Spring 2018 €3.95 UK£3.40 ISSN 0790 8008 Issue 125

Expedition to Patagonia Irish team succeeds on South Avellano Tower

The King’s Trail A remote wilderness route in Sweden

www..ie Photographs: Pietro Bertera (main photo), Elaine Mullan (walkers in snow), marlenka (girl on road), Matteo Galli (valley view) A word from the edItor

ISSUE 125 The Irish Mountain Log is the membership magazine of Mountaineering . The organisation promotes the interests of hillwalkers and climbers in Ireland.

Mountaineering Ireland Welcome Ltd is a company limited by guarantee and éad míle fáilte! The start of registered in Dublin, No 199053. Registered office: Irish Sport HQ, another year and already we are National Sports Campus, well into it, with spring now well Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland. upon us. Another year and it Tel: (+353 1) 625 1115 C Fax: (+353 1) 625 1116 brings a new Strategic Plan for our new Strategic Plan will [email protected] Mountaineering Ireland. b❝e the blueprint for www.mountaineering.ie The Draft Strategic Plan 2018-2021 was discussed at the Members’ Forum during mountaineering Ireland’s Hot Wall our Spring Gathering and AGM in the Glen Tollymore Mountain Centre of Aherlow, Co Tipperary. The plan is development over the next Bryansford, Newcastle County Down, BT33 0PT available for downloading on the website four years. Tel: (+44 28) 4372 5354 and final comments can be submitted [email protected] now before it is finalised and published by the Board of Mountaineering Ireland. submitted are published on pages 6 and 7, Editor: Patrick O’Sullivan Tel: (+353 1) 837 8166 (pm, wknds) This is an important time for your and to my mind they are really quite [email protected] National Governing Body, as the Strategic inspiring. Thank you very much to everyone Literary Editor: Peter O’Neill Plan is the blueprint for the organisation’s who submitted their favourite view. [email protected] development over the next four years. The inaugural Mountain Festival was held over the weekend of March 9-11 th . The Irish Mountain Log is published by Members’ engagement with, and Mountaineering Ireland four times a ownership of, the Strategic Plan is essential It was a great success and very well year, in March, June, September, for its successful implementation. supported, with some great speakers and December. The material published in This, the first issue of the Irish Mountain films. It augurs well for future such events. the Log by the voluntary editorial team (See our report, page 16.) and contributors must not be taken as Log for 2018, is full of interesting material. official Mountaineering Ireland policy The result of the Christmas crossword Finally, in the features, Paul Swail reports unless specifically stated. competition is announced on page 9. on what was a very successful and There seemed to be a lot of interest in it enjoyable climbing trip to Patagonia, when Copy deadline for the Summer 2018 this year and there were requests that we an Irish team made some impressive first issue of the Irish Mountain Log is Friday, May 18 th 2018. include a crossword competition more ascents (see pages 54-57). frequently; so we will look at that. As the evenings get longer and the Advertising: [email protected] The call for people to submit their weather improves, we can all hopefully look favourite views of mountains also got a forward to getting out more. Production: Cóilín MacLochlainn [email protected] great response, making judging difficult. The most interesting four images Patrick O’Sullivan, Editor Printing: GPS Colour Graphics Ltd, Alexander Road, Belfast BT6 9HP Tel: +44 (0)28 9070 2020

PARTICIPATION AND RISK Readers of the Irish Mountain Log are Write for the Log reminded that hillwalking and climbing are activities with a danger of personal  injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and Contributions of features, news items and photographs for accept these risks, and be responsible the Irish Mountain Log are always welcome and should be for their own actions and involvement. sent to the Editor at: [email protected]. Mountaineering Ireland publishes and promotes safety and good practice advice and through Bord Oiliúint Sléibhe Contributors’ guidelines can be downloaded from the (BOS, the Irish Mountain Training Board) Mountaineering Ireland website, www.mountaineering.ie. administers a range of training ON THE COVER programmes for walkers and climbers. To join Mountaineering Ireland and receive four issues of the tackling the first pitch on the east face Irish Mountain Log delivered to your door each year, please route of the South Avellano tower in also go to the website, www.mountaineering.ie. Patagonia. See story, page 54.

PHOTOGRAPH the IrISh torreS del AvellANo ClImbINg exPedItIoN 2018 Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 3 CONTENTS Spring 2018

Relaxing at the Erzherzog Johann Hütte during the Coconuts Hillwalking Club’s trip to Austria. See story, page 36.

News 19 Club Training Officers meeting Features Greg Kenny reports 5 Strategic Plan 2018-2021 44 A weekend in North ) l 20 The ultimate tick list l a Daniel O’Brien reports l 6 What’s your view? w

22 Winter Meet 2018 k Helen Lawless reports 48 The King’s Trail c Ruairi English reports o r Fran Lynch and Fióna Gallagher t o 8 Frank Nugent delivers 22 Irish Mountaineering Club

H report ( Lynam Lecture n talks o i 52 Italy’s Lake Garda t c 10 Mountain Rescue Ireland Patrick O’Sullivan reports e 23 MountainViews Gathering l l

o Ruth Cunniffe reports C

24 Beara-Iveragh Double 54 Patagonian first ascent y o 11 Volunteers restore old path Paul Swail reports r Horseshoe n Brian Madden reports o Aidan Ennis postscript C n i 12 Get Ireland Walking rolls Regulars v e

K out more projects

, News Features ) 58 Access & Conserva tion t Jason King reports n e 26 Wicklow Uplands Council Helen Lawless reports g u 14 Agri-environment scheme Jim Sheehan reports N

60 Training k for the Kerry Reeks n Jane Carney reports

a 28 Fiche bliain ag fás r Trisha Deane reports F

( Catherine Doyle profiles the 62 Books n 14 Birds of prey are nesting a Crannagh Ramblers of Inishowen

v Reviews of recent publications i l l Helen Lawless reports u 30 Saint Jeannet S

’ 65 Reviews

O 16 Killarney Mountain Festival Ian Lawler reports on a Dublin Reviews of recent films and plays k c i Cliffhangers Club trip to France r 16 Meet 2018 t 66 The Last Word a Paul Swail reports P

32 Climbing in Calpe , Jim Bridwell ) w Fran Whelan reports on a Defence

e 17 Irish Uplands Forum i v Georgia MacMillan reports Forces club trip to Spain n i a t 34 Calpe capers

n 18 Get Climbing programme u

o Grainne O’Brien reports Anna Clare McGarvey reports on a m

Feel Good Factor club trip to Calpe n a i r t 36 s u Margaret Kennedy reports on a A (

n Coconuts Hillwalking Club trip o i t c e l l o Climbing C y d

e 38 Hotrock Climbing Wall n n Kevin Conroy reports e K t 40 Lead climbing and e r a

g bouldering competitions r a Damien O’Sullivan reports M

: s Frank Nugent Kevin Conroy h p a

r Training Opportunities g o t LYNAM LECTURE 2017 HOTROCK CLIMBING WALL o 43 Adventure degree h 8 38

P Joyce Meade reports 4 Irish Mountain Log Staff & Board General enquirieS [email protected] Staff Newsdesk Chief executive Officer Murrough McDonagh, [email protected] administration Officer Planning for Siobhán Quinn, [email protected] Membership Development Officer Ruth Whelan, [email protected] the future Hillwalking, access & Conservation Officer Helen Lawless, [email protected] mountaineering Ireland’s draft Strategic Plan 2018-2021 training Officer Representing and supporting hillwalking and climbing Jane Carney, [email protected] talent Development Officer Damien O’Sullivan, Mountaineering Ireland published its draft [email protected] Strategic Plan (2018-2021) in advance of the Youth Development Officer for Spring Gathering and AGM, which was held in the northern ireland Glen of Aherlow, Co Tipperary, over the weekend Kevin Kilroy, [email protected] of March 23-25 th . The plan was discussed at the Members’ Forum on the Sunday, March 25 th . Get irelanD WalkinG initiative Mountaineering Ireland’s purpose is “to Programme Manager, Get ireland Walking represent and support hillwalking and climbing.” Jason King, [email protected] Mountaineering Ireland’s vision in the new Project Coordinator – Men’s Sheds strategy is that hillwalkers and climbers will Project become more skilled, self-reliant and informed, Emer O’Leary, [email protected] that access will be improved, and that our

MOuntaineerinG irelanD mountain landscapes will be valued and BOarD OffiCerS protected. President The strategy’s aim is to inspire and support Paul Kellagher hillwalking and climbing throughout the island of [email protected] Ireland and encourage adventure and exploration in the mountains of the world. Chairperson The values expressed in the strategy are: Paul Barron [email protected] Adventure • We find personal challenges in the hills, mountains, crags and climbing walls at BOarD MeMBerS whatever level Imelda Buckley • We recognise the value of the unknown and the uncertain outcomes of our [email protected] activities Helen Donoghue (Chair of Access & Conservation Committee) Personal responsibility [email protected] • We take personal responsibility for our actions and we manage the risk involved Trish Kane • We foster the development of skills among clubs, groups and individuals [email protected] Colette Mahon Respect [email protected] We respect our wonderful but fragile environment and we are a positive voice Michael Maunsell • for its protection [email protected] We are responsible in how we enjoy access Gráinne McLaughlin • [email protected] Well-being Clare O’Connor We enjoy the relationships that flow from our activities [email protected] • We appreciate the health benefits, both physical and mental, of our sports Irene Sorohan • [email protected] Partnership Dawson Stelfox We are committed to advocacy to promote our members’ interests (Chair of Mountain Training Board of Ireland) • We recognise that relationships and trust are vital in helping us realise our vision [email protected] • Geoff Thomas This challenging new Strategic Plan is available to download on the [email protected] Mountaineering Ireland website, www.mountaineeringireland.ie. It will be open for Simon Walsh (Chair of Climbing Committee) final comments for a short period before being finalised and published by the [email protected] Board of Mountaineering Ireland ■

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 5 NewS L0G What’s your view? we asked readers to submit a photo of their favourite landscape and say why it appealed to them. here are four of the best responses received.

By Helen Lawless For its size, the island of Ireland possesses an unusually diverse geology, which has been sculpted by episodes of glaciation to leave us with a rich variety of mountain, upland and coastal landscapes, all Ben Gorm, Co Mayo with regional distinctiveness. These “This is Ben Gorm, taken from Bundorragha Pier. I grew up here and my family have farmed sheep landscapes inspire and attract on it for over a century. Why is it special? Simply put, it represents home for me. It’s the first people to engage in a spectrum of mountain I ever climbed and is where my love affair with mountains began.” – Geraldine Nee mountaineering activities that range from adrenalin-pumping adventure to relaxation and restoration. In the last issue, we asked readers of the Irish Mountain Log to submit a photograph of their favourite landscape along with a brief note of the qualities that make that view special to them. Here we show four of the submissions, selected by our judges for how they illustrate the beauty of our mountains and how the supporting comments give an insight into what people appreciate in our mountain and coastal landscapes. Taken together, the words and images show how the mountains afford us some very special experiences. These, and the other submissions received, confirm the strong connection between the quality of the landscape and scenery, and the quality of our recreation Silent Valley, Mournes, Co Down experiences. “Any view from my tent on a Mournes summit would be my favourite. This example is from Mountaineering Ireland strives to Doan summit, overlooking Silent Valley Reservoir, and was taken in March 2017. When I get up protect Ireland’s mountains, and onto the summits for a night, the stresses of life are gone. It is my reset switch, and that is what the quality of the experiences we makes these views my favourite.” – Seán Branagh enjoy there, by working towards our vision that Ireland’s mountain landscapes will be valued and fUrther INformAtIoN: Read more about Mountaineering Ireland’s vision for the future of Ireland’s protected as environmental, mountains and upland areas at bit.ly/2FJ9tcM or at cultural and recreational assets ■ www.mountaineering.ie/ accessandenvironment/EnvironmentalPolicy/ default.aspx.

6 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Mount Brandon, Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry “This view of Mount Brandon from the Conor Pass near Dingle never ceases to lift my spirits every time, whatever my mood! Having climbed its various slopes and summit many, many times, each providing a totally different experience, this vista invariably whets my appetite for the next trip up this magical mountain.” – Noel O’Neill

Eastern MacGillycuddy Reeks, Co Kerry “The view of the eastern Reeks from the top of Carrauntoohil is known to many climbers, but the view captured in this picture is seldom experienced. The eastern Reeks are dusted in snow and tower above a low-lying blanket of soft cloud and into a bright blue sky on a beautifully clear and sunny day.” – Bertie Hickey

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 7 NewS LOG

Frank Nugent delivers 2017 Lynam Lecture

By Patrick O’Sullivan

Frank Nugent, the outstanding Irish mountaineer, explorer and author, delivered an enthralling Lynam Lecture to a large and very enthusiastic audience in Trinity College’s Davis Theatre on the evening of Thursday, December 7 th , 2017. The Lynam Lecture was inaugurated in 2011 in memory of (1924- 2011), one of Ireland’s best-known mountaineers, in recognition of his enormous achievements in hillwalking, climbing and mountaineering in Ireland and overseas over some 60 years. During his lifetime, Joss initiated numerous developments in these areas of our sport in Ireland and he was an Frank Nugent delivering his Lynam Lecture in Trinity College, Dublin, in December. inspiration to a number of generations of Irish was also the editor of the Irish Papert (2015), Paul Swail and in 1993. These earlier mountaineers. Mountain Log for more than John McCune (2016). These expeditions had not reached Joss Lynam’s achievements 20 years. Joss continued as have been outstanding the summit but the lessons included many mountain- the Literary Editor of the Log lectures that have generally learnt established an eering expeditions to the up to the time of his death. reflected on the development expedition model that Greater Ranges and an Since it was inaugurated in of our sport and how it might facilitated the Irish success on outstanding voluntary 2011, the Lynam Lecture has progress in coming years. This Everest. contribution to the year’s lecture by Frank Nugent Frank remembered summit been delivered by leading development of adventure followed very strongly in that day on Everest in 1993, climbing national and international sports in Ireland. Joss was tradition. un-roped high on Everest with mountaineers: Harish Kapadia known to many Irish and Frank knew Joss Lynam very Dawson Stelfox. Having international walking (2011), Dawson Stelfox (2012), well, having collaborated with problems with his oxygen enthusiasts for his many Stephen Venables (2013), him on several initiatives supply, he decided to abandon hillwalking guidebooks. He Clare Sheridan (2014), Ines ranging from expeditions to his own attempt, so that he developments in our sport at wouldn’t hinder Dawson’s ■ lyNAm leCtUre home. That association and summit bid. That team success friendship came through increased the prominence of strongly in his presentation. our sport in Ireland and also He divided his wide-ranging saw the setting up of the Irish talk up into various sections. Himalayan Trust by the Expeditions with a big ‘E’, he expedition members so that told us, needed funding over surplus expedition funds could and above the norm because be used to support future Irish n a of their importance to expeditions as well as v i l l u national self-esteem. Frank supporting environmental S ’ O

talked about the Irish projects in the Himalaya and k c i

r expeditions to Chang-tse in the building of a school for a hill t a

P Tibet (1987) and Manaslu in community in .

