Summer 2020 €3.95 UK£3.40 ISSN 0790 8008 Issue 134

HILLWALKING • CLIMBING • MOUNTAINEERING

Before the lockdown Trips to the Mournes and the Canaries

Getting going again Covid-19 advice for hillwalkers and climbers

www.mountaineering.ie

For more information visit www.mountaineering.ie or contact the office on (01) 625 1115

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ISSUE 134 The Irish Mountain Log is the membership magazine of Mountaineering Ireland. The organisation promotes the interests of hillwalkers and climbers in Ireland.

Mountaineering Ireland Welcome Mountaineering Ireland Ltd is a company limited by guarantee and éad míle fáilte! I do hope you registered in Dublin, No 199053. have all been keeping as well Registered office: Irish Sport HQ, as possible in these difficult National Sports Campus, times? With the easing of the Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland. Tel: (+353 1) 625 1115 restrictions now, we will With the easing of Fax: (+353 1) 625 1116 hopefully be able to resume restrictions,❝ we will hopefully [email protected] Cour activities more completely as we move www.mountaineering.ie into the summer months. be able to resume our We have some updated advice from Hot Rock Climbing Wall Mountaineering Ireland about what the activities as we move into Tollymore Mountain Centre Bryansford, Newcastle easing of the restrictions means specifically the summer months. County Down, BT33 0PT for hillwalkers and climbers in both Tel: (+44 28) 4372 5354 jurisdictions (see pages 5-7). In the Republic in the Mournes and to the mountains on La [email protected] certainly, where all travel restrictions have Palma in the Canaries. There are also Editor: Patrick O’Sullivan been removed, we should now be able to reports of trips undertaken last year to the resume all activities, subject to being able Tel: (+353 1) 837 8166 (pm, wknds) Pyrenees, the Greater Caucasus and the [email protected] to continue to effectively socially distance Sonoran Desert area of Arizona, and of Literary Editor: Peter O’Neill from others and to follow the other public climbing on Malaga. Finally, there is also an [email protected] health advice about hand hygiene, cough account of a climb that was undertaken Features Editor: Nicky Hore [email protected] etiquette, etc. In the North, people are still some years ago on Rysy Mountain in the being encouraged to stay locally, but the High Tatras. I do hope there will be The Irish Mountain Log is published by restrictions are easing there as well. something for everyone in the house this Mountaineering Ireland four times a Clouds do sometimes have a silver lining time! year, in March, June, September, and the lockdown has given us all time to This has been a difficult time for us all December. The material published in catch up on outstanding jobs, do-it- but there has been a great sense of the Log by the voluntary editorial team and contributors must not be taken as yourself projects, etc. It has also given community, as we have all pulled together many time to be creative and to write official Mountaineering Ireland policy to do our bit to counter the threat of the unless specifically stated. welcome articles for the Irish Mountain Log. Covid-19 pandemic. With the lack of news and a downturn in Hopefully, now that the threat has Copy deadline for the Summer 2020 advertising, we have also been able to receded somewhat, we can all get back issue of the Irish Mountain Log is: th publish more of the articles that we have to engaging in the sport we all enjoy. Friday, August 14 2020. received, so we have a very full magazine. Keep safe! The features that we have been able to Advertising: [email protected] Patrick O’Sullivan, Editor include give accounts of pre-lockdown trips Production: Cóilín MacLochlainn, [email protected]

Printing: GPS Colour Graphics Ltd, Alexander Road, Belfast BT6 9HP Write for the Log Tel: +44 (0)28 9070 2020

 PARTICIPATION AND RISK Readers of the Irish Mountain Log are Contributions of features, news items and photographs for reminded that hillwalking and climbing the Irish Mountain Log are always welcome and should be are activities with a danger of personal sent to the Editor at: [email protected]. injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and Contributors’ guidelines can be downloaded from the accept these risks, and be responsible Mountaineering Ireland website, www.mountaineering.ie. for their own actions and involvement. Mountaineering Ireland publishes and ON THE COVER promotes safety and good practice To join Mountaineering Ireland and receive four issues of the Carrauntoohil from Caher in evening advice and through the Mountain Irish Mountain Log delivered to your door each year, please sunlight in the McGillycuddy Reeks, Training Board of Ireland administers a Co Kerry also go to the website, www.mountaineering.ie. range of training programmes for PHOTOGRAPH walkers and climbers. AIdAN ENNIS Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 3 CONTENTS Summer 2020 The Dublin Mountains are getting a ‘Makeover’! (see story, page 40)

13 Mountaineering Ireland 36 Trekking in the High News ezine is back! Pyrenees 5 Covid-19 advice for By Laura Griffin By Paul Murphy hillwalkers and climbers 14 Discover your ‘Climb-Ability’ 40 Dublin Mountains Makeover Murrough McDonagh reports A Coillte Nature report Jasper Chisnall reports 9 Competition: win a copy 43 Hiking on La Isla Bonita of ‘Irish Peaks’ guidebook 15 Crossword Competition By Michael Guilfoyle 10 Dublin Mountains Makeover 16 Covid-19 pandemic gets 46 In the Greater Caucasus By John O’Callaghan welcomed more people walking Helen Lawless reports Linda Sankey reports 50 Traversing Rysy Mountain By Kevin McMahon 11 Hilltop megalithic tomb 17 Stay active and explore the outdoors 54 Los Tres Techos damaged By Seán Fortune Helen Lawless reports Linda Sankey reports 12 Articles sought for history 18 Dingle Walking Festival Regulars journal re-scheduled By Ethna Garvey By Declan O’Keeffe 56 Access & Conservation 19 Hiking in lockdown: Helen Lawless reports 12 Local guides needed for staying local 60 Training walk videos By Michael Guilfoyle Jane Carney reports By Jake Mac Manus 62 Books 13 New Dalkey Quarry News Features Reviews of recent books guidebook on the way 65 The Last Word By Damien O’Sullivan 20 Tim Robinson: William ‘Billy’ Ireland, Frank Quinn an appreciation By John O’Callaghan 22 Returning to the hills By Kath Maguire 24 The Wexford Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club By the club committee 26 Dogs to the rescue By Edelle Doherty 28 Why to hire a qualified instructor or leader By Brian Bateson Climbing 30 Exercises for climbing Expert advice from Rob Hunter and Veronica Lee Adam Doran leading through the final Feel Good Factor Club members on hillwalk Features roof of Los Tres Techos RETURNING TO THE HILLS 32 Before the lockdown LOS TRES TECHOS 8 By Gerry Burns 54 Photographs: Coillte Nature (forest overlooking Dublin Bay), Feel Good Factor Club (hillwalkers), Seán Fortune (Adam leading) (Adam Seán Fortune Club (hillwalkers), Good Factor Feel Dublin Bay), overlooking (forest Nature Coillte Photographs: 4 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Staff & Board General enquirieS [email protected]

Staff Chief executive Officer Newsdesk Murrough McDonagh, [email protected] administration Officer Siobhán Quinn, [email protected] Hillwalking Development Officer Ruth Whelan, [email protected] access & Conservation Officer Helen Lawless, [email protected] Women in Sport Coordinator Ania Bakiewicz, [email protected] training Officer Jane Carney, [email protected] training & Membership Support administrator Laura Griffin, [email protected] Climbing Officer Damien O’Sullivan, [email protected] Youth Development Officer for northern ireland Kevin Kilroy, [email protected]

Get irelanD WalkinG initiative Programme Manager, Get ireland Walking Covid-19 advice for Jason King, [email protected] Communications & administrative Officer, Get ireland Walking hillwalkers and climbers Linda Sankey, [email protected]

MOuntaineerinG irelanD Mountaineering Ireland has the following advice for all members BOarD OffiCerS and affiliated clubs as we return to our activities President Paul Kellagher [email protected] continuing presence of Covid-19. Chairperson Underpinning that advice is the Paul Barron general public health advice relating [email protected] to social distancing, good hand BOarD MeMBerS hygiene, cough etiquette, etc, which Imelda Buckley still applies to reduce the possibility (Chair of Finance, Audit & Risk Committee) By Murrough McDonagh of further transmission of the [email protected] (CEO, Mountaineering Ireland) coronavirus. Helen Donoghue The purpose of the Mountaineering (Chair of Access & Conservation Committee) While the Covid-19 restrictions have Ireland advice is to highlight the [email protected] additional considerations that Trish Kane been in place, hillwalkers and [email protected] climbers all over Ireland have been hillwalkers and climbers should be Colette Mahon very responsible in adhering to the aware of in the presence of Covid-19. [email protected] relevant recommendations regarding This advice builds on the established Michael Maunsell refraining from engaging in their good practice in our sport which is [email protected] sports. commonplace among hillwalkers and Gráinne McLaughlin Throughout the crisis, climbers: checking weather forecasts, (Chair of Hillwalking Committee) checking access arrangements, [email protected] Mountaineering Ireland has been Clare O’Connor reviewing what was possible in terms selecting routes that are appropriate [email protected] of hillwalking and climbing at each of for fitness, skill and experience, Dawson Stelfox the phases, as we returned to our environmental awareness, etc. ➤ (Chair of Mountain Training Board Ireland) activities in a safe and responsible [email protected] way in both jurisdictions on the island There are additional Geoff Thomas of Ireland. (Chair of Climbing Committee) considerations that hillwalkers Mountaineering Ireland has [email protected] and climbers should be aware produced specific advice to support Noel Caffrey of with the continuing [email protected] hillwalkers and climbers in making a safe return to activity in the presence of Covid-19 Image: FrankundFrei / Paxabay FrankundFrei Image: Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 5 NEWsL0G Continued from page 5... Covid-19 advice for hillwalkers and climbers

The information provided below is intended to support hillwalkers and climbers in making a safe return to their activities in the continuing presence of Covid-19. Underpinning that information is the general public health advice relating to social distancing, good hand hygiene, cough etiquette, etc, which should always be followed to reduce the possibility of further transmission of coronavirus. The government is emphasising our self-responsibility in preventing another surge of the infection. With the incremental easing of the restrictions that have been in place, our personal responsibility to prevent the spread of the virus has increased conversely. Mountaineering Ireland training providers and award holders are also being kept up to date on how to manage the gradual return to aspects of their work. Any leaders or instructors in hillwalking and climbing who wish to be included in those updates for led and instructed activity service providers, please send your email address to [email protected].

small, ideally less than ten, but certainly not more than Republic of Ireland: Phase 3 fifteen, as it is easier to find suitable parking and to maintain social distancing in smaller groups. In Phase 2 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Landowners and rural communities, who are normally th • Business, since June 8 we have been able to travel within our welcoming of hillwalkers and climbers, may now have own county and up to 20km from our homes, if crossing a concerns about influxes of visitors. Please be considerate county boundary. Groups of up to fifteen people who were not and plan your route to avoid homes and farmyards. from the same household could meet outdoors for organised th activities such as sporting or other events. Phase 4 from July 20 is now the final phase. Larger Since June 29th, following an acceleration of the plan set out gatherings indoors and outdoors will be permissible, but in the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, the key again with social distancing. points in Phase 3 for hillwalkers and climbers are: Northern Ireland: Step 2 • Travel – All restrictions for travelling within Ireland have been lifted. Northern Ireland is now in Step 2 of a five-step easing of the • Group size – A slightly larger number of people can meet. • Indoor gyms and sports facilities can open, including lockdown – no dates for the different steps have been given. indoor climbing walls. Groups of up to ten can meet outdoors while maintaining • Larger gatherings of people who are not from the same social distancing. People are still being encouraged to walk or household can now meet outdoors for organised activities cycle where possible. such as sporting or other events, if public health guidelines ■ Step 3 regarding social distancing are followed. However, No changes relevant to outdoor activities. Mountaineering Ireland would encourage members to have • consideration for landowners and rural communities they ■ Step 4 are coming into contact with and keep the group size • Indoor sports facilities can open. Covid-19 advice for hillwalkers on the island of Ireland

■ Before going hillwalking... • Park in a way that will not obstruct the emergency • Ensure that your group size is feasible for your intended location services (who may need to use forest entrances), and route. local residents accessing their homes, or local • Prepare and plan your route, and check that you can access the farmers who need to enter fields or farmyards. trails and hills. • Continue to avoid car-pooling with people who are not part of your household or who you are not in regular contact with. ■ While hillwalking... • Try to avoid busy times and popular locations. • Walk within your capabilities in areas and on routes • Carry a first-aid kit and be prepared to deal with minor incidents that are familiar to you. during your walk. • Be vigilant on 2m distancing when breathing hard • Have a plan of action to maintain social distancing and good during ascent, passing gates and going over stiles. hygiene, if you must cross stiles, go through gates, or pass others • Most paths are not more than 2m wide, so walk on narrow paths. single file rather than abreast to avoid trampling of • Only take dogs where they are permitted, and keep them on a vegetation. lead at all times. • Avoid holding or sharing anyone’s poles or gear ■ Parking throughout the walk. • If on arrival you find the car park is full or closed, have an • Be especially mindful of not gathering around a map, alternative plan. at summits, or for photos. 6 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 FAQs Key points ■ Can I go hillwalking? • Follow government and public health advice. Yes – subject to government restrictions. • Be socially responsible – do what you can to help reduce the transmission of the virus. Where can I go? ■ • Respect the wishes of landowners and local Again, follow government recommendations. In the Republic, communities. in-county restrictions on travel have been removed. In Northern • Maintain physical distance from people not living in Ireland, stay local in accordance with government restrictions. your household. Stay safe - choose routes that are well within you ■ Who can I go with? • Again, follow government recommendations. Groups of up to two and/or the group’s capability. Participants should keep to the same groups for hundred can now meet outdoors in the Republic for organised • activities. This will help limit contacts should a member activities such as sporting or other events, providing public health of the group become COVID-19 positive. guidelines on social distancing are followed. For hiking, much • A log should be kept of everyone involved in these smaller groups are recommended, ideally up to ten people in a activities for contact tracing purposes. group with a maximum of fifteen, as per standard good practice. Covid-19 advice for climbers on the island of Ireland

This advice aims to help climbers make a safe and responsible ■ Bouldering return to climbing in the presence of Covid-19. It should be • Spotting should be carried out by members of your considered in addition to your normal best practice. Apply household or by people who you are in regular contact common sense and use your experience and intuition as a with because of the close contact involved. climber to make sensible decisions. • Carry enough boulder mats to build a suitable landing. Generally, stay safe, be cautious and choose objectives within Avoid congregating in proximity with other groups. your technical and physical limits to minimise the risk of • accidents and injury and avoid putting pressure on the ■ Trad climbing and sport climbing emergency services. • To facilitate physical distancing, choose climbs with room at the bottom and top. If this is not possible, you • Follow government recommendations and public health can lower your partner before they reach the top. guidelines. • If you usually do not wear a helmet, consider using one • Be socially responsible – do what you can to help reduce the to reduce risk of injury. transmission of the virus. • It is not advisable to multi-pitch climb with someone • Respect the wishes of landowners and communities in the who is not from your household at this time as it is current situation. unlikely you will be able to maintain adequate social • Maintain physical distance from people not living in your distancing. household. • Minimise your number of climbing partners. FAQs • Maintain a log of who you climb with. ■ Before climbing... ■ Can I go climbing? • Continue to avoid car-pooling with people who are not part Yes – but subject to government restrictions. of your household or who you are not in regular contact with. ■ Where can I go? Check that you can access the climbing area. • Again, follow government recommendations. In the Park sensibly and responsibly if driving to the climbing area. • Republic, in-county restrictions on travel are removed. If the climbing area is busy, go elsewhere or return later. • In Northern Ireland, stay local in accordance with government restrictions. ■ While climbing... Give extra consideration to route or problem choice, erring • ■ Who can I go with? towards the objectively safe and familiar. Again, follow government recommendations. Groups of up Carry some means of cleaning your hands, and do so before • to two hundred can meet outdoors in the Republic for and after each climb. organised activities such as sporting or other events, • Carry a face-mask for times when physical distancing may not be possible. providing public health guidelines are followed, but for climbing much smaller groups are recommended, with a ■ Equipment maximum of fifteen people in a group. In the North, • Minimise the sharing of equipment. currently, if climbing with people from outside your • After climbing, quarantine your equipment for 72 hours, or wash household, the maximum group size is ten, while it appropriately, before climbing again with another person. maintaining social distancing.

For further information, please go to the Mountaineering Ireland website www.mountaineering.ie Our advice will be updated and reissued as the situation develops Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 7 The wait is almost over! The long awaited and eagerly anticipated Irish Peaks guidebook is almost here!

Irish Peaks will be available to Mountaineering Ireland members towards the end of July (subject to no further business disruptions).

Irish Peaks celebrates Ireland’s highest mountains through an inspiring collection of seventy-one hillwalking routes, contributed by Mountaineering Ireland members. These beautifully illustrated routes will encourage the reader to visit all of Ireland’s main mountain areas.

Irish Peaks is being published by Mountaineering Ireland in tribute to the late Joss Lynam, who edited the original Irish Peaks book, published in 1982. One of Mountaineering Ireland’s aims in producing this book is to promote responsible engagement with Ireland’s mountains, an engagement that is based on understanding and respect. ◆ 256-page hardcover guidebook, featuring 71 hillwalking routes across the island of Ireland With restrictions on outdoor activities and travel being lifted, the publication of Irish Peaks is well- ◆ Routes submitted by Mountaineering Ireland timed for members planning a holiday in Ireland members, many from local clubs over the summer or autumn. ◆ Illustrated with inspiring photographs and a map for Mountaineering Ireland members get a 15% each route discount on the recommended retail price of ◆ substantial introduction to Ireland’s mountain €25.99. This means you pay €22.10 (plus postage & environment packaging charges). Order your copy now from: www.mountaineering.ie/shop ◆ Includes advice on access and safety in the mountains NEWsL0G Win a copy of ‘Irish Peaks’ guidebook

Take part in this competition to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Mountaineering Ireland’s latest book

Mountaineering Ireland will shortly be 2020. Don’t forget to include with your taking delivery of its latest hillwalking entry your full name, address, guidebook, Irish Peaks, for sale to membership number, telephone members and the general public. To number and email address. The winner mark this occasion, the Irish Mountain will be contacted after the closing date Log is running a competition to give and announced in the Autumn 2020 readers an opportunity to win a free issue of the Irish Mountain Log ■ copy of the book. To take part, simply answer the following questions: Correction to IML 133 What is the highest mountain on the In the article Overcrowding on the Everest Trail island of Ireland, and what is its by Jim Ryan (IML 133, pages 46-47), there was height in metres? an unfortunate error. It gave the impression Ireland, Irish Sport HQ, National Sports that there was a shortage of beds and water Please send your answers by post to Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, or in Gokyo, whereas the shortages were actually in Gorak Shep, just below Everest The Editor, Irish Mountain Log, Irish by email to [email protected], Base Camp. This was an editorial error and st, Peaks Competition, Mountaineering to arrive not later than Friday, July 31 we apologise to the author.

Book reviewers needed Crossword results More volunteers are needed to add to our panel of potential book reviewers for the Irish Mountain Log. The winner of our spring Crossword in IML 133 was Rosie McLaren, Sligo, Co Sligo, who won a 3-season saros sleeping Bag and a Thermarest Current members of the panel are also asked to Prolite Mat, prizes worth a total of €289.95 from our crossword sponsor, update their contact details with Peter O’Neill, the Basecamp. The solution to the crossword is shown below. Mountaineering Literary Editor for the Irish Mountain Log, at Ireland will contact the winner to arrange the collection of her prizes. [email protected].

1 2 3 4 5 6

Spring 2020 €3.95 UK£3.40 ISSN 0790 8008 Issue 133 In recent years, the panel 7C A B A S A H A S A S has shrunk as members L O U G H G A R T A N HILLWALKING • CLIMBING • MOUNTAINEERING have stood down or are no

longer contactable. The 8 I A R A O A L A 9A A I book reviews comprise one F 0 R F E I T A G A P of the most popular F A E A A A E A A A E sections in the magazine 10 11 12

and we need to maintain a 13A I N T R 0 D U C E 14A good panel of potential 15C A 16A A 17E A 18A A L A S Three Peninsulas Hike reviewers. Ireland’s greatest high-level long-distance hiking route A S H A R A C C O O N Climbing the Voie Petit Hardest free rock climb on Chamonix granite The task is not too onerous. C A I A O A A A U A E www.mountaineering.ie 19 As books are received for A C K N O W L E D G E review, the Literary Editor circulates a list of them to the panel of reviewers. If you see a title that is of O A E A F A M A S A M interest to you, you can offer to review it. Once reviewed, the books go into the Mountaineering Ireland library so that other members can read them.

