ALPINE MEET Returns to Ailefroide in 2014
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Issue 108 ■ Winter 2013 ■ €3.95 UK£3.40 ■ ISSN 0790 8008 ALPINE MEET Returns to Ailefroide in 2014 WINTER GEAR UPLAND LATEST BOOKS All you need for ARCHAEOLOGY Bumper review cold weather camping Last in the series section www.mountaineering.ie EDITOR’S COLUMN ISSUe 108 The Irish Mountain Log is the membership magazine of Mountaineering Ireland. The organisation promotes the interests of hillwalkers and climbers in Ireland. Mountaineering Ireland Mountaineering Ireland Ltd is a company limited by guarantee and Welcome registered in Dublin, No 199053. Registered office: Irish Sport HQ, Irish National Sports Campus, Mountain Log Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland. Tel: (+353 1) 625 1115 Fax: (+353 1) 625 1116 he Winter issue of the [email protected] Mountaineering Ireland www.mountaineering.ie is packed with urges the Government to Christmas goodies and finally ❝ Hot Rock Climbing Wall ready to go! review the wider issue of Tollymore Mountain Centre We have some strong features. Of course, Bryansford, Newcastle recreation management in County Down, BT33 0PT Christmas and the New Year is also a time Tel: (+44 28) 4372 5354 when we might start planning our summer the Irish countryside [email protected] holidays, so we have an article about last summer’s Mountaineering Ireland Alpine editor: Patrick O’Sullivan Meet by Maureen Toomey, a first-timer, just Tel: (+353 1) 837 8166 (pm, wknds) [email protected] to give you some ideas about how you could Literary editor: Peter O’Neill spend next summer. [email protected] An article by Simon Stewart extols the Mountaineering Ireland is continuing to virtues of visiting pastures new in Ireland, urge the Government to review the wider The Irish Mountain Log is published by Mountaineering Ireland four times using modern technology and a consultative issue of recreation management in the Irish a year, in March, June, September, approach to research the route first. countryside. December. The material published in Martin Fitzpatrick finishes off his As this is the last issue of the year, I would the Log by the voluntary editorial excellent series of articles on upland like to thank all of our contributors for theIrish team and contributors must not be archaeology, bringing us up to recent times material they have provided. As a taken as official Mountaineering Mountain Log, Ireland policy unless specifically and looking forward at what might be seen membership magazine, we rely on that stated. as archaeological monuments from our time support. in the future. Then Declan O’Keeffe goes On behalf of the editorial team of the Copy deadline for the Spring 2014 back in time to look at the contributions of and the staff and Board of issue of the Irish Mountain Log is Friday February 14th 2014. Irish Victorian Alpinists to the development Mountaineering Ireland, I would also like to of the sport of alpinism. And finally, a short take this opportunity to wish all of the Advertising: Rozanne Bell, Tstory for Christmas by Ian Baldwin! members of Mountaineering Ireland an [email protected] Ensuring reasonable public access to enjoyable Christmas and an active and safe upland areas continues to be a major New Year. Production: Cóilín MacLochlainn [email protected] challenge in Ireland. Worryingly for recreational users of the countryside, it Patrick O’Sullivan, Editor Printing: GPS Colour Graphics Ltd, seems from the recent Lissadell judgment Alexander Road, Belfast BT6 9HP that the burden of proof is set unreasonably Tel: +44 (0)28 9070 2020 high against anyone asserting a public right PARtICIPAtIoN ANd RISK of way anywhereWrite infor the the Republic Log of Ireland. Readers of the Irish Mountain Log are reminded that hillwalking and Contributions of features, news items and photographs for climbing are activities with a danger the Irish Mountain Log are always welcome and should be of personal injury or death. sent to the Editor at: [email protected] Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks, and be responsible for their own Contributors’ guidelines can be downloaded from the actions and involvement. Mountaineering Ireland website, www.mountaineering.ie Mountaineering Ireland publishes and promotes safety and good practice To join Mountaineering Ireland and receive four issues of the advice and through Bord Oiliúnt Irish Mountain Log delivered to your door each year, please Sléibhe (BOS, The Irish Mountain oN tHe CoVeR also go to the website, www.mountaineering.ie Heading for technical section of Training Board) administers a range alta via between Rifugio Maria e of training programmes for walkers Franco and Rifugio Città di Lissone, and climbers. Summer Alpine Meet, July 2012 PHotogRAPH by ALUN RICHARDSON Winter 2013 Irish Mountain Log 3 contents WINTER 2013 NEWSDESK News & comment 18 NEPAL DAY Chris Avison reports on Ireland’s first ever Nepal Day, held in Farmleigh in September