: s

h Nepal (1991), and the lessons After Everest, Frank’s p a r learned, which he felt laid the attention turned to repeating g o t foundations for the Shackleton’s Endurance rescue o h

P successful Everest expedition voyage in Antarctica by 8 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 planning the 1997 South Arís about his time as Chair of Expedition with Paddy Barry, the Mountaineering Council Jarlath Cunnane and others. of Ireland (1997-2000). In the Tom Crean, a replica Among his they built of Shackleton’s accomplishments, he listed James Caird lifeboat, they the employment by MCI of followed Shackleton’s track its own staff, opening its own from Elephant Island to South office in the House of Sport, Georgia, and successfully the first MCI Alpine Meet in made the first repeat traverse Ailefroide in 1998 and the of South Georgia since Millennium Youth Project Shackleton in 1916. 1998-2000. He then talked In 2001, Frank, again with about the ascents he made Paddy and Jarlath, built in the Alps and Norway Northabout , a 50-ft following in the footsteps of aluminium sailing boat, with the Irish mountaineers which they completed the featured in his 2014 book, In first Irish navigation of the Search of Peaks, Passes and Ruth Lynam presents Frank Nugent with a Lynam Lecture medal on North-west Passage, sailing Glaciers: Irish Alpine Pioneers, the occasion of his talk in Trinity College Dublin last December. from Westport to the Bering which was shortlisted for the Strait. Following his polar Boardman Tasker Prize for been a most absorbing we all need to support local exploits, he recorded the Mountain Literature. Finally, reflection on his life as a upland groups who are trying achievements of Irish Polar he talked about his trips in mountaineer and explorer by to manage our hills explorers since 1740, in both recent years, which have talking about his recent work sustainably for future the Arctic and Antarctic, with included making many first as Chair of the Irish Uplands generations, something that his book Seek the Frozen ascents in Greenland and a Forum. He closed with a plea would have very much been Lands. traverse of the Haute Route. to those present, “Who Cares in keeping with all that Joss Frank then went on to talk Frank finished what had for the Uplands?”, saying that Lynam valued ■

Crossword competition Reviewers wanted the winner of our Christmas crossword in IML 124 was Enid Hughes like to write a book review for the Log? from Swords, Co dublin. enid won an Airzone trekplus rucksack from our crossword sponsor, basecamp. the solution to the crossword is shown below. The book review pages of the Irish Mountain Log comprise one of the most popular sections of the magazine. A 1 2 3 4 5 prerequisite for publishing book reviews is a good pool of CC BCSCPCR C 6 7 r e view ers, an d t he Log is always looking for new volunteer

M OO RCLEADER re viewers to add to its pool. You do not need to be a literary critic to review a book for UC ICICTCD C 8 the Lo g. You review a book or guidebook as a reader writing MA TTERHO RN for other readers. Reviews of even the most significant books CC OCVCC CU C r ar ely exc e ed 5 00 words, and most reviews are generally 9 10 11 E R1 NCECCAMP between 200-400 words. Ideally, to review a guidebook, you s hould be familiar with the area covered. To review other EC CCNCHCCC 12 13 14 books, it should be a topic which interests you or you know

FE RMANAGHC s ome thing about.

UC OCMCLCU C Unfortunately, our reviewers cannot keep the books they 15 16 r ev i ew, as all of the books are put in the Mountaineering V EL CROCETNA Irela nd librar y so that others can read them. LC KCNCTCTC I f y ou would like to volunteer to join our pool of reviewers, please email our Literary Editor, Peter O’Neill, at

pe ter.one [email protected], adding a short note outlining your interests – whether hillwalking, climbing, travel, botany, geology, ornithology, or whatever – and the name of your club, if you are a club member. We email a list of books received for review about six times

per year, asking for expressions of interest, and we try to

match books to the preferences expressed. We look forward

to hearing from you. Thank you ■

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 9

NewS L0G

Mountain Rescue Ireland recent advances in mountain rescue messaging systems have improved the response time and efficiency of our mountain rescue teams.

By Ruth Cunniffe (PRO, there are several Mountain Rescue Ireland) requirements. For instance, the subject has to have a Currently, eleven voluntary smartphone, with sufficient mountain rescue teams battery power left, and to provide search and rescue know how to switch on the services in upland areas location services, so it is across the island of Ireland. generally used as a back-up Collectively, the teams are to good old-fashioned represented by Mountain detective work. Rescue Ireland (MRI). MRI is a The key to undertaking a member of the International rescue mission is getting the Commission of Alpine Rescue location of the casualty. location. and transported to the (ICAR), the international While that is being All communications during nearest medical/hospital coordinating body for established, team members the rescue are conducted by facility, as required. mountain rescue will have been alerted by text Callouts in Ireland in 2017 organisations. message, bleeper or a phone radio. Most teams are now mostly happened during the In 2017, there was a total of call. The team leader using Tetra radios, which use summer holiday months, 272 incidents that were assembles a first response a shared network and make when more people were out responded to by volunteers in team, usually two or three talking to other teams on the hills. The duration of the eleven teams in MRI. people. The first response possible from any location in the callouts ranged from one When a person is injured or team will take essential the country. hour to six hours. Some went lost in the hills, they or medical equipment and Once the casualty has well beyond that, lasting someone who is aware that patient comfort bags and go received supportive several days in the case of they are overdue or injured directly to the casualty’s treatment at the location of one search operation. should report the incident by location, when it is the incident, the responding Mountain rescue dialling 999 or 112. The established. team/s will make an volunteers are committed operator who takes the call Meanwhile, other groups of evacuation plan. This may 24/7/365 to participating in will then re-direct it to An team members will be involve another service like rescue missions. Funding is Garda Síochána or the Irish assembling and getting the Coast Guards or the always an issue for teams Coast Guard, depending on ready to go out with the National Ambulance Service. and, in addition to the time the nature of the call. An stretcher and any other The casualty will then be spent on rescues or on Garda Síochána or the Coast necessary equipment to the evacuated from the location Guard will then contact the practice exercises in the hills, relevant mountain rescue much time also has to be team and pass on all details ■ moUNtAIN reSCUe spent by volunteers available about the callout to fundraising for their teams. the team. Mountain Rescue Ireland The team will then contact was delighted when, in 2017, the injured person, or who- the Minister for Rural and ever reported the incident, to Community Development, obtain any further relevant Michael Ring TD, announced information that is available. a scheme to support first- The team can use a message response rescue services

d system called SARLOC, a under the CLÁR programme. n a l location positioning software The programme allows the e r I mountain rescue teams to e system. The rescuer sends a u c seek funding to replace s text message with an internet e R

link in it, the casualty or vehicles and equipment n i a person reporting the incident approaching the end of their t n u clicks on the link and this operational life. It is certainly o M

allows the link to interrogate welcomed by the team : s h the phone’s GPS and shows members, who give so much p a r its location to the rescue of their own time to g o t team in digital mapping. providing this essential first- o h Sligo mountain rescue team training with the Irish Coast guard. P To be able to use SARLOC, response service ■ 10 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Volunteers restore old hill path members of hillwalkers Club clear an ove rgrown path at oldboleys in glencree.

By Brian Madden (Hillwalkers Club)

Last July, on the last leg of a Hillwalkers Club hike from Prince William’s Seat to Glencree, in the Dublin and , we took the path from Cloon Wood to Oldboleys Quarry. We found that about half of this path, which is about 2km long, was seriously choked with gorse: luxuriant, virile and colourful, but savagely prickly. Everyone agreed that something should be done about it; otherwise, we could lose the path permanently to nature’s territorial ambitions. members of the hillwalkers Club and the ramblers gather to cut gorse in february. Jim Barry got working on the legal and safety end of things. The National Parks and Wildlife Service, Andrea Webb gloves and goggles for eye protection. of Wicklow Mountains National Park, During our third session, a group from the landowners and Helen Lawless of the Irish Ramblers Club passed by and Mountaineering Ireland were all very offered to help. True to their word, four helpful. The cutting could take place members of the Ramblers joined us for between September 1 st and March 1 st our fourth and final cutting day on and would be covered under our club’s February 17 th , 2018. insurance with Mountaineering Ireland. The map shows the track marked in On Saturday, November 11 th , 2017, red. It starts at Oldboleys Quarry (on the eight of us gathered at Oldboleys to left) and finishes at Cloon Forest (at the hack the gorse. A second work session star on the right). Hikers can continue to took place on Saturday, November 25 th , the top of the forest and head for and once again we had a work party of Prince William’s Seat and the Wicklow eight. The weather was perfect on both Way, as indicated. occasions. Everyone worked hard and, The greatest reward for our labours more importantly, enjoyed themselves. would be to see lots of walking groups g n i Loppers turned out to be the most making use of this most interesting p p a useful tool, with a bowsaw needed path. Get out and enjoy it before the M t occasionally. Everyone had working the path, overgrown with gorse. gorse grows back!

s ■ e W t s a E f o n o i s s i m r e p h t i w d e n n a c s p a M

. n e d d a M n a i r B

: s h p a r g o t o h

P the cleared track, marked in red on a scan of one of eastwest mapping’s detailed maps. the path, cleared of gorse. Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 11 NewS LOG

men’s Sheds group on a walking exercise. Get Ireland Walking rolls out more projects There is a lot going on in the Get Ireland Walking initiative. The following is a snapshot of some of our work, which includes some of the programmes we are currently offering and how, through a partnership approach to delivery, we are getting the job done. Read on....

By Jason King (Get Ireland Transformation show. Walking) The overall day was a huge success and the feedback we Ireland lights up with received was fantastic. the GAA Get Ireland Walking supports the delivery of many The GAA, in partnership with walking programmes to a RTÉ’s Operation variety of population groups Transformation, invited across the country. These community champions to include our Active Community attend a Get Ireland Walking Walking Programme, the training day in Croke Park in Men’s Sheds Walking Project, early January. The Get Ireland the Schools Walking Project Walking team was asked to and the Woodlands for Health coordinate and deliver initiative. The following training to 160 attendees, to explains these initiatives a empower and upskill them to little bit more: engage with their local communities to set up and support walking groups in Active Community their localities. Walking Programme We delivered four Fennelly; Cormac MacDonnell Walking Facilitators, delivered The Active Community workshops: The Benefits of from Sport Ireland intrigued training on engaging and Walking Programme g n i Walking by Michelle Hardie- the attendees with different motivating groups. The event commenced a number of k l a Murphy of Get Ireland locations to walk; and Nollaig was also attended by the years ago as a pilot. It has W

d Walking; a Fitwalk by Majella Cruise, one of our County experts from the Operation grown into a nationwide n a l e r I t e G

: s h p a r g o t o h P 12 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 initiative and has had a very incorporated into Active positive impact on many School Week in April and the people’s lives. It addresses European Week of Sport in physical inactivity, improves September. mental health and wellbeing, This initiative will be and promotes walking within formally launched this April communities that are and we look forward to generally inactive. Importantly, circulating the packs with our it connects people, and that is partner, Active School Flag. a huge benefit! Watch this space for further We have found that the information! within their communities, and programme will be fully social element is very they can offer so much to a supported. This will include important; people make new Men’s Sheds Project local walking agenda. transport to a suitable friends and explore new Get Ireland Walking has Workshops kick off in Cork location with qualified and places, and groups love to partnered with the Irish Men’s in the coming weeks and will trained personnel, who will finish off their walk with a cup Sheds Association to support include a variety of different support the walks when they of tea, sharing stories of the ‘Shedders’ in becoming more approaches to walking. The get there. walks and the fun that they active through walking. Like Irish Heart Foundation has Again, there is a big social had along the way. the schools initiative, this trained local facilitators in factor to this, and walking and The Local Sports project is supported by the Cork (as part of Cork Local talking together can have a Partnerships facilitate these Dormant Accounts Fund. Sports Partnership) to deliver hugely positive impact on groups on the ground. “Get into Walking” work-shops people’s mental health. The If you want more in sheds. These facilitators will research suggests that information, contact then aim to engage the walking within green spaces your Local Sports shedders in an eight-week has a more positive impact on Partnership walking programme. We are our mental health than Coordinator, who can looking forward to this walking in general. It’s fair to link you to a group immensely and can’t wait to say that we always feel better within your local area. get started. after a walk than we did A full list of all the Local before we went out and, when Sports Partnerships Woodlands for Health walking in forests and can be found on the woodlands, this is greatly Following the successful pilot Sport Ireland website, enhanced. of a Woodlands for Health www.sportireland.ie. The findings from the initiative by Coillte and the previous programme suggest HSE in Dublin, Get Ireland Schools Walking this, and Get Ireland Walking is Walking got on board and is fully committed to supporting Programme now expanding the initiative Get Ireland Walking the users of mental health to other counties. services. Some previous values the participation Positive mental health is it gets from children participants have gone on to something we all try to attain, set up their own walking and young people in its but for some who are programmes. Children groups or joined other groups experiencing life’s more love to be active in the Get Ireland Walking within their local area. That is difficult challenges, it’s not so outdoors, and we understand coordinates workshops in the what it’s all about. All finished easy. Motivation to get out that it’s hard for them to sit at Sheds for men and informs off with that cup of tea or and be active can be a huge desks all day long. We want to them about the benefits of coffee. challenge, and although many support children to learn walking, how they can For further information, know the benefits of this through play and activity, too. incorporate walking into their contact us on (01) 625 1109 or approach it is difficult to Get Ireland Walking has day and the value of walking send an email to developed an Active School within a group. make this first step. [email protected] Walkway pack that includes Walking and talking is With the support of Mental with any questions or queries walkway signs that a school something we find that men Health Ireland as a service you may have. Happy walking! can erect on their grounds. In enjoy, and the shoulder-to- provider, participants on this ■ g n i

k shoulder approach seems to

l addition, the pack includes a sit well with them. It’s all AUthor: Jason King is Programme Manager W useful information on how

d of Get Ireland Walking. Get Ireland Walking is n best to use the walkway about having a bit of fun and a l an initiative of Sport Ireland, supported by e r before, during and, indeed, craic with your mates, I Healthy Ireland and hosted and delivered by t e after school. Posters are also exploring new areas such as

G Mountaineering Ireland.

: s provided that can be placed woodlands and forests, and h fINd oUt more: To find out more about p tapping into the skill-set a on school noticeboards, and

r Get Ireland Walking, visit the website g o information about challenges within the Sheds. These men www.getirelandwalking.ie. t o

h and events that can be are very creative and valued P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 13 NewS LOG

Beenkeragh, Ireland’s second highest mountain. Its Irish name, Binn Chaorach, means ‘mountain of sheep.’ Agri-environment scheme for MacGillycuddy Reeks

By Trisha Deane, Rural The project title is: the development of a four- MacGillycuddy Reeks Forum Recreation Officer, Kerry “Maintaining and Increasing year pilot scheme for farmers monthly photo competition Sustainable Agricultural to restore, preserve and and other initiatives, via the The Department of Agriculture Practices for the enhance the biodiversity of Forum’s website recently announced that the Conservation and Restoration this unique Natura 2000 area. macgillycuddyreekskerry.com MacGillycuddy Reeks of Upland Habitats in the Landowners will be invited to and its Facebook page, Mountain Access Forum MacGillycuddy Reeks through participate in the scheme. macgillycuddyreeksforum. (through lead partner South Collective Management In order to fully achieve the You can also become a Kerry Development Regimes.” project objectives, 1,500 Partnership CLG) has been The aim of the project is to hectares of upland habitats Friend of the Reeks for as little successful in its application develop practical, achievable in the MacGillycuddy Reeks as €10 by visiting the website for a locally-led agri- actions and innovative will need to be under the and, in return, you will receive environment scheme under solutions to address the scheme. a car sticker to publicly show the European Innovation issues facing farmers in the You can keep up-to-date your appreciation of this Partnership Initiative. MacGillycuddy Reeks, through with this project, and with the beautiful resource ■ Birds of prey are nesting Climbers are asked to respect nesting birds on cliffs and crags.

