled the daunting working life in the Department of Inaccessible Pinnacle on Skye. He Education in Dublin and became involved climbed most of the Munros alone, in various outdoor activities, including wishing to savour to the full the feeling of cross-country running and isolation provided by solo climbing. On mountaineering. He was a member of the Slioch, his final Munro, however, Civil Service Harriers team which won the overlooking Loch Maree, he was joined AAU Junior Cross-Country title in 1954. by a group of close friends who travelled He climbed extensively in Ireland, Britain, over from Ireland to share a the Alps, Tatras, Pyrenees and congratulatory dram on the summit. Dolomites. A climb of particular A graduate of UCD, George was an satisfaction to him was the ascent in the accomplished linguist and taught French 1950s, as a member of an Irish group, of and German at St Columba’s College, George Barry. Mont Blanc from the Italian side. Rathfarnham, for a year after his However, George’s most notable retirement. He travelled extensively and, achievement was his completion of the with his wide range of interests and Scottish Munros in May 1999, being at enthusiasm, was always lively company the English Lake District whose fells he that stage only the second Irishman to and a stimulating raconteur. knew so well. complete that challenge. In fact, he was George passed away unexpectedly at Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. predeceased by a few months by the first home on the evening of Sunday, the 6th Irishman to complete the Munros, the of April, while watching, appropriately George Barry, born 26th November late Uinseann Mac Eoin (see Last Word, enough, a television programme about 1929, died 6th April 2008.

Bob Bates Outstanding American mountaineer

BOB BATES, who died in September of climb ended in the attempted evacuation last year aged 96, was one of America’s of Art Gilkey with thrombophlebitis from most outstanding mountaineers. He Camp VIII, just below the shoulder. The attended Harvard, where he was part of rescue almost resulted in a near-fatal fall a group of climbers known as the for the rest of the team, who were only ‘Harvard Five,’ which also included saved by the strength of Pete Schoening, Bradford Washburn and Charlie Houston, who was the last man on the rope. It is and which raised the standards of probable that if Gilkey’s stretcher had not American mountaineering in the 1930s. been carried away by an avalanche that Bates’s early first ascents were in the others might have died in the attempt Alaska and the Yukon, and included the to rescue him. With Houston, he wrote first ascent of the Yukon’s isolated Mount two classic books about their expeditions Lucania, the highest unclimbed peak in to K2, Five Miles High and K2: The North America, which was followed by an Savage Mountain. horrific, unplanned 100-mile plus walk During World War II, Bates served in Bob Bates. out, as the plane to take them out at the the US army where he worked on the end of the climb couldn’t land. The story development of improved equipment and was the subject of a book, Escape from clothing for the mountain divisions. In Alpine Club. He visited Ireland twice with Lucania, by David Roberts in 2002. later life, he was Director of the Peace an Irish-American friend. He was a member of Charlie Houston’s Corps in Kathmandu and, at 74, with May he rest in peace. 1938 expedition to K2, which opened the Nick Clinch, led a Chinese-American route up the Abruzzi Ridge to the expedition which made the first ascent of Joss Lynam shoulder at 8,000m. Bates was back on Ulugh Muztagh in western Tibet. He also K2 again in 1953 with Houston. The served as President of the American Bob Bates, born 1911, died 2007.