If you would be willing to review an occasional book for the Irish Mountain Log, please contact Peter O’Neill at [email protected] with your areas of interest and your contact details. 3-season saros sleeping Bag Thermarest Prolite Mat

Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 9 The Coillte forests (in green) in the Dublin Mountains Makeover Dublin Mountains makeover welcomed Coillte forests in the Dublin Mountains to be managed for people and nature

By Helen Lawless always have a canopy of trees. Areas that entity, in partnership with the Dublin are not suitable for continuous cover Mountains Partnership. Recreation Mountaineering Ireland has welcomed forestry will be clearfelled in small activities and the trail network in the Dublin Coillte’s decision to move towards sections and replanted with native tree Mountains will continue to be managed by management for recreation and nature in species. These forests will subsequently the Dublin Mountains Partnership. its major forests in the Dublin Mountains. be managed under continuous cover In 2017, Mountaineering Ireland These forests are vitally important forestry. contributed to a proposal from the Dublin recreational sites for Dublin’s growing The first phase of conversion started in Mountains Initiative for a fresh approach to population, with Ticknock alone seeing an June 2020 in Ballyedmonduff and the management of the Dublin Mountains average of 550 visitors a day. The Ticknock forests, with work planned for forests that are used extensively for changes planned to the structure of the Cruagh, Barnaslingan and Carrickgollogan recreation. The Dublin Mountains Initiative forests in the Dublin Mountains will later in the year. Overall, this project will set out a vision of diverse forests, managed create a much more vibrant natural take many years, if not decades, but in primarily for recreation, without the use of environment, thus improving the quality time it should lead to the creation of a clearfelling. Mountaineering Ireland would of people’s recreation experiences. more appealing landscape and enhance like to acknowledge the work of Mark Through the Dublin Mountains the quality of people’s recreation D’Alton and the other members of the Makeover, nine Coillte forests of over 900 experiences. Dublin Mountains Initiative who have, over hectares will transition away from the The greater diversity of tree species will many years, championed the recreation value of these forests. clearfell and replanting cycle, towards a be better for wildlife. It will also bring Mountaineering Ireland members around different management model. Certain autumn colours to the landscape of the the country are already asking if this areas will be managed as continuous Dublin Mountains. During the transition management model will be applied cover forestry, where selected trees are period some parts of the Dublin elsewhere. Coillte’s response so far is that removed to allow more light to reach the Mountains may not look pretty, but the Dublin Mountains forests are unique in forest floor, with planting of some young Coillte is asking people to think of this as terms of their proximity to the capital, their native trees to increase the diversity of short-term pain for long-term gain. exceptionally high visitor numbers and the species in the forest. This will lead to a The forest conversion will be managed involvement of other stakeholders through multi-generational forest, which will by Coillte Nature, Coillte’s new non-profit IMap: Coillte Nature/Dublin Mountains Partnership. Photograph: Cóilín MacLochlainn Photograph: Partnership. Mountains Nature/Dublin IMap: Coillte the Dublin Mountains Partnership and the Dublin Mountains Initiative. The Dublin Mountains Makeover brings these forests into a much wider network of over 250 recreation forests across the country and 90,000 hectares of land that is managed with a focus on biodiversity.

FIND OUT MORE For further information see feature, page 40. See also www.coillte.ie/coillte- nature/ourprojects/dublinmountainsmakeover ■

10 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Hilltop megalithic tomb damaged Major concern over damage to monument and cairn-building in Wicklow Mountains

By Helen Lawless NPWS staff are also liaising with the National Monuments During the Covid-19 crisis, Service to agree how best to National Parks and Wildlife address recent vandalism to a Service (NPWS) staff in megalithic tomb on the Wicklow have been busier summit of Seahan Mountain than ever, protecting our on the Dublin/Wicklow border. mountains. Amongst other Stones have been removed challenges, including battling from the cairn, which is a devastating fires and tackling national monument, to build a continued irresponsible use of semi-circular shelter. It is a off-road vehicles, the NPWS has been dealing with a spate shame to see our of cairn-building on certain archaeological heritage mountains within the Wicklow treated in this way. Mountains Special Area of As much of this activity took Conservation (SAC). place during the height of the One of the peaks most Covid-19 restrictions, those badly affected was responsible may not be regular Lugnaquilla, Wicklow’s highest hillwalkers, but this does mountain. In addition to provide a reminder to us all of careful removal of the cairns, the importance of leaving the signage has been put in place mountains as we find them. at access points to Mountaineering Ireland Lugnaquilla asking people not extends its thanks to the to move stones to create or NPWS team in Wicklow, and add to cairns. Lifting stones their colleagues in other areas, disturbs the habitats of for their continuing efforts to insects and small mammals, care for Ireland’s mountains. and exposes the soil to Mountaineering Ireland also Lugnaquilla) and the National familiar with, please let us erosion. The building of cairns acknowledges the Monuments Service. know if you notice changes – also takes from the natural cooperation of the Defence As we gradually get back to good or bad – by emailing beauty of the mountains. Forces (a key landowner on the mountains that we are [email protected] ■ Training grants available

Mountaineering Ireland. The grants are open to all Mountaineering Ireland members. There are two grant options available to most clubs: 1. A Club Training Grant to support clubs whose members are doing Mountaineering Ireland places a high recognised mountain training courses value on training and the concept of such as Mountain Skills and Mountain self-reliance for walkers and climbers. Leader. Individual Members of We appreciate that cost can Mountaineering Ireland can also apply sometimes be a barrier to training. for grants under this scheme. Consequently, Mountaineering Ireland Training provider Liam McCarthy 2. A Club Mentor Scheme to support operates a number of grant schemes clubs that bring in an instructor to to support clubs and individuals apply for a grant on the provide tailor-made training for their undertaking mountain training Mountaineering Ireland website, members. courses. Mountain Training Board www.mountaineering.ie, on the Ireland (MTBI) administers these Find more information about the Mountain Training page under training grants on behalf of training grant criteria and how to Training Grants ■ Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 11 NEWsL0G Articles sought for history journal Articles sought for Journal of the Irish Mountaineering and Exploration Historical society

They were well received and contained much information of historical importance in the field. The journal was successfully revived by Declan O’Keeffe and Kevin Higgins in 2012 with Volume 3, while Volume 4 followed in 2015. Plans are now afoot to produce a fifth volume next year. 2021 will be the fiftieth anniversary of the national By Declan O’Keeffe governing body for the sport North Face of Everest In 2001, Mountaineering of mountaineering on the Ireland established the Irish island of Ireland; that body is journal will contain on our history [and] that all Mountaineering and now Mountaineering Ireland. contributions on Exploration Historical Society 2021 is also the centenary of important articles be found in it.” (IM&EHS) in order to further the first British expedition to developments in key areas of ARE YOU INTEREsTED? If you interest in the rich history of Mount Everest, which included our sport over the last fifty are interested in writing an George Mallory and was led years, as well as fresh research Irish mountaineering and article on an appropriate subject and articles already published exploration. by an Irishman, Charles (or have already done so, even if The society published two Howard-Bury, whose family elsewhere, in order that, in it has been published issues of its journal in 2002 were from the King's County Joss’s words, “the IM&EHS elsewhere), please contact the and 2005, which were both (now County Offaly). Journal will be recognised as journal’s editor, Declan O’Keeffe, edited by the late Joss Lynam. The anniversary issue of the the best source of information at [email protected] ■ Local guides needed for walk videos

that would greatly improve my experience. In 2014, I decided to film nature walks in Ireland and I asked local guides to share what they considered important about their locality with my viewers. I have filmed in Glendalough, in Killarney National Park, on the south Wexford coast, on the Aran By Jake Mac Manus Islands (as Gaeilge), in Burren (Director, Trek Ireland) National Park, on Fanad Since childhood, we have peninsula, in Wicklow National Opening frame of ‘Monastic City’ video, shot in Glendalough grown up with stories and, Park and in Dublin. Ireland’s rich local history during spring, summer and even now, talking with others I want to visit more of autumn weekends and would helps us understand better Ireland’s hidden gems to see through your eyes while love to visit the place you call our lived, shared experience. what I’ve been missing, and walking past ancient heritage home. The same goes for the land. I’m looking for local guides, sites, or spills of cut stones, an old mill or a deserted cottage, I have walked around Ireland anyone with a grá for their FIND OUT MORE For more for quite some time now and land, to take me on a scenic while hearing and seeing the information, please contact have always felt a stranger in journey in their area. Long rush of leaves overhead, or the Jake Mac Manus at the parts I visited. That is, until walks or short, flat, round or hush of waves upon the shore, [email protected] or telephone 087 7745 257 locals would open my eyes to ridged, river, hill or forest, dale or the hum of bees on wide or visit the website what the land meant to them: or glen, I want to hear about open fields. I am available Photographs: Luca Galuzzi (Everest), Trek Ireland (video still) (video Ireland Trek Galuzzi (Everest), Luca Photographs: www.trekireland.com ■ 12 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Brian Hall climbing ‘Eliminate A’ at Dalkey Quarry New Dalkey Quarry guidebook on the way

By Damien O’Sullivan A new edition of the Dalkey The editors of the new Quarry guidebook is now guide would welcome any Work is underway on a new being prepared by Howard input regarding new routes or edition of the Dalkey Quarry Hebblethwaite and Conor corrections to the text of the rock climbing guidebook. McGovern. It will include any current edition. The editors The current guidebook changes and developments would also welcome high- (pictured, right) was edited by to routes in the quarry. The quality climbing photos. Ronan Browner and Howard new edition will also take Submissions can be sent to Hebblethwaite and advantage of the significant Mountaineering Ireland’s published in 2005. It has improvements in Climbing Officer Damien served climbers well for a photography and print O’Sullivan via email at decade and a half but now methods to produce a more [email protected] needs to be updated. modern guidebook. ■ Mountaineering Ireland ezine is back!

By Laura Griffin

If you have not received the latest Mountaineering Ireland ezine newsletter in your inbox by now, it is probably because your membership account settings do not allow us to contact you by email. Should you wish to receive future editions of the ezine, you simply need to opt in on receiving communications from Mountaineering Ireland by email. Changing your settings is simple and quick! You can change your settings independently in your Mountaineering Ireland account profile online. Simply log in to your profile, tick the box for ‘I would like to receive Information via email from Mountaineering Ireland to keep up to date with news and information’ and hit the ‘Update’ button. Done! The Mountaineering Ireland ezine is a great way to keep up to date with developments in the Covid-19 recommendations for the return to the outdoors and in your national governing body! ■ Photograph: RC Photograph: Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 13 Photographs: masteradventure.ie “I people with intellectual or mild physical disabilities Chisnall Jasper ‘Climb-Ability’ Discover your 14 genuine fear withapositive someone challenginga his resilience. Here was exercise for him to increase climbing was aperfect his bravery, itwas clear that what isbravery withoutfear? have to face afear. After all, conclusion: to bebrave, you come to aprofound Down’s syndrome. Tom had participants withautismor to suitasmallgroup of conjunction withcaregivers, specially tailored, in comers. The course was climbing instruction to all company that offers Master Adventure, launched earlier this year by ‘Climb-Ability’ climbing canbe. that prove just how powerful be brave!” because, if I’m scared, Ican reassurance. he neededsome scared,” shereplied, thinking NEWs As Tom repeatedly showed Tom was partof the first It ismoments like these “No… it’s okay to bescared, “There’s noneed to be Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish his Mum. name), turning to Tom (not hisreal ’m scared,” said L0G programme reports on accessible adventure for adventure accessible on reports a FIND OUT MORE AUTHOR setting uphisown company, Master Adventure. Instructor, aSenior Instructor andan Activities Manager before in the outdoor industry. Heworked asaMulti-Activity First Aid, andhasnearly eleven years of experience inworking Award/Rock ClimbingInstructor qualification and Wilderness variety of adventure sports, including the SinglePitch or phone 0877950747. www.masteradventure.ie, groups that couldbenefit believe that there are other many different ways, we positively impact peoplein climbing has the ability to needed. subsidies available when provided free, andcost climbing, withallequipment obstacles aspossible to to remove asmany Adventure hasworked hard inclusive sports, Master many barriers to accessing believe anything ispossible. of creativity andsomehelp, I With the right attitude, abit flippant, there is truth to it. might seemsomewhat who wants to. While that climb?’ My answer isanyone lives. help them in their everyday experiences, whichcanalso and benefit hugely from their where participants canenjoy people withdisabilities, climbing programmes for accessible andinclusive own delight. he overcame it, much to his encouragement, eachweek attitude and, with Jasper Chisnall Understanding that Realising that there canbe Often Iamasked ‘Who can There isareal needfor For more information, see holds instructor certificates inawide email [email protected] participants to learn to opportunities by allowing explore personal growth use climbingasaplatform to programme, ‘ROCK-Up!’ will disadvantage in their lives. social and/or cultural experiencing economic, of young peoplewhoare designed to benefit groups ‘ROCK-Up!’ Itisbeing at-risk youth initiative called are planning to addan programmes. Currently we from tailored climbing Just like our ‘Climb-Ability’ individual involved protect the privacy of the participant was changed to Please note: people. these disadvantaged young amazing sportwillhave on seeing the impact this activities, we look forward to developing adventure experience inleadingand own limits. With our together andsurpass their challenge themselves, work The nameof the Summer 2020 Summer ■ Crossword WIN a woman’s or man’s Summer Competition outfit (comprising Win a great prize fromBasecamp if your correct completed entry is the first drawn from the hat! 3 items) valued at up to €250

1 2 3 4 5 Clues Across 1 Gamebird associated with heather moors (6). 6 3 Large island in Inner Hebrides (4). 7 Athletic pursuit followed by some in the fells (7).

7 8 9 9 Breed of dog with wrinkly, short-muzzled face (3). 10 Remote Polynesian island famous for carved stone figures with oversized heads (6). 13 Project to combat illegal dumping in the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains (1,1,1,1,). 10 11 12 13 14 A demanding long-distance journey, usually on foot (4). 15 To move upward or climb (6). 19 French friend (3). 14 15 16 17 20 A monument of stones on hilltop, often contains passage tomb (5).

18 22 Another name for heather (4). 23 Dublin River that rises in Glenasmole (6). 19 20 21 Clues Down 1 Prickly wild shrub with yellow flowers, very vulnerable to fire (5). 2 Possess (3). 22 23 4 Dublin’s highest top (7). 5 Large, soaring bird of prey (5). CROSSWORD compiled CROSSWORD byMacLOCHLAINN CÓILÍN 6 Bronze, iron or ice, for instance (3). 8 Frozen water (3). Woman’s outfit 11 Dublin hill with passage tomb, seat of Finn (7). 12 An academy, royal and Irish (1,1,1). 14 A path or track across rough country for hiking or biking (5). 16 One of pair of long runners used to glide over snow (3). 17 Michael, rebel leader associated with Glen of Imaal in Wicklow (5). 18 A deed or performance (3). 21 To express agreement with slight downward movement of head (3). How to enter Complete this crossword correctly and be in with a chance to Inner Limits II Jacket saturday Trail Convertible Pants High Dune short sleeve T-shirt win a prize worth up to €250 from Basecamp Outdoor store, Jervis street, Dublin. Cut out this page or photocopy it and Man’s outfit send your completed entry to The Editor, Irish Mountain Log, Mountaineering Ireland, Irish sport HQ, National sports Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, or email it to [email protected], to arrive not later than Friday, August 7th 2020. Don’t forget to include with your entry your full name, address, membership number, telephone number and email address. The winner will be announced in the Autumn 2020 issue of the Irish Mountain Log. Competition prize Basecamp’s generous prize is a woman’s or man’s outfit comprising a jacket, a short-sleeved t-shirt and convertible pants, all by Rain scape Jacket Triple Canyon Convertible Pants Zero Rules short sleeve T-shirt Columbia.

# Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 15 NEWsL0G

Covid-19 pandemic gets more people walking

Three million adults are now walking for recreation in Ireland during the Covid-19 restrictions

By Linda Sankey The ‘delay’ phase of reported walkers during recreational walking (Get Ireland Walking) Ireland’s response to Covid-19 March and April of 2019. among both genders and commenced on March 12th Irish adults have adapted across all age groups, At the beginning of May, Sport with school closures, limited remarkably well in being particularly among those Ireland published the first part outdoor gatherings, working physically active during this aged under 45. of a report about research from home if possible, etc, difficult period. More adults ● Greater increases in conducted by Ipsos MRBI, while the ‘stay at home’ are now physically active than recreational walking were which revealed that Irish enhanced restrictions phase before the restrictions were seen in Dublin than in adults have adapted commenced on March 27th. introduced, with a substantial other parts of the country. remarkably well in keeping up 1,009 respondents took increase in the numbers ● Greater increases were their sport and recreational part in waves 1 and 3, while walking for recreation. also seen among those in walking habits during this 1,003 took part in wave 2. The numbers running and the higher socioeconomic difficult period. In fact, more By wave 3, 78% of cycling also increased during group ABC1. adults are now active than respondents were reporting this period, while the closure previously, despite the that they were walking for of many sports facilities and Those who are active are restrictions, and the increase recreation at least once per curtailment of team-based more likely to report in recreational walking has week. Extrapolating this to sports caused a decline in significantly better physical been profound. the entire population, it is personal exercise (gym-based health than the inactive, The survey was undertaken roughly equivalent to an activities), swimming and evidencing the important role in three waves: 28 February to additional 500,000 regular Gaelic football, among others. sport and physical activity 9 March; 16to 31 March; and adult recreational walkers play in the promotion of 1 to 13 April, 2020. compared to the numbers of ● Increases were seen in health across the nation. Photograph: Get Ireland Walking Ireland Get Photograph: 16 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Images: Carlow Sports Partnership https://tinyurl.com/yawtnuv2 hunt challenge! challenge, take the spring diary challenge or take the min-beast physical and mental stresses; it is also free and accessible. the same time. has increased throughout the adults walking for recreation The estimated number of among the adult population. sporting activities is 51% current participation rate in 2020. It showed that the Summer 2020 Summer www.bit.ly/explorenature100. challenges to help families stay active and learn about nature at families to become outdoor explorers. These are outdoor Carlow Sports Partnership (Get Ireland Walking) By Linda Sankey Stay active and explore the outdoors or go to: restrictions-sport-ireland-research -staying-active-during-covid-19- www.sportireland.ie/news/ireland was published on May 27 Family resource developed to help people explore nature on their doorsteps To download the four pdfs in this resource, go to: You can do a garden scavenger hunt, a leaf or bark rubbing Being out in nature has many benefits, including relieving The second part of the report You can read the full report at www.bit.ly/covidactive. th , has developed a fun resource to help or find them at: the research. 18% over the five phases of crisis, increasing by a total of country. regular walkers in the equivalent to over 3.1 million ever recorded and is recreation is the highest level adults now walking for engaging in sufficient levels report that they are now the adults in the population The figure of 83% of More than half (52%) of #SocialDistancing ● WildTime Guidelines. National Physical Activity recommendations in the of activity to meet the sport and recreational walking increased participation in combined effect of the from the report is that the Explore The resource booklet is supported by A further promising finding #NatureOnYourDoorstep and Blackstairs Eco Trails and delivered by Mountaineering Ireland. supported by Healthy Ireland and hosted Walking [email protected]. (01) 625 1109 Officer with Get Ireland Walking. www.getirelandwalking.ie, FIND OUT MORE: AUTHOR: Ireland Walking, visit the website is an initiative of Sport Ireland, Linda sankey or email Linda Sankey at and recorded by Sport Ireland of sedentarism ever 2019. This is the lowest level during the same period in to 11%, compared to 22% Sports Policy sedentary in the of adults described as means that the proportion ■ To find out more about Get respect Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish Wildways Adventures, is Communications contact us on has declined Get Ireland National ■ 17 NEWsL0G

Dingle Walking Festival re-scheduled

New dates: september 18-20th 2020

By Ethna Garvey The festival walk programme is the same as AUTHOR: Ethna Garvey is the club that described in the Spring 2020 issue of the secretary of Dingle Hillwalking Club. Like many other events, the Dingle Irish Mountain Log (IML 133). Each of the Walking Festival has had to be re- selected walks has its own special allure. FIND OUT MORE: For the latest festival scheduled this year. It is now going Many people will be familiar with Mount information, check ahead over the weekend of September Brandon and the Brandon range, but what www.dinglehillwalkingclub.com th 18-20 2020. about the views from Mount Eagle (Sunday’s or email Weatherwise, September can often be ‘A’ walk) on a clear day, looking out over Slea [email protected] ■ a beautiful month in west Kerry, with Head, Blasket Sound and the Blasket Islands?! wonderful, firm hillwalking conditions. After the coronavirus restrictions, we will all The panoramic sea, island and be chomping at the bit to get back on the mountain scenery in Corca Dhuibhne is, hills… and can you really beat Dingle in we believe, without parallel in Ireland. September?