By Helen Lawless Signs of disturbance include allow these agitated behaviour, alarm calls impressive birds to Crags and cliffs provide and birds flying out of the nest breed successfully suitable nest sites for ravens and not returning. Disturbance ■ and birds of prey such as places stress on the birds and peregrine falcons and kestrels interrupts their ability to reCordS wANted : in many areas. These birds are incubate their eggs, and also The Irish Raptor Study Group is now nesting on crags in the to hunt and supply their seeking breeding Burren, Wicklow and other chicks adequately. records for all coastal and upland sites If you notice any suspicious upland bird-of-prey s s e across the country. behaviour close to a nest site, species. Reports l w should be a Climbers who come across please report it to the local L submitted to n signs such as the one shown, wildlife ranger at e l Irene O’Brien, e or who sense that they are www.npws.ie/contact-us or, H

[email protected], : s disturbing, or might disturb, in Northern Ireland, the PSNI h with as much detail p a

r nesting birds are asked to on 101. as possible, ideally including grid g o reference, townland, county and t respect the birds and climb Vigilance and responsible o habitat type. h elsewhere. behaviour by climbers will P 14 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 d o o W

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Sneem, Ring of Kerry, Ireland SNEEM WALKING CLUB 50 Mile JFK Walk / 26 Mile JFK Walk on 12 May 2018

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Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 15

NewS LOG Killarney festival

By Patrick O’Sulllivan impressive. The opening speaker on the Friday evening The inaugural Killarney was the Scottish Mountain Festival was held mountaineer and author Killarney Mountain Festival’s basecamp. over the weekend of March Cameron McNeish. th 9-11 , in association with On the Saturday, the (NPWS), talked about the 2016, the house and gardens Kendal Mountain Festival. speakers included Trisha Killarney House restoration have been restored to their Mountaineering Ireland had a Deane, Regional Recreation project, which he had been rightful place as the gateway stand at the festival, where Officer for Kerry, who spoke involved in before his move to . Mountaineering Ireland’s about the work of the Reeks to the NPWS and which was Dermot Somers, Dawson Membership Development ) Access Forum. clearly still close to his heart. Stelfox and Tom Curtis gave d

a Officer, Ruth Whelan, as well e Pat Dawson, SW Regional Following the completion of an entertaining presentation H

as volunteers, dealt with r i Manager of the National extensive restoration and about their experiences a

F enquiries from the public. (

climbing the six great North r Parks and Wildlife Service reconstruction work there in e The festival was designed h Faces in the Alps – the g

a to celebrate the wonderful l l Grandes Jorasses, the Eiger, e

K surrounds of Killarney. There l the Piz Badile, the Petit Dru, u

a was a programme of over P

the Cima Grande di Lavaredo , )

l forty events during the a and the . v i weekend, including guest t s They were followed by e f speakers, outdoor adventure

y mountaineer Andy Cave. On e films, guided walks, a park n r

a the Sunday, the speakers l

l run, a photographic i K

( included Mike O’Shea and exhibition, an opportunity to n a Stephen Venables. v climb on Ireland’s highest i l l u climbing wall, and an The first Killarney Mountain S ’

O Festival was a very successful interactive exhibition with k c i event with some great r SARDA Ireland (the national t a

P search & rescue dogs speakers and some great

: s h association) and the Kerry mountain films. It was very p a r Mountain Rescue Team. well attended and augurs well g o t The line-up of guest Festival speakers Dawson Stelfox, Tom Curtis and Dermot Somers. for future mountain festivals o h

P speakers at the festival was there ■

George Ponsonby on the second pitch of “Mizzen Star” E2 5b Fair Head Meet 2018 the annual meet at fair head, Co Antrim, will take place this year on the weekend of June 1-3 rd .

By Paul Swail

The 2018 Fair Head Meet will take place over the weekend of June 1-3 rd . It will follow the usual format of camping at Sean McBride’s farm (£5 per person per night), a guest speaker on the Saturday night, and lots of climbing and laughs during what will hopefully be a weekend of good weather! This year’s guest speaker will be the North Wales-based climber Calum Muskett. He will be talking about his progression from the crags of North Wales to the big rock and ice-faces of the Alps, Yosemite and Patagonia, as well as his motivation for climbing them. Some of the stories he will tell will include his climbs on Paciencia on the Eiger; new routing in Patagonia; and an assortment of shorter tales about successes and failures. This year’s Fair Head Meet will be hosted by the Dal Riada Climbing Club and is supported by Rab (outdoor clothing and climbing gear manufacturers) and Mountaineering Ireland ■ 16 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Irish Uplands Forum A summary of the Irish Uplands forum’s activities during 2017.

By Georgia MacMillan ordinator. The IUF was pleased to see the The Irish Uplands Forum (IUF) appointment, in October 2017, is a voluntary organisation of Mary Mulvey as Uplands ) y dedicated to promoting a Network Co-coordinator. h p r partnership approach to the Mary is contracted by the u M

sustainable management of Heritage Council and will be n i l

o Ireland’s upland areas. reporting to a newly-formed C

d Mountaineering Ireland has Upland Partnership Network n a

been a member of the forum Management Board. Her role t n e since its foundation in 1995. is to liaise with and support g u In April 2017, the IUF held its local upland groups to plan N k

n annual general meeting and and sustainably manage their a r

F networking event in Kinnity, local mountain environment ( s i Co Offaly, hosted by Frank with the aid of state bodies, w e

L Bergin and the Slieve Blooms local authorities and NGOs. e r The IUF reviewed its d Walking Group. The event was Frank Bergin (Slieve Bloom Walking Group), right, with Michael r i e well attended and the governance during 2017. It Monahan, Catherine Bergin, Georgia MacMillan and Ged Dowling on the D

, ) created four sub-committees Irish Upland Forum AGM walk in Forest in April 2017. o programme featured guest t o to manage key focus areas h speakers Áine Macken-Walsh p and is currently updating its and cultural services. Frank finished his lecture p (Senior Research Officer at u o r Teagasc) and Michael Starrett Constitution and developing The first of two opportun- by summarising the work of g ( a Members’ Handbook. ities to apply for this grant the IUF and by making a plea, s (CEO, The Heritage Council). s

e st; l The IUF’s Uplands In November 2017, the IUF closed on January 31 there “Who cares for the uplands?”, w a made a presentation to Colin L Community Study, published will be a further opportunity to the audience. n e in 2016, recommended the Murphy to commemorate his later in 2018 (deadline: August Membership of the IUF is l e st

H provision of multi-year retirement from the Board. 1 ). growing steadily, with more

: s

h funding for active upland Colin was made an Honorary An eventful 2017 closed than 30 groups affiliated in p a r community groups and the Member of the Irish Uplands with a highlight for the IUF as 2017, spread over the island g o t deployment of a national Forum for his long association the Chairperson, Frank of Ireland. This shows o h Upland Partnership Co- with and service to the forum

P Nugent, was invited to increasing interest and as well as to the Wicklow present the Joss Lynam support for the sustainable Uplands Council. Lecture for Mountaineering management of upland In December, the IUF Ireland in December. Frank’s areas. Individual membership announced a small grant lecture, “Of Mountains and is also available. opportunity of €500 for a Wild Places,” was a wonderful It is important that the research project concerned blend of memoir, history, membership of the IUF is with Irish mountains science and superb reflective of those who care (defined for the purpose of photographic records of for and represent the the project as any area Frank’s exploits with many uplands. above 150m in altitude). hardy comrades, including on IUF’s 2018 events include: Eligible topics inclue: the first Irish expedition to • April 7 th : Annual General • Physical environment of Everest; on the South Georgia Meeting, The Club House, mountains (particularly expedition in the steps of Castlegregory, Dingle water); Shackleton and Crean; and on Peninsula, Co Kerry. • Natural environment of his journey through the October 4-5 th : Autumn mountains (particularly in Northwest Passage in the C•onference, “Innovation and relation to farming and footsteps of Franklin and his Partnerships in the Uplands.” recreation); crew, as well as on a range of Mulranny Park Hotel, Cultural environment of other climbs. Mulranny, Co Mayo ■ •mountains (evidence of past use, and people who live, work or recreate in AUthor: georgia macmillan is Mountaineering mountain areas); Ireland’s representative on the Irish Uplands Forum. Any other topic related to JoIN: The Irish Uplands Forum encourages Frank Nugent (Chairperson, Irish readers with an interest in the sustainable •to the centrality of Uplands Forum) makes a management of upland areas to join through their presentation to retiring Board mountains in the website www.irishuplandsforum.org or by member Colin Murphy. provision of ecosystems contacting [email protected].

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 17 NewS LOG ‘Get Climbing’ programme expands and grows

get Climbing is a social inclusion project working in disadvantaged areas to engage young people.

By Gráinne O’Brien, Get Climbing Project now, after a few Coordinator months of it, I have no problem climbing. I Mountaineering Ireland’s Get Climbing can even do certain programme continues to grow, with climbs I wasn’t able to additional funding now secured from do before, after being Sport Ireland to ensure that the taught some tricks programme can run until the end of about how to climb. 2018. “My favourite time New groups are continuing to feed by far has been the into the programme, with participants week when Michael from Killinarden Community Centre Duffy came in to Youth Project and Firhouse Community teach us. He was so College among the latest recruits. interesting and easy Get Climbing now runs weekly club to talk to, and he went nights at Awesome Walls and the Dublin into so much detail, Climbing Centre, where participants demonstrating who have completed the programme techniques to us so can continue to climb each week and that it was much ■ INdoor ClImbINg develop their skills. Recently, we have easier for us to had some guest coaching sessions with understand and Students from Killinarden Community School enjoying the Dublin Michael Duffy and Ricky Bell, which learn.” Climbing Centre wall. have proved very popular with Cian from Finglas participants. says, “I always look forward to the schools at the Schools Climbing Wednesday evenings when we go Competition in Awesome Walls in Club nights climbing, because I really like climbing, March. As Brandon from Finglas explains, solving problems while climbing and In addition, plans are underway for an “I remember first doing rock-climbing being taught new techniques to outdoors climbing day in spring. and it killed my arms, hands and fingers. overcome the problems on certain We are also expanding the I was extremely tired afterwards, but routes. I can already see myself getting programme to include groups at Gravity better, and that wouldn’t happen if the Climbing Centre and at Activate lessons were much more than €3, Waterford. We are looking forward to because it wouldn’t be as easy to go working with these centres in 2018 ■ weekly.” CoNtACt: For more information on the Plans for spring Get Climbing project, please contact There will be three teams from the Get Mountaineering Ireland’s office at 01 625 Climbing programme representing their 1115 .

Wayfarers’ Four Peaks Challenge, May 25-27 th , 2018 The Wayfarers Hiking Club is inviting Mountaineering Ireland members, club or individual, to join them as they undertake the Four Peaks Challenge over the last weekend in May, to raise funds for the charity Concern. The organiser of the challenge is PJ Howell, Chairperson of the Wayfarers, who has served as a volunteer with Concern in Bangladesh, Uganda and Lebanon. A busload of thirty Wayfarers and friends will leave Dublin at 6.30am on Friday, May 25 th , returning around midnight on Sunday, May 27 th , having summited (all going well) on the highest in each province in the following order: n

e th th i

r (1) Friday, May 25 , 12.00 noon: Carrauntoohil from Cronin’s Yard. (2) Saturday, May 26 , B ’ th

O 9.00am: from Dadreen. (3) Sunday, May 27 , 7.00am: Slieve Donard from

e th n Newcastle car park. (4) Sunday, May 27 , 4.00pm: Lugnaquillia from Fenton’s Pub. n i a

r Each participant will raise a minimum of €200 for Concern. G

: Mountaineering Ireland members are invited to join the challenge for any of the s h p hikes, with a suggested donation of €25, payable in cash on the day to PJ Howell ■ a r g Matthew from Finglas receives coaching o t o tips from Michael Duffy. fINd oUt more: For further information, contact PJ Howell at [email protected] h

P or on 087 259 7658. 18 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Club Training Officers meet in Clonmel

By Greg Kenny, Club Training regIoNAl meetINg Officer, Peaks Mountaineering ■ Club

Peaks Mountaineering Club, based in Clonmel, hosted the first Regional Club Training Officers’ Meeting of this year in Clonmel in January. Invitations to attend were sent to all hillwalking clubs in the Munster area. Despite the extremely poor driving conditions on the evening, the meeting was very well attended, with more than fifty Jane Carney and Helen Lawless of Mountaineering Ireland (both in blue tops) with some of those representatives present from who attended the Regional Club Training Officers' Meeting in Clonmel in February. eleven clubs from as far apart as Wexford and Tralee. training within the club regions. She gave details of meetings are important events In his opening address, the setting; the various resources how mass tourism projects for a number of reasons: as Chairperson of the Peaks club, available to hillwalking clubs and new windfarm well as bringing hillwalkers Ray Prendergast, welcomed through Mountaineering developments were having from different clubs in the Jane Carney (Mountaineering Ireland; and how such a negative and damaging region together to discuss Ireland’s Training Officer) and Mountaineering Ireland can be impact on some of the most various topics of interest and Helen Lawless of assistance to clubs in their scenic mountain regions. She relevance to them and their (Mountaineering Ireland’s development. One topic that also highlighted the need for clubs, they also allow the Hillwalking, Access & got a lot of attention was how greater communication membership at large to meet Conservation Officer). hillwalking could be promoted between the hillwalking the full-time officials within The topics discussed during within secondary schools. community and the the course of the evening were Helen Lawless gave a very landowners of these special the Mountaineering Ireland many and varied, and included interesting presentation on the and fragile places. administration and be brought such items as ways to need for a more responsible Overall, it was a very up to date with the most encourage new members to attitude towards the successful evening, enjoyed by recent news and join hillwalking clubs; skills recreational use of the upland those in attendance. These developments ■

Articles sought for historical Staff departures mountaineering journal Ruth Carson, Training Administrator and By Declan O’Keeffe revived in 2012 with Volume 3. Volume 4 Website Development Officer, and followed in 2015. Plans are now afoot to Gráinne O’Brien, Project Coordinator, In 2001, produce a fifth issue later this year. Indoor Climbing/Social Inclusion Project, Mountaineering b As with its predecessors, the journal have decided to leave Mountaineering u l Ireland

C Ireland to take on new career challenges. will include fresh research as well as g established the n i

r articles published elsewhere in order e Irish e that, in Joss’ words, ‘the IM&EHS Michelle Hardy-Murphy, National n i Mountaineering a t Journal…be recognised as the best Development Officer, Get Ireland n and Exploration u Walking, and David Gaul, Project o source of information on our history

M Historical Coordinator, Schools Walking Project, s [and] that all important articles…be k Society (IM&EHS) a have also decided to move on.

e found in it.’

P in order to further interest in the rich / y We are always interested in getting n history of Irish mountaineering and n We thank them all sincerely for the e new material for the journal. If you are

K exploration. The society published two commitment and expertise they g interested in writing an article on an e r issues of a journal in 2002 and 2005, demonstrated in their work, which will G

: which were edited by the late Joss appropriate subject (or already have s be missed. We wish them well in their p

a done so, even if already published r Lynam. They were well received and future careers g ■ o elsewhere), please contact the editor , t contained much of historical importance o h in the field. The journal was successfully Declan O’Keeffe, at [email protected] ■ P

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 19 NewS LOG

The ultimate tick list? Be tick aware! Some ticks carry the bacterial infection that causes lyme disease, a debilitating illness.

By Dr Patrick O’Sullivan tick bite and spreads outwards from the initial bite site. It can From spring to autumn, last up to a month. anyone who spends time A small, red bump often walking in grasslands or woods appears at the site of a tick in Ireland should be vigilant for bite or tick removal but it ■ lyme dISeASe tick bites. Ticks are tiny, insect- resolves over a few days. This is The ‘bull’s-eye’ rash of Lyme disease on arm of five-year-old girl. like creatures that feed on the normal after a tick bite and blood of birds and mammals, does not indicate Lyme including humans. A small disease. conjunctivitis and eye pain; and water. The area should proportion of ticks carry a People with the infection and the nervous system, with then be checked from time to bacterial infection that causes also complain of flu-like numbness and weakness, time over the following few Lyme disease, or Lyme symptoms such as headache, meningitis/encephalitis and weeks for any redness or borelliosis. This bacterium may sore throat, neck stiffness, Bell’s palsy, a facial paralysis. swelling. be transmitted to humans fever, muscle aches and Removing a tick within 24-48 when they are bitten. general fatigue. Occasionally, Prevention hours of it biting you should In a minority of people who there may be more serious Currently, there is no vaccine prevent transmission, as all the are infected, Lyme disease symptoms involving the available for humans. There evidence suggests that ticks causes debilitating heart and nervous system, the heart, the was one in use, but it was need to be attached and nervous system disorders. It joints or other tissues. withdrawn in 2002. Therefore, feeding for quite some time (as can also cause arthritis, with Complications following the best prevention is to avoid long as 48 hours, according to pain and swelling in the big Lyme disease are uncommon tick bites. some authorities) before there joints. It is estimated that and tend to occur some time People who spend time is a risk of becoming infected. there are now at least 50-100 after initial infection. They are walking where sheep or deer In addition, in Europe generally cases of Lyme disease in common in people who did are present in the countryside only 10-15% of the ticks that Ireland each year. not realise they had been can prevent tick bites by: transmit Lyme disease are infected or who did not receive infected with the causative Symptoms treatment initially. They may covering up by wearing bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. Many infected people have no affect different parts of the • long trousers, long-sleeved Anyone who develops the symptoms at all. The body, including the joints, with shirts, a hat and boots typical bull’s-eye rash commonest evidence of swelling and pain in large when walking in long grass, (erythema migrans), which infection is a characteristic red joints; the heart, with bracken or woods; occurs in 80-90% of infected ‘bull’s-eye’ rash that occurs in inflammation of the heart tick-bite cases, or any other tucking the ends of their 80-90% of infected people. muscle (myocarditis) and symptoms, such as fever, chills, • trousers into their socks, or This rash develops between irregularities in the heart headaches, stiff neck, fatigue, wearing gaiters; three days and a month after a rhythm; the eyes, with muscle aches or joint pains, using a DEET-containing should go to their family doctor • insect repellent on exposed and explain that they have skin. been bitten by a tick. Only a minority of ticks (10- At the end of your walk, you 15%) carry this infection. If a should check your skin tick is removed within 48 hours,

) (particularly in the skin folds) the risk of infection is low. Once h s a diagnosed, Lyme disease can r and hair for ticks. If you find ( s r any, you should remove them be treated by using antibiotics. a e

h as carefully as possible, trying Ignored and untreated, the s t

L infection may go on to cause

not to leave any of the mouth- , ) k severe debilitation and chronic c parts, which may break off. i t ( Ideally, tweezers should be health problems ■ p s i r used to remove the tick and its K

H

mouth-parts by gripping it as : ➤ Further information about s h close to the skin as possible. Lyme disease can be obtained p a r When practicable, the skin from the national Health g o t where the tick was attached Protection Surveillance Centre, at o h The dog (or castor bean) tick, Ixodes ricinus, common in Ireland. www.hpsc.ie/A-Z/LymeDisease . P should be washed with soap 20 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Mountaineering Ireland continues to provide the book service previously operated by Joss Lynam. We can supply you with guidebooks and maps to almost any part of the world. For the walker, there is a large collection of Cicerone guides and books, or the wider selection of books and guides distributed by Cordee which also includes many climbing guides. Books reviewed in the Irish Mountain Log can usually be purchased through Joss Books with a members’ discount. To place an order, ring the Mountaineering Ireland office We a re on (01) 6251115 or email [email protected]. the voices tha t sp ur you o n.