60 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie discounts

Member Discount Scheme Dublin The North Face ...... 10% Map and Compass ...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer 53 Degrees North Store ...... 7% (12) 17-18 Temple Lane South, Temple Bar, O’Connell Street, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Outdoor Equipment Retailer Dublin 2 www.outdoorclothingireland.com Unit 3, The Park, Carrickmines, Dublin 15 www.thenorthface.com www.53degreesnorth.ie Padmore & Barnes ...... 10% Outdoor Adventure Store ...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer 53 Degrees North Store ...... 7% (12) Outdoor Equipment Retailer Wolfe Tone St, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny Outdoor Equipment Retailer 34-35 Upper Liffey Street, Dublin 1 www.padmore-barnes.com Unit 428, The Blanchardstown Centre, www.oas.ie Dublin 15 Outdoor Elements ...... 10% www.53degreesnorth.ie Outdoor Trek ...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer rear Fairgreen Street, Naas, Co Kildare Army Bargains ...... 10% Town Centre Mall, Swords, Co Dublin Outdoor Equipment Retailer Venture Outdoor & Surf ...... 10% www.outdoortrek.ie 30 Little Mary Street, Dublin 1 Outdoor Equipment Retailer Patagonia ...... 10% 17 Mary Street, Dungarvan, CoWaterford Capel Camping ...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer 24-26 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2 North East 132 Capel Street, Dublin 1 Outdoor Xchange ...... 10% www.capelcamping.ie Rambler’s Way...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Coleman’s of Sandyford ...... 15% (6) Outdoor Equipment Retailer Unit 3, Exchange Building, The Long Walk, Outdoor Equipment Retailer 57-58 Mary Street, Dublin 1 Dundalk, Co Louth Sandyford Village, Dublin 18 www.patagonia.com Northern Ireland Explore Shop...... 10% East & South East Cornmill Quay Hostel & Cottages Outdoor Equipment Retailer All Seasons ...... 10% Accommodation ...... 10% (16) Unit 201a, Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre Outdoor Equipment Retailer Marine Park, Annalong, Great Outdoors ...... 10% (1) White Water Shopping Centre, Co Down, BT34 4Q5 Outdoor Equipment Retailer Newbridge, Co Kildare T: + 44 (0) 28 4376 8269 Chatham Street, Dublin 2 Altitude Cycle and Outdoor ...... 10% www.cornmillquay.com www.greatoutdoors.ie Outdoor Equipment Retailer Cotswold Outdoor ...... 15% K2 Camping & Clothing ...... 10% 22 Ballybritten, Waterford, Co Waterford Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer www.altitude.ie 10 Boucher Retail Park, Belfast, BT12 6HU 101 Talbot Street, Dublin 1 www.cotswoldoutdoor.com Charles Camping ...... 10% (3) Millets Camping...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer House of Value ...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Main Street, Blessington, Co Wicklow Outdoor Equipment Retailer 61-62 Mary Street, Dublin 1 www.charlescamping.com 5 Market Street, Derry, BT48 6EF Millets – The Outdoor Store ...... 10% Map and Compass ...... 10% Huey Henderson ...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer Unit 149, Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15 5 Church Street Gorey, Co Wexford 21 Bridge Street, www.millets.co.uk www.outdoorclothingireland.com Coleraine, Derry BT52 1DR Millets – The Outdoor Store ...... 10% Map and Compass ...... 10% Jackson Sports ...... 10% (8) Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer Unit 308, The Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24 Cornmarket, Wexford, Co Wexford 70 High Street, Belfast, BTI 2BE www.millets.co.uk www.outdoorclothingireland.com www.jackson-sports.com

Key to discounts All Retail Outlets 1 Discount does not apply to items in watersports department. Discounts are not available on sale prices or the purchase of gift 2 Discount does not apply to maps and books. vouchers. Discounts valid as of November 2008. 3 Discount does not apply to maps or food. 4 Discount on outdoor clothing and footwear only. Disclaimer 5 Discount in outdoor department only. The MCI does not accept responsibility for holidays/expeditions/ 6 Discount doesn’t apply to equestrian/pet/veterinary/garden products. tours booked through the tour operators who offer an MCI 7 MCI members get free membership, entitling members to 7% discount. discount. Please make sure you are satisfied with the operator 8 5% with credit card purchases. and research the agreement thoroughly before booking any of 9 Does not include kayaks. the tours offered through the MCI discount offer. 10 7.5% with credit card purchases. 11 Only on mountaineering items. Retailers 12 Free membership to 53 Degrees North giving 7% discount at all stores. If your business offers discounts to MCI members and is not 13 Discount is applicable for all trips but cannot be used in conjunction included on the above list, please let us know and we will add your with any other discounts offered on the website. details. If you are interested in joining our scheme, we would also 14 The discount excludes accommodation and meals. love to hear from you. Please contact [email protected] for 15 Offer subject to availability, and excludes July 19th - Aug 23rd inclusive. more information. 16 10% off standard rates (including Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter packages), additional group discounts available. New discounts are being added regularly. For any updates to list 17 Discount of 20% applies from November 1st until March 31st, 10% of MCI Member Discounts, see www.mountaineering.ie. discount applies from April 1st through October 31st. www.mountaineering.ie Discounts continued next page.... Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 61 discounts