Dingle Hillwalking Club members ascending Mount Eagle Photographs: Ethna Garvey Collection Garvey Ethna Photographs: 18 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Photographs: Michael Guilfoyle (geraniums), Cóilín MacLochlainn (Three Rock) Summer 2020 Summer staying local – Hiking in lockdown By Michael Guilfoyle ‘ of skies above us. blossom, patterning the bluest marvels of pink and white peer upwards into chaotic into our public space, as we shrubs hang generously over those whose flowering garden jobs well done. We thank busily working neighbours on pause to congratulate our fences and fasciae, and we painted garden gates and laburnum. pendants of lovely yellow straining clematis and blossom and great walls of apple and cherry and lilac We admire exuberances of beautifully tended gardens. sometimes and peer into and greeting. We pause nonetheless full of good cheer necessarily louder but happy words. Voices are upbeat and full of smiles and give each other. unfriendly wide berth we must compensate for the seemingly chats on the go, as if to of snatching neighbourly countryside. We make a point cities and our wildflower-filled of our villages, our towns, our jogging the roads and streets dog-walking and cycling and We sit on a wall or a bench We see recently cleaned and Our talk of the weather is walking and strolling and country, we are out there before, up and down our In numbers like never scampers up Maulin, the Lugnaquilla or snatched social are of full day outings to us, whose weekend dreams pausing for breath. smell the roses. We are thither. We are stopping to headlong rush hither and find ourselves stilling our hadn’t planned any of this, we our doorstep. Though we discovering the diamonds on for them. We are perhaps We know we feel the better worked a little magic for us. of garden and flower having walk and the beauty and order those snatched chats and the our way out have lifted a bit, anxieties that came with us on before. and more melodious than ever birdsong, seeming to us louder We listen quietly to suburban most delicate of pastel greens. increasingly drenched in the beautiful beech trees, stand and stare in wonder at dappled green spaces, we bad. Sometimes, in sun- ourselves that life isn’t too drink coffee, and say to knapsacks and flasks and along our way, open our little Even for the hikers amongst We note to ourselves that to help us calculate the within them. We employ Euclid zone and design happy loops of our 2km or 5km inclusion wilderness. hike in some complex countryside, like some complex of the layout of our suburb or enjoy creating a mental image crossroads with the next. We avenue, this estate, this heads, to tie in this area, this neighbourhood together in our navigation skills to put our the corner! We use our wondering what lies around previously unvisited area, excitement as we approach a lovingly lawn-cut road margins. estates and walkways, on simple beauty on corners of time mindfulness, finding them with an unique and first- nearby places. We explore inner space, a micro-world of lockdown has brought us to an Geraniums inbloom We check the circumference We sometimes even feel an Three Rock Mountain overlooking Dublin city andbay tribulations that lie ahead better to face the inevitable perhaps it will equip us sustainable future. And frenetic, more relaxed and transition towards a less with us and ease our times. Hopefully, it will stay sharp focus of traumatic won’t, inspired as it is in the in time, but I suspect it revelation that will desert us exotic trip. It may be a faraway places and our next heady with dreams of us whose heads are usually more especially to those of this is a revelation to us, any questioning Garda! responsible compliance to skills and our socially to show off our navigation of our designs with us, eager or cycle. We carry evidence distance we can legally walk theoretical maximum The simple pleasure of all Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish 19 ■ AN APPRECIATION

Picture and quotation courtesy of Prof Daniel Carey, Director of Moore Institute, NUIG, accessed from https://mooreinstitute.ie/2020/04/04/nui-galway-and-the-moore-institute-mourn-the-passing-of-tim-robinson By John O’Callaghan Tim Robinson, ‘Fear na Mapaí,’ internationally renowned writer of place lore, cartographer, artist and mathematician, died from coronavirus on April 3rd, 2020, aged 85 years. In his latter years, Robinson had suffered from Parkinson’s disease. He died in a London hospital two weeks after the death of his wife and collaborator, Mairéad Robinson. They had moved to London from their home in Roundstone, Co Galway, due to poor health.

A Hill-Walker’s Guide, written some little corner of my firmly believed that by paying and drawn by Tim with Joss picture puzzle of Connemara.” very close attention to the Lynam and Justin May. This Long before authors like local, one evoked the wonder literally opened up new Robert Macfarlane were of the universal. pathways for hillwalkers and writing about a philosophy of In 1996, the Lilliput Press was one of the first 1:50,000 walking and why we climb published a compilation of maps to be published in mountains, Tim Robinson was fourteen of his most brilliant Ireland. already out there, walking the essays. Entitled Setting Foot Robinson gave a much fuller landscapes of Árainn, the on the Shores of Connemara o readers of the treatment of the place-names Burren and Connemara, & Other Writings, these essays Irish Mountain in his subsequent one-inch deeply mapping these places include almost visceral Log, Tim map of Connemara and and then drawing them, descriptions of three of his Robinson will accompanying publication, before documenting his favourite ‘topographical best be Connemara: Introduction and thoughts and ideas. Like the sensations’: crossing a pass, remembered for Gazetteer, published in 1990. poet Patrick Kavanagh, he walking around an island and This hand-drawn maps of It was as a recoverer and Árainn, the Burren and restorer of native Irish place- Connemara. The Burren map names that Tim Robinson was published by Folding excelled. To him it was both Landscapes, the company he an ‘act of post-colonial and his wife Máiréad ran in reparation’ and a way of life Roundstone. It first appeared for over forty years. in 1977, with a second, In the 1991 documentary of updated edition being his work, Folding Landscapes: published in 1999. The map Tim Robinson, Fear na Mapaí, became the vade mecum for filmed and produced by all walkers and explorers of David Cabot and directed by the Burren uplands. Michael Viney, Robinson says: 1988 saw the publication of “I’m hooked on place names The Mountains of Connemara: Tim Robinson being interviewed at his home in Roundstone, Co Galway.

Photographs: John O’Callghan Photographs: [..] I’d go to any lengths to fill in Summer 2020 20 Irish Mountain Log anyone seeking an overview of his life and work. That said, his Stones of Aran diptych – Pilgrimage (1986) and Labyrinth (1995) – remain classic works. More recently, his Connemara trilogy – Listening to the Wind (2006), The Last Pool of Darkness (2008) and A Little Gaelic Kingdom (2011) – contain a combined total of eighty diverse essays on all aspects of Connemara. Some autobiographical essays and his musings on space, place and time are contained in My Time in Space

Tim Robinson on a boat to Deer Island, Co Clare. walking out to an island at low cross references and cartography and tide. Other pieces include a bibliographical references for topographical writing. With a philosophical treatise of the researchers to use. foreword by Robert tools of a walker’s trade: the In 2015, Manchester Macfarlane and a compass, the compass rose, University Press published comprehensive introductory the map, the ground and the Unfolding Irish Landscapes, ‘a profile by the editors, this work space the walker occupies. comprehensive and sustained also contains fourteen essays Tim Robinson had a deep cross-disciplinary study of and one poem describing appreciation and awareness of [Robinson’s] work’ that Robinson’s oeuvre. It is a included his early career as a highly accessible publication visual artist as well as his and recommended reading for

(2001) and Tales and Imaginings (2002), both published by the Lilliput Press. Just last year, Tim released a compilation of some of his final essays in a book entitled Experiments on Reality (2019), published by Penguin. In his account of the Twelve Bens, in the first volume of the Connemara trilogy, Listening to the Wind (2006), Robinson everything he encountered. He uses the description of the remained eternally grateful to Gleann Chóchan horseshoe what he called the ‘geophanic given in the 1988 guide as a language’ of the parts of framework for his account of Ireland that he explored in the mountains. Conceding such depth and detail. that he has never completed Tim and Máiréad expressed the circuit as a whole, his their gratitude in 2006 by ‘favoured mode of walking donating their home in being not a single-minded Roundstone and all of his goal-bound linear advance but archives to NUIG. The archive a cross-questioning of an area, is now also available online to or even a deliberate seeking anyone wishing to explore the out of the fóidín mearaí, the 8,000 place-names from stray sod that is said to put Connemara alone, and is anyone who treads on it physically located in the wandering,’ he has ‘visited James Hardiman Library in most points of the circuit at NUIG. All of the individual one time or another.’ Tim Robinson in Connemara. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann Photographs: Tim Robinson Archive (on boat to Deer Island), Brian Dillon (Tim Robinson portrait) Brian Dillon (Tim Robinson Island), Deer to boat (on Archive Tim Robinson Photographs: places have map references, ■ Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 21 COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

Members of the Feel Good Factor Club back on the hills again after the lockdown RETURNING TO THE HILLS We asked Mountaineering Ireland clubs what a return to the hills and crags after the lockdown would mean for them. Here is what Kath Maguire, Chairperson of the Feel Good Factor Club, had to say

he Feel Good Factor skills and experience to importantly, we have checked and mountain bikers. Club is a club for encourage safe practice and up on each other. As on the The guidelines from women in Northern protection of the environment hills, noticing changes in your Mountaineering Ireland have Ireland that that we love to explore. club friends at this time has been consolidated with the specialises in The following points been important, and we have advice from Mountain Rescue hillwalking,T climbing and highlight the club’s journey done what we can to help and Ireland and have informed our mountain biking. It is based in through lockdown and the support each other in these decision-making as a club, as the County Down area, where move into Steps 1 and 2, and uncertain times. The mantra to when and how best to Mountaineering Ireland’s how we adapted to the has been: ‘If you are worried resume our activities. guidelines follow the Northern changing circumstances we about someone, do something Ireland Executive’s Pathway to were living through. about it.’ You might be the only ■ Don’t overload Recovery, which is currently in person that has noticed It is also worth remembering Step 2 (at the time of going to ■ People are paramount something is wrong, and your not to bombard club members print). The Feel Good Factor Club is intervention could be with too much information. The As a club, it has been great not just about hillwalking, appreciated and helpful. advice from Mountaineering to see so many newcomers climbing and cycling: it is also Ireland has been clear, so as a out on the hills as restrictions about the friendships and ■ Clear communication club we have just emphasised have begun to lift. We know of relationships that the In these uncertain times, the following points to our the many benefits that getting members have with each communicating with our members, as we have returned out into the mountains can other. That is the draw, the members has been important. to activity: offer, and we see the club reason why people keep As we are affiliated to two playing an important role in coming back. Throughout this national governing bodies, ● Come well-equipped to any helping to upskill newcomers. whole pandemic, the club has which are both all-island club event so that you do We are also concerned also been about caring for its bodies, Mountaineering not have to share or borrow about the downside that the members. As a club, we have Ireland and Cycling Ireland, it equipment; be self- increase in numbers has has been important to keep on looked out for each other, sufficient. brought to the Mournes – the while following the top of any developments and increase in littering, blocking of government advice to stay to communicate them clearly ● Do not car-pool. country roads by inconsiderate away from the hills. to all club members. We find ● If there are more than the parking, and an increase in While keeping apart, we have we can do this best on a recommended numbers for mountain rescue call-outs. As remained in contact, had private Facebook forum and a single group, simply stay a club, we can play a part in group chats and video calls, through individual Messenger in separate socially preventing this by sharing our and shared information. Most groups for climbers, walkers distanced groups of the Photograph: Feel Good Factor Club Good Factor Feel Photograph: 22 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 recommended size. For example, in the North, the guidelines at the time of writing are for groups of up to ten people. So, for example, if twelve members turn up, walk in two groups of six. ● Go at off-peak times and to quieter locations. ● Climbers should climb with the same partner and not switch around, again minimising contact with other club members and their climbing equipment.

We give advice and then Club members practicing social distancing on a hillwalk trust people to be guided by it. We already follow clear club important to be positive role we advise club members to event of their potential procedures, so this gives us models. The club emphasises decide if they plan to attend exposure. confidence in our practices. good practice. It is not just an event at their level well Good record-keeping is key. ■ Role models simply about following a group beforehand. If we are Our practice is to list the leader: each club member expecting large numbers, we attendance at every club event As a Mountaineering Ireland must come prepared for each choose a location that allows club, we feel it is important to on the club’s private Facebook follow the advice we are given club activity by wearing and for social distancing and the ‘club coach forum.’ and not just go off and do our carrying adequate equipment, car parking requirements. We Unfortunately, we have had to own thing regardless. At times in case we have the try to be flexible in our change our ‘open door’ policy this has been hard, as the misfortune of having to deal planning too. For example, if and have restricted club events mountains have been there with an accident or illness. the weather forecast is to club members only. right beside us throughout the unpleasant, we change our lockdown. Out of respect for ■ Have a flexible plan plans; we do not just go ahead ■ Future-proof the club our friends in Mountain Rescue Now that we have resumed regardless. Being a Mountaineering Ireland Ireland, as a club, we stopped our activities, our events are club has huge benefits for us. all of our activities during the being communicated clearly ■ Be transparent: The Feel Good Factor has lockdown and prior to Step 1 of to members on our private the virus is still here always had an ethos of the return being initiated. Facebook forum. Our planning The clear advice is to stay at providing opportunities for our Now that we are back on our takes account of any NI home if you or anyone in your members to develop their skills local mountains, crags and Executive changes that may household is displaying COVID- so that they can participate mountain bike trails again, it is affect the club. To plan ahead, 19 symptoms. We encourage safely and independently in all our club members not to of the activities we engage in. come out on any activities and The club continues to empower to stay at home if they are women in the outdoors by displaying any symptoms, no offering them upskilling matter how minor. We opportunities, by facilitating encourage club members to access to courses at all levels, be open and honest, and to from beginner through to inform a named person in the instructor training. club if they are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 on the Finally... day of a club meeting or on Go slow, go easy and just enjoy the days after attending a club being out together again on the event. We can then inform hills and crags. It is why we do everyone who was at the it! ■

➤ Kath Maguire (pictured left with her son Ruairí) is the Chairperson of the Feel Good Factor Club.

Enjoying the hills again Photographs: Feel Good Factor Club Good Factor Feel Photographs: Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 23 CLUBS

Members of Wexford Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club on Mount Leinster in the Blackstairs Mountains THE WEXFORD HILLWALKERS

A club profile prepared by the Wexford Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club committee

he Wexford starts in September, as to over six hours, and members pursue other Hillwalking and members return from holidays cumulative ascents vary from interests during the later Mountaineering and gear up for more 500m to over 1,000m. Walker summer months. Club is based in adventures. We advertise an numbers each week vary, but the sunny south- introductory walk locally in usually twenty to thirty eager Helping the hills eastern corner of September, which often members gather to sign in, to Our club activities promote the ourT island. The club was attracts many new people. It car pool when that is possible, sustainable use of our founded in 1996 and currently allows new walkers to sample and to receive a briefing from mountain environment by: has a membership of one our sport and to consider the walk leader. The essential Using routes already hundred and forty, including hillwalking as a recreational gear check, including ■ afforded to us by local both hillwalkers and climbers. activity. adequate food and water, and communities and The membership hails from all Our regular hillwalking head torches in winter, takes landowners parts of County Wexford and schedule offers a choice of place before setting off. beyond. two walks each Sunday. A Our club calendar includes a ■ Leaders encouraging Wexford is fortunate to be grading system ensures all weekend in Glenmalure every walkers to use existing surrounded by hills and members’ abilities are catered February, exploring the beauty tracks when walking mountains: the Comeragh for. Walks rotate between the and diversity that the Wicklow ■ Offering a choice of Sunday Mountains in Waterford to the three ranges mentioned Mountains have to offer, and walks, which reduces the west; the Wicklow Mountains above, and we also venture immersing ourselves in the numbers on each walk to the north; and, of course, further afield to the Galtees local hospitality. ■ Promoting the ‘Leave No the beautiful Blackstairs and the Knockmealdowns, The club also holds regular Trace’ principles. Mountains on our doorstep in when the longer, brighter full moon walks at night, in Carlow. evenings tempt us. the Blackstairs, and we travel The social aspect of our club The club’s hillwalking season Typically, walks are from four countrywide to other is also an essential element of mountain ranges on public membership. On our way home holiday weekends in March, from walks, all compasses are May and June. similarly set and we invariably The club also arranges trips end up in some hostelry abroad, with recent hiking discussing how far and how trips to Wales, Austria and high we have been. Members Spain, and to the island of form links and friendships, and Gozo (in the Maltese often organise their own archipelago in the outings throughout the year. Mediterranean) for the The club has an active social climbers. agenda, organising regular Our hillwalking season events, including ones closes at the end of June, promoting responsible when we have an end-of-year recreational use of the walking weekend and social mountains. Last January, we gathering before the had a presentation from the Members of the club take a breather on a hillwalk passports are dusted off and wonderful Barry Dalby of East Photographs: Wexford Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club and Mountaineering Hillwalking Wexford Photographs:

24 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 West Mapping, who gave members an insight into the mysterious world of mapping mountains. We learned that it was mostly about hard work! In September, we had a presentation from a member of the South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA), who outlined the skillset required and SEMRA’s vital role in the mountains, as the numbers enjoying outdoor A Sunday walk recreation increase. We also met Fia, a canine member of the Search and September at the aptly weekly trips to climbing walls and first-aid courses. Last Rescue Dog Association named Rocklands, an outcrop in Dublin. year, the committee (SARDA), and her human on the outskirts of Wexford This year, the club’s first ski facilitated a two-year plan for minder. Fia was in training town, which offers some great trip took us to Austria’s walk leader support and then but has subsequently climbs for new and SkiWelt, adjacent to the development, to assist walk beautiful and convenient leaders in their role on Sunday town of Westendorf. Nineteen walks. skiers took to the slopes and The club has a strongly embraced the days and committed group of walk nights, both on and off-piste. leaders, who have gained Experienced and new skiers considerable experience over alike threw themselves with time, and others who have varying degrees of daring and completed their Mountain trepidation down blue, red and Skills 1 and 2. Walk leaders plan the odd, accidental, black their walks in advance, often slope! doing a recce beforehand to Wexford Hillwalking and ensure a safe and enjoyable Mountaineering Club is run as experience for all. a voluntary club. It is affiliated The club is always looking to to Mountaineering Ireland, improve how the hills and and the club enjoys its mountains are used for support and expertise, when recreation, and is always open needed. Our club committee Ladies of leisure enjoying a break to suggestions. is very active in organisng The COVID-19 pandemic membership, walk schedules, and the subsequent passed her training and experienced climbers. We also trips and various events. restrictions have left many assessment (see also, pages organise regular weekend trips The committee encourages hillwalkers chafing at the bit to 26-27). to other climbing areas, and supports members to get out there again. Club The climbing season usually including Dalkey Quarry and increase their knowledge and activities have ceased and, like kicks off with a trip in mid- Wicklow, during the summer. skills for use in the mountains everyone else, we currently March to a warmer clime like In winter, climbers take to the by promoting Mountaineering Spain. Our club climbers meet indoors to help maintain skills Ireland’s Mountain Skills 1 and await whatever changes may weekly from May to over the colder months, with 2 training and assessment, be needed to allow us to ‘Keep well, apart.’ Some members are posting virtual walks and links to films that will keep other members interested and in touch with the hills, and with the club, while we are in lockdown.