The Irish Mountain Log editorial team needs new members. We have vacancies for various roles, including News Editor and Features Editor. This is your opportunity to get involved in the production of a Everything we make is designed by leading hillwalking and climbing magazine with a print‐run of 13,000, climbers, for climbers. Each piece is received by all members of 174 clubs throughout Ireland, both North and crafted by peak and crag to give you South. absolute protection, comfort and mobility If you are interested in helping the voluntary editorial team produce when you really need it. this high‐pro2ile quarterly magazine, please contact the Editor, Patrick O’Sullivan, at iml‐[email protected] or phone him on 086 815 7368 to WWW.RAB. EQUIPM ENT discuss the possible roles.

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 21 NewS L0G

Winter Meet 2018 our winter meet in february was based in onich, Scotland.

By Ruairí English

If you are thinking about broadening your experience, learning more and pushing yourself a bit, then I strongly recommend that you sign up for Mountaineering Ireland’s next Winter Meet in Scotland. This year’s Winter Meet in Onich was my first trip to the Scottish Highlands and, while we had some luck with the weather, this being Scotland, we also got battered and blown in full white-out conditions. This is where your skills are tested, under full supervision from qualified personnel, if you’ve signed up for one of the courses. I’ve climbed and hiked in all conditions in Ireland but this is climbing at another level; it was a brilliant experience and certainly a learning one. The ‘après-climb’ is something you might not think about too much, but this part of the meet was as vital and as entertaining as the climbing itself. Assessing avalanche forecasts, understanding weather forecasts and route choices are based on a number of factors, and when done with like- minded people, full of stories and experiences, if you are like me, you soak it all up, listening, learning and laughing. Don’t put it off – just get over there, but before you do, make sure you have the right gear and, if you’re fit, get fitter – On the Winter Meet in Scotland in February 2018 much fitter! ■ Irish Mountaineering Club talks Paddy o’leary was the february guest speaker in ImC’s winter talks series. ) s r By Patrick O’Sullivan Paddy is a strong advocate of e m the exploration and ascent of o S The Irish Mountaineering Club (IMC) middle-range peaks with D (

s organised a presentation by Paddy s altitudes of around 6,000 metres e l

w O’Leary in February as part of its in more remote areas. The focus a L winter series of talks in The of his informative and enjoyable n e l e Teachers’ Club, Parnell Square, presentation was to demonstrate H

, ) Dublin.

y that in more remote areas around r a e Paddy has been a member of the the world there are still many L ’ O

IMC since the 1950s. He has climbed mountains in that altitude range P (

n on mountains all over the world and that have not yet been climbed. a v i l l led the first Irish expeditions to the He encouraged Irish u S ’ and Peru. His book, The mountaineers to explore these O k

c Way That We Climbed: A History of less travelled areas off the beaten i r t a Irish Hillwalking, Climbing and track, where there are still these P

: s Mountaineering (2015), looked at the relatively high altitude mountains h p a successes that Irish mountaineers awaiting first ascents, and he r g o

t have had on some of the highest offered to share any information o Paddy O’Leary at a recent book signing. h mountains around the world. that he had

P ■ 22 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 INF INI TE POSSIB IL ITIE S™

Dermot Somers addressing the MountainViews Gathering. MountainViews Gathering & AGM

By Patrick O’Sullivan

MountainViews held its annual Gathering on Friday, February 23 rd , 2018. In a full programme, after a welcome and introduction by MountainViews Chairperson, Jim Holmes, there was a light-hearted review of the year by Peter Walker. Shay Walsh, Chairperson of Mountain Meitheal Ireland, then talked about the important work of that voluntary group. Mountain Meitheal Ireland is the governing body for the two Mountain Meitheal branches which currently undertake projects to protect and conserve mountain and forest areas in the east and south-east of Ireland. They aim to counteract the pressures which are evident in the fragile Irish landscape by building and maintaining trails which are sympathetic to the surrounding countryside. They promote sustainable recreation by encouraging personal responsibility and awareness. Their motto is ‘Get out, get dirty and give back!’ and they estimate that, since they were founded in 2006, their volunteers have given more than 25,000 hours to their work. With branches in the east and south-east, they are always looking for more volunteers to help them with their work (see their website, mountainmeitheal.ie). Simon Stewart, who developed the MountainViews website (MountainViews.ie), then gave an overview of developments

n on the website in the last year. Open the door to a world lled a v i l

l After a break, Dermot Somers spoke on “Cross-country: a with Innite P ossibilities™ u S ’ view from above,” a stimulating account of trips in different O

k mountain ranges but beginning and ending with some of the

c lowealpine.com/aeon i r t

a crosses found on Irish summits. P

: As usual, there was an awards ceremony for list completers h p a

r and for contributors to hillwalking or to MountainViews.ie. g o

t The MountainViews Annual for 2017 is available online at o h their website, MountainViews.ie (See also Books, page 62)

P ■ Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 23 L NewS L0G Rossbehy aune Lough Caragh KILLarNey Glenbeigh Lough k Leane Fles Drung Cahernabarnagh • 640m • 681m Hill Meelagh THE REEKS N Muckross 2 THE PAPS Glenbeigh 2 • Lough Horseshoe Carrauntoohil 694m Glannafreghaun Glencar • Lough Guitane 1040m Torc Waterfall 659m• Clydagh M• eenteog Lacknacroneen Black Valley Upper Rd • e Coomacarrea 774m 744m Lake ar Mangerton Crohane S • Bridia Valley • m N 649m • uff en 840m • Crohane T end K Broaghnabinnia me ld Lake M 688m Colly um O T Mullaghanish C Lough AR Cloon Lough Moll’s Gap Windy Fineen G Cahersiveen Ballaghbeama Gap Gap • 611m G • SA 774m L Brin Glas A Lough Knockbrack N N Y 7 R Mullaghanattin 1 R Coomalougha DE • Lough Sallagh r 667m are Rive ay Kenm W Derriana Lough rry Finnararagh Kenmare Ke S I N N70 A N71 N T • 6C50om omcallee U O Bealick Lough M 535m • Currane Y Waterville E H Gouganebarra Mullag•hbeg S H Lake • 542m KERRY 509m Knockboy Eagle’s Hill • 706m (Windy Gap)

N S A I N T • 487m CORK O U M Glenlough Mtn H A C A

Kno5c8k8nma • gree ISH • 685m ISK E M Hungry Hill Bantry IEV SL Castletownbere • 491m Bantry Bay cable car Knockoura Beara-Iveragh Double Horseshoe Garnish Bay Allihies Bear Island Long-distance hike route: ...... Dursey Island y a Wa Bear • ead 253m ’s H eep 30 Kilometres Cnoc Bólais Sh Map: Cóilín MacLochlainn The Beara-Iveragh Double Horseshoe Following much interest in an article we featured in the last issue of the Irish Mountain Log about a long-distance hike, the Beara-Iveragh Double Horseshoe (IML 124, pages 38-41), and for completeness, we have prepared a map of the route followed. The article author, Aidan Ennis, has also kindly provided some more information about his route and the gear he used.

Hiking route stats Gear Hike Dursey Island, Co Cork, to Killarney, Co Kerry Backpack: Granite Gear Crown V.C 60 Litre (960g). I have used Duration 10 days this on all my long-distance walks over the past few years. The Distance 366 kilometres weight of the backpack and gear without food was 7.8kg. Approximate elevation gain/loss At least 10,813m ascent/10,833m descent, Food: Food for seven nights’ rations and daytime snack food according to Viewranger 1:50,000 OSI Mapping for the hike weighed in at 5.2kg, or about 742g per full wild Time walking 94 hours 14 minutes on-the-move walking camp day. Average speed 3.9km/hour Camps 7 wild camps Tent: Z-Packs Solplex tent/shelter, which uses your walking Stays 2 town stays (Waterville and Cahersiveen) poles as the two upright tent poles, 439g, with some light tent pegs, still only 495g. Comment The extraordinary thing about this route is that The tent is made from Dyneema Composite Fabric (or DCF, almost all of the 252km of walking in the formerly known as cuben fibre). DCF has several advantages section from Dursey to Waterville is on high over other materials: it has a very high strength-to-weight ratio mountains, except for the small section around and the material can handle high wind forces, it does not tear Allihies, the crossing of the N22 after the Paps easily and it is inherently waterproof. and the section at Moll’s Gap. This was the primary attraction of the route for me. Sleeping mat: Klymit Inertia X Frame (240g) 24 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Sleeping bag: Lightweight down Kimm Lite sleeping bag (500g).

Footwear: On long-distance summer trips, I use Salomon X Ultra 2 Men’s Low Rise Hiking Shoes.

Cooker: MSR Pocket Rocket 2 (73g). On the Glenbeigh Horseshoe, Iveragh Peninsula. Phone charger: Goal Zero Nomad 3.5 Solar Panel with a Guide 10 Power Pack (4 x AA rechargeable batteries). Future plans The end result of linking the Beara- I plan to continue the route this coming Iveragh Double Horseshoe with the Satellite tracker: I used a Spot 3 June. Dingle Peninsula section would Messenger satellite tracker, for safety. It Starting at my finishing point last year complete what I would call “The Three tracked my movements and was visible in Killarney, I will hike over Tomies Peninsulas Mountain Expedition.” ) h to my family at home, allowing me to Mountain and Purple Mountain to the Will I walk it all as a single route one g i e Gap of Dunloe. I then intend to follow the day? Almost definitely, but starting in b text set messages via satellite when out n e Dingle and ending on Dursey Island. l of phone signal coverage, which was Reeks Ridge to Carrauntoohil before G ( Dingle to Dursey? That has a nice ring to s almost every night in remote wild camps. descending to Killorglin and going on to i n n It also has a SOS facility for emergencies. Castlemaine, to enter the Slieve Mish it! E

n Mountains at Knockmoyle. Distance-wise, it would add another a d i Additional items: First aid supplies, The plan is to follow a route I did a few 160-180 kilometres to the overall hike A

: s years back, along the complete length, (depending on my final route choice to h medications, personal hygiene items, hat, p a

r gloves, jacket, rain gear , sun lotion. A via the high mountains of the Dingle Dingle), bringing the entire long-distance g o t midge head-net for some evenings is Peninsula to Brandon Mountain and route to well over 500 kilometres. This o h important too! Brandon Head, before ending in Dingle. would take about 16 days to complete

P ■

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 25 UPLAND MANAGEMENT

WICKLOW UPLANDS COUNCIL Jim Sheehan reports on the activities of Wicklow Uplands Council, which is working for people, places and nature.

he Wicklow Uplands Council (WUC) is a Above: It is proposed to engage the services of an voluntary body formed twenty years ago to Jim Sheehan, experienced surveyor from abroad – probably from address the many concerns of those who right, on an Irish Scotland – and to train people as part of the project so live, work and recreate in the Wicklow Peat Society that we can have a local pool of surveyors to call upon uplands. It has four panels that represent visit to the for future surveys. respectively (i) the farmers and landowners, Zig-zags Agreed In addition, WUC is giving organisational and (Tii) the communities, (iii) the local business and tourism Access Route logistical support to a number of local initiatives to interests and (iv) the environment and recreational users on Pat and open new walking trails, such as the Avonmore Way of the Wicklow/Dublin uplands. Each panel elects a Margaret from Kilafin to Rathdrum, the Way from number of representatives to the Council’s Board, and all Dunne’s farm in Kilmacanogue to the Sugarloaf car park, a circular walk ) n . around and a trail linking the Bray Head trail g of the Board’s decisions are by consensus. i s (

to the Sugarloaf Way by way of the Little Sugarloaf.

s The work of Wicklow Uplands Council is funded by s e l membership subscriptions, a grant from the Heritage Below: Walks around the two Roundwood reservoirs are also w a Wesley Atkinson being completed.

L Council, grants from local authorities and by private

n (Wicklow WUC is also campaigning to improve parking e sources. l e Mountains facilities in the uplands and to improve security for H One of WUC’s major achievements has been the

, ) n setting up of Agreed Access Routes through privately- National Park) parked cars in the area. A visit to Cronin’s Yard in the o i s explaining Reeks is planned in order to see what can be learned o owned lands onto the open mountainside, the two most r e upland ecology from that very successful enterprise.

h notable of these being the route up the Zig-zags in t a during a recent Work is ongoing by WUC to raise awareness about

p Glenmalure and the route west of Lough Dan giving

d Wicklow the need for dog control in the countryside in general, n access to Kanturk Mountain. a

s Currently, WUC, Mountaineering Ireland, the National Uplands Council and in the uplands in particular. Hill farms and o t o Parks and Wildlife Service, Mountain Meitheal and Coillte workshop on h p are seeking LEADER funding to survey about 100 . p u o kilometres of informal upland paths, to assess their r g ( condition with a view to carrying out effective and n o i t environmentally sensitive repairs, where necessary, to c e l l limit the damage of walkers’ footfall. o C n a h Jim Sheehan is a member of Club e ➤ e

h Cualann, a hillwalking and climbing club S affiliated to Mountaineering Ireland. He m i J

: is Mountaineering Ireland’s nominee to s h the Environment and Recreation Panel of p a r Wicklow Uplands Council. g o t o h P 26 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 commonages rely heavily on sheep. Dog attacks on sheep are both costly and stressful for upland farmers. While it is acknowledged that most of the damage from marauding dogs is caused by local dogs, everybody is urged to take great care that their dogs are under strict control at all times, and that they are micro-chipped and licensed, as required by law. WUC has just been awarded funding to run a European Innovation Partnership (EIP). The Sustainable Uplands Agri-environmental Scheme (SUAS), devised by WUC, aims, over the five-year term of the pilot project, to improve the environmental condition of upland farmland and commonages by involving local farmers and commonage holders. Those who successfully achieve the aims of the scheme will receive payments based on the level of Above: Severe the PURE Project and lends it ongoing administrative improvement in their holdings as well as benefiting from path erosion support. PURE also promotes the PURE Mile the increased productivity of their lands. One benefit to near competition under which local groups maintain a mile recreational users would be a reversal of the degradation summit . of local road litter-free. Some hillwalking clubs have of the uplands that has followed the decline participated in the PURE Mile competition, while others in hill-grazing of sheep and the Below left: have helped by doing occasional litter picks in an area uncontrolled growth of heather An Agreed of their choosing (see www.pureproject.ie). and bracken. Access Route Wicklow Uplands Council is working to improve the The PURE (Protecting Uplands sign in amenities of the Wicklow/Dublin uplands, for the and Rural Environments) Project Glenmalure. enjoyment of residents and visitors alike. However, not is an initiative through which unreasonably, it asks that visitors reciprocate by rubbish dumped in the showing consideration for residents and the upland Wicklow/Dublin uplands is environment, and by making a return to the locality removed promptly by the PURE through the use of shops, garages, restaurants, hostels, truck. Litter and dumping can be pubs and other local businesses ■ reported by phoning 1850 365 121 or by using the ‘See It, Say It’ fINd oUt more: For more information go to smartphone app. WUC initiated www.wicklowuplands.ie.