REGULARS 16 CLUB REPORTS A report from Limerick Climbing Club 22 YOUTH CLIMBING The Junior Irish Lead Climbing Championship 46 BOOKS Reviews of recent publications 18 62 LAST WORD Czech climbing legend NEPAL DAY AT FARMLEIGH HOUSE Zdeněk Hrubý (1956-2013) FEATURES 24 SUMMER ALPINE TREK Maureen Toomey reports on a five-day trek she did during last summer’s Alpine Summer Meet 28 CIRCUIT OF CUMMEENGEERA Simon Stewart describes a hike taking in seven summits in the Cummeengeera Horseshoe in the Caha Mountains 32 TREKKING THROUGH TIME Martin Fitzpatrick describes archaeological monuments to be seen in the hills. Part III: 36 From the 12th century to the recent past 28 IRISH VICtoRIAN ALPINIStS 36 HOW THE IRISH CONQUERED CUMMEENGEERA THE ALPS HORSESHOE Declan O’Keeffe looks at the contributions of some of the leading Irish Victorian Alpinists 40 TREKKING AROUND MT BLANC Eugene McGettrick sets out to do the Tour du Mont Blanc on his own 44 THE LAST HILL An original short story by Don Baldwin BETA Information & expert advice 52 ACCESS & CONSERVATION Helen Lawless reports 54 TRAINING Jane Carney reports 56 GEAR 16 LIMERICK CLIMBING CLUB Kieran Creevy reviews the latest gear 4 Irish Mountain Log Winter 2013 newsdesk Staff & board geNeRAL eNqUIRIeS [email protected] StAFF Chief executive officer Karl Boyle, [email protected] Hillwalking, Access & Conservation officer Helen Lawless, [email protected] training officer Jane Carney, [email protected] talent development officer Damien O’Sullivan, [email protected] Accounts Administrator Terry Canavan, [email protected] Administrator Una Feeney, [email protected] Member & training Support Administrator Rozanne Bell, [email protected] get Ireland Walking Project Manager Grainne Quinn, [email protected] StAFF – toLLyMoRe youth development officer Paul Swail Ben Bulben, Co Sligo Email [email protected] development Assistant (youth) Anne Kenny Email [email protected] HoNoRARy oFFICeRS Spring Gathering 2014 President Ursula MacPherson [email protected] Sligo Mountaineering Club will host Chairperson the gathering on March 7th-9th, 2014 Ross Millar th [email protected] Honorary Secretary (tba), [email protected] 9:30am on Sunday, March 9 , 2014, in the Honorary treasurer Sligo Southern Hotel. The AGM is a key David Batt, [email protected] opportunity for members to engage with Mountaineering Ireland and to be boARd MeMbeRS Sligo Mountaineering Club will hostth the involved in the administration of their Paul Barron 2014 Mountaineering Ireland Spring [email protected] representative body. We encourage all Frank Bradley Gathering as part of the club’s 40 clubs to send at least two delegates to the [email protected] anniversary celebrations.th th AGM. Clubs with a membership of greater Bridget Conway The event will take place over the [email protected] than 100 have additional voting rights. Nicky Hore weekend of March 7 -9 and will be The business of the AGM proper is for [email protected] based in the Sligo Southern Hotel. The Mountaineering Ireland, as a company Ruairí Ó Conchúir (Chairperson weekend promises to be a great social limited by guarantee, to report on the of Access & Conservation Committee) event, with plenty of opportunity to [email protected] previous year’s activities and financial Patrick O’Sullivan explore Sligo’s mountains and coastline. position. [email protected] Sligo Mountaineering Club would like to Mountaineering Ireland invites all Irene Sorohan invite representatives from all of [email protected] members and clubs to consider motions Dawson Stelfox Mountaineering Ireland’s affiliated clubs for discussion at the AGM, and [email protected] to attend the event – put the date in your nominations for the Board. Motions and Alan Tees diary! [email protected] nominations must be submitted to Registration for the Spring Gathering Una Vejsberg Annual General Meeting Mountaineering Ireland’s Honorary [email protected] will be available on Secretary, [email protected], Shay Walsh (Chairperson of BOS) www.mountaineering.ie in the New Year. [email protected] or by post to Honorary Secretary, Mountaineering Ireland, Irish Sport HQ, National Sports Campus,th Blanchardstown, Winter 2013 The Annual General Meeting of Dublin 15, to arriveIrish not laterMountain than Log5:00pm 5 Mountaineering Ireland will take place at on Saturday, February 8 , 2014. newsdesk th AGM Programme, Sunday, March 9 NEWS 4 When the Chair considers that the 08:30 Meeting of Honorary and matter has been sufficiently discussed, IN bRIeF Individual Members, if required the Proposer may be called upon for a 09:00 Registration for AGM reply and, when this has been done, a NeW I:25,000 MAPS 09.30 Annual General Meeting 2014 vote must be taken. Agenda for AGM Ordnance Survey Ireland 10:15 Members’ Forum A Delegate with the consent of the Members’5 Forum will shortly release the first Followed by tea & coffee Chair may move “that the motion now in a series of 1:25k maps be put.” which it intends to publish over the next few years.