JOIN THE CLUB Wexford Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club welcomes new members and can be contacted through Facebook or by email at wexfordhillwalkingclub Members of the Wexford Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club geared up for a hike @gmail.com

Photographs: Wexford Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club and Mountaineering Hillwalking Wexford Photographs: ■ Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 25 SEARCH & RESCUE DOGS

Handlers Gerry Tobin and Martina O’Kearney Flynn with their dogs Fia and Ella DOGS TO THE RESCUE

Two new search dogs have qualified for the Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA) Ireland. Edelle Doherty, PRO, SARDA Ireland, reports

lthough the mountains have shorelines. How do the dogs search? been quieter lately due to the SARDA Ireland recently qualified two Scientists estimate that a dog’s COVID-19 restrictions, new search dogs: Fia, handled by Gerry scenting ability is over 10,000 times members of the Search and Tobin, and Ella, handled by Martina better than that of a human. Dogs can Rescue Dog Association O’Kearney Flynn. Fia and Ella, along with locate and follow air scent over large (SARDA)A Ireland have still been busy their brother Cody, who is one of our distances, with some dogs attending callouts to search for missing trainee dogs and is handled by Sean demonstrating a scenting capability people within their local communities. Owens, are all from the same litter. over a distance of half a kilometre. SARDA now has two more dog teams that have recently qualified, which has These dogs offer an invaluable service further increased its ability to respond during searches as they provide a way rapidly to callouts for missing person of searching large areas quickly. searches across Ireland. Fia and Ella are both air-scenting search dogs. An air-scenting search What is SARDA Ireland? dog works off-lead and often at a great The Search and Rescue Dog Association distance from the handler. Their job is Ireland is a voluntary 999/112 emergency to find a human scent and to alert the search and rescue organisation handler that they have found someone; concerned with the training, assessment they do this by barking and leading the and deployment of search and rescue handler to the person. dogs to search for missing persons. Search dogs can work day or night in SARDA Ireland currently has six qualified all kinds of weather and are especially dog teams, fifteen trainee dog teams effective where human sight is most and about ten ‘dogsbody’ members. limited: in the dark, in dense woods or Our dog teams, each of which consists heavy brush, in debris, underground or of a handler and dog, can search in snow. It is estimated that just one anywhere in Ireland. They are effective in dog can do the work of fifty human mountains, woodlands and rural and searchers, making a dog an invaluable Ella urban areas, and on waterways and asset during a search. Photographs: SARDA Ireland SARDA Photographs: 26 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 National Search and Rescue Dog Association (NSARDA) in the UK, over three days. Our handlers and dogs have extraordinary demands placed upon them during the assessment, which replicates real-life search scenarios. A reliable indication by the dog is essential. Should a dog fail to indicate a find to the handler for any reason, the team will fail the assessment. Comprehensive coverage of the search area is also important. Should the handler and dog fail to cover the area in a comprehensive manner, they will be required to complete one or two additional search areas in a satisfactory manner in order to pass the assessment. Once qualified, our search dogs are internally assessed during training Fia weekends, and are externally reassessed every three years to ensure that the Training a dog team remains effective. Typically, it takes at least two years of When looking back on the assessment, intensive training to prepare a dog for Martina remembers how grateful she is qualification and, even then, many do to have a dog like Ella: “Thanks to a very not make the grade. The training is smart dog, who for some mad reason methodical, and each dog must initially just wants to do whatever I ask, there pass a stock test and an obedience test was no pressure on us to pass the Handler Gerry Tobin with his dog Fia and daughter Ellie to make sure that they will not become assessment. With that in mind, we found distracted while searching. Following on ourselves enjoying what we love to do from this, the dogs are trained until they together: we searched the mountain and permission to train on their lands. We can search for hours under a variety of found the people. would also like to thank all of our conditions. “All I know is that I have the dream dog, volunteers, who give of their valuable Gerry Tobin has never doubted his who made it easy. However, this was also time for the organisation, and particularly newly-qualified search dog’s ability: thanks to Mick Grant, SARDA Ireland’s our ‘dogsbody’ volunteers, who hide for “Fia is the most focused dog I have every Training Officer, who guided us along the our dogs during training exercises. handled; she has no ‘off’ switch. She journey, and also to Gerry Tobin for constantly wants to work to get her finding Ella.” reward. Our dogs see searching as a game with the best reward at the end, SARDA Ireland: an invaluable usually to play with their favourite toy, asset to our communities or to receive a tasty treat, depending on SARDA Ireland has spent over 450 hours how each dog is motivated.” responding to callouts for over 140 Martina O’Kearney Flynn, the owner missing persons since 2016. In many of of Ella, has had a few challenges to these callouts, SARDA Ireland was tasked overcome in addition to training: by An Garda Síochana to search for a “Ella is actually owned by my children, person who went missing from their local Caoilfhionn and Kearney, who kindly area or home. agreed to allow me to train her as a More than two-thirds of these search and rescue dog. When she was searches were not in mountainous or just under one year old, Ella was hit by a upland environments, showing that jeep and her hip was dislocated. At the SARDA Ireland offers a significant service AUTHOR Edelle Doherty is the PRO of time, I realised that all I really wanted not only to mountaineers and hillwalkers SARDA Ireland and also a dogsbody. was for Ella to survive and that anything but also to the general public. When acting as the latter, she hides in else would be a bonus. By that stage she SARDA Ireland was set up in 1987 as a the mountains for the search dogs to had stolen the hearts of everybody in our registered charity (No 20029982) and is find her during exercises. She says she family. Thankfully, she did survive and a member of Mountain Rescue Ireland gets to nap on the hillside and be woken made a complete recovery. After getting and the National Search and Rescue Dog up by an excited dog, so what’s not to through that, she raced through her Association (NSARDA), the umbrella love?! training and qualified about six months body for the UK and Ireland. FIND OUT MORE If you would like to find before I was expecting her to.” out more about SARDA Ireland, or to join Acknowledgments the organisation, please visit Search dog assessment SARDA Ireland would like to thank the www.sardaireland.com, follow it on All SARDA Ireland dog teams are landowners – Coillte and the National Facebook, or contact the PRO, Edelle assessed by external assessors from the Parks and Wildlife Service – who give us Doherty, at [email protected]

Photographs: SARDA Ireland SARDA Photographs: ■ Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 27 TRAINING PROVIDERS

Brian Bateson training some clients in Glendalough

EVERYONE CAN USE SOME HELP Brian Bateson explains why it’s a good idea to hire a qualified outdoor instructor or leader

peaking as a the community to appreciate but at multiple stages As a climbing instructor, I climber and a how much good climbing we throughout your climbing visit many crags during an climbing instructor, I have on our doorstep, even if progression. average year. I regularly see have also been it is sometimes a little wet. inexperienced climbers * * * * * * * massively I have also seen plenty of making potentially serious impressedS by the efforts of comments from climbers who Ask yourself if there is a errors in their rope many of my peers, who have have learned something new, technique you use frequently management or in their gear been creative in trying to or simply a more efficient way that you know could be done placement. Many times I support the training needs of of doing something, through better? The current way have deliberated whether to the climbing community an online portal. Be it works okay, but you offer advice to someone I during the lockdown by navigation, rope work or a instinctively know it could be don’t know at a crag. This can developing tutorial videos, climbing technique, if you can done better, more simply or be risky, but it comes from a hosting zoom sessions and learn that much from looking more efficiently. Of course place of genuine concern for writing technical articles to at a screen, imagine what you there is! safety, as opposed to trying to ‘police’ the crag. post online. could learn in person! Personally, I learn great new techniques from other On plenty of occasions the These have been useful in That brings me to the point instructors all the time and I advice has been welcomed assisting climbers to continue of this article, which is why I have hired more experienced and appreciated, but on a upskilling, in creating think it is a good idea to hire ones to upskill me in areas I few it has been rebuffed, not discussion about best an instructor, not just for was unsure about. always politely, which makes practice, or just in inspiring when you start out climbing, me less likely to say Do you know what something the next time. If you don’t know? there is imminent danger, I ➤ Brian Bateson is a Sometimes you don’t know will still intervene, though. passionate climber, a what you don’t know! There qualified Mountaineering and can be a knowledge barrier What can an Climbing Instructor (MCI) and just as much as a physical instructor do? a member of the Association barrier to progression in A good climbing instructor of Mountaineering Instructors climbing. A climbing should be able to tidy up (AMI). He runs a company instructor can help progress messy knots and rope work, called Climb It – see your learning with structure create efficiencies in your www.climbit.ie. and purpose. climbing technique and gear Photograph: Brian Bateson Collection Brian Bateson Photograph: 28 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 placement, or show you problem-solving or rescue scenarios that every climber should be aware of, to stop smaller issues becoming a rescue team call-out. Hopefully, this article will come across as a good advertisement for my profession. While I do make my living from instructing, I don’t want to seem to be drumming up business when it is actually not needed. For the most part, the climbing community is safe and clued in. Whenever I show a climber Acquiring navigation skills a new rope system or self- rescue technique, they usually perform like we think we will. contact a climbing instructor learn about the Association of comment that they would and ask for advice. I am Mountaineering Instructors have figured out something always happy to point people (AMI), the professional like it to solve the scenario. Who should you hire? in the right direction. association of which I am a Indeed, they probably would You have many choices, so do I am a qualified have figured something out, some research first as to what member, and others like the Mountaineering and given enough time. However, areas you would like to upskill British Association of Climbing Instructor (MCI). time might be a valuable in and who exactly is qualified International Mountain That means, among many commodity in a rescue and insured to teach you Leaders (BAIML) or the British things, I can teach trad lead situation and, in the heat of those skills. Mountain Guides (BMG). climbing, multi-pitch the moment, we don’t always If you are not sure, then The benefit of hiring an AMI climbing, bring you guided member is that you can be sea-cliff climbing, or guide sure that the training you are you on roped scrambles. getting has a stamp of However, I am not allowed approval for its quality. to bring you walking or We look at qualifications all climbing in the snowy winter the time when we hire conditions of Scotland or to accountants, solicitors or the Alps. These would be the teachers, so why not hire a respective roles of a Winter qualified professional climbing Mountaineering and instructor to refine your Climbing Instructor (WMCI) climbing skills? and an International When the current Federation of Mountain restrictions are finally lifted, Guides Associations (IFMGA) there will no doubt be a huge Mountain Guide. uptick in outdoor activities in To list what each Leader, Ireland. For many, they will be Instructor or Guide is qualified to do would be getting re-acquainted with the another complete article in outdoors, but for plenty more, itself. You should be familiar they will be entering a world with these qualifications, if with which they may be you are interested in hiring an unfamiliar. outdoor climbing Hopefully, both the professional. experienced and There is a recognised inexperienced users of the hills pathway explaining the will consider hiring a qualified qualifications on the climbing instructor or Mountaineering Ireland mountain leader to upskill their website. Use it to make sure abilities in the outdoors. In a that the person you are hiring time when mountain rescue has the qualifications and teams and emergency experience they need to departments will already be instruct you in what it is you stretched, being self-sufficient want to learn. in the outdoors will be more Learning to navigate in fading light or overcast, cloudy conditions Also, it would be good to important than ever

Photographs: Brian Bateson Collection Brian Bateson Photographs: ■ Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 29 Photographs: mytherapyphysio.com warm-up. channel up; exercises, pleaseperform awarm- between eachcircuit. circuits, resting three minutes progressive routine, perform three body workout. collectively they willprovide afull performed asacircuit, and These exercises shouldbe Circuit training for whenwe return to our sport. of the strength andskillelements exercises that willmaintain some caps onanddeveloped some of that, we have putour thinking climbing isnot anoption. Because a new flow androutine where of ushave had to adapt our lives to develop lasting relationships. improve our mental wellbeing and helps us to develop resilience, maintain our physical health, butit Not only doesithelpus to to practice and train for this sport. and the elements that motivate us reflect onwhy we enjoy climbing times, we have anopportunity to unique to eachindividual. C Rob Hunter 30 EXERCISES FOR CLIMBING FOR EXERCISES Before commencing the However, during the lockdown, all During these unprecedented you cancheck outour YouTube Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish for acomprehensive fulfillment itprovides is Ultimately, the from allwalks of life. that attracts people limbing isasportfor all and For amore Veronica Lee help us to keep fit during a time of restricted activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic ■ ■ ■ ■ Aim Cossack Squats side. out at 45º, transfer weight from side to Instructions performing rock-overs whenclimbing. ■ ■ ■ ■ Aim Arm Openings hand, andlift feet upina tucked position. seat with the back-rest on the left side. Instructions where fullbody tension isrequired. (hip flexors, abdominals). Starting withfeet wide, toes pointing Replicates transference of weight when Mobilises hip, kneeandanklejoints. Builds singlelegstrength. Gently hold the back-rest with the left Sit towards the edge or middleof the Replicates climbingonsteep terrain Strengthens the anterior chain ■ ■ Eight repetitions witheachleg. Reps or handswhilekeeping your back straight. stays inlinewith the foot. your back straight. Make sure the knee you are sittingback onto achair, keeping Eight repetitions oneach side. Reps back from arching away from the chair. abdominals are working to keep the lower position NB: ■ reaching for a hold. out with the right hand. Imagine you are tailbone, to extend both legs, andreach Aim to touch the floor with your fingers As you squat down to oneside, imagine Engage the core, rolling back onto the It isreally important to keep a dish in the lower back. This means the Summer 2020 Summer Glute Bridge ■ To start, keep both arms on the floor. To make it harder, raise both arms in the air. Aim ■ Drive through the left heel to lift hips up as high as one ■ Strengthens the posterior chain (calf, hamstrings, can. Hold at the top for a count of three, and then lower with gluteals, trunk extensors). control. ■ Replicates heel hooking when climbing. Reps Instructions Eight repetitions on each side. ■ Place the left heel on the edge of the chair. Elevate the right leg into the air.

Reach For The Sky ■ Bend the right knee so that the foot is close to your groin. ■ Palm of left hand is on the chair, right arm is up in the air. Aim ■ Now, pressing through your left palm, rock over onto the ■ Develops cross-body tension from upper limb to opposite right foot. lower limb. ■ Continue pressing through the left palm to assist the drive ■ Develops pressing strength for mantles. up through right leg, keeping left leg straight and off the floor. ■ Mobilises trunk, hip, knee and ankle joints. ■ During the drive up, imagine reaching for a hold with the ■ Replicates pressing into a rock-over in climbing. right hand. Instructions Reps ■ Sit beside the chair, with the left hip close to the chair; Eight repetitions with each leg. the leg should be straight.

Side Hip Raises right foot crossed in front of left foot. Rest right hand on hips. ■ Drive through the left elbow and shoulder to lift hips up as Aim high as you can; hold for a count of three. ■ Strengthens the oblique slings. ■ Then lower, but only so that the hips are below the chair ■ Strengthens shoulder stabilisers. and not touching the floor. Instructions Reps ■ Start with the left elbow below the left shoulder, both Eight repetitions on each side.

Photographs: mytherapyphysio.com Photographs: feet/ankles resting on the chair. NB: For comfort, have the Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 31 MOURNES

BEFORE THE LOCKDOWN Gerry Burns had a final fling in the Mourne Mountains before going into lockdown

he realisation that the COVID-19 outbreak Above: are constructed from sizeable boulders, with gaps was going to be a very serious problem Slievelamagan, surrounding most of the stones large enough for a came to me slowly, as it appears to have Cove Mountain person’s arm. The wind fairly whistled through these done to most people in Ireland. Once that and Slieve Beg; as we passed. realisation finally dawned, a friend and I the ravine on the decided to head for the hills before the latter is the Devil’s Uplifting view Tpandemic struck, recognising that access to the Coachroad. The view beyond the metal gate that gives access to mountains would in all probability be closed off Below: At the top the valley never fails to lift the spirits, with the after that. of the Devil’s mountains on both sides reaching down like two We left Armagh city, heading for the Carrick Little Coachroad. long, outstretched, welcoming arms. On the right car park on the Head Road, high above the village of Annalong. We got there shortly after 10.00am on roads that were already getting quieter. It was a picturesque setting from which to start a hike. The route we were taking was a reasonably long one, following the long central spine of the high Mournes. It provides stunning views across the Ben Crom Reservoir far below, and across the beautiful Annalong valley. We left the car park with the sea far below us, glittering in the early morning sun, and with the Isle of Man clearly visible out on the horizon. We were heading north along a rough gravel track leading to the mouth of the valley, a walk of about fifteen minutes. This is the land of the ‘stone ditches,’ with all of the fields surrounded by stone walls. A lot of these walls

➤ Gerry Burns is an individual member of Mountaineering Ireland. A writer and poet, he has written for the Irish Mountain Log in the past. He is a retired librarian and a regular visitor to the Mourne Mountains, close to where he was born in Warrenpoint, Co Down. Gerry now lives close to Richhill village in County Armagh. Photographs: Gerry Burns Collection Gerry Photographs: 32 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 were the two Seefins, Round and Long, with Rocky Above: Looking This was the mountain, incidentally, that was Mountain beyond. On the left sat the massive bulk down the Annalong most used by the American warships based far of Slieve Binnian, the third highest mountain in the valley. below in Carlingford Lough for gunnery practice in Mourne range, at 747m. Its jagged crest makes it one the lead-up to D-Day. It is hard to imagine the of the easiest mountains in the range to recognise Below: On the way peace of the valley echoing to the roar of exploding from a distance. up Slievelamagan, shells, but even now relics of the Second World War The renowned Mourne Wall, built in the early with the Silent Valley turn up in this area, mostly spent rifle shells but

1900s to protect the water catchment area, rises up ▲ reservoir below. occasionally an unexploded larger shell! on the left at this point, offering a direct route to Binnian’s summit, but our trek was taking us around the mountain’s flanks. We passed Annalong Wood on our right, where quite a few of the trees had been burnt some years ago. The track is stony and boulder-strewn and you are inclined to keep your eyes on the ground as you walk, rather than look around you at the stunning scenery. The route crosses a couple of streams where, depending on the time of year, the amount of water to be crossed can vary widely. In any case, care is necessary to avoid a soaking! The approach to Slievelamagan The track forks here, the right-hand trail going up the main valley between Slievelamagan and Rocky Mountain. On our path to the left, the incline increased and we passed the strangely-named rocky outcrop Percy Bysshe. There is no certainty about how it gained this name, but one suggestion is that the poet Shelley’s ship was driven in along the County Down coast by a storm. He came ashore and, while waiting for ship repairs to be carried out, walked here on several occasions and used the outcrop as a suitable place for contemplation and perhaps even composition. Who knows which of Shelley’s poems had their origins here? The track then ran over and between a mixture of boulders and heather, and became very boggy in places, a result of recent wet weather. Further along, we reached Blue Lough on our right at the foot of Slievelamagan, its colour obviously determined by the colour of the sky. It is a pretty place and a popular place for a break. Standing at 704m, Slievelamagan consists of Annalong granite, its dark colour due to the high quantities of dusky quartz found in its makeup. This particular granite underlies almost the entire upper basin of the Annalong River. Looking up at it from our track, its rocky surface gave it an almost intimidating presence. Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 33 MOURNES

Continuing on from Blue Lough, often crossing Above: views on all sides, particularly on a day like we had. watery and boggy ground, and with Slieve Binnian Slievelamagan, There were twelve of the highest mountains in the on our left, our route turned right to ascend Cove Mountain, Mournes within sight, all rising above 600m. They Slievelamagan. It is always worth going a little Slieve Beg and form a circle, which is broken only on the southern further over the valley crest to look across at the Slieve Commedagh side by the deep valleys of the Kilkeel and Annalong sheer rocky face of Ben Crom, with the Ben Crom viewed from the rivers. reservoir far below. It is a dizzying sight and, Annalong valley. A broad ridge links Slievelamagan to Cove particularly on a windy day, a place where you need Mountain, the next mountain on our list to the to be well grounded! Below left: The north-east. It is generally believed that the Ascending Slievelamagan, you will quite often find Blue Lough below mountain’s name is a derivation of the word ‘cave.’ yourself desperately searching for the best route to Slievelamagan. Its rock face is popular with rock climbers and it has follow. The going took us up through quite dense a reasonably accessible cave on Lower Cove. The heather, and there were countless boulders, often Below right: On the summit cairn sits on a granite platform at 655m. hidden, everywhere, so care was needed. It was well rock-strewn path Slieve Beg, the final climb, was undoubtedly the worth the effort, however, for the summit gives clear to Lamagan col. highlight of the day, although it falls just short of the Photographs: Gerry Burns Collection Gerry Photographs:

34 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 600m list, at 596m! The slopes are thickly covered in We followed a path down the valley, parallel to the heather, and the path we followed was often quite course of the Annalong River, with the huge granite indistinct. flanks of Cove Mountain and Slievelamagan The summit provided wonderful views right down towering above us. We had to cross a couple of the Annalong valley. The mountain also featured a streams. After wet weather, these can be particularly mighty array of granite buttresses guarding the top of difficult to cross. We finally rejoined the track below a steep gully known as the Devil’s Coachroad. the Percy Bysshe outcrop and retraced our steps Looking across from the top provided a dramatic across Binnian’s imposing flank to the car park. view of Slieve Donard, but looking down through the Since that last foray into the mountains, we have gully into the valley far below is not for the lightheaded! Below: The more or less been confined to our homes while the Some trekkers attempt to climb up and down the gully, remarkable coronavirus has rampaged around the globe. We but there are a lot of loose rocks, and extreme care is granite have heeded the advice of the health experts and needed in order to avoid causing a serious rockfall. It is formations, stayed away from the mountains. In view of that, I certainly not a route that the Mourne Mountain Rescue the Castles, am very glad we managed that one last hike into the Team would encourage people to take. on Slieve Mourne Mountains. I hope that, before too long, we Our route then took us down past one of two Commedagh. can get back there again ■ large cairns at the rear of the mountain and on to the Brandy Pad, one of the old smuggling routes through the mountains. We also passed close to the wonderfully named rock towers on the side of Slieve Commedagh: the ‘Castles.’ From there, the descent down into the valley was steep and, after recent wet weather, it was particularly difficult in places. Care was needed at all times to avoid slipping and falling. It was a long, slow descent on the lower slopes of Slieve Beg, but the views were always rewarding, particularly looking up into the Devil’s Coachroad as we passed beneath it.

Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 35 PYRENEES

TREKKING IN THE HIGH PYRENEES

Paul Murphy describes a trekking holiday to the High Pyrenees with six friends last June, or, to use his subtitle, “The Magnificent Seven go to Lourdes for the cure.”

ast year, Brian McNelis and I planned a trek in the High Pyrenees in the summer with five other members of Limerick Climbing Club: LNoel Clarke, Gerry Lombard, Fintan McAvinue, Mike O’Sullivan and Mike Quirke. We flew into Lourdes Airport and headed for Cauterets, a 19th-century spa town and ski resort with classical Belle Époque buildings, located thirty kilometres away in the Pyrenees, 1,000m above sea level. Saturday, June 22nd, 2019 We caught the bus to Pont d’Espagne (1,460m), shouldered our packs and started trekking up the GR10 (long-distance Atlantic-Mediterranean route Above: After dinner, we unleashed our secret weapon: Gerard, on the French side) to our first mountain refuge. As Admiring the like Pearl, is a singer, and stands up when he plays the the June heatwave was underway, we had a quick Grand Vignemale piano. Some Spanish folks requested a song in Español, beer at Lac de Gaube. After some sweaty hours, we at dusk. resulting in a raucous chorus of Feliz Navidad (hence reached Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube (2,146m) and Noel’s nickname) just before we were sent to bed by encountered our first izards – Pyrenean chamois. The landscape hereabouts is simply stupendous. the guardian. Sitting on the terrace, we enjoyed a right royal view up to the Glacier des Oulettes, beneath the peak of Sunday Grand Vignemale (3,298m). We would summit her A big pull up to Col des Mulets (2,591m), across some little sister, Petit Vignemale, a week later. extensive snowfields, sorted us out before we stepped The communal dinner that evening was kidney from France into Spain. No hard border here. On top, bean stew. I will leave the dormitory auditory and we chatted to some Spanish guys doing the Haute olfactory scene that night to your fertile imagination. Route Pyrenees. Next, we zigzagged down the Ara River valley (Gerard tried unsuccessfully to walk on water – Ara, go on!) until ➤ Paul Murphy is a a retired IT manager and a we found the correct track and joined the GR11 botanist. He joined the Limerick Climbing (& (Spanish equivalent of the GR10) to San Nicolas de Crochet) Club in 1984 after completing the Bujaruelo (1,558m). This place has been an important Annapurna Circuit. He is a recent Chairperson and current walk leader with the club. Paul has base for crossing the Pyrenees since medieval times, hillwalked regularly at home and in Britain and as evidenced by the beautiful single-arch bridge. also in Australia, Borneo and the USA and has Then it was another 3km downhill to our night’s trekked in Corsica (GR20), the Alps, Nepal, India lodgings at Valle de Bujaruelo; it was eight hours’ and Pakistan. walking in all that day. Photographs: Paul Murphy Collection Paul Murphy Photographs: 36 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Photographs: Paul Murphy Collection Summer 2020 Summer “Sure, aren’t you here for the walking?” she mocked. Bujaruelo. The guardian pretended to be shocked. transport from the roadhead at La Pradera up to day’s route, we enquired at the hut about public down to Gavarnie. via another pass, the San Nicolas de Bujaruelo Ordesa Gorge (worth seeing twice), to overnight in required. the route without crampons. Uh-oh! Major rethink due to recent snowfall, we would be daft to attempt day. She was quite emphatic and warned us that, the snow conditions on the Brèche for the following but no crampons. travelling light – we had walking poles and ice axes, facilitate a strenuous eight-day trek, we were Roland night. The following day was to be over the third highest Pyrenean peak, and return to Góriz that The plan was to climb Tuesday smelly bed, after another eight hours on the trail. panoramas. A feast of chick peas (Oh no!), and so to Refugio de Góriz switchbacks eventually brought us crawling into up to some lovely cows-with-bells meadows. of impressive waterfalls to where the vistas opened Pradera its name, particularly as you go higher. Gorge beautiful woods to its junction with the Crossing the Rio Ara, we followed it downhill through Monday Rather than completely retracing the previous We consequently decided to backtrack down the Before departing, I just asked the guardian about After some bridal veil-like falls, a series of Now we were travelling uphill again. A break at Spain’s Grand Canyon.– This truly lives up to (2,807m) and down to Gavarnie. In order to was welcome before proceeding by a series (2,195m) with its magnificent Puerto de Bujaruelo, Monte Perdido and cross back into France (3,355m), the Ordesa and so Brèche de La Pyrenees. en route in the crossing a pass Below: Paul taken on the trip. approximate route Above: Map of San NicolasdeBujaruelo❚

Camping Bujaruelo❚ Grand Vignemale Rio Ara Rio Pont d’Espagne SPAIN wonderful waterfall and the Coumshingaun on steroids) and is enhanced by its in Bell Harbour, Co Clare. Ireland. He is now enjoying a very fulfilling Burren life He spent the entire time fishing for an invitation to by our eager-to-please accommodation manager. more dramatic version of the Devil’s Bit. magnificent spectacularly situated villages in Europe. The down towards friends. (2,273m) and lunched with our new South African Don’t ask; we didn’t understand it either! (a second time) in Galway in order to save money. assumed, but a geologist who had got married It transpired that he was not a peregrino, as I had shell symbols. from Lourdes, decorated with appropriate scallop- France via a rugged route that is part of a camino Adios España, as on this day we crossed back into Wednesday Stewart Parnell. one of whom was a direct descendant of Charles pleasant meal there and met a South African couple, and Lourdes 38km Cauterets 8km ▲▲ That evening, we had a great time, accompanied We crossed the border at Halfway up, we encountered a jolly 88-year-old. We eventually reached Bujaruelo – lots of ❚ Refuge desOulettes deGaube Hourquette d’Ossoue

alpine choughs Ordesa Gorge border Vultures

Petit Vignemale ❚ Refuge deBayssellance Rio Ara Rio Cirque Puerto de Bujaruelo Brèche deRoland Gavarnie. circled above the valley on our way towers above the valley (imagine FRANCE Refugio deGóriz❚ were seen on the way – enjoyed a Monte Perdido This is one of the most Puerto de Bujaruelo Brèche de Roland, Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish ▲ Espuguettes ❚ Refugio deBrèche ▲ ❚ Gavarnie 2km marmots ❚ a 37 ➤ PYRENEES

Thursday Above: populated with alpine flowers and more clanging Another supposedly easy day with light packs, as we Ascending a cows. Arriving at Refuge des Espuguettes (2,027m), were staying a second night in Gavarnie. On the way snowfield on the it was 36°C, and 39°C in the valley below! All the out of town for our day trip we admired a plaque way to Col de media were warning elderly folks to remain indoors dedicated to an Irishman, Henry Russell (1834-1909), Mulets. and to definitely not partake in vigorous exercise – and our combined ages were 432! who pioneered Pyrenean climbing. Read all about Below: Some him in Rosemary Bailey’s The Man who Married a This hut enjoys a commanding location looking trumpet gentians up at the Brèche de Roland. Fittingly, the refuge Mountain (Bantam, 2005). Gentiana acaulis. Up through beautiful beech woods, meadows entrance was barred by two big burros acting as Photographs: Paul Murphy Photographs: bouncers. Once past these intimidating mules we enjoyed a lazy lunch and yet another well-deserved beer. We returned to Gavarnie via the Hotel du Cirque, right under the waterfall. Simply stupendous. Later that evening, we decided to shorten the next day’s serious hike to Refuge de Bayssellance at 2,651m. The decision was made to get a taxi to Barrage d’Ossoue at 1,834m. We got a phone number from the tourist office and appointed Gerard to ring as he was the most cunning linguist among us. He duly rang the number. The rest of us noticed the waitress from the café across the road going “Koooowwweeeee” and gesticulating wildly at us. The taxi-man was drinking in her café and she copped that it was Gerard ringing from all of 10m away. Friday We got dropped off at the Barrage d’Ossoue. This is a superb valley and is still a summer site for transhumance, evidenced by hundreds of sheep – a sort of reverse Burren booley. Halfway up the valley we heard a helicopter. It had a net hung underneath with supplies for the refuge. It made maybe ten such journeys, and we imagined that our reputation had preceded us and that they were stocking up on crates of beer and a piano for the Paddies. 38 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 GAVARNIE IS ONE OF THE Above: Cirque de After returning to the col, we trekked down the Gavarnie. rough track to Oulettes de Gaube Refuge. We then MOST SPECTACULARLY retraced our steps to Pont d’Espagne and took the Below: Bird’s-eye bus down the valley to Cauterets. SITUATED VILLAGES IN ALL Primrose Primula farinos. Sunday OF EUROPE. A minibus returned us to Lourdes where we visited the sights, enjoyed the old town and watched Limerick win the Munster Hurling Final. It was a fitting end to an enjoyable adventure with friends. Oh yes; still not cured, though, so I’ll have to return ■ Thirty minutes before arriving at the hut we came across three deep caves. Initially, we presumed they were mine entrances. It turned out that they – Grottes Bellevue – were commissioned by our friend Henry Russell as a high bivvy base from which to explore the Vignemale massif. As for the Refuge de Bayssellance dorm, the H-Blocks would have been cushy and comfortable compared to this hellhole. It was stuffy, smelly, damp, cramped and crowded. Gerard was violently shaken awake in the middle of the night when his neighbour in the next bunk objected in gibbering Franglais to his loud snoring. Gerard promptly boxed and wrestled with him. In the morning they pretended that it hadn’t happened and studiously ignored one another at breakfast. Saturday We reached our high point on Saturday. The Hourquette d’Ossoue is an impressive pass at 2,734m above the refuge. We dumped our gear there and most of us headed up the zig-zag scree slope towards Petit Vignemale. Despite its name, it’s not that “petit” at 3,032m, and it proved an enjoyable challenge, with superb views from the summit. Photographs: Benh Lieu Song (Gavarnie), Paul Murphy (flowers) Paul Murphy Benh Lieu Song (Gavarnie), Photographs: Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 39 SPONSORED

Have you heard? The Dublin Mountains are getting a Makeover

Coillte Nature, the not-for-profit wing of Coillte, is putting people and nature first in the Dublin Mountains by transforming 910 hectares of forest – an area larger than the Phoenix Park

Starting in June 2020 and towards a different model. Multi-generational forests continuing over the long managed under Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) principles term, the Dublin will maintain their green canopy on a permanent basis and, in Mountains Makeover will areas where this isn’t possible, timber production species such see nine of Coillte’s most as Sitka spruce and lodgepole pine trees will be removed and popular forests move replanted with native species such as Scots pine, birch, rowan, towards a new ‘close to nature’ management approach. oak, holly and willow to provide habitat for nature and bring This involves applying Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) autumn colours to the hills. principles in the existing forests, as well as the creation of new Work will start on the Dublin Mountains Makeover in June native woodlands in areas where CCF can’t be done. It will 2020 and will continue for many years, possibly decades. It will enhance and create habitats for wildlife, enrich the forests’ be a slow and careful process, conducted in a way that recreational appeal for people and improve the wider minimises disruption to local residents and visitors, while landscape’s aesthetic value. locking in benefits for nature, recreation and the landscape that will be enjoyed by generations to come. What is the Dublin Mountains Makeover? Coillte owns and manages around half of the forests in the Dublin Mountains, with the remainder managed by private forest owners. When this land was first planted with trees between the early 1940s and late 1960s, Dublin was a much smaller city and nobody thought much about outdoor recreation in forests. Today, these forests are among the most important recreational sites for a growing urban population seeking fresh air and green space: Coillte’s most popular forest, Ticknock, sees over 550 visits a day. Until now, Coillte has managed these areas primarily for timber production. But because of their popularity and proximity to the city, it’s time to move recreation and nature higher up the agenda. Through the Dublin Mountains Makeover, nine Coillte forests

Photographs: Coillte Nature / Dublin Mountains Partnership / Dublin Mountains Nature Coillte Photographs: will transition away from the clearfell and replanting cycle 40 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 The Dublin Mountains Partnership’s How will the Makeover affect forest users? To improve biodiversity and recreation, we need to fell Recreation Vision some trees and plant new ones. We know that tree felling Friendly shared spaces for all ages with machinery in forests, timber lorries on local roads and the provision for walkers, runners, dog walkers, diversion or temporary closure of trails can be disruptive. mountain bikers, equestrian and That’s why we’re asking everyone who loves the forests to accessibility. endure some short-term pain for long-term gain, so that we can create beautiful, diverse forests for the future. We’ll Sustainable walking, mountain biking and do our best to keep everyone informed by: equestrian trails. A draft recreation master ◆ Making regular updates on our website plan is being developed for Ticknock which www.coillte.ie/coillte-nature will link with the Dublin Mountains Makeover ◆ Sharing project updates and background information plans. in our quarterly newsletters ◆ Posting key dates and locations on Twitter, Facebook Improved walking and cycling links to forests, and Instagram (search for Coillte on the social media a 7-day public transport service. A critical platforms you use) review of car-park provision has been ◆ Engaging with local and national media (newspapers, initiated. radio and TV) ◆ Putting up signs on-site to show what we’re doing, Positive impact on local communities. where, when, why and how Actively working to minimise negative ◆ Holding information days, walks, talks and other events impacts such as illegal parking, littering and (as soon as COVID-19 restrictions allow). sheep-worrying incidents through collaboration, education.

What is Coillte Nature? Celebrate the Dublin Mountains, their history, In order to achieve Ireland’s goals for nature, ecology, traditional farming, forestry, transformational change is needed. Coillte has 30 years’ protected sites and species, through guided experience in forest stewardship and land management, walks and educational resources. and employs a diverse team of dedicated people with a deep, practical knowledge of what transformational All achieved through collaboration between change represents on the ground. It is clear to us that a partner organisations, supported by the meaningful response to the climate and biodiversity Dublin Mountains Partnership’s Volunteer emergency demands action across our organisation, and Ranger Service and following Leave No Trace we are committed to that. Ireland principles. But we also recognise that we have responsibilities beyond our current scope of activities. That’s why we have For more information about the Dublin Mountains determined to deliver projects of scale with a strategic Partnership, visit www.DublinMountains.ie environmental focus through a new and innovative non-commercial lens. Coillte Nature, the not-for-profit wing of Coillte, was launched in June 2019 with a mandate to deliver that focus. Its aim is threefold: to undertake impactful projects that create, restore, regenerate and rehabilitate biodiverse habitats across Ireland by partnering with public, private, non-governmental and community stakeholders; to manage those habitats for ecological and recreational value in perpetuity; and in doing so, to maximise the ecosystem services they provide to people for the benefit of everyone, now and into the future. We have four strategic themes:

◆ Regenerating urban forests for the benefit of people and nature ◆ Restoring important biodiversity areas by investing in major habitat improvements ◆ Rehabilitating ecosystem services by bringing sensitive or degraded lands into better health ◆ Reforesting our landscapes by planting new native woodlands on unforested land. Photographs: Coillte Nature / Dublin Mountains Partnership / Dublin Mountains Nature Coillte Photographs: Continued next page... Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 41 What we are doing in 2020

Phases 1, 2 and 3 of the Makeover, planned for completion in 2020. Key: CCF = Continuous Cover Forestry; R&R = Remove & Replant; Mix = Remove & Replant with a mix of native and non-native trees.

We’re undertaking a major project to remove invasive rhododendron, laurel and dogwood species across an area of 30 Types of forest management in the hectares. This will benefit the biodiversity of the site by Dublin Mountains Makeover providing space and light for lots of different species of ground flora to grow and allowing the woodland to regenerate naturally. ◆ CCF = Continuous Cover Forestry We will also improve the habitat by felling the non-native CCF involves selecting individual or small groups of trees to conifers (Norway spruce, western hemlock) and non-native cut down in order to create space in the canopy so that light broadleaves (beech, horse chestnut and sycamore) that have can hit the forest floor. This enables young trees to grow spread into the area. naturally from seed and increases the structural diversity of Additional works in the area beyond the alluvial habitat will the stand while maintaining a permanent canopy cover. In see an adjacent plantation removed and replanted with native some places we will also plant young native trees to increase the number of different species. woodland, and thinning in the recreational forest areas to encourage natural regeneration of native species and improve ◆ R&R = Remove & Replant structural diversity. R&R involves removing the existing trees in the normal ◆ The second Coillte Nature project is the ‘Midlands Native clearfell way and replanting them with native woodland Woodland’ project – a collaboration with Bord na Móna that is species like Scots pine, oak, birch, rowan and holly. This will exploring ways to mimic natural processes and speed up the improve the landscape value by bringing autumn colour, and will increase the biodiversity of these stands dramatically. regeneration of woodland habitats on higher, drier areas of More species equals more wildlife. cutaway bogs. While the overarching objective of the Bord na Móna ◆ R&R-mix = Remove & Replant with a mix of native Rehabilitation Strategy for these areas is to re-wet wherever and non-native trees possible, native woodlands do form part of the overall habitat Some areas are higher up and more exposed to the wind, with mosaic, especially in areas that are unsuitable for re-wetting wetter soils. This makes it more difficult for native woodlands (e.g. mounds, ridges, steep slopes and other raised areas that lie to grow. In these areas, the replanting will include a mix of above the flood zone). Sitka spruce along with native trees like birch and rowan. But the cutaways are among the most problematic sites on which to establish trees: extreme exposure, low biological activity in the peat, high acidity, low nutrient availability and the presence of deep peat present technical challenges that Other Coillte Nature projects necessitate a steep learning curve in terms of how we get trees Along with the Dublin Mountains Makeover, Coillte Nature is to grow. For this reason, the project team will be led by nature currently working on two further projects for 2020. and seek to replicate the succession patterns of the natural ◆ The first is ‘Restoring Hazelwood’ – a major initiative focusing woodlands that have already begun to regenerate on or near on one of the finest alluvial woodlands in the country. Located these cutaway bogs. in the floodplain of the Garravogue River near Sligo town, Hazelwood’s wet woodland is a rare and extremely important FIND OUT MORE To learn more about Coillte Nature and our habitat for biodiversity that provides a home for many specialist work, visit our website www.coillte.ie/coillte-nature and sign water-loving plants and wildlife. up to our newsletter to stay up to date with our work ■ Graphic: Coillte Nature / Dublin Mountains Partnership / Dublin Mountains Nature Coillte Graphic: 42 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 CANARY ISLANDS

HIKING ON LA ISLA BONITA

Michael Guilfoyle enjoyed a terrific backpacking break on ‘La Isla Bonita,’ or La Palma in the Canary Islands, in March, just before the Covid-19 lockdown

he virus seemed a million miles away on Above: View from All around us were white-domed night-sky that beautiful early March morning on La the rim of the watchers, at least seven astronomical observatories Palma. Indeed, for Aongus Ó hAonghusa, Caldera de from a variety of European nations, there to peer Sean McBride and myself of the Lung Taburiente on the into the heavens of the consistently clearest and Gompas Hiking Club, it was as if we were island of La most dramatic of night skies in Europe. ➤ T Palma, with the in a world of our own, almost oblivious to its creeping island of El Hierro menace. visible in the For the previous two days we had explored the distance. deep, forest-floored Caldera de Taburiente. Now we were standing high up on its rim, with the distant Right: Sean mountains of Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro McBride and between the bluest of skies and an island-lapping Aongus Ó sea of cloud. hAonghusa above the floor We had taken a taxi up a million hairpins from the of the Caldera town of Los Llanos on the west coast of La Palma, de Taburiente. ‘La Isla Bonita,’ to the Roque de Los Muchachos, the highest point of the island at 2,421m.