BACHELOR OF ARTS (HONOURS) IN OUTDOOR EDUCATION BACHELOR OF ARTS (IN OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND LEISURE Learning Through Adventure

WWW.GMIT.IE/OUTDOOR-EDUCATION

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 27 CLUBS

FICHE BLIAIN AG FÁS

Crannagh Ramblers in Inishowen, Co Donegal, have celebrated their twentieth year. Catherine Doyle reports

he Crannagh Ramblers’ inaugural walk took Above: Walking of fond reflection to commemorate our founding leader, place on Sunday, June 15 th , 1997, when the towards the John Doherty, at a lovely spot on the side of Mamore Hill, club founder, the late John Doherty, led famous Urris the hill he chose for the first walk to launch the club. twelve pioneering members across Mamore Ridge on the Hill in the Urris valley, situated to the west of Inishowen In June, the club spent a weekend in the Mournes, Clonmany, Co Donegal. The spectacular peninsula, c•limbing Slieve Binnian on the Saturday and following Tviews, and the vivid stories of pilgrimages Co Donegal. the more leisurely Granite Trail on Sunday. As well as the and poitín stills, ignited a love and sun, which accompanied us on the trip, our group of appreciation for the hills which has lasted for twenty Below: Walking twenty-six thoroughly enjoyed the offerings of local years. In fact, three of those founding members are still on the Leenan hostelries from our base in Newcastle. regular walkers with Crannagh Ramblers today. coast on the In September, the club spent a week enjoying Since then, the club has grown significantly and now Inishowen e•verything the Wicklow outdoors has to offer. We has around forty members. Based in Inishowen, the peninsula, a followed parts of the Wicklow Way, enjoyed a day’s geological group took its name from the Crana River on which the walking in breath-taking , completed the wonderland . town of Buncrana is built. Nonetheless, the Crannagh Ramblers is a cross-border club, with many members coming from Derry. Regardless of how the club has progressed, fun remains at the heart of its activities. We cherish the enjoyment we get from walking in some of the oldest landscapes on the planet, trekking in the footsteps of those who have used these mountainous places for hunting and gathering, for sacred reflection, as defensive points and even for distilling illicit spirits. We all look forward to our trips away, which have taken us to many parts of Ireland and beyond. Some of the most memorable trips have been to the Mournes, Slieve League, the Wicklow Mountains, Austria and n Slovenia. o i t c In 2017, the Crannagh Ramblers celebrated the club’s e l l o twentieth anniversary in style. Here as follows are some C s r of the events we held: e l b m a In January, 2017, our annual John Doherty Memorial R

h W•alk was more special than ever, given the year that g a n was in it. In the middle of there was a moment n a r C

: s h p Catherine Doyle is the Club Training Officer with the a ➤ r g Crannagh Ramblers. o t o h P 28 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 famous Bray-to-Greystones coastal trek (and back), Above: many shared memories. We realise that, while people took in the Powerscourt waterfall, house and gardens, Enjoying come and go, the mountains remain, unchanged, forever summited the Great Sugarloaf and, last but not least, Autumn holding the heritage of each passing generation. And we conquered the mighty Lugnaquillia. Gathering 2017 cherish our memories of them ■ As rewarding as our days were, our evenings were at the equally enjoyable. We sampled the offerings of local spectacular Crannagh ramblers. Visit the club’s website at establishments, watched Mayo once again succumb to Mamore Gap in north www.crannaghramblers.com, or find them on Facebook. the might of Dublin, barbequed, played cards, held a Inishowen. Walks are scheduled fortnightly on Sundays. New table quiz, shared stories and enjoyed local members are always welcome. entertainment. As part of our big birthday, we, the members of Below left: A Crannagh Ramblers, helped play host to page from The Mountaineering Ireland’s 2017 Autumn Gathering. In Inish Times reporting on particular, we led two challenging walks in Inishowen, the 2017 which included completing the spectacular Urris ridge Mountaineering and a walk taking in the two highest peaks on the Ireland Autumn peninsula: Slieve Main and Slieve Sneacht. A fabulous Gathering held weekend was had by all. in Inishowen As a club, we pride ourselves on how we sustainably last October promote our sport and our locality, and on how we and hosted by strive to achieve one of our many written goals – the Crannagh ‘Appreciating Inishowen’s Great Outdoors.’ Ramblers. The exposure the area received during the Autumn Below right: Gathering resulted in a number of other hillwalking clubs The stunning organising trips to the Inishowen peninsula, much to the west delight of the Crannagh Ramblers. The experience has Inishowen even got us thinking about how a walking festival would coastline. introduce others to this amazing region – watch this space! The finale of our twentieth- n o i anniversary year came in t c e l November, when we held a club l o

C reunion dinner and social s r

e evening. We invited all current l b and past members…and they m a R

came in their droves to relive the h g great events that had taken a n n place down through the years. In a r

C our twentieth year, we

: s h reminisced on the many p a r experiences we enjoyed together, g o t the many friendships that were o h

P made along the way and on our Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 29 CLUB TRIPS

Saint Jeannet, in south-west france Photo: Ian lawler SAINT JEAN NET

Ian Lawler reports on a very different Hallowe’en for the Dublin Cliffhangers Youth Climbing Club.

y daughter Ciara and I joined the Dublin Above: View of Cliffhangers Youth Climbing Club in Saint Jeannet February 2017 and were made feel very from the first welcome. Cliffhangers’ members meet up tier on the twice a week at Awesome Walls, coinciding south face of Mwith the Awesome Academy Sessions the Baou de under the tutelage of the inimitable Éamon Saint Jeannet. Ó Riain. They also have monthly outdoor meets in season. After a few sessions at Awesome Walls and a couple of Right: Ian ) r

e outings to Dalkey, I found myself realising that, thirty years Lawler l w

a after I last put on my climbing shoes (boots back then!) as struggles on L

n a postgraduate student, I still really enjoyed climbing. Ciara Colorado 5a a I ( was having a ball and the whole family had bought into the while his n w new activity. daughter Ciara o t r Joining the club brought a further education in social flies up B

b media, as everyone kept in touch via WhatsApp or Croquetout 4a. Walls sessions, led to a flurry of bookings being made. o R

Within three weeks, four families had signed up for the trip. ,

) Facebook; as social media Luddites we had never used n The summer passed quickly. We had a preparatory tutorial w them before! We soon found that WhatsApp worked very o r Below: Sean on sport climbing in the Dublin Climbing Centre, delivered B well for marshalling the troops on weekend outings, while

n Brown clips in by one of our most experienced members. Following the a Facebook was better for letting people know about e

S on Croquetout

advice in the guidebooks for Saint Jeannet, we travelled , scheduled events. r e

l 4a. We were intrigued when a WhatsApp message from our with 60m ropes, 10-15 quickdraws, slings, belay plates and w a small sets of trad gear for each of L

Events Officer, Keith Johns, popped onto the phone in a r the four Dads. Everyone else just a early June, suggesting a trip to the south of France over the i C Hallowe’en school break. Saint Jeannet, just twenty-five brought their personal shoes, d n harnesses and helmets. a minutes north of Nice, was the proposed destination and

n Fifteen of us, eight adults and a

I even a cursory Google search showed just how spectacular

, t seven children, flew out to Nice late e it was. n n A little more research as to the range of climbing one Sunday night, planning to return a e

J the following Thursday evening.

available there, and some discussions at the Awesome t n

i With delays in our flights, we got a S

( into Nice around midnight and were r

e ➤ Ian Lawler returned to climbing l very late arriving at our w after a thirty-year absence from the a accommodation. Three families L

n sport, having originally climbed in the

a were in the village of La Gaude, six I

: late 1980s when he taught at an s kilometres from Saint Jeannet, while h outdoor activity centre. p

a the fourth was in Saint Jeannet r g

o itself. Despite arriving at between t o

h 1.00am and 2.00am, our AirBnB P 30 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 hosts were all very welcoming, but it meant that our first day on the crag was going to have to have a ‘relaxed’ starting time. First thing the next morning was a quick trip to the supermarket for supplies, and then we headed up to Saint Jeannet. Finding the car park outside the town was a little tricky, and the WhatsApp messages were flying, trying to guide people in. The one thing you couldn’t miss, though, was the view of the crag, the Baou de Saint Jeannet, towering over the landscape as we drove up from La Gaude. It looked even more impressive than in the photos. After consulting the guidebooks, we decided to try the first tier on the south face of the Baou, as it was closest to the village. However, finding the way there proved a little difficult as the signposts were in a state of disrepair. Once we reached the foot of the crag, we relaxed in the 20°C sunshine, ate lunch and admired the views. There were over fifty routes on the first tier, thirty of which were in our guidebooks. We settled on starting with the nearest two of a reasonable – La Una 4c, and La Dallas 5a – dispatching Hugh McLain and Keith Johns respectively to set up top ropes for the kids. Once those were set up, we moved on to set up Le K 5c, Keith doing the honours again. The routes were hard for the stated grade, Above: Ella and give the junior climbers a supervised run-through on Brown leading how to rethread their ropes through the maillons again; it resulting in voluble commentary from the climbers. La Roue du was a really fantastic training opportunity for them all. After All the climbers got a run on the first two routes, after Moulin 3. another great day’s climbing, it was back to the McLains’ which Rob Brown and I were sent up to clear them, a house for some excellent take-out pizza. pattern we kept to over the next two days of climbing. Below: Ciara Sadly, that was the end of our climbing at Saint Jeannet, The Dads took it in turns to do the initial climbs and either Lawler on La but it had been a great trip. Since then, the club has toprope them or set up two screwgates so that the kids Una 4c . continued to be active, with two members in the Climbing could clip in once they had finished leading the route and Bottom: The Development Squad and 4-6 competing in every round of could be lowered safely without having to do a rethread support crew! the Lead Climbing and Bouldering Leagues, where they though the maillons (‘quick links,’ similar to carabiners but have performed very creditably. without hinged gates, having instead just a screw thread, so We are all really looking forward to 2018. The club has ten they can be closed). Once everyone had taken their turn, new members this year already. Ten members are one of the Dads would strip the route. competing in the Youth Climbing Series, and then we have As the day drew to a close we only managed to get Cian club trips to Transylvania, Donegal and the Burren planned, Johns and Sean Brown on Le K, but all of the children had not to mention the routine outings to Dalkey. I have a funny made at least two climbs, a great start to the trip. We feeling that Hallowe’en 2018 could see us back on some paused for refreshments once back down in the village, familiar French territory, though! ■ before going for a well-deserved pizza. For the second day, we headed west through the village to a lower set of climbs, collectively called La Source, all pretty much on a level track. At the western end of the Getting there climbing there were a number of house-sized boulders, Flights: Aer Lingus and Ryanair fly direct to Nice. Saint where we set up, kicking off on one called Les Croutes, with Jeannet is 25-30 minutes from the airport by hire car. routes ranging from 2 to 5c. Accommodation: There is plenty of accommodation Using the same routine as the day before, all of the kids available in the area on AirBnB. ) w e got to lead four routes from 2 to 4c to get them into the r Guidebooks: France: Cote D'Azur: Rockfax Rock Climbing c

t swing of things. Two routes of 2 and 2+ proved ideal for r Guide by Chris Craggs has a very good, well-illustrated o p getting the mums involved too. We also had a chance to section on Saint Jeannet. p u

s show the youth members how to safely strip a route under e

h supervision. t

, r

e After lunch, we worked our way back towards the village, l w

a checking out the available climbing on the way. Eventually L

a we stopped at an area called La Knubel, in the trees at the r a i foot of a 20m wall, which had a nice range of 14-16m routes C

, n ranging from 4 to 6c in difficulty, though some were rather w o r polished, which made life a bit more difficult. We toproped B a l a 5c and set up a 4c and a 5a for leading. By the end of the l E ( day the Dads and children had all completed six or seven r e l climbs and the mums had been initiated; a great day out. w a L

We found La Knubel such a good spot that we went back n a I there the next day too, but moved a little further towards

: s h the village, setting up on climbs ranging from 4a to 6b, with p a r top ropes on the higher grades for the children. One route, a g o t very handy 3, came with a convenient tree at the top which o h allowed one of the Dads to clip himself in, perch in the tree P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 31 CLUB TRIPS

CLIMBING IN CALPE

Defence Forces club holds climbing meet in Calpe in Costa Blanca, Spain . Fran Whelan reports .

n February, six members of the Defence Forces Above: Tom the climbing areas. We hired two cars for travelling to and Association of Mountaineers (DFAM) – Flight Everard and from the crags. Alicante to Calpe was around fifty Sergeant Ned Flood, Flight Quartermaster Sergeant Ned Flood minutes by car, with one €5.50 toll en route (but be Fran Whelan, Sergeant Noel Shannon, Sergeant climbing on careful not to speed on the tolled roads in this region as Dave Nordon, Sergeant Tom Everard and Private the Toix Este you might find an automatic speeding fine waiting for John Sharkey – participated in a four-day climbing cliffs with the you at the other end). meet at Calpe in the Costa Blanca in Spain. The Rock of Ifach Calpe town is full of history and culture, and it attracts purpose of the meet was to sample the single- and in the tourists throughout the year, although in February it was I distance. multi-pitch climbs in the area and to practice the skills pleasant and not crowded. The area has a variety of associated with such climbing. restaurants and supermarkets for the necessities. The Below: Costa Blanca is the winter capital for sport climbers in prices are quite cheap, as one might expect in Spain. Members of Europe. It has the combination of reliable weather and an Calpe’s strategic location on the coast has attracted the DFAM availability of a diversity of climbing, mainly on limestone. group (left to many voyagers and settlers throughout history, and it is This diversity covers virtually all climbers’ needs, ranging right): Noel marked by the impressive Rock of Ifach. This immense from low-grade sport climbs to via ferratas and scrambles, Shannon, Fran rock was designated a nature park in 1987 and provides through to top-grade sport climbs and long, multi-pitch Whelan, Tom shelter for a variety of plants, such as rockrose and tree routes, both adjacent to the sea and high in the coastal Everard, John germander, as well as the Ifach mushroom. The rock mountain ranges. Sharkey, Dave towers to 332 metres, jutting out into the Mediterranean; The area also offers some spectacular mountaineering Nordon, Ned it has some nice climbing routes. ridges such as the Bernia Ridge, a 3.5-km ridge running Flood. We had four full days of climbing in Calpe. On the first

) between Bernia and Pinos. In addition, there are numerous night we organised our gear and decided where we would h p trad climbing routes there. It is necessary to carry a small start climbing. We had researched the climbing areas a r g rack of gear on some of the multi-pitch routes to protect prior to travelling, using the Rockfax Climbing Guide Spain: o t o the long run-outs between bolts and the dodgy tat. h p Sgt Noel Shannon and I shared the organising of the p u o meet. The overall costs were quite low and it was cost- r g

, effective to travel there at that time of year (February). g n i

b Return flights to Alicante and accommodation in Costa m i l Blanca worked out at less than €200 per person; this c

d included a 20kg baggage allowance shared between r a r

e each climbing pair for climbing and medical equipment. v E Our accommodation was in a six-bed villa with a m o swimming pool in Calpe, a mere ten minutes’ drive from T ( n a l e h W ➤ Fran Whelan is a flight quartermaster n a

r sergeant with the Air Corps. He works as an F

: account manager in a logistics role. He is also s h

p a climbing instructor with the Defence Forces a r

g Association of Mountaineers (DFAM) and is a o t qualified Mountain Leader and SPA holder. o h P 32 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Costa Blanca, written by UK climbers Right: Ready Chris Craggs and Alan James. for an abseil On the first day, we drove to the on Toix Far Toix cliffs in ten minutes and spent Oeste. the first part of the day climbing single-pitch climbs on the Far Oeste Below: crag. The walk in to the crag took Preparing for about five minutes. This was an ideal an abseil: way to start the trip, as the climbs started at low grades John Sharkey and got progressively harder as we moved along the crag. and Dave Nordon on There were also some two-pitch climbs (of about thirty Toix Oeste. metres’ pitch each) to practice anchors and rappelling before hitting the longer, multi-pitch routes. Our main focus was on practicing basic sport climbing skills, such as threading the rope through the top anchors safely before being lowered off a climb; making a range of anchors suitable for multi-pitch routes; using carabiners, slings and protection; and abseiling. Safety was paramount, and we double-checked all systems. We also discussed alpine-style abseils for use on longer routes, and we looked at scenarios that might occur, such as passing an anchor, and the possibility of running out of rope between pitches and having to make alternative anchors. The climbs up here were made more dramatic by the As the day progressed and as we became more higher starting point. The bolted protection on some of confident on the rock, we moved on to higher grades. The the climbs was rather sparse, consisting more of rope weather was quite good and there was only a scattering of threads, which were sometimes quite unusable, so we other climbers coming and going during the day. used trad protection. On the second day, we started on the Toix Oeste crag, There was an amphitheatre of rock next to this crag which is an impressive rock face. The highest point on the called Toix TV, which was a huge, tufa-laced amphitheatre