Member Discount Scheme

Mid Antrim Camping ...... 15% Great Outdoors...... 10% Mountain Man ...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer Surf & Ski Centre, 20-22 Broughshane Eglinton Street, Galway, Co Galway Strand Street, Dingle, Co Kerry Street, Ballymena, BT34 6EB www.midantrimcamping.com Hewetson Bros...... 10% Nathan Kingerlee ...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Adventure & Training Business Millets – The Outdoor Store ...... 10% Bridge Street, Westport, Co Mayo Stock Island, Cromane, Killorgin, Co Kerry Outdoor Equipment Retailer www.outdoorsireland.com Unit 33 Fairhill, Ballymena, BT43 6UG Millets – The Outdoor Store ...... 10% www.millets.co.uk Outdoor Equipment Retailer River Deep, Mountain High ...... 10% Unit 36-37 Galway SC, Outdoor Equipment Retailer Millets – The Outdoor Store ...... 10% Headford Road, Galway, Co Galway 7 Rutland Street, Limerick Outdoor Equipment Retailer www.millets.co.uk www.rdmh.ie Unit 70/71, Abbey Centre, Newtownabbey, Co Down BT37 9AQ Outdoor World...... 10% Spórt Corrán Tuathail...... 10% www.millets.co.uk Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer Linenhall Street, Castlebar, Co Mayo Outlet Centre, Killarney, Co Kerry Millets – The Outdoor Store...... 10% www.sct.ie Outdoor Equipment Retailer Portwest ...... 10% 1 Cornmarket, Belfast, BT1 4DA Outdoor Equipment Retailer Nationwide www.millets.co.uk Bridge Street, Westport, Co Mayo www.portwest.ie EastWest Maps ...... 25% Millets – The Outdoor Store...... 10% Discount on bulk purchase of maps Outdoor Equipment Retailer River Deep, Mountain High ...... 10% (9) Clonegal, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford Unit 30, Buttercrane Shopping Centre, Outdoor Equipment Retailer www.eastwestmapping.ie Newry, BT35 8HJ Middle Street, Galway, Co Galway www.rdmh.ie Trident Holiday Homes ...... 10% www.millets.co.uk Self-catering accommodation in Ireland Millets – The Outdoor Store...... 10% Sleepzone, The Burren ...... 10% & 20% (17) E8 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Outdoor Equipment Retailer Budget Accommodation Co Wicklow Unit 24, Erneside Centre, Enniskillen, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare www.tridentholidayhomes.ie www.sleepzone.ie Fermanagh, BT74 6JQ Independent Holiday Hotels...... 10% www.millets.co.uk Sleepzone, Connemara .....10% & 20% (17) Nationwide hotels, most offer a discount Millets – The Outdoor Store...... 10% Budget Accommodation 57 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1 Outdoor Equipment Retailer Leenane, Co Galway www.hostels-ireland.com 261 High Street, Bangor, LL5 71PB www.sleepzone.ie www.millets.co.uk Trail at Cox’s ...... 10% (4) Overseas Adventure Pilgrims Trekking ...... 10% Mountain Trail ...... 12% (3) Outdoor Equipment Retailer Market Square, Ballina, Co Mayo Trekking and Mountaineering in Nepal, Outdoor Equipment Retailer Tibet and Bhutan 49 High Street, Holywood, Venture Out...... 10% (11) Post Box 14459, Thamel, Co Down BT18 9AB Outdoor Equipment Retailer Katmandu, Nepal Raw Outdoors ...... 10% 5 Francis Street, Ennis, Co Clare www.newnepaltreks.com, www.trekinepal.com Outdoor Equipment Retailer South West 1-3 Lisburn Street, Hillsborough, Black Mountain Holidays ...... 15% Ashcoast Ltd, t/a Radar Stores ...... 10% Co Down, BT26 6AB Activity and Self-catering Holidays in the Outdoor Equipment Retailer www.rawoutdoors.co.uk South of France 7 Fox’s Bow, Limerick SOAK Sea Weed Baths...... 10% Lingonie, Combounes, France Hot saltwater seaweed baths Freedom Gear ...... 10% (10) www.blackmountainholidays.com Outdoor Equipment Retailer Newcastle, Co. Down. BT33 0EX One Foot Abroad ...... 8% (13) The Square, Midleton, Co Cork www.soakseaweedbaths.co.uk Irish Walking and Adventure Holidays Great Outdoors...... 10% Guinness Enterprise Centre, 8 Taylor’s Lane, North West Outdoor Equipment Retailer Dublin 8 Wet and Wild...... 10% (4) Daunt Square, Grand Parade, Cork www.onefootabroad.ie Outdoor Equipment Retailer Ballyraine Retail Park, Letterkenny, Hillwalkers @ Union Chandlery...... 10% (2) Voyage of Discovery tour operators10% (14) Co Donegal Outdoor Equipment Retailer Walking and Accommodation in SW France 4-5 Penrose Wharf, Cork, Co Cork Curragh, Feakle, Co Clare www.voyageofdiscovery.eu West Landers Leisure Lines...... 10% Call of the Wild ...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer Courthouse Lane, Tralee, Co Kerry Stephen Street, Sligo, Co Sligo Maher’s Sports ...... 10% Faoin Tuath...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer 25 High Street, Killarney, Co Kerry Market Street, Clifden, Co Galway You must present your valid Maher’s Sports ...... 10% MCI card to avail of discounts Faoin Tuath...... 10% Outdoor Equipment Retailer Outdoor Equipment Retailer 40-42 North Main Street, Cork Market Lane, Diamond Car Park, Ballina, Co Mayo

62 Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 www.mountaineering.ie www.mountaineering.ie Irish Mountain Log - Winter 2008 63