➤ Michael Guilfoyle is a founder member of the Lung Gompas Hiking Club and lives in Dublin. He has hiked in the Alps, Pyrenees, Scotland, Wales and Iceland and has trekked in Kashmir, the Canary Islands, Nepal, Morocco, Vancouver Island and Patagonia. He has summited many Alpine 4,000m peaks, including Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso, as well as summiting on Toubkal and Ouanakrim in the Atlas Mountains and most Pyrenean tops over 3,000m. Photographs: Michael Guilfoyle Collection Michael Guilfoyle Photographs: Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 43 CANARY ISLANDS

and wild Caldera for a whole day, taking in its minor summits and peering down into its chaos of ravines, ridges and precariously perched pines. Much later, we branched off the rim and hiked for hours due south, down through the sweetest of air, pine shade and birdsong, with the long central spine of this shield-shaped island guiding and enticing us. Halfway through our four-day hike the landscape changed dramatically from gentle to violent again, as the GR131 took us in and around the lava flows and much more recent volcanic craters of the Cumbre Vieja. We were now on the walking route called La Ruta Volcanes, a very special and popular Released from the taxi into the busy summit car park Above: Pico segment of the GR131 for day walkers from El Pilar. and not yet shouldering our heavy backpacks, we Bejenado Initially, the craters were scarred and steep and wandered the safe, prepared walkways around the stark (1,844m), shattered and dramatic, erosion not having had a volcanic outcrops that give the summit its name. Like across the floor chance to work on them. excited kids in a visual candy store, we didn’t know of the Caldera Further on, the hills and old volcanic outcrops were where to look! The blues, whites, blacks and greens of de Taburiente. more gentle, their smooth black flanks seemingly sucking the sunlight out of the sky. The ground was sky and cloud-seas, and of the wide and wild Caldera Below: The sun de Taburiente, burnt black and shattered over aeons by about to rise littered with volcanic ejecta and patches of pine needles and cones, and the hillsides were softened and a violently restless Earth, and now floored and softened over Mount coloured here and there by scattered clumps of Canary by ancient primeval forests of Canary pine, all Teide on the pine, a dramatic contrast of green on black. competed for eye and camera lens. distant island of On our last day, we lunched in the airy and fresh However, we were there for a little bit more than just Tenerife, seen from the rim of village of Fuencaliente, before the final segment of the the sightseeing. Our plan was to walk the GR131, the GR131, the long descent of 700m to the lighthouse and most dramatic of the long-distance walking routes on the Caldera on La Palma. the Atlantic. On the way, we walked through another this island, all the way down to its culmination at the shattered volcanic landscape and the site of the most southern tip of this island at the lighthouse of Faro de recent of the island’s volcanic eruptions, that of Fuencaliente. So, we shouldered our packs and soon Teneguia in 1971. left the car park and the last of the observatories The lighthouse area was a real treat, made all the behind us, easily picking up the markers for the GR131. more so by an excellent tapas meal and a celebratory We walked around the rim of the wonderfully high bottle of local red wine served in a very well appointed restaurant beside the salt drying beds at the Punta de Fuencaliente. All the time on this segment, and indeed on each day of this really wonderful multi-day hike, we travelled well-maintained and marked paths, sometimes stony and sometimes, but rarely, requiring care, and mostly floored with soft pine needles, black volcanic sand and fine dust. Okay, we were backpacking, with tents, food, cooking and sleeping gear, and that’s not everyone’s idea of fun! For us, though, the debate is eternal: independence and flexibility, and opportunities to experience wild moments in wonderfully wild places versus travelling light but with commitments to logistics and lodgings. For me, even at 73, the heavy lifting can be a small price to pay for magical moments like sitting outside the tents at 2,200m on the stillest of nights as a pink and red sunset fades to a sparkle of stars, watching a silent sunrise over a sea of clouds beside Mount Teide (3,718m) on distant Tenerife and falling asleep to the soft soughing of the prevailing trade winds high up in a canopy of Canary pines. These are literally Photographs: Michael Guilfoyle Collection Michael Guilfoyle Photographs: 44 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 THE HEAVY LIFTING OF Above: Michael Compared to the busier islands nearer the African on Pico de la coast, it is an ideal place for those who prefer BACKPACKING WAS A SMALL Nieve (2,240m). quieter and more unconventional chilling, along with hiking and walking in lovely landscapes. PRICE TO PAY FOR THE MANY Below left: I stayed on for four days after my walking MAGICAL MOMENTS. The GR131 near companions went home, hired a car and toured the Refugio de Los island. I just loved it, especially the geologically older Roques. north coast with its high perched towns, its deeply unforgettable experiences, rarely available and well wooded gorges or ‘barrancos,’ and green hillsides. worth passing up the odd forgettable comfortable Below right: The island-circling road, the LP02, rarely touches the bed and sit-down meal for – and, of course, a lot Michael at Punta sea, given the difficult coastal topography, but cheaper! del Fuencaliente. twisty detours down to the wild Atlantic coast near La Palma is a very beautiful and unspoiled island, Fuencaliente, Garafia and especially to Fajana near one of the furthest out of the Canary Islands in the Barlovento on the north coast are well worth taking. Atlantic from the African coast and easily accessible As I flew back from La Palma and then from by ferry and air from Tenerife. Its meteorology gives Tenerife, just before Spain went into lockdown, I it, and indeed the whole archipelago of these wondered when I and we all will get back out to ‘Fortunate Islands,’ as the Romans knew them, very such wonderful places, and mentally booked a long stable and comfortable weather all year round. hangout on ‘La Isla Bonita’ for a happier time! Photos: Sean McBride (pics of Michael), Michael Guilfoyle Collection Michael Guilfoyle Michael), of Sean McBride (pics Photos: ■

Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 45 GEORGIA

IN THE GREATER CAUCASUS

John O’Callaghan goes hiking in the Kazbegi and Svaneti regions of Georgia

n the early summer of 2019, I fulfilled a long- Above: The developed in terms of providing food and standing ambition to visit Georgia and walk in Sameba (Trinity) accommodation for walkers. The more remote and the Greater Caucasus Mountains. This Church in less developed regions of Tusheti and Khevsureti spectacular mountain range, longer and Kazbegi with Mt offer further possibilities for ‘expedition’ trekking. higher than the Alps, has much to offer Kazbek (5,033m) hillwalkers and climbers. and the Gergeti Kazbegi glacier beyond. The Kazbegi area is a five-hour drive north from IWhile accounts of climbing Europe’s highest peak, Tbilisi along the Georgian Military Highway. This is the Mount Elbrus (5642m), predominate in the literature, Below: Gveleti main artery for most of the road cargo between there are many more fine mountains to experience in Waterfall, near Russia and Georgia, and the countries to the east the Caucasus. The whole range extends for 1,200km Dariali Gorge, and south – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran. between the Black and the Caspian Seas, forming a close to the It was a relief to arrive in Stepantsminda, formerly divide between Europe and Asia, although this is Russian border. called Kazbegi, the nearest town to Mount Kazbek disputed by many Georgians, Armenians and Azeris, (5,033m). First impressions were that the town is still who consider themselves more European than Asian. To facilitate the trip, I enlisted the services of Trek Georgia (see www.trekgeorgia.com), a small independent company based in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Dito, our guide, was extremely informative on all aspects of Georgian culture and heritage, as well as being an excellent mountain leader. As it was yet early in the year (May 24th–June 6th), most of the high passes were closed due to late spring snowfalls, so the itinerary was confined to exploring the Kazbegi and Svaneti regions, the most

➤ John O’Callaghan is a member of Clare Outdoor Club, based in Ennis. Originally from Westport, Co Mayo, he enjoys reading and writing about mountains almost as much as hiking in them. A former member of Mountaineering Ireland’s Executive Committee, John has been hillwalking at home and abroad for almost thirty years. Photographs: John O’Callaghan Photographs: 46 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 ONE OF THE MOST SCENIC TREKS WAS TO THE SAMEBA (TRINITY) CHURCH BELOW MOUNT KAZBEK.

in its infancy as a tourist hub and some buildings are deteriorating and badly in need of refurbishment. In contrast, the relatively new Orthodox Church overlooking Dariali Gorge, and the nearby Customs Post before the Russian border, were very modern. We did a short hike up to Gveleti Waterfall, near the frontier. One of the most scenic treks was to the Sameba (Trinity) Church that stands sentinel over Stepantsminda. From there, we followed a ridge above the church to an altitude of 2,960m from where the rapidly-retreating Gergeti glacier was clearly visible. The outline of Mount Kazbek was partially visible in the clouds, but the route to the hut, perched on the edge of the moraine, was impassable due to risk of avalanche. The next day, we drove up to the village of Jutta (2,150m), which lies at the head of the Sno Valley, and from there took a trail which led up to a giant Above: Chaukhi Once in Mestia, it was a short drive of 7km to the amphitheatre overshadowed by the multi-pinnacled Mountain trailhead for the Chalaati glacier. This was a very Chaukhi Mountain. The Roshka Pass had not yet (3,842m), above pleasant short hike to the source of the Mestia River, opened for 2019, so it was not an option for us to Jutta village in which tumbles down from Chatin-Tau Mountain (4,412m). continue to Shatili, the 9th-century stone town in the Sno Valley, in Geographers have recorded and dated the receding the Khevsureti region. the Kazbegi lengths of the glacier on boulders in the riverbed. Before leaving the Kazbegi region we completed region of Georgia. Mestia is a quintessential mountain town and the another hike, similar to our own Croagh Patrick best base from which to explore the wider Svaneti pilgrimage here in Ireland. This was up to the Lomisa Below: Map of region. We stayed for five nights in a guesthouse just off Church and monastery located on a col (2,400m) Svaneti area, the main square. There was plenty to see and do in the overlooking South Ossetia. Every year, on the northwest of town and great food in the local restaurants. Laila was Wednesday in the week after Pentecost, several Mestia. an exceptionally good one and included a two-hour thousand people make a pilgrimage to this church display of traditional Georgian music and dance. to celebrate Lomisoba. In the era of Ottoman There was an ethnographic museum with an eco- invasions (in the 16th century) a sacred icon of St friendly roof garden that was well worth visiting. George miraculously attached itself to the horns of As the weather was good, we headed to Ushguli first a bull called Loma, which then led the enslaved thing on the morning after our arrival. The road is in Georgians back to their homeland from Turkey. such poor condition and the exposure so acute that the The monastery was built in homage to the bull. journey may only be attempted in dry weather, and a 4x4 vehicle is a must. The drive to this unique area, the Svaneti highest permanently inhabited settlement in Europe at The drive across the country from Kazbegi to Mestia 2,200m, is not for the faint-hearted. in the Svaneti region can be a long day, The sheer number of 12th-century Svanetian tower- circumnavigating South Ossetia and Abkhazia. It is houses, some in perfect condition, standing tall in each ➤ best to break the journey by overnighting in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second city and former capital of several historic kingdoms. Before leaving Kutaisi, we detoured 8km to the northeast to visit Gelati Monastery. This was founded in 1106 and is a former cultural hub of Georgia’s medieval ‘golden age,’ and also the burial place of King David, known as ‘The Builder.’ The mountain valleys in Svaneti were full of their spring colours, and the honeysuckle fragrance of the yeli azaleas Rhododendron luteum pervaded the whole countryside. Svaneti is most renowned for its square defence towers, called koshi, dating from th th Photographs: John O’Callaghan Photographs: the 11 to 13 centuries.

Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 47 THE NUMBER OF 12TH-CENTURY Above: Ushguli village of The next walk was located close to the Chazhashi with cluster of village of Maseri, in the Dolra River valley. From TOWERHOUSES IN USHGULI IS Svan towers from the 11th the Grand Hotel Ushba a pleasant woodland TRULY REMARKABLE. and 12th centuries. trail wound up to the Shdugra (Ushba) Waterfall, which flowed down to the west of Below left: Mt Shkhara South Ushba peak (4,710m). of the four villages was truly remarkable. Ushguli (5,193m) and the Shkhara En route, we overtook two border guards was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 glacier from Ushguli. heading up to their post for a tour of duty, and due to its antiquity and remoteness. we also encountered a small group of Czech While there, we enjoyed a wonderful hike along Below right: Mt Ushba’s hikers who had camped there overnight. They the Enguri River to the foot of Mt Shkhara (5,193m), twin peaks (4,710m, were hoping to reach Mestia via the Guli Pass, Georgia’s highest mountain. We sat for a long time 4,708m), Georgia’s a snow-filled pass that is usually not passable admiring the Shkhara glacier, enjoying the toughest and most until late June. At the western tip of the Ushba tranquillity and solitude of this beautiful place. dangerous climb. glacier, which was the terminus of our hike, Photographs: John O’Callaghan Photographs: 48 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 only the southern top of the iconic twin peaks of this Above: The ‘airy’ mountain was visible. road to Ushguli. Further reading The next day, both Ushba peaks were in sight for Walking in the Caucasus: most of the day. The walk was to the Koruldi Lakes, Below: John Georgia, by Peter Nasmyth, the longest walk of our trip. We attained the Ushba O’Callaghan (right) from MTA Publications, London plateau (2,740m), where the lakes lay in frozen with guidebook (2013); 2nd edition with new splendour. Mount Tetnuldi (4,858m) was also clearly author Peter walks. visible away to the east. Nasmyth outside Please don’t call it Soviet I highly recommend Trek Georgia to anyone planning the Prospero’s Georgia: A journey through a troubled paradise, by Mary a hillwalking holiday in the Greater Caucasus Books store in Tbilisi. ■ Russell, from Serpent’s Tail, London (1991). Georgia in the Mountains of Poetry, by Peter Nasmyth, from Routledge, London (2006); 3rd edition. Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan, from Lonely Planet (2016); 5th edition. Altai Adventure, Irish Mountain Log, No 76, Winter 2005, pages 36-37.

Maps Georgia Caucasus Mountains (1: 400 000) from TerraQuest (2017). It includes Kazbek trekking map (1:50 000) and Svaneti trekking map (1:75 000). Photographs: John O’Callaghan Photographs: Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 49 THE HIGH TATRAS

TRAVERSING RYSY MOUNTAIN

Rysy is a mountain in the High Tatras, in the eastern part of the Tatra Mountains, lying on the border between Poland and Slovakia. Rysy has three summits: the middle at 2,503m; the north-western at 2,499m; and the south-eastern at 2,473m. The north-western summit is the highest point in Poland; the other two summits are on the Slovak side of the border. Kevin McMahon and his climbing partner, Noel Dowling, climbed the mountain one summer.

I spent the first week of June 2015 with a Above: The Polish meandered through very scenic areas at altitudes group of friends on a walking trip to the Slovak summit of Rysy from 1,000m to 2,000m, myself and a long-time High Tatras. Over the course of our stay we did Mountain walking and climbing companion, Noel Dowling, had a variety of walks based around the Tatranská (2,499m) on the also come with the intention of climbing at least one Magistrala (Tatras Highway), the main border of Poland of the higher peaks. This objective was more difficult waymarked path in the High Tatras, which runs and Slovakia. than we had anticipated since the higher peaks and alongI their southern slopes for 42 kilometres. These paths on the Slovak side are meant to be closed from were easy to moderate graded walks and suitable for November 1st until June 15th. Even after that date, a the fitness level of our group. number of the peaks can only be climbed with a In addition to enjoying these walks, which qualified mountain guide.

➤ Sadly, after he submitted this article, Kevin group for SIPTU staff. The group now consists McMahon passed away on January 15th, 2016, on mainly of retired SIPTU staff and friends who go top of Lugnaquilla in the Wicklow Mountains, doing walking in the Wicklow Mountains. The group also what he loved best. Kevin was an Individual organises weekends away and a trip to a mountain Member of Mountaineering Ireland. He had been range abroad each year. After he retired, Kevin took interested in mountaineering since the late 1950s, the opportunity to climb a few big mountains when he was a member of the Catholic Boy Scouts abroad, including Mont Blanc and Aconcagua. of Ireland’s 58th (Donnycarney) Troop. In 1979, he joined the then Arderin Hillwalking Club. In the late Kevin McMahon: born April 18th, 1948; died January 1980s, he was involved in starting a hillwalking 15th, 2016 Photograph: Krzysztof Dudzik (Rysy) Dudzik Krzysztof Photograph: 50 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Photographs: Kevin McMahon Summer 2020 Summer where we paid a €3 admission fee. large car park and the entrance to the National Park, kilometres into our walk to the lake we reached a and the real start of our climb up Rysy. Two (1,395m), regarded as Poland’s most beautiful lake kilometre walk up along a forest road to At The real start of the climb only €2.50 per person! Polana is 37km and the price of the bus journey was appreciated and accepted. The distance to Lysa station by car the following morning. The offer was get the night porter to drop us down to the bus station at 6.00am. Our hostel receptionist offered to a public bus departed from Starý Smokovec bus at the questions and decided we would go for it. the highest mountain in Poland, we asked no more is waymarked and has the added attraction of being stopped by the mountain wardens. Given that Rysy bring our climbing club cards with us in case we were descend on the Slovak side. He also advised us to okay for us to ascend Rysy on the Polish side and peak our best and, in fact, only option was to climb (which both of us are). particularly if we were members of a climbing club in the winter/spring walking restriction rules, pleased to learn that there was a degree of flexibility Slovak mountain rescue service. Here, we were Smokovec, to the National Park information centre in what, if any, options were open to us, we paid a visit because of the danger from avalanches. To find out With the assistance of a very friendly receptionist The man from mountain rescue advised us that The restrictions are in place to protect wildlife and Lysa Polana on the Slovak-Polish border. He said it would be Horsky Hrebienok hostel, which is also staffed by members of the (at 1,000m), we began the eleven- we discovered that Morskie Oko Starý Rysy Above: the background lake with Rysy in at Morskie Oko and Noel Dowling McMahon, left, mountainside or cascade on the Below: A cataract Kevin . . and the going was reasonably easy. previous walkers we had no route-finding problems first snow slope. our ice axes in hand and began the long slog up the making their way up the mountain. we had to ascend and other walkers ahead of us (1,583m). From there, we could see the snow slopes a higher lake called and sunny – the perfect weather for our climb. waymarked path up Rysy. The day was now bright walked around the lake to the start of the to sustain us for the climb ahead! Breakfast over, we pancake and cottage cheese: just what we needed roadside restaurant and ordered breakfast – Polish religious festival that was taking place at the lake. subsequently discovered that most were here for a strapped onto their backpacks made this clear), we were intent on climbing Rysy (the equipment all heading in the same direction as us. While some THE STARTTHE OF CLIMB. THE KILOMETRES TO REACH FOR ELEVEN HIKED WE As there were already good footsteps made by At that stage, we put on our crampons and took From Morskie Oko, we climbed up a stone path to When we arrived at We were now accompanied by throngs of people Czarny Staw pod Rysami Morskie Oko, Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish we went into a ➤ 51 ON THE SUMMIT AT 2,499m, WE JOINED OTHER CLIMBERS HAVING SNACKS AND TAKING PHOTOS IN THE SUNSHINE.

the High Tatras, we started our descent. As a precaution, I had taken a compass-bearing the day before from the summit to the first feature we needed to reach on the way down – a col at 2,337m. The col is not visible from the summit and, while there were red-and-white markings on boulders along the route, you needed to take your time to pick them out. If the summit had been enveloped in clouds it would have been very difficult and highly dangerous to try to locate the col without a good compass bearing to guide you to it. The next objective on our way down was the Chata pod Rysmi (2,250m). We had been told that this refuge was closed until June 15th, when restrictions on climbing Rysy from the Slovak side would be lifted. To our surprise, it was open and serving food and refreshments, including the best of Slovak and Czech beer! Although tempted, we gave the beer a miss and instead bought some water.

Above: View of Staw pod Rysami and Morskie Oko lakes from the Rysy summit climb.

Right: Kevin on snow slope above Staw pod Rysami, heading up Rysy.