) Toix ridge offers some lovely, if often sketchy, climbing perched at the very top of the Toix ridge. The amphitheatre a c was a great sun trap and an ideal venue for cooler days. a with some long run-outs between bolts. We used some of l P For the last day of climbing, we had intended to do the x our racks on these routes, in between bolts, especially on i o

T longest multi-pitch climb on the Toix ridge, Cilber, which the harder moves. We climbed multi-pitch routes, mostly t a of two long pitches, and then abseiled off. The views from leads to the summit of the ridge, but the winds picked up y e k and we had to call it off. We felt it was a bit risky, after r the belay stances were spectacular. a h The next day, we decided to move further up the Toix taking advice from a local climber. S

n We decided to go instead to the far end of the Sierra de h cliffs to the Toix Placa crag. This involved a steep, twenty- Below: John o J

( minute scramble in the cold morning air, up to the higher Toix, a seven-minute car journey, to climb on the Toix Este Sharkey d o crag. The sun came out and warmed us up as we settled climbing on crag. This crag faces straight out into the Mediterranean o l F to pick out our climbs, with fantastic views all round. Toix Placa. and has great views over Calpe and the Ifach rock. The d e walk-in was a very pleasant ten minutes. N

, ) l

i The routes were mainly four to five pitches of climbing e s on limestone but at a lower grade to the previous crags. b a

r Nevertheless, we spent the whole day climbing here in the o f

g sun, shielded from the winds. The routes had great views n i r out over the sea and were ideal for long, multi-abseil a p e practice. r p ( The trip was immensely successful from start to finish, d r a

r with most things going as planned. Most of our equipment e v

E was drawn from the DFAM stores in Athlone. The medical

m side of things was taken care of by Sgt Dave Nordon EMT o T

,

) (a qualified emergency medical technician), who stitched l i e s up a few cuts, but nothing too serious. b a The aims of the trip were all met and we agreed it had r o f been a very successful exercise, enhancing our climbing y d

a skills and techniques and allowing us to practice rope e r ( work and to climb long, multi-pitch routes on limestone. y e k These are all essential skills for instructors and will be put r a h into the armoury for future training in the Defence Forces. S

n Most importantly, we all had a great time climbing safely h o J

without suffering any injuries. : s h Many thanks to the Chairman of DFAM and to the other p a r members of the group for supporting this trip. We aim to g o t organise another trip to Spain later in the year ■ o h P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 33 CLUB TRIPS

CALPE CAPERS

Feel Good Factor members go sport climbing on the Costa Blanca . Anna-Clare McGarvey reports .

n November 2017, the Feel Good Factor Club Above: Feel variety of mid- to lower-grade routes, perfect for those travelled to Calpe in the Costa Blanca region of Good Factor getting to grips with sport climbing for the first time! Spain for four days of sport climbing. This was the members pose It was also convenient to be at a resort beside the sea, club’s first sport climbing trip. For many of the for a group much to the pleasure of our morning and evening swim women who went on the trip it was also their first shot before enthusiasts. We rented a villa in the Maryvilla suburb of experience of climbing outdoors. The Feel Good going to climb Calpe, on the northern slopes of Sierra de Toix, for close Factor Club is a club run by women, for women. Its at Echo 1.5 in access to the crags. However, having rental cars was message is ‘Get out there, keep fit and feel great in doing Vall de essential for getting around efficiently, with the added I Guardar, so!’ luxury of eliminating time-consuming walk-ins. Calpe. The club, which is based in Bryansford, Co Down, a The November weather provided excellent climbing prime location in the shadow of the Mournes, engages in Below: Maeve conditions, with temperatures peaking at 20°C in the various mountain sports, including hiking, walking, McKeever midday heat, sandwiched by cool shade in the morning climbing and biking. Since the club’s establishment in climbing a and late afternoon. spring 2015, it has grown from a group of friends in the route at Toix The majority of us set off on Wednesday, November Mournes area, who met socially to hike, walk, climb and Placa in Calpe. 15 th , flying from Belfast International Airport to Alicante, bike, to a highly organised club, which now boasts forty- with an hour’s drive to Calpe. There, we joined two of our eight members. members, Maeve McKeever and Deidre McGuire, who had The group that went to Calpe consisted of Alwynne arrived a few days earlier to scout out the area’s climbing Shannon, Anna-Clare McGarvey, Cara Lavery, Deidre offerings and how to get around. Maeve, the club’s McGuire, Emma Clarke, Fiona Mullan, Joanne McCandless, Climbing Training Officer, had visited Calpe the previous Kath Maguire, Kelly O’Reilly Smith, Maeve McKeever, Nicola spring with Wexford Mountaineering Club. Campbell and Siobhán McKibben, a dynamic collection of Having someone who was familiar with the area proved women. There was a great mix of ages and occupations, as really helpful in planning our climbing days. Maeve and well as a broad range of experience, from beginners to Deidre had also bought food supplies, and they prepared CWA, SPA and ML trainees and holders. dinner for the rest of the group’s arrival, for which we were n o i Calpe was our chosen destination so as to be near to t all very grateful. c e

l the Sierra de Toix ridge, which has a reputation for its wide l o C

b The Toix Far Oeste crag u l

C Anna-Clare McGarvey is a For our first day’s climbing, we headed to the Toix Far ➤ r o t Mountaineering Ireland member who Oeste crag, where there were plenty of slabby routes to c a started climbing and mountaineering

F get warmed up on. The crag was well sheltered, yet offset

d in 2012 as part of Queen’s University o by epic views across the ocean. We also had the added o Belfast Mountaineering Club. She G

l bonus of having the crag to ourselves. e works for Sticky Feet Climbing in e

F In the morning, we paired beginners with those with

: Belfast, is a CWA holder and is CWLA s h trained. Currently a member of the Feel more sport climbing experience, to help the former build p a r Good Factor Club, Anna-Clare’s regular their skill and confidence lead-climbing. This, the transfer g o t activities include sport climbing, trad of skills within the club, is a key principle of the Feel Good o h climbing and hiking. Factor Club. P 34 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Once everyone had warmed up on short, positive slab Right: Kelly routes, we were keen to try longer, more vertical routes. O’Reilly Smith By the afternoon the ‘psych’ was high, and some women seconding a were pushing up into the 6 grades. Top ropes were left up multi-pitch on certain routes to give less experienced climbers a taste route at Toix of more technical and pumpy moves on the higher-graded Far Oeste climbs. After a successful and full day’s climbing, we (Joanne headed into Calpe for a well-earned pint. McCandless In the evenings, we took it in turns to cook together in is on lead). threes or fours, and all ate together as a group, which was a nice way to get to know everyone a little better. The group headed to the Toix Placa crag on day two of climbing, where once again the variety of route grades as well as the many two-star routes allowed for lots of climbing and gradual progression up the grades. The guidebook repeatedly used the word ‘worrying’ in the descriptions, which proved to be the case, with old tat as threads in many cases, rather than shiny bolts. Some of the climbing proved challenging, which resulted in half of the group returning to Toix Far Oeste, but two of the women, Joanne McCandless and Fiona Mullan, pushed hard and attempted a multi-pitch ridge. For the third day’s climbing we decided to travel a bit further to Echo Valley (Vall de Guardar), about an hour’s drive inland from Calpe. The approach to the crag was Above: breath-taking in itself, both figuratively and literally, as we Anna-Clare ascended steeply into the seclusion of the mountains up a McGarvey winding road only wide enough for one car at a time – climbing at smaller details such as taping up, and practical luckily we didn’t meet any oncoming traffic. Once parked Toix Far considerations such as how much and what food and Oeste. just above our chosen crag, Echo 1.5, the panoramic view drink to bring. Those who had started out as beginners over the valley gave a sense of being at the top of the were gaining confidence in reading routes and giving beta. Below: world. This was the hottest day of climbing, as the crag wasn’t Members sheltered from the afternoon sun, but this didn’t deter the of Feel Good psych; a number of women successfully ticked off 6a Growing self-awareness Factor Club leads, while others tested their endurance sending vertical At this stage of the trip, there was a growing self- climbing at 25m routes. awareness, from personal climbing goals for the day to Echo 1.5. A very satisfying day’s climbing was topped off with a spontaneous pit-stop in the charming coastal town of Altea la Vieja, where we stumbled upon a street party for the Spanish bank holiday. Before we knew it, we were dancing with the locals to a Spanish brass band. On Sunday morning, our last day in Calpe, the group split into those who were eager to squeeze in one last climbing session and others who wanted to take it easy and go to the beach. Six women ventured to the Sierra de Toix crag called Tropical Dreams, another stunning location overlooking shimmering seas, with challenging routes to finish off the week. The Feel Good Factor Club’s first sport climbing trip was a huge success. There was lots of climbing, no injuries and a great group atmosphere, with everyone developing individually as bona fide sport climbers. Many on the trip n o i had experienced sport climbing with other climbing t c e l groups, but what was different about climbing with Feel l o

C Good Factor was the relaxed and supportive atmosphere b u l created by the Feel Good women; there was no pressure C r to climb hard but rather an invitation to have fun climbing o t c and to gain confidence in doing so. a F A big part of the trip’s success was due to how well it d o o was organised in advance by Maeve McKeever, the club’s G l

e Climbing Training Officer. Calpe was superb as a climbing e F

: destination, offering something for everyone ■ s h p a r fINd oUt more: For more information about the Feel Good g o t Factor Club, or to join, go to the feelgoodfactor.org or o h contact them at [email protected] . P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 35 CLUB TRIPS

GROSSGLOCKNER

Coconuts Hillwalking Club took on Austria’s highest peak on their annual trip. Margaret Kennedy reports.

he Coconuts Hillwalking Club in Cork went to Above: As most of us had no Alpine experience, we booked the Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria for Margaret guides for the easier, two-day option, with an overnight their 2017 annual end-of-summer hiking trip, Kennedy in stay in the Erzherzog Johann Hütte (3,454m). Before we intending to climb Austria’s highest mountain, Hohe Tauern left Ireland, we had made contact with a local guiding the Grossglockner (3,798m). National Park, company, Bergführer Kals, and tentatively agreed August TWe flew from Cork to Munich on August 24 th and then Austria, with 30 th for our attempt. made the three-and-a-half-hour journey to our hotel in Grossglockner The Hohe Tauern National Park was established in 1981. Kals am Grossglockner (1,364m) by pre-booked local bus. peak in the With an area of 1,836 km , it is the largest national park in distance. We stayed in Kals for the first eight nights of our eleven- Austria and the largest na²ture reserve in the Alps. day trip. The weather was excellent when we arrived and, As well as the Glockner and Venediger groups of apart from one wet afternoon, it happily stayed that way mountains, there is a network of excellent walks here, until our last evening there. accessible to any reasonably fit hillwalker. Over the first Under the guidance of our able chief organiser, Conor, we five days, we took in the following routes from Kals: began by familiarising ourselves with local routes. On the • Tauern to Stüdlehütte to Lucknerhaus first day, we headed north, following the local river up- • Dorfertal Gorge: an area saved by local women from valley to the village of Taurer, and then taking the flooding for a hydroelectric dam in the late 1970s Herrensteig track to the Stüdlhütte (2,802m). The • Rotenkogel by cable-car from Kals, with some mountain guides use this hut as their base for the returning via Blauspitze Grossglockner. • The Figerhorn I noticed several young, athletic-looking guides • The Peischlachtörl Pass departing with their sometimes anxious-looking clients, • The Glorer Hutte. while others were simply enjoying lunch. All wonderful and accessible walks, and most of them We also witnessed the arrival of a rescue helicopter with offer a view of the Grossglockner to whet your appetite for a young woman, who had been airlifted from the same the big day. We made use of local buses, taxis and cable- Grosseglockner ridge that we expected to follow in a few cars to get to the start, or to get back from the finish of days’ time. She had had a panic attack, but happily she walks. seemed fine as she walked away from the helicopter. After hiring stiff-soled boots and checking in with the The popular route up the Grossglockner, starting from guide office on Tuesday evening, we booked a taxi for th n the Stüdlhutte, involves crossing a glacier and using via 9.00am the next day, August 30 , to take us to o i t ferrata-style fixed ropes along a ridge. c Lucknerhaus (1,910m). e l l Also starting from the Stüdlhutte is the more strenuous o A pleasant 2½-hour hike from there gave us plenty of C popular rock-climbing route called the Stüdlgrat. y time to get to Stüdlhütte in time to meet the guides at d e

n 12.30pm. There was also time to deal with newly-acquired n e blisters, courtesy of the stiff-soled boots for two of us, K Margaret Kennedy is a member of

t ➤ e before we met our first guide, Amyn from Innsbrück. He r Coconuts Hillwalking Club and Cork a g r Mountaineering Club. Although a had forsaken a career in physiotherapy to concentrate on a

M mountain guiding, for now anyway. He handed out our Wicklow woman by birth, she enjoys : s h hillwalking in Munster and taking an helmets, crampons and harnesses and demonstrated p a r annual hiking trip to the continent. how to put them on. g o t We headed off, carrying our extra gear in our backpacks. o h An even and gently-sloping track brought us to a flat P 36 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Left: Walking across the glacier.

Right: On the summit of Grossglockner.

Below left: Approaching the top of Grossglocker: Mairead O’Reilly, Margaret Kennedy and Rosarie O’Connor. After crossing the glacier without incident, the walking glacier, which we crossed without crampons, to the base poles and crampons were cached in some rocks for our of an exposed rocky ridge. Below right: return. We roped up, with Gary leading for the climb to the As we stopped to put on our harnesses, our second Grossglockner . top. The only bit that caused me some anxiety was a short, guide, Gary, a native of nearby Leinz, joined us. We roped exposed arête on a narrow ridge, near the top, between the up in two groups of three, each with one of the guides. Our Kleineglockner and Grosseglockner. There is little room for guide Gary’s first task was to get us quickly across a short overtaking here, and this often leads to bottlenecks. All avalanche-prone section before leading us to Erzherzog went well, however, and we joined our friends on the other Johan Hütte, via fixed ropes on the ridge, a Grade 1 rope, with Amyn, at the highest point in Austria, in perfect scramble. I found this scramble demanding and weather conditions, before 8.00am. unrelenting, as I perspired in the afternoon sunshine. The After taking many photos, we proudly returned by the occasional stops indicating various points of interest were same route. We had no problems on the way down, apart always welcome. from a slight difficulty with the transition from rock back The guidebooks are full of praise for this busy hut with to glacier, when we had to put the crampons on again. It its wonderful panoramic views and not-to-be-missed wasn’t long until we were finished with the slushy glacier sunsets. The lure of a cold beer was strong, so we joined and back at Ersherzog Johann Hutte. other hikers already enjoying theirs in the afternoon After a well-earned coffee with home-made Apfelstrudel sunshine. The views were indeed wonderful, the changing and cream, we all made our way back down the via ferrata shadows from the evening sun enhancing the distance, to Stüdlhütte. Though we were not very hungry, this was an depth and layers of mountain ranges in every direction. opportunity to try out some of the local mountain fare. I The hut was very comfortable, and we enjoyed our ordered a Bernierwürst mit speck – a delicious cheese- evening meal. Gary advised us to be up by 4.45am to have filled sausage wrapped in ham and served with mustard breakfast and get started before the rush in the morning. and salad. The Austrians certainly know how to provide the Leaving most of our gear in the hut, we set off in darkness hearty calories! at 5.50am and were soon happily crunching our way We bade goodbye to our guides and were back at our across a glacier. Head-torches were not necessary: the hotel by 3.00pm, with boots returned and in time for the stars above and a pre-dawn glow provided enough light. I last complimentary afternoon refreshments in the friendly decided there was nowhere else I would rather be right hotel. then. The promised change in weather came that evening, bringing heavy rain, snow on the surrounding peaks and a drop in temperatures overnight. We left Kals for Mattrei de Oistirol, in our winter gear, in torrents of rain the next day. When the rain finally stopped on Sunday, we fitted in a walk up as far as the snowline, with a stop for hot n o i chocolate at the t c e l Zunigalm. l o

C On the way back, y d we had time to join e n

n the locals in their e K annual harvest t e r

a festival, with g r

a wonderful traditional M

: music, food, dancing s h

p and yodelling, making a r g the perfect end to the o t o trip ■ h P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 37 Climbing

local climbers Conor Poland, emma mcminn and Patrick Poland on the first ascents of the new campus board at hotrock. Photo: Kevin Kilroy HOTROCK CLIMBING WALL Kevin Kilroy reports on some recent developments at the hotrock Climbing wall in tollymore.