After approximately one kilometre we crossed over a small ridge and then headed up another, steeper snow slope, which ran up into a gully. Part of the way up the gully we could see that other climbers had got off the snow slope and were making their way up a bone- dry granite ridge with the aid of fixed chains. As some loose stones began falling in our direction, having been disturbed by climbers ahead of us at the top of the gully, we also got off the snow slope onto the ridge. Reaching the summit We took off our crampons and climbed the remaining one to two hundred metres to the summit with the aid of the chains. While this section was steep, it was relatively safe, provided you had a good head for heights. On reaching the Polish peak of Rysy (2,499m), the highest point in Poland, we joined a number of other climbers sitting on the rocks, having snacks and taking photos. Just a short distance across from us was the Slovak peak of Rysy (2,503m). After a fifteen-minute break for snacks and

Photographs: Kevin McMahon Kevin Photographs: time to appreciate the surrounding views of 52 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 While we encountered a small number of snow- covered areas on the way down, they were easy to traverse and didn’t require crampons. The absence of significant snow on the Slovak side compared with the Polish side is down to the fact that it is on the southern side of the High Tatras. The incline on the Slovak side is also less steep. After Chata pod Rysmi, we descended to the Zabie Plesa lakes and on our way negotiated a 20-metre slab of bare rock protected by fixed chains. Once you take care, this slab of rock is easy enough to descend. The last lap After Zabie Plesa, the waymarked track became much more visible as it zigzagged down the mountain, first through dwarf pine and then through full-sized forest, finally reaching Popradské Pleso (1,494m), a beautiful glacial lake located on the Tatranska Magistrala. From there, we walked for fifty minutes to the Popradské Pleso tram station and took a tram back to Starý Smocovec. Stops and breaks included, it took us eleven hours to walk from Lysa Polana to Popradské Pleso tram station. At the Horsky Hrebienok hostel, we had a well-deserved shower before joining the rest of our walking group for dinner. Our hike had been a demanding but very Above: Kevin McMahon, left, and Noel Dowling on top of Rysy’s Polish rewarding traverse of the High Tatras in really summit (2,499m). perfect weather conditions. We would recommend Rysy to anyone looking for a challenging but Below: Another view from the summit of Rysy. reasonably safe summit climb in the High Tatras ■ Photographs: Kevin McMahon Kevin Photographs: Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 53 BIG WALL CLIMBING

LOS TRES TECHOS

Seán Fortune tackles Los Tres Techos (‘The Three Roofs’) in El Chorro, Málaga, in southern Spain, along with climbing companion Adam Doran

y eyes flicker open. It’s still Above: Seán canyon with a cold, clear glimmer. Casting weird night, but my view is as clear as Fortune leading shadows, arêtes seem sharpened, hidden faces in the day. A full moon, hidden through the roof of deepened and the drop to the belly of the gorge from view behind the ridgeline, the second cave. seems much farther. Only the faint sound of the illuminates the world with a gurgling river below, seemingly still from here, gives clear, pale luminescence. any note of life. Held suspended in this immobilised Transfixed by the moon’s cold cathedral, to move and disturb the tranquillity seems gaze,M the Earth seems frozen in place, a almost blasphemous. A small gust rocks the monochromatic painting in which only we move. portaledge slightly, and I turn again. Facing up to the Hanging on a portaledge high above the ground, we heavens, a few of the brighter stars sparkle through are but gnats on the wall, puny beings who should the bright moonshine. Burrowing further into the have no place up here. Far above, the cave roof lies in warmth of my sleeping bag, I grin internally as my shadow, an intimidating monster guarding its secrets thoughts and gaze drift upwards towards tomorrow’s for tomorrow. adventures. I turn and peer over the edge at the silvery panorama below. The moonlight illuminates the * * * * * * Aiders, daisychains, portaledges, nuts… “Jesus, what sort of a sport climbing trip have I gotten myself ➤ Seán Fortune started climbing a little over into?” I wonder, as I stare at the usual packing mess three years ago with UCD Mountaineering piled on the bed. “Why can’t I just be bringing a nice Club and quickly got addicted. He now simple set of draws and a rope?!” spends most of his time trying to make up Still, though, a slight ripple of excitement – or dread, for the years preceding his discovery of climbing by researching or dreaming about I’m not quite sure which – runs through me as things an ever-growing list of routes he will start to come together. A year ago, we had bailed on probably never get around to doing! Los Tres Techos after I saw the size of the caves from a neighbouring route and we decided to adjourn. This year, it is one of our first objectives and, a Photograph: Adam Doran Adam Photograph: 54 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Photograph: Seán Fortune (Adam in portaledge) portaledge. I finally figure out how to extricate Adam Doran, fully intended) by sniggers and comments from arms of the Adjust! mid-air, suspended perfectly equally between both two, I’m tangled, and bolt three finds me dangling carefully and smoothly, for about a bolt. By bolt really hard to get out of.” With this in mind, I set off “Don’t weight them both at the same time. It’s his words of advice echo in my head as I set off: (a positioning device with two adjustable arms) and station-sized cavity in the cliff. most appropriate word, looking around the train cave – although ‘smallest’ doesn’t seem like the out and up through the mouth of the first, smallest lead, and consists of a long traverse from the base this seemed the next logical step. Right? level of preparation for a nearly 400m aid route, but extravagant French freeing is hardly the highest the hell we are getting ourselves into. The odd bit of notup, for wondering the first what – or last time – us does nothing to inspire confidence as we rack A wee skeleton pit of leftover vulture lunch beside first cave, the others thankfully hidden from view. blackness as the sun reclaims its throne. tendrils stretching forth into the inky pre-dawn village, the sky starts to burn behind us, fiery campsite down winding roads through the sleepy Spain, we make an early start. Traipsing from the winter paradise of couple of days after making it back to the sunny Summer 2020 Summer TWO TWO OFARMS THE ADJUST. THE BETWEEN SUSPENDED MID-AIR, IN DANGLING BOLT ME FINDS THREE Many expletives follow as I faff about, aided (pun I’ve borrowed my friend Paul’s Evolv Adjust The first pitch, indeed most of the first day, is my An hour later, we are standing at the base of the lying comfortably on our inflatable El Chorro in Málaga, southern A snug Adam Doran. hanging belay in style! Below: How to do a circling above. Techos, with vultures Above: Los Tres solitary can of Cruzcampo. The other one sadly a block of cheese, a hunk of stale-ish bread and a we enjoy an old-school Alpine dinner of chorizo, light drain from the sky. Shattered but satisfied, hour we’re settled in for the night, watching the them together runs surprisingly well. Within an hanging belays, getting the second out and joining cave to where we pitch camp for the night. bolt ladder pitches up the right sidewall of the cave, before Adam takes over leading, linking two afternoon sun, in a superbly located little bivvy picks up again, we take a quick break from the atmosphere. circling then some. It’s an awe-inspiring feature, the with space to fit both other caves twice over... and humongous third cavern, which stretches above us like a bright swimming-pool lilo attached to it. haul bag hanging in space, with what must look interesting sight – three caves, two eejits and one many stop to gaze at what must make an is filling up with its – daily dose of walkers, and walkway situated directly across the gorge from us exit from there out through the roof of the cave. pitches up the second, larger cave, to a sensational by a mix of free climbing and aiding for a couple of there on. things start to progress relatively efficiently from make any semblance of coherent progress, but déjà vu occurs. It takes over half the pitch before I myself and move on… for about two bolts, till a With one portaledge already up from use at Walking around the cave to where the route Four pitches up, we’re at the base of the The A short scramble on the second pitch is followed Caminito del Rey griffon vultures above only adding to the a dangerous high-level– Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish 55 ➤ BIG WALL CLIMBING

came to its demise, at the start of our trip, in my bag, when it burst all down my pants. Although I still think we were crazy for buying inflatable portaledges, I can’t help but be impressed by their light weight, their simplicity and their comfort; they are a huge step up from the hammocks we slept in on a nearby route twelve months earlier. After an uneventful if somewhat unexpectedly bright night, we enjoy a gourmet breakfast of the remains of the previous night’s dinner, before entering the crux pitches of the route. Head-spinning exposure Following a nice bolt ladder pitch up the right side of the cave, a long pitch leads Adam to an insanely exposed belay right at the back of the cave roof, shared with some less than enthusiastic pigeons. Seconding the pitch, the exposure grows as I move away from the comfort of the sidewall into the expanse of the roof. Adam warns me of a small death block as I approach the belay, which I promptly carefully avoid. As I press off the ledge that it sits on, the entire shelf detaches and my feet pop into the void as a monster block tumbles free under me and spins down into space. Heart thumping, I busy myself clipping into everything I possibly can within arm’s reach, as Adam watches the block Above: Seán Emerging into direct sunlight at the lip is incredible, tumble for a worrying number of seconds before it seconding up the world opening up around me. The sense of being thumps into the dirt at the base of the cave with a through the third but a speck in space, a miniscule dot on the wall, is solid ‘Whooommmppphhh!’ cave. The big block awe-inspiring. I take a rest from the still surprisingly Vaguely satisfied with my roughly 72 attachment that got pulled off physical action of aid climbing to admire the monster points, I sit back, heart racing, as I calm myself, the can be seen on the vulture egg sitting on a ledge not five metres to the eyes of the Caminito walkway far below providing an left-hand side. side. I have the more comfortable view; Adam, on unnerving audience, fixated on the crazy men Below: Seán aids climbing up, disturbed the nesting mother who, raining down rocks on the far side of the gorge. through the last roof. thankfully, took literally to the flight aspect of flight or It’s a couple of minutes and many unsuitable Note where base of fight – otherwise the crux of the route could have words later before I recover and make the last few third cave drops off been entirely different! On the plus side, it turns out moves to the belay, where the main topic of to the caves below. he can aid a lot faster than he initially thought. discussion is what common piece of household equipment could possibly best describe the block. The top portion of a split fridge-freezer, if you must know! On most other routes, anything following that incident would be anticlimactic, but the final aid pitch takes us into the wildest of positions that either of us has ever been in. I’ve been hidden from it, standing on the portaledge and belaying Adam, but, as I lower the bags and ledge out, the exposure becomes all too real. Aiding straight out through the centre of the roof, the lack of contact with rock makes my head spin – literally, at times, as I pirouette slowly in space, a single ladder my only connection with the rock on occasion. Photographs: Adam Doran Adam Photographs: 56 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 MY FEET POPPED INTO Above: Adam at the final belay before he Useful information THE VOID AS THE MONSTER and Seán topped out. The Caminito del Rey Location El Chorro is a fantastic spot for a winter BLOCK TUMBLED FREE. walkway is visible on sport climbing holiday. We went in mid-January, with the far side of the dry weather and temperatures around the mid-teens gorge. for the best part of a month, but any time from As I lead up the last grade V scramble to top October to May seems to suit. out, dirty, dehydrated and dishevelled, a feeling Below: View from the It has a range for everyone, with climbs starting of elation and satisfaction overcomes me. Also top of the last cave. from around 4a and upwards into the 8s. There’s a hunger, definitely hunger. Still, though, over the great mix of single-pitch and multipitch, with a last two days we’ve learned a lot. Not just in lifetime’s climbing within walking distance (mostly completing the climb, but in doing it in style and 5-60 minutes’ approach) and no car needed, with relative efficiency; this gives us a feeling of although it would open up wider possibilities. completeness that will take a while to fade. For Los Tres Techos itself, approach via the train Or so it seems, as within an hour of the walk-off, tunnels is technically not allowed, so you can’t hop talk is already turning to our next adventure, a over the train fence at a green electricity box located trad route down in the gorge itself with a bit of in the car park just beside the Los Albercones crag, an horrendous approach. Ah, sport climbing then head down spacious tunnels with plenty of holidays... what could be more relaxing? Photographs: Seán Fortune Seán Photographs: ■ room for both climber and train, if needed, till you reach the base. The two main campsites are Finca la Campana (get the paella!) and the Olive Branch, while there are lots of private house rentals also. Cheap flights go to Málaga, and a train runs from there to Chorro for around €12-€14 return.

Rack/route Aid gear (daisies and ladders each) and 15-20 quickdraws. All A1 or easy free climbing (Grade 4/5). We had a pair of rock shoes that got occasional use, which was handy, but not necessary. Bolts generally in pretty good nick and belays all well bolted. A good high-quality topo can be found on cartowall.com. For those wishing to bivvy, there’s a really nice little bivvy cave at the back left of the base of the third cave.

Walk-off Head back and climber’s right from where you top out, heading down slopes till you hit a vague trail that brings you over the ridge rightwards. From there, head down and left, following your nose towards a cave-side white house till you hit cairns; then follow on downhill till you end up joining better trails and end up back on the road off the Caminito.

Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 57 Access & Conservation

Written by Helen Lawless, Increase in physical activity seen Hillwalking, Access & during time of Covid-19 restrictions Conservation Officer

The Fearon family from Darkley, Co Armagh, enjoy their local community trail in Darkley Forest. It may seem ironic that, when we cannot partake in our normal hillwalking and climbing activity because of the Covid-19 restrictions, research has shown that many people have ‘found’ the outdoors at this time. Can this new participation be sustained into the future?

Being limited to exercising within a May. Participation in cycling and running health benefits and 90% reporting 2km or 5km radius of home helped many has also increased, and the percentage of benefits relating to their mental health people realise the outdoors starts on people that are inactive is at its lowest and wellbeing. More than three-quarters their doorstep. Reduced traffic levels and ever (11%). of respondents to the Northern Ireland fine spring weather made the exploration There has been a strong uptake in survey (79%) agreed that spending time of our local patch a more enjoyable recreational walking among those under outdoors made them feel closer to experience, with many of us walking the age of 35, particularly in the 15-24 age nature, with survey participants who somewhere we had never been before, group, where participation has jumped engaged in outdoor activity more within half an hour of our home. At the from 51% to 89% throughout the frequently reporting a higher level of same time, people who didn’t previously restrictions (see the Get Ireland Walking connection with nature. engage in physical activity ventured report on page 16 for further details of outdoors too. this research). The value of outdoor recreation The importance of outdoor recreation in Sport Ireland research Northern Ireland survey supporting physical and mental wellbeing Research conducted in the Republic by A survey conducted by Outdoor was emphasised in a Sport Ireland Ipsos MRBI, on behalf of Sport Ireland, Recreation NI in the first half of May Outdoors statement on May 18th, to mark from the beginning of March up to mid- found a similar pattern of increased the re-opening of many public amenities. May, has found that the proportion of engagement with the outdoors in That was the first opportunity for people Irish adults walking at least once a week Northern Ireland during the period. It also from different households to engage in for recreation has increased throughout illustrated the benefits of this activity, outdoor activities together (while

Photograph: Outdoor Recreation NI Recreation Outdoor Photograph: the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching 83% in with 84% of respondents feeling physical adhering to Government guidelines). 58 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Photograph: Helen Lawless outdoors goes smoothly. help ensure that our gradual return to the to exercise personal responsibly, soas to enjoy. Murrough alsoencouraged people amenity for allmembers of society to recognition of the outdoors asa valuable leadership andwelcomed this collective McDonagh guidelines. development of the SportIreland others, hadcontributed to the Mountaineering Ireland activities was commendedby resumption of outdoor recreation approach to asafe andresponsible recreation activity. This nationwide facilitating andpromoting outdoor four different organisations witharole in the outdoors were endorsed by thirty- accompanying guidelinesfor exercise in Summer 2020 Summer be discovered inurbanandrural areas. birdsong and to admire the beauty of the wildflowers, whichcan unfurling of spring, to notice butterflies andbees, to hear the In 2020, many of ushave hadmore time to observe the Nature nurtures management of outdoor recreation. providing lessonsfor the longer-term traffic congestion andlitter, aswell as brought somechallenges in terms of participation inoutdoor activities has As peoplestart to travel again, increased Looking ahead Instagram which helps the roots of the orchid to accessnutrients. carrying nofood supply, and they partner withasoilfungus years to flower. They have tiny wind-blown seeds, effectively which have dark spots. Orchids grow very slowly, taking several too. The ‘spotted’ in the namerefers to the long, pointed leaves, of pink andmauve. The patterning on the frilly flowers varies plants are taller). Flower colour varies from white through shades is about5cmhighonastem of approximately 15cm(some boggy field; but the flower alsogrows onheath. The flower spike beautiful flowers growing in the hills? This photo was taken ina Heath spotted orchid example: along withsomeinformation abouteachflower. Here’s an photographing them onmy phoneandposting onInstagram, that grow around where Ilive in the Wicklow Mountains, activity, with51% of peoplesaying they Covid-19 periodintend to continue this engaged inoutdoor activities during the indicates that many of those whohave Mountaineering Ireland CEO Murrough The SportIreland statement andits For more examples, follow helen_lawless_mountains Over the last few months, I’ve beenlookingat the wildflowers The Outdoor Recreation NIsurvey ■ thanked Sport Ireland for their Isn’t itamazing that we have such – who, alongwith recreation. in addition to improving opportunitiesfor wildlife andreducing transport emissions, benefits –suchasproviding corridors for infrastructure’ would deliver multiple developing andimproving our ‘green ideally off-road. A greater emphasison through anetwork of community trails, recreation close to home, perhaps people to have spacefor outdoor during the Covid-19 outbreak was for restrictions are eased. the outdoors when the Covid-19 expect to spendmore of their free time in that increased activity. of what measures are required to support activities. That in turn raises the question climbing andoutdoor recreation increased participation inhillwalking, economic recovery, especially inrural Strategy willsupportsocialand benefit from this activity. for rural communitiesandlandowners to environments andcreates opportunities experiences, protects fragile that provides quality outdoor recreation demand for outdoor recreation, inaway Strategy new National Outdoor Recreation development and implementation of a should beaddressed through the Covid-19 hasset the direction for One need that was clearly evident Mountaineering Ireland believes this A clear National Outdoor Recreation to manage the increased on Heath spotted orchid or go to Report.pdf Outdoors-during-COVID-19-Lockdown-in-NI- content/uploads/2020/05/Engaging-with-the- http://www.outdoorrecreationni.com/wp- Outdoor Recreation NIsurvey or go to apr-2020-v2-22-may-2020.pdf media/document/2020-05/covid-and-sport- https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/ Sport Ireland research More information or go to biodiversity/Prepress%20final%20web%20.pdf https://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/ infrastructure into spatial planning EPA report onintegrating green or go to stay-apart-stay-safe-in-the-outdoors-0 https://www.sportireland.ie/news/stay-local- Sport Ireland statement andguidelines all our people. and itwillimprove the quality of life for gained from investment in the sector; areas; itwillhelpensure best value is process. look forward to participating in that Outdoor Recreation Strategy andwe Development Department of Rural andCommunity recent commitment from the Mountaineering Ireland welcomes the www.bit.ly/outdoorrecreationNI www.bit.ly/sportirelandcovid www.bit.ly/EPAbiodiversity www.bit.ly/SportIrelandstaysafe to develop aNational Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish ■ 59 Training

Sunset at Wicklow Harbour, Co Wicklow, within Training Officer Jane Carney’s Covid-19 5km restriction zone

Written by Jane Carney, Recent and upcoming events Training Officer Jane Carney reports on training news and events run by the Training Office

■ Summer Alpine Meet 2020 As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the News for members, 2020 Summer Alpine Meet planned for Saas Grund, Switzerland, has been cancelled. It is planned to move candidates and providers this event to 2021. The Summer Alpine Meet courses are run at cost and ■ Training Grant applications are not-for-profit. They are just one of the many January-June 2020 applications have been reviewed. All benefits that you can get from your Mountaineering applications were successful. We are now accepting applications Ireland membership. for the July-December 2020 period. Thank you for your applications for support for training activities. See you in Saas Grund in 2021! ■ Club Training Officers Online Workshops Club Training Officers will be receiving invitations to attend online club training sessions to support, develop and refresh in-club skills. ■ Download these useful training guidelines Please see the National Guidelines for Climbing and Walking Leaders and the Good Practice Guidelines for Hillwalkers, available on theTraining pages/Training Downloads of the Mountaineering Ireland website. ■ Covid-19 guidance on safe return to activity Please see the Covid–19 guidance for the safe return to activity; this is being updated regularly on the Mountaineering Ireland website, www.mountaineering.ie ■

Saas Grund, Switzerland Photographs: Jane Carney (sunset), Wandervogel (Saas Grund) (Saas Wandervogel (sunset), Jane Carney Photographs: 60 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Photograph: Jane Carney (sunset) Summer 2020 Summer ■ ■ ■ ■ News for providers and those managingoutdoor course provision. arrangements for candidates andcourse requirements for trainers Please contact the Training Office to discuss the transitional delete any that didnot run report list, familiarisation. some time to get used to; the workshops were helpful with your training andassessment records. The new system will require candidate and the trainer. Add somelogbook entries, andlook over account to familiarise yourself from the perspective of the Office. If you have not doneso already, please login to your MT records have beenupdated andIDsset upfor allMTBIproviders. Candidate Management System (CMS) for course reporting. Awards Six provider workshops have beendelivered in the useof the training course reporting placed to adapt to anew way of working. assessment, decisionmakingandcreative delivery, sowe are well additional factor. As trainers, we are experienced indynamicrisk verbalise safety checks, risk assessbearingCOVID –19inmindasan high alert to the effects of this extended absence. Doublecheck, return to participation, leadingandinstruction. Governments’ adviceprogresses and eventually permits the phased decision. We willcontinue to provide updates as the IrishandBritish like to thank allproviders for their complianceandsupportof this to ceasedelivery of NGBawards for the foreseeable future. Iwould In March, allMountain Training UK andIreland Providers were asked shared asitisreceived. and usingPPEfor protection. There willbeadditionalguidance protocols apply inrelation to checkingwhether the sceneissafe requirements. Also check update emailsfor guidance. The usual Aid Provision for the Mountain Training Awards andSchemes Please see the Mountaineering Ireland website for guidanceonFirst Guidance information for providers isavailable in the Training During the gradual return to work, Iwould remind trainers to beon Providers are asked to take the opportunity to check their course Move to the MTUKICandidate Management System (CMS) for Delivery of NGBawards First Aid Provision duringCovid-19 Another view of Wicklow town at sunset duringCovid-19 complete andsubmitany outstanding reports, and ■ Mountaineering Ireland membership scheme or award registration and joining the Council, i.e. candidates and can clarify the distinction between pathway. administration staff throughout the training record continue to support candidates, trainers and the improved reporting and registration system. This will Provider training has taken place to facilitate an ■ provider updates registration and Training awards, Stay safe out there! Screen-shots from the website can be very helpful to Registration and reporting for the skills schemes advised asinappropriate. as alternatives, where face-to-face meetings are Government guidance. Onlineoptions willbeused Venues will beconfirmed basedon the prevailing book early! Office on(01) 6251112for further details. Please Please see the website or contact the Training • • • • • • • • • • Key dates 2020 Please contact the Training Officer, Jane Carney, 4 30 7-8 30 20 26-27 20-21 12 27-28 June, OnlineSkills Workshops: July, August th th th th th eebrSenior Providers Workshop, December th etme OnlineMTBIMeeting September October o MTBI Meeting, venue TBC Nov Oct-2 o MTUKIMeeting, venue TBC Nov on (01) 625 1112 for further details st th th etOnlineProviders Workshop Sept ueOnlineMTUKIMeeting June etSkills/CPD Workshops in Sept nd o Mountain Leader Assessment, Nov (See website for details) Navigation &Rock Climbing venue TBC Winter Meet Information Evening, venue TBC and Rock Climbing, venue TBC Teaching Navigation, Scrambling venue TBC Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish ■ 61 Books