Mountaineering Ireland has made some recent changes at Hotrock Climbing Wall, located in the Tollymore National Outdoor Centre in the heart of the Mournes, Co Down. This article describes these changes, hears what locals have to say about them and outlines what to expect from one of Northern Ireland’s most ideally situated indoor climbing facilities.

Hotrock Climbing Wall was which around this time often has stood the test of time… Centre, Mountaineering Ireland built by Mountaineering built resin-coated fibreglass literally! All of the smears are has installed a new campus Ireland at Tollymore National walls complete with still perfectly useable, with no board and a 40° overhanging Outdoor Centre in June 2000, characteristic rock features – signs of any polish or loss of board in Tollymore’s Training the second climbing wall to be pockets, flakes, tiny little friction despite eighteen years Room. Thanks to Pat Nolan of built there. “The original granite crimps and the magical of traffic. Bolder Climbing Walls for a outdoor wall, which is still smears. One of the strengths of the superlative job on both boards. actively in use at Tollymore, At Hotrock, you only have to Hotrock Climbing Wall is that “For me, the most beneficial dates from the 1970s and was try one of the two corner lines the routes there are re-set four part of the new training room the first artificial climbing wall to realise the craftsmanship times per year. Mountaineering has definitely been the to be built in Northern Ireland,” behind the wall’s design. It is in Ireland employs qualified construction of the 40° board,” says Trevor Fisher, centre these corners especially that route-setters to strip, clean says local 14-year-old climber manager at Tollymore. the magical smears come into and fully re-set the wall over Luka Hallissey. “It has The Hotrock Climbing Wall is their own…within a couple of three days. The 2018 dates for increased my strength owned by Mountaineering bridging moves you are this are March 29-31 st , June 7- massively, as I have found Ireland and managed by whisked away in your mind’s 9th , September 13-15 th and when competing on powerful Tollymore National Outdoor eye to a blank granite scoop December 6-8 th . Hotrock will overhanging routes.” Centre. It was designed and somewhere high in the be closed to the public on Youth climbing classes are built by legendary rock-climber Mournes! these dates. Last year, held on Monday, Tuesday and and wall-builder Crispin The effect is the same Mountaineering Ireland also Wednesday evenings, Waddy and the Living Stone whether it’s your first or your invested £1,000 on new holds facilitated by Tollymore Climbing Walls Ltd team, a hundredth time trying the for the wall. National Outdoor Centre. These revolutionary Welsh business Hotrock corners. The quality of In partnership with instructor-led classes are the in the climbing wall industry, the design and manufacture Tollymore National Outdoor perfect way for children to 38 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 start climbing and developing Written by their climbing skills. Check out Kevin Kilroy, Tollymore’s website, Youth Development www.tollymore.com, for more Officer for Northern information and bookings. Ireland There are regular Thursday night social climbing sessions for experienced climbers, with enthusiasm for climbing on so an optional pub quiz much.” afterwards in downtown Hotrock really has got Newcastle, usually at the something to offer climbers of Anchor Bar at 10.00pm. Just all ages and levels, and it is all call in and say hello any time thanks to the developments after 6.00pm on Thursdays at and visions made real by many Hotrock. people down through the “The recent development of years. the training room has A special thanks to Dawson attracted more experienced Stellfox, Ian Luney, Mike climbers to the wall,” says Luka McClure, Oisin Hallissey, Kieran Hallissey. “This has led to a O’Hara, Trevor Fisher, Angela great social scene, where we Carlin, Stewart McGill, Paul all meet up during the week Swail, Pat Nolan, Michael and help each other in Duffy, Crispin Waddy and all developing our skills and Pat Nolan of bolder Climbing walls carries out some essential the coaches and route-setters maintenance work at tollymore. Photo: Kevin Kilroy strength.” who have inspired young One such experienced climbers over the years. Thank wall is closed to the public on Climbing Club and the climber who frequents you all! Friday evenings, so please excellent facilities at Hotrock. Hotrock regularly, Ian Rea, Finally, a couple of wise contact me, Kevin Kilroy, at The concept of developing a says: “What I have really words from Sam Gordon on his noticed with the campus [email protected] for Friday night family climbing eighteen-year relationship with board is the intensity of the more information. club has been a great Hotrock. Sam works as a health burn you get. It gives you a Regarding these youth opportunity for like-minded, and fitness officer and chance to incrementally feel climbing sessions, parent keen-to-learn climbers to continues to follow his passion you are getting somewhere in Garath Leneghan says: “My develop their skills and build for rock-climbing as a father of your training. The boards that I daughter and I have recently friendships. The constant two: “I have been a climber for had seen in the past were all completed a course, Next Step changes to the Hotrock wall to over twenty years and an without footholds – useless for Learn to Lead, at Hotrock, as challenge both the beginner exercise professional for someone like me – so the part of the new improved and more advanced through eighteen. I fondly remember Tollymore one is a godsend! climbing club that new route settings and holds being dropped off by my “Eleven-year-old Eabha and Mountaineering Ireland has have also been a great parents after pestering them to I were there one evening and developed there. This would success. Coupling this with take me to Hotrock, proudly she said, ‘Claire Hardy showed not have been possible if it experienced instructors has wearing a t-shirt with a lizard me this one; she says it’s really was not for their Friday brought our skills and on it. I soon met John Dunne good for developing core and Eddie Cooper and learned strength,’ as she proceeded to lots of movement skills, such hang off the end rungs, lifting as when Eddie taught me how her knees to her waist height. to toe-hook; Kieran O’Hara, I only managed four or five who taught me some manners; then! That was only a few and recently Ian Rea, who weeks ago but I can now do inspired me afresh. I truly sets of eight or nine.” believe that a climber and The Friday night youth person can improve for as long climbing sessions are as they are inspired. The supported by Mountaineering developments at Hotrock have Ireland and are currently open inspired me to simply improve.” to any local families with So, the next time you’re in previous climbing experience. the Mournes, please pay The sessions have been very Tollymore a visit, buy a coffee well attended since last and a brownie, stay the night, summer. They are a fun and join a club, book on a course social evening for families with Claire hardy route-setting at hotrock during the route Setting and support this great facility children to come and climb, Association level 2 course at hotrock in february. this was the first in the heart of the mighty and make new friends. The course of its kind held in Northern Ireland. Photo: Kevin Kilroy kingdom of Mourne ■ Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 39 Climbing

IRISH LEAD CLIMBING CHAMPIONSHIP Damien O’Sullivan reports on the 2017 Irish lead Climbing Championship. N

he 2017 Irish Lead E I R B

Climbing Championship ’ O

took place across the E T N th N weekend of November 25-26 I A R

at Awesome Walls Dublin. G Sponsored by DMM, the competition attracted some very high-level climbers from all over Ireland as well as a number of very able visitors from further afield. Route-setters Brian Hall, Adam Pracownik and Éamon Ó Riain put up a range of climbs to challenge competitors across the qualification, semi-final and final rounds. Climbers in Youth A, Youth B and Youth C competed on the Saturday, while Senior climbers competed on the Sunday. Saturday’s climbing gave a clear demonstration of the current prowess of the top youth climbers across Ireland. Many of these young climbers are now at or above the level of most adults. This is largely down to the level of dedication from the young climbers themselves and the high-quality route-setting and coaching available at the climbing walls. On Sunday, the Senior climbers took their turn on the Ciaran Scanlon on his way to taking first place in the Senior male category. R

E routes. In the Senior Male In the Senior Female L

W category, the competition category, Lucy Mitchell A L

N was very close between continued her dominance to A I Ciaran Scanlon, Ben Preston take first place by a and Michael O’Neill. Michael comfortable margin. Youana topped the ranking after the Kim and Aisling Brennan semi-final but, in the final battled it out for second and round, Ciaran Scanlon did third place, with Youna just enough to take the title. eventually taking the silver ■

Sarah walker-Palin and Sean brown competing in their youth categories. Sponsors of the 2017 Irish Lead Climbing Championship 40 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Written by Damien O’Sullivan, Talent Development Officer

Conroy needing to climb her best in the final round to win the league. Rhyna remained composed to take the top spot on the podium, ahead of Ciara Burgoyne and Bonita Thurston. In Male Youth B, a very much on-form Luka Hallissey took first place ahead of Matthew Smith and Benedict

N Thurston. A V I

L Amy Orr climbed L U S

’ consistently well across the O

N league to win the Female E I

M Youth B category, with Keira A

D Blaquez Burke and Ella Brown daniel luca Ciobanic competing in the 2017-2018 Irish bouldering league. completing the podium. A very impressive performance from Tommy IRISH BOULDERING LEAGUE Myles at the final round saw him win the very competitive Damien O’Sullivan reports on the 2017-2018 Irish bouldering league. Male Youth A category ahead of Daragh Hoare and Marcus unning for twenty-five Riain achieved first place in In the Female Youth D, Eve McDowell. years now, the Irish three different rounds to win Buckley climbed very In Female Youth A, Jessica RBouldering League is ahead of Ger O’Sullivan and consistently to stay ahead of McGarry was the decisive the stalwart competition of Ciaran McDonald. Napsugar Bodi and Freya winner ahead of Caoimhe the Irish climbing scene. Christina McInerney won O’Connor. Broderick and Jessie Smith- Sponsored by Rab, this Senior Female B with a round Youth C Male climber McCarthy ■ season’s Irish Bouldering to spare, with second and Joshua Hoare won all of the League took in four rounds third places going to Gillian three rounds in which he across four different climbing Barcley and Róisín Kearney competed and took first place walls. Adult climbers respectively. competed on the Saturdays In the Male B category, Erik ahead of Fionn O’Connor and Brian McDonald. and youth climbers took up Durco finished the league in Sponsors of the 2017-2018 the challenge on Sundays. style, taking four wins. Female Youth C was a very Irish Bouldering League The league opened at the Female A was won by competitive affair, with Rhyna Gravity Climbing Centre in Victoria Watterson, with N A V

October. Round two took Vanessa Woods and Youna I L L

place at Boulder World Kim completing the podium. U S ’ O

Belfast in November, and In the Male A category, N E round three took place in Michael O’Neill overhauled I M

December at the recently Sean Marnane to seal the win A D opened Suas Climbing Centre on the final round, leaving in Gillogue, Co Clare, across Sean in second place overall the Shannon from Limerick and Michael Murphy in third. city. It was not until the final The youth categories round at the Dublin Climbing proved equally competitive, Centre in January, when the with some amazing climbing results from all four rounds on show across the four were known and the top three rounds. results could be identified and Daire Oglesby took first added, that the overall results place in Male Youth D, ahead were known. of Leo Adan and Patrick In Masters Male, Éamon Ó Galvin. victoria watterson on her way to taking top spot in the female A category. Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 41 Climbing

IRISH BOULDERING CHAMPIONSHIP Damien O’Sullivan reports on the 2018 Irish bouldering Championship. N ponsored by Rab and I L R

hosted by the Gravity A C

Climbing Centre, this A L

S E year’s Irish Bouldering G N Championship provided some A of Ireland’s top competition boulderers with a challenging but enjoyable competition. On Saturday, February 3 rd , climbers in Youth A, Youth B and Youth C competed in a qualification round and a final round to decide who would be crowned champion in their relative categories. The number of youth climbers was bolstered by a group of climbers who came across from England. Not only did these climbers add to the numbers, but they also really added to the quality of the climbing. The qualification round consisted of eight boulder problems for each of the climbers. In the Male Youth A category, Alexander Dent made a huge impression by qualifying in first place in a very competitive category. lucy mitchell, the eventual winner in the female category, competing in the 2018 Irish bouldering Championship. N I In the final round, the top were identified for the Final L R

A five climbers in each category round. The top three places in C

A both the Male and Female

L were challenged on four E

G boulder problems to decide categories were very closely N A the results. Strong final run, with the top place performances from Pippa possibly going to any of the Watkin, Sean O’Connor, Anna top three climbers at a De Souza, Luka Hallissey, number of stages in the final Rhyna Conroy and Luca round. McDowell saw them take the On the third of their final top place in their respective boulder problems, Ciaran categories. Scanlon edged ahead of On Sunday, it was the turn of Dominic Burns and David the climbers in the Senior Fitzgerald to take the title. category. A broad field of male In the female category, Lucy and female climbers settled Mitchell won the title ahead of into the competition, with a Victoria Watterson and Sheila qualification round of five Nolan ■ boulder problems. The Semi-Final round for the top ten climbers in each category continued to distil down the field, until the top Sponsors of the 2018 Irish Ciaran Scanlon competing in the 2018 Irish bouldering Championship. five climbers in each category Bouldering Championship 42 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Training Opportunities

Written by Joyce Meade, ADVENTURE DEGREE Coláiste Dhúlaigh College of Further Coláiste dhúlaigh, dublin, in partnership with University of Chichester, Education is offering an honours degree in Adventure facilitation and education.

láiste Dhúlaigh, College of Further Education, is delighted to announce it is now offering a one-year degree programme in ACdventure Facilitation and Education (BA Hons) in partnership with the University of Chichester. This is the first outdoor degree programme of its kind to be offered on the east coast of Ireland. Accredited by the University of Chichester, the programme has been developed by the coordinator and tutors to be relevant to our students, the growing outdoor adventure industry and the outdoor recreation scene, both at home and abroad. It looks to draw on existing knowledge and experience, and it develops the ‘theory to practice’ links that are essential for an effective adventure Trainees out in the Wicklow Hills. facilitator. The course is a unique blended- learning programme, combining • Applied Coaching evenings a week (Tuesdays and academic studies with a strong philo- • Issues in Adventure Environments Wednesdays) in the Coolock, Dublin 17, sophical and psychological foundation, • Dissertation campus of Coláiste Dhúlaigh, College of which incorporates practical Further Education, with a minimum of placements for students to apply their The course is taught by a twelve contact hours per week. The learning. combination of academic and industry remainder of the week is given to The course modules include: professionals, with workshops and industry experience. visiting guest lecturers to enhance the • The Reflective Practitioner programme. ➤ If you wish to find out more about • Soft Skills Facilitation The programme is delivered on a this new and exciting programme, visit • Advanced Pedagogical Skills part-time basis over two afternoons/ the college’s website, BA Adventure Facilitation and Education, or bit.ly/2FIFH7P, or email the coordinator, Joyce Meade, directly at [email protected] ■

➤ Joyce Meade, a past student of the Outdoor course (Shackleton), has been a tutor and coordinator on the Outdoor Adventure Management and Social Care courses in h g i Coláiste Dhúlaigh for fifteen years. She a l

ú completed a degree in applied social studies h D and has always had a strong interest in how e t s i the outdoors can benefit those most á l o vulnerable in our society. Joyce was delighted C

: s to take on the role of coordinator and is h p confident this programme will have a hugely a r g positive impact on the outdoor industry in o t o Trainees up in Glendalough, Co Wicklow. Ireland. h P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 43

A WEEKEND IN NORTH WALES

Daniel O’Brien visits Snowdonia with two long-time friends to mark their 40 th birthdays.