Poems and photos illustrate best of Donegal’s hills and coasts

twenty years working in Australia, he and The poems that are associated with his wife returned to Ireland and made the various photographs are generally Donegal their home. Michael works as a quite thought-provoking. In Oh Errigal!, surgeon in Letterkenny General Hospital, Michael writes: a job which you would imagine would “Symmetrically sublime. keep him fully occupied, but, as with An isosceles triangle of might. many busy people, he has found time Sitting on toasted tufts of grass also to explore Donegal as a walker, Burnt by frigid winds. cyclist, canoeist and surfer. He also Its volcanic-like summit silent.” writes poetry and takes photographs. He is a member of the Swilly Hiking What a lovely description, one which DONEGAL’S ATLANTIC WAY Club, and some of his photographs were you can immediately relate to. The By Michael Sugrue inspired by his hikes with members of words are very precise, the words of a Privately published (2019), 208pp, 25 poems, 200+ that walkers’ group in Donegal. scientist and an artist. This is certainly a images, €35.00 (hdbk), ISBN 978-1-913069-15-5 The photographs in this book are all book that I will want to revisit. excellent, visually and technically. They Donegal’s Atlantic Way can be Donegal’s Atlantic Way is a 208-page illustrate very clearly the moods of some purchased in shops and pharmacies coffee-table book of striking of the more striking parts of Donegal. As around Donegal. It can be ordered photographs, containing more than two a mountaineer, the shots of the upland through the website hundred images illustrating the rugged areas of Donegal did, of course, attract www.donegalhospice.ie, or by phoning beauty of Donegal, combined with my attention, but there are many Isobell on 087 238 9607. twenty-five poems relating to the beautiful shots of Donegal’s coastline as The income raised from sales of this pictures. The book takes the reader well. There are some particularly striking book will be donated to three charities, photographically through the day in shots of Errigal from unusual views and Donegal Mind Wellness, Letterkenny Donegal’s great outdoors, from dawn to in different seasons, but there are also Hospice and Breast Centre Northwest dusk. some beautifully atmospheric shots of Research & Development. The author and photo-grapher, Michael Fanad Lighthouse and of wrecks on the Sugrue, is originally from Galway but, after Donegal coastline. Patrick O’Sullivan Editor, Irish Mountain Log

Amusing story of orphan Sherpa girl’s journey to Everest

Sherpa capital where she disappointed that the trek to been there, this book will be a lives, and treks to Everest Base Camp seemed to be a pleasant reminder of some of Base Camp. On her trek, little shortened, going, as it the things you will have Musa (Nepali for mouse) does in the book, from experienced. If you are going meets some new friends and Tengboche monastery to there, it will give you a feel for learns more about the world Gorak Shep and missing out the place. around her. The striking the usual staging posts of For Musa, her journey to illustrations bring Nepali Pheriche and Lobuche. Base Camp expands her culture and her trek to life. However, the authors, who horizons, and shows her the The authors and artist are know the area very well, exciting world that is waiting donating all proceeds from having worked at the out there for her. MUSA MASALA: MOUNTAIN the sale of the book to the Himalayan Rescue Musa Masala is an GIRL OF THE HIMALAYA Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Association’s Emergency educational platform By Tatiana Havriliuk, Michael Hospital Fund (the hospital is Room at Everest Base Camp, dedicated to safe, healthy McLaughlin & August Johnson located in Kamding, in the do say that the trek normally and culturally aware McLaughlin lower Solukhumbu region of takes up to seven days, from mountain travel. Illustrated by Julie Ramirez Nepal). Wongchhu Sherpa, Namche Bazaar to Everest The book can be Musa Masala (2018), 76pp (hdbk), like Musa, was an orphan Base Camp. purchased through the Irish many illustrations, €40.00, section of the Musa Masala ISBN 978-1-543968-51-4 who found his calling in the There is actually a website: mountains. surprising amount of http://musamasala.com/ Musa Masala: Mountain Girl This is a very striking book, information in this book musa-ireland-nepal. of the Himalaya is the story which I certainly enjoyed about trekking in the Everest of an orphan Sherpa girl who reading. The story is quite area, life at altitude and the Patrick O’Sullivan Editor, Irish leaves Namche Bazaar, the amusing, but I was a little Sherpa culture. If you have Mountain Log 62 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020

Photographs: Mike Hutton (Cenotaph Corner), Emma Alsford (Heart of Darkness) Summer 2020 Summer (VS) to Extremely Severe (XS). difficulty from Very Severe British rock routes ranging in Wilson. in 1974, compiled by Hard Rock ISBN 978-1-912560-29-5 shots, £39.95 (hdbk), every page, with many full-page edition), 256pp, colour photos on Vertebrate Publishing (2020, 4 Compiled by Ian Parnell greatest British routes and their history Top writers on rock climbing describe the routes were at the sharp end two aid routes. Many of those an E4 grade. There were also with the hardest climb being one to nine pitches in length, routes at the XS grade from difficulty, twenty-seven finally, at the upper end of eight pitches in length and (HVS), varying from one to twenty-four routes at Hard VS seven pitches each in length; VS, varying from three to ROCK CLIMBS FROM VS TO E4 HARD ROCK: GREAT BRITISH There were seven routes at Heart of Darkness, Mowing Word, Pembroke It featured sixty was first published Ken th climb at that time. of what it was possible to an armchair or carried to a not something to be read in and weighs in at 1.7kg, so it is ascents. adventures on the first put up these routes and their accounts of the people who want to produce more category anyway), nor did he format ruled it out of that just a guidebook (the large did not see his creation as edition, the late Ken Wilson, Pembroke have been added. climbed free. The cliffs of both routes have since been and descriptions by again, with the original have also been included routes from the first edition further thirteen. The two aid original routes and added a Parnell fourth edition of the book. new compiler has produced a of its own. a climb with a life and history nondescript piece of rock into together to convert a the elements which come climbers, because these are their features and their their place in the landscape, telling the combined story of write about different routes, cream of British writers to The compiler of that first This book is in large format Instead, he recruited the Now, forty-six years later, a Dave Nicol, has kept fifty of the Doug Scott although Ian Spider. Heinrich Harrer’s this volume is reminiscent of its wonders. In many ways, pull up a chair and get lost in table (preferably full height), way to read it is to put it on a crag. The only comfortable “books for life.” both aptly be described as story discovered. They can of writing and an interesting almost at random, and a gem taken up at any time, opened the fact that either can be value. Their excellence lies in swoop, that is not their real can both be read in one fell writing excellently. and they all supplement the photograph on each page, them. There is at least one we are almost there with rock, and help us to feel that nature and texture of the section of the climb and the the essence of that particular sections of routes capture climbers on particular majesty. Detailed shots of architecture in all of its shots of crags show up their magnificent. Panoramic new edition of this book is The photography in the Cenotaph Corner, Dinas y Gromlech, Llanberis Pass, North Wales Although these books The White in the years to come. want to return to repeatedly “book for life” and one you will classic predecessors. It is a appropriate sequel to its Rock created are the writers who have standard of the writing. These pointless to comment on the Fuller of Gribbon, Perrin Estcourt, Al Alvarez, Jim Hamish McInnes, Nick such illustrious names as Dictionary primitive form.” – from an earlier period or in a * Sé O’Hanlon Mountaineering Club. and a member of the Irish Relict: “A thing which has survived This fourth edition of Contributions come from Martin Moran, Eleanor is certainly an Irish Mountain Log Mountain Irish and

and our own

Buy now Buy

This is the book we book the is This recommend most recommend

the standards.

highly from our our from highly summer 2020 summer as well as the likes

Ema Alsford. Relict reviews published books. of somerecently presents reviews Peter O’Neill Literary Editor Oxford English * mountaineer Phil Hard It is 63 Books

Account of a climbing tragedy in the Karakoram range

deeply saddened by its attempted the ascent of down steep slopes and over an recounting of one of unclimbed Haramosh, a ice cliff. Thus begins an almost mountaineering’s most cruel 24,270 ft (7,397 metres) unbelievable tale of tragedies. Now, that sadness is peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram benightments, lost equipment, leavened by an appreciation Mountains. a series of falls, rescuers of how a mistake in high This book, by a non- becoming victims, death at the mountains can lead to a mountaineer, deals well with very moment of deliverance, confusion of misjudgements the usual preparations, the horrific frostbite injuries, and and a tangle of fateful build-up of camps, delays heroic sacrifice. accidents. Ambition and caused by bad weather, and Two of the team die, technical competence, the gelling of a team of diverse another’s life is shattered. combined with inexperience characters. There are insightful Streather’s strength of and time constraints, can be descriptions of terrain – physique and character mercilessly confronted by the e.g., “hemmed in on all sides prevents further deaths, but impersonal savagery of high- by mountains like a monstrous he also makes a grave error altitude conditions. Human dry dock” – of the THE LAST BLUE MOUNTAIN of judgment. frailties and heroism are idiosyncrasies of individual By Ralph Barker This is one of a series of well- exposed when, as Ed Douglas climbers and the notoriously Vertebrate Publishing (2020, received reprints of important a reprint of 1959 1st edition), 214pp, says in his introduction, difficult Hunza porters. mountaineering books by 7pp b&w photos, 2pp maps and “character and fate intertwine.” This book is almost a classic, Vertebrate Publishing, to sketches, £12.99 (ppbk), In 1957, four members of but it is only in the last 90 whom we should be grateful. ISBN 978-1-912560-42-4 Oxford University pages that it approaches Mountaineering Club, led by greatness. Two of the team are Paddy O’Leary Member of the Irish When I first read this story outstanding Himalayan caught in an avalanche which Mountaineering Club (IMC) and a over sixty years ago, I was veteran Tony Streather, flings them over 200 metres traveller to little-known mountains.

This fictional account of an Alpine climb is a classic of its kind

the focus of the story is on an of an Alpine route before I this classic tale during the Alpine north face that doesn’t noticed it, with those stages lockdown. The digitalisation exist, although it is apparently and turning points of of classic books like this one based to some extent on the anticipation, tension and relief by Vertebrate Publishing will first ascent of a route that did ebbing and flowing. In fact, certainly make the become one of the classic there are quite a few turning mountaineering classics more north faces of the Alps. Also, points, as the climbers deal accessible for anyone with an some of the features of the with storms and injuries, historical bent. route are taken from other rockfall and human failings. well-known Alpine climbs. During some of the troughs Kevin Duffy Rock climber and mountaineer. Follow him on his between the pitches leading Add to that the changes in website, www.kevinandedel.com. techniques, gear and climbing to the peak, the characters culture since the era of its wander into thoughts and Note: This ebook was received setting and it all adds up to an exchanges about their for review as an ePub, a format NORTH WALL almost vestigial story, hanging motivations to climb and the popular with libraries but not By Roger Hubank on in spite of evolution. dilemmas that they bring, or supported by many popular Vertebrate Digital ebook (August the seminal events of their 2019; first published in 1978 by If that seems unfair, it’s not e-readers, including Kindle. It is The Viking Press, New York), £4.99, meant to. I enjoyed its oddity, climbing lives. At points, it also available in Kindle, but an ISBN 978-1-912560-56-1. the casting back to great doesn’t feel like they’re on a easy solution to our problem Also available as a paperback, £12.99, climbers, and the times that north face any more but could was available through Calibre, ISBN 978-1-912560-57-8 made them so; and the be on a country road, by a tree, a cross-platform open-source recognisability of even the in the evening, waiting for suite of ebook software, which Alpinism is an odd pursuit, its fictional names. Beckett to decide if they can can be downloaded from own theatre of the absurd, so It took a few pages longer finish the route or not. You’ll https://calibre-ebook.com a work of fiction set in that than normal for me to feel have to take your seat at the and which will convert ebook world will naturally be an odd that way, but that just added edge of the stage and see how formats on Windows, Linux sort of book. This one is odder to the story in the end. The they get on. and Apple Mac. – Peter O’Neill, still because the climb that is story had created the rhythm I read the ebook version of Literary Editor 64 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 The Last Word William ‘Billy’ Ireland Exuberant climber with a passion for the mountains

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, summer, Billy stayed on in Chamonix, William ‘Billy’ Ireland was one of the and he makes a cameo appearance in great characters on the Irish climbing Victor Saunders’s book Elusive scene. He left an indelible mark, Summits as the rumbustious, party- creating probably the hardest new loving, flat-sharing ‘plongeur’ working at alpine route on a major mountain by the Hotel Blaitière. any Irish climber. One of my best experiences with Billy In 1980, Billy and a Swedish friend, also became an article in the Irish Ulf Björnborg, made the first ascent of Mountain Log in 1981, describing forty- the North Buttress of Mount Hunter in eight non-stop hours with him in a the Denali range of Alaska, by the wintry Mournes. They started with an objectively dangerous west flank, a attempt to bypass army security route that is unrepeated to this day. around the Silent Valley. Billy was Billy Ireland on Mount Hunter The year before, Billy had made the convinced the wall of the Ben Crom first Irish ascent of the challenging dam was frozen sufficiently to “Billy eventually settled down with Cassin Ridge on Denali itself. After ice-climb up it. We set off security his wife Mary, but occasionally the surviving days in a storm on the alarms, were stopped by the UDR, were ‘bug’ would bite again. He later summit, he wrote a fine article about it let go when we convinced them we became a teacher and a for this magazine. were not terrorists and, of course, we photographer, an ‘Artist in Light,’ Billy was also involved in the rescue failed to climb what was no more than leaving his family with a treasure of Simon McCartney, stranded at high a thin smear of verglas. trove of thousands of photographs. altitude on Denali with cerebral However, we did a few other first “He built and flew a microlight ascents of frozen waterfalls that oedema, an epic story told in aircraft, and built a home for Mary weekend, roaming the Mournes McCartney’s book, The Bond. and their five children, William, Mary, searching for ice. It was a typical Billy Billy was from modest, working-class Craig, Ryan and Ruben. He was a adventure – somewhat ill-advised and Belfast roots. His brother, Boyd, recalls: deep man, who did not wear his heart full of risk, but carried off with his on his sleeve. He found it hard to “As a teenager, Billy would drag me trademark exuberance. express his emotions, but passion for along rock climbing in the Mournes or That free-for-all, full-on lifestyle was all good things burned fiercely in him.” on the Antrim coast, where he founded on a deep passion for the assured me I would love it. Only after mountains and the intensity of our climb was completed would he experience they offered him, and he Dawson Stelfox tell me the grade. retained that love for wild spaces even “I managed No 3 Gully on Ben Nevis after he withdrew from hard climbing. William (Billy) John Ireland: born with a friend in the wild winter of 1977, His brother Boyd recalls: December 17th 1953; died April 4th, 2020 while Billy ticked off harder routes. It was on that trip that I finally understood my brother’s passion. “Billy was exceptionally good with his hands. His first job was as an apprentice joiner, before getting an apprenticeship at Harland and Wolff. He would come home from his shift with a bag of pitons and ice screws that he had ‘knocked up’ at work.” Tragically, his friend Ulf was killed soon after the climb on Mount Hunter. That had a devastating effect on Billy, from which he never fully recovered, and which made him reluctant to talk about their remarkable climb. I climbed with Billy in Ireland and Scotland for a few intense years, and we did some routes in the Alps in 1978, but I struggled to keep up with his full-on relentless enthusiasm and commitment. At the end of that Billy Ireland en route to Denali Photographs: Billy Ireland Collection Ireland Billy Photographs: Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 65 The Last Word Frank Quinn Well-known publican, excellent host and worldwide trekker

Ireland and was quite focused on fundraising for the charity in recent years, raising significant amounts through events held in the various establishments he owned, and through sponsored treks. He allowed the charity to run a fundraising burger bar in the grounds of the Lansdowne Hotel on the days of international rugby matches. Frank was an excellent host A very experienced at the Wilderness Lodge in mountaineer, Frank had hiked Glenmalure, where he tried to all over the world, including in give visitors a chance to the Drakensberg Mountains of experience the wonderful Frank Quinn with fellow Roving Soles on Lugnaquillia in 2010 South Africa, in the north of surroundings and to get a sense of adventure. The many Frank Quinn, mountaineer, pubs, including Toners on hillwalkers who stayed there publican, hotelier and Baggot Street and the found Frank interested in their proprietor of the Wilderness Lansdowne Hotel on adventures and keen to offer Lodge in Glenmalure, died Pembroke Road. helpful advice. If his guests peacefully in early April at his In 2015, with his wife, Maura, mentioned that they intended home in south Dublin at the he established Wilderness to climb Lugnaquillia, he was age of 70 years, after a long Activities Ireland, based in the known to pull out a local OS period of illness. Wilderness Lodge in map with the intricate route Originally from Pomeroy, Glenmalure, Co Wicklow, with from Glenmalure through the Co Tyrone, Frank had three the aim of helping other forest already marked on it and brothers and three sisters, one people to experience the would happily lend the map for of whom predeceased him. delights of the Wicklow the day. Later, he would gladly He was a former physical Mountains. chat with his guests about the education teacher. He had a Frank set a world record with day they had had out on the degree in physical education his three brothers in 1980 mountain. He also enjoyed from City University New York when they ran the New York On Brockagh in the Wicklow leading people on walks in the and a Master’s from New York Marathon, the first time that Mountains in 2008 valley and was very friendly University, and he had lived in four brothers had completed a with all those lucky enough to New York with two of his marathon. They repeated the stay in the Wilderness Lodge. Thailand, to Machu Picchu in brothers for some years. After feat in 2013, when they all ran Mountaineering Ireland offers Peru, in the Grand Canyon in his return to Ireland, he lived the Dublin City Marathon for a its sincere condolences to USA, on the Camino de and worked in Dublin for many charity, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Frank’s wife, Maura, and to his Santiago and on Mount years, where he and his family Ireland. Frank subsequently family and friends on their Kilimanjaro in East Africa. He owned various well-known continued to support MS great loss. had also trekked in the May he rest in peace. Annapurna region of Nepal and on the Pico de San Juan Patrick O’Sullivan Mountains in Cuba. Always one for a challenge, in April 2010 th Frank trekked across the island Frank Quinn: born June 24 , th of South Georgia in Antarctica, 1949; died April 9 , 2020 following the epic route taken by Tom Crean and Ernest Shackleton. Here in Ireland, Frank was a lifelong member of the Roving Soles Hill Walking Club. His smile and corny jokes will be greatly missed by all the Soles who knew Frank and enjoyed Frank at the Lansdowne Hotel, Pembroke Road, Dublin his company. Frank in South Georgia, April 2010 Photographs: Quinn Family Collection/Roving Soles Hill Walking Club Walking Soles Hill Collection/Roving Quinn Family Photographs: 66 Irish Mountain Log Summer 2020 Lost and found Found: a set of walking sticks at the base of Galtymore Mountaineering Ireland continues to provide the th on March 26 , 2020 book service previously operated by Joss Lynam. We can supply you with guidebooks Please contact Jim Ryan and maps to almost any part of the world. on 087 2514 114 For the walker, there is a large collection of to recover these sticks (These Cicerone guides and books, or the wider if they belong to you are not the sticks selection of books and guides distributed that were by Cordee which also includes many found) 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 Mountaineering Ireland office Advertise in the Irish Mountain Log on (01) 6251115 or email Support the national governing body for hillwalking [email protected]. and climbing on the island of Ireland and reach 12,000+ members The magazine is also on sale in outdoor shops and newsagents throughout the island Contact Siobhan Quinn at [email protected] to arrange advertisement or to receive a rate card

Summer 2020 Irish Mountain Log 67 Irish Peaks, Mountaineering Ireland’s new hillwalking guidebook,will be available in late July. It is a must-have hardback with route descriptions and a beautiful collection of images covering the hundred highest peaks on the island of Ireland. Pre-order at: www.mountaineering.ie/shop

Irish Peaks will be delivered to members who have pre-ordered it towards the end of July. The book has been produced in memory of Joss Lynam, who died in 2011 and who made a significant contribution to the development of hillwalking and climbing in Ireland. Joss edited the original Irish Peaks that was published in 1982. This new book contains descriptions contributed by Mountaineering Ireland members of more than seventy routes taking in the summits on the MountainViews list of Ireland’s Highest Hundred Mountains.

The recommended retail price is €25.99. However, there is a special 15% discount for all Mountaineering Ireland members who order through the Mountaineering Ireland shop, which means you pay €22.10, plus postage if it has to be posted out to you. To order your discounted copy, please visit www.mountaineering.ie/shop.