uring our annual Christmas camp Above: The Crib Horseshoe on the slopes of Truskmore above Goch Ridge with The plan for our first day was to do the Snowdon Glencar Lake on the Sligo-Leitrim Horseshoe, which includes the classic scramble border, the subject of going (1,065m) to the along the ridge. This route starts out at abroad for a climb came up. My right and Pen-y-Pass, at the top of the . friends and I had not been away Snowdon (1,085m) Although the car park there is large, it fills up very together for a few years and we in the distance. quickly, so be there early or you will have to park at Ddecided that, in the year of our 40 th birthdays, one of the other parking spaces in the area. We nobody could deny us a trip abroad. Grand, Below: The ended up parking at Pen-y-Gwryd, which is about a ambitious plans were hatched but, when real life and campsite at kilometre east and downhill from Pen-y-Pass. As we busy schedules cut our options down, we decided to Rhyd Ddu. discovered later, care is required when picking a spend a weekend in Wales – it ended up being a parking space there. great weekend! The Horseshoe starts out on the Pyg Track, a Conal Sexton, Gareth McElhinney and I got the lower-level route up Snowdon. On a Saturday in ferry from Dublin over to Holyhead on a Friday August, this path was about as busy as Croagh )

e morning in August. After we arrived in Holyhead, it

t Patrick on Reek Sunday. The weather was quite i s took little more than an hour, even in the heavy p inclement on the morning when we set out, with m traffic across Anglesey, to get to the Snowdon Inn a heavy showers of rain and strong winds. We asked c ( campsite at Rhyd Ddu, beside Llyn Cwellyn, where n e i r we were staying. The little village of Rhyd Ddu is B ’ O

located to the west of Snowdon and is the starting l e i

n point for the Snowdon Ranger and the Rhyd Ddu a D

paths up Snowdon. , ) e g d i R h c Daniel O’Brien is a Mountain o ➤ G Leader, hillwalker and rock climber b i r from Sligo. He is a member of the C ( l r

i Hanging Rockers Climbing Club and G of Mountaineering Ireland. As well as y l l i

b walking and climbing extensively in a k Ireland, he has climbed or walked in c o

R New Zealand, the Patagonian and

: s Peruvian , Iceland, Scotland, h p

a Morocco, Norway, Slovenia and the r g

o Swiss and Italian Alps. t o h P 44 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 the National Trust warden at the car park about Crib Above left: Although a number of these people had done the ridge Goch ridge in that weather and he advised against Daniel O’Brien before, nobody seemed to be sure of the route to take. doing it. We accepted that this day would not be our below Crib A little frustrated, I started to climb a gully and fairly day and we set off up the Pyg Track. However, by the Goch. soon found myself in a precarious situation. As I time we had reached the junction at Bwlch y Moch, scrambled my way delicately upwards to safety, I where you turn off the Pyg Track for Crib Goch, we Above right: shouted down not to follow me! Fortunately, two started to question the warden’s advice. There were Looking back climbers showed up and shot through a chimney fairly other people heading up for Crib Goch and we at Crib Goch easily, so then everyone knew the right way to go. From decided to go for it. I’m not saying this would have Ridge. there, route-finding along the ridge to the summit of been the right choice for everyone, but we decided, Crib Goch (923m) was easy, with enjoyable Below: Looking based on our experience and ability, it was worth a along the way. ,

) over e shot. The top of Crib Goch is where the famous ridge g from Garnedd d i The track up to Crib Goch (‘red ridge’) thankfully begins. There are steep drops to the south, inside the R Ugain to other h

c took us away from the crowds on the Pyg Track. As Horseshoe, and a vertical drop in most places along o side of G

the track petered out and the scrambling started, the north side of the ridge. I had been looking forward b

i Snowdon r our first obstacle was encountered. We were faced to this for quite some time and now I looked out at the C (

Horseshoe. n with a large rock step, with about ten people at the knife-edge ridge as it disappeared into the clouds with o t x

e bottom, all debating the best way to approach it. nervous anticipation. There was nothing else to do but S ▲ l

a It was wet and slippery and care was required. get stuck in! n o C

, ) e k a l e i r r o c f o w e i v

, h c o G b i r C w o l e b l e i n a D ( n o i t c e l l o C n e i r B ’ O l e i n a D

: s h p a r g o t o h P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 45 SNOWDONIA

On a wet and windy day like that, we didn’t climb Above: Looking down the Watkin Path, where fortunately the crowds right along the knife edge, but dropped a few feet towards Y Lliwedd dwindled away again. down to the left, or south, of the ridge, using the (898m). At Bwlch Ciliau, we broke off the Watkin Path and ridgeline itself as a handrail. There were excellent headed for the summit of Y Lliwedd (898m), which foot and handholds everywhere when needed, so Below: Conal happily gave us some solitude. Again, this part of the the scrambling was straightforward. Sexton scrambling. route offered some great scrambling, though it was It is the sense of exposure that makes this ridge nowhere near as exposed as the Crib Goch ridge. so exhilarating. Care is needed because the rock is From the summit of Y Lliwedd, the track dropped highly polished from so much traffic over the years. away into Cwm Dyli and joined the Miners’ Track. One drawback of the ridge is its popularity. There are The Miners’ Track is virtually a road, but at that point many novices who attempt it but who, perhaps, we were happy to be back on an easy path, knowing aren’t quite ready for it. Our group, and two English that our day was done. We could look back up at the climbers we had befriended, involuntarily became Crib Goch ridge with a great sense of satisfaction guides to the less experienced. and achievement. After a while we reached the three pinnacles. On a We were soon back at the car after a good eight- day like that, we decided to traverse around them, hour day in the hills. Unfortunately, we were greeted, which in in itself still provided some great as were many others, by a parking fine on the car. We scrambling. had parked in a clearway, so that is something to ) g watch out for. However, we didn’t let that spoil our n After the pinnacles, the ridge gradually broadened i l b out to form a saddle at Bwlch Coch. It was at this day! m a r point that the sense of euphoria really started to c s l kick in! It wasn’t over yet, though. There was some a ’s North Ridge n o more great scrambling ahead and our two new On our second day, we tackled the North Ridge of C (

n English friends knew the way through some great Tryfan (917m) in the Glyders. This route starts from e i r situations along the Crib-y-Ddysgl ridge to the

B Llyn Ogwen, where parking is much more readily ’ O

l summit of Garnedd Ugain (1,065m). available. We set out from the bottom of Milestone e i n From the summit of Garnedd Ugain, it was only a Buttress, which is a Mecca for climbers in the area. a D

, relatively short walk to the summit of Snowdon The route skirted around to the left of the buttress ) d d (1,085m). It was at that point that the large crowds and went up over many rock steps, which continued e w i l started to re-appear, as we joined the railway track the whole way to the summit. L

Y

( and passed the standing stone at the top of the Pyg There was a much more ‘mix and match’ feel n

o Track, at Bwlch Glas. about this route, compared to the day before on Crib t x e Unfortunately, on a Saturday in August, the Goch. The ridge is relatively wide and therefore was S l a summit of Snowdon is not the high point of the day. much less prescriptive: you could pick your own way n o Six walking tracks and a railway lead to Snowdon’s C to scramble up through the rocks.

: s summit and the crowds there were overwhelming. h As always, care was needed to ensure that we p a r The smell from the waste tanks of the summit café were not blindly following others. A large number of g o t added to the unpleasantness. We skipped the actual groups, including ours, scrambled into a bottleneck o h summit because of the queue and continued on at a tricky rock step, which couldn’t be retreated P 46 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Above: Tryfan from. A few awkward moves through a very exposed them but found the top surfaces of the rocks to be (917m) from crack and we were free to continue. so polished that I decided to forego the freedom of near Llyn Idwal. The summit wall can be tackled in any number of Tryfan! Despite all the talk about Adam and Eve, I ways. It is probably best to sit back and watch a think the jump is rarely attempted these days. Below: The view couple of groups make their way up to see what you A straightforward walk north took us to the Bwlch down Tryfan’s think will work best for you. We arrived to find a group Tryfan saddle between Tryfan and the Bristly Ridge North Ridge to in retreat from the central part of the wall and we on . The scramble up Bristly Ridge could Llyn Ogwen decided to skirt around left. This was also difficult be attempted from there, but the weather was (with Conal ground. We found out later it would have been better closing in fast, so we gave it a miss and headed back Sexton in the to scramble up through the central part of the wall. down to the car. sky-blue jacket). After this, getting to the summit was a The next morning, we made the journey back to straightforward scramble. Holyhead, to catch the ferry home. It took us only On the summit, there are two large standing forty-five minutes to get to Holyhead. The relative stones, Adam and Eve. It is said that, if you climb on ease of getting to the mountains in North Wales top of one of them and jump to the other, you will means that we will definitely be going back there receive the freedom of Tryfan. I climbed up on one of again! ■ ) n e w g O n y l L o t w e i v ( n e i r B ’ O l e i n a D

, ) n a f y r T ( e n o t s g n i P

R n a i r d A

: s h p a r g o t o h P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 47 TREKKING

THE KING’S TRAIL Fran Lynch and Fióna Gallagher have an Arctic wilderness experience in northern Sweden.

he Kungsleden, or King’s Trail, is Above: View of from Sligo Mountaineering Club, covering a total of Sweden’s premier long-distance Reaidavaggi 136 kilometres and culminating in an ascent of hiking trail and one of the most valley. Sweden’s highest mountain, Kebnekaise (2,099m). classic remote trails in the world. In our eight days on the trail we experienced Starting at Åbisko over 150 Below: The glorious autumnal colours, perfect weather and kilometres above the Arctic Circle, trekking party amazing river crossings, and saw reindeer herds, about to set off and stretching over 400 kilometres distant Sami villages and a display of the northern from the Tsouth to Ammarnäs, this trail is well worth putting lights. on your bucket list. trailhead at Our journey started in Stockholm, where we took Being situated in a very remote area at the tip of Åbisko Tourist the overnight (and most of the next day) sleeper northern Europe, getting from Ireland to the Station. trailhead was a journey in itself. Most refreshingly for train right to the trailhead at Åbisko. This was a those of us who are too connected to the virtual nineteen-hour journey which traversed the entire world, there was no phone signal for six days. This length of Sweden. This trail is so popular with the remote experience gives a truer sense of being close Swedes that it has a rail-stop of its own at the start, to nature than you can experience even in the Alps. In September 2016, we hiked the northernmost section of the King’s Trail with a group of friends

➤ Fran Lynch is a Mountain Leader and a BOS Provider. A member of Sligo Mountaineering Club for almost 30 years and of Mountaineering Ireland, and a former member of Sligo-Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team,

n she has hiked extensively in o i t mountain ranges across Europe and c e l l further afield . o C ➤ Fióna Gallagher is a 25-year h c veteran member of Sligo-Leitrim n y

L Mountain Rescue Team (SLMRT) and n a a member of Mountaineering Ireland. r F

: She is currently Training Officer with s h the SLMRT, and the Mountaineering p a r Ireland representative to the g o t executive of Mountain Rescue o h Ireland. P 48 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 minus the platform. We disembarked there at 5.00pm and, after nineteen hours on the train, we were glad of the chance to stretch our legs on the 15km hike to the first hut, Abiskojaure, travelling the last few kilometres by torchlight. All the huts on the trail are run by the Svenska Turistföreningen, the Swedish tourist association, and staffed on a voluntary basis throughout the season. They differ significantly from Alpine huts in that they are self-catering. This effectively means that you have to cook for yourself, wash up and clean the kitchen and bedroom area when you leave.There is no running water, so drinking water has to be fetched from a designated spot at a nearby stream, and wastewater has to be disposed of in an ever been in. Several of the huts on the trail have appropriate sluice area. Toilets are of the long-drop saunas, which again have to be tended by the guests. type, always a distance from the hut, and wood Water has to be fetched, timber chopped and fires needs to be chopped and stoves lit to warm the stoked, but it’s definitely worth the effort. A jump in huts. the cold river afterwards is optional! These mountain stations generally comprise a From Alesjaure, we continued south to Tjäkja, a collection of small huts and, at some, there is a small smaller hut, where extra guests sleep on mattresses in shop selling expensive tinned and long-life food. This the kitchen. No one is ever turned away. This was a means you don’t have to carry more than one day’s beautiful valley, with impressive massifs on all sides supply of food at a time. At the end of a long day on and several optional day-trips to the surrounding high the trail, there is still a couple of hours’ work to do, peaks. Snow can remain here for a long time in the but this gives the trail a pioneering feel, which befits summer and, in June 2015, several metres of snow its beauty and remoteness. blocked the pass and access to the cabin, and was still there when the winter snows came again. The next morning, we climbed steeply across the beautiful Tjäkja Pass, the highest point on the Kungsleden at 1,150m. Our objective was the Sälka Top: Tjäkja huts and the promise of another sauna. The climb to Mountain the pass was slow but rewarding, and the view from it Station. was almost Tolkienesque. Wave after wave of rounded high fells framed the glaciated valley in front of us, Above: stretching away to infinity. A gun-metal grey sky Signpost on contrasting with snow-dusted peaks added to the the trail. feeling of remoteness and isolation. This was truly the far north. ▲ Left: Taking a boardwalk on the way towards Tjäkja Each day’s walk averaged out at about 20km, with Pass. less ascent than you would find in the Alps, but bear in mind that this is trekking country and therefore a Right: Looking fundamentally different experience. back down the The King’s Trail, particularly at its start, goes Tjäkja valley through sensitive terrain and the tourist association from the lower has laid down many kilometres of boardwalks to slopes of Stuor reduce the impact on the fragile ground and to Jierta. make hiking a more pleasant experience on the wetter sections. There are many wide and fast-flowing rivers en route, and the tourist association has erected single-person suspension bridges across the wider rivers, which were exciting to cross and offered many photo opportunities. After our first night in Abiskojaure, we had a 350m ascent out of the birch forest, and traversed 21km along the beautiful Alesjauri Lake to the huts at its end. It was tough underfoot but offered beautiful vistas to the high fells east and west of the trail. At the Alesjauri huts, we were rewarded with one of the most scenically positioned saunas we have

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 49 TREKKING

At Sälka, we flew the flag for Ireland, much to the Above: good or a bad thing. amusement of a large guided group, who later tried to Duolbagorni The last mile home is always the longest and the rob it in an international friendly. There is always good (1,662m), near radio mast of the Kebnekaise mountain station never company in the huts at night and the Swedes we met Kebnekaise. seemed to get any closer. We were reluctant to leave were impressed to see an Irish group on the trail. the remoteness and peaceful feeling of the high Our fifth day of walking took us over heathery Below: Suspension Swedish fells and trade it in for the almost resort-like ground, through a wide valley dominated by the bridge. atmosphere of the large fjällstation at the foot of Kebnekaise massif to the east and the passes into Sweden’s highest mountain. We filed in together, Norway on the west. We left the beaten track in Bottom: Looking feeling a bit disoriented amongst the weekend search of reindeer antlers, which are shed annually. towards Stuor trekkers, many of whom had arrived at this rather We weren’t disappointed and we strapped them to Jierta. plush mountain centre by helicopter. We treated our rucksacks as trophies! ourselves to a nice meal, which didn’t come out of a tin and was cooked by real chefs! Early to bed, as we Stuor Jierta had a 5.00am start. Perfect weather saw us arrive at the beautifully located Singi huts by lunchtime. This allowed us to Summit day do a side-trip. The pointed peak of Stuor Jierta Summit day dawned gloriously and, with thankfully (1,543m) to the south caught our eye and we lighter packs, we set off before the main crowd. At climbed it in the afternoon with lighter packs. The 2,099m, and straddling 67°N, Kebnekaise is Sweden’s views were tremendous, stretching west to Norway highest mountain, a demanding climb and a cherished and back along the valley to the Tjäkja Pass. dream for many Swedes. We took the western route, A nice dinner of meatballs and Smash, and a which involved a demanding hike up the Kitteldalen celebratory whiskey for one of our birthdays finished valley to the Vierranvárri peak at 1,700m, crossing off the day nicely. We were rewarded with a display of the northern lights at about 10.00pm that night, in freezing temperatures. After a good night’s sleep in a very cosy hut, the following morning saw us deviating eastwards off the main King’s Trail, towards Kebnekaise mountain n o i t station. We traversed the dramatic Läddjuväggi c e l l valley, with its thousand-metre steep sides and o C cascading streams. It was cold and very icy h c

n underfoot, as the sun hadn’t penetrated to the deep y L valley floor that early. n a r

F Towards the end of this valley, we were rewarded

: s

h with the sight of the dramatic Duolbagorni (1,662m), p a r with its sheer walls rising from the valley below. The g o t next day’s hard climb of Kebnekaise could now also o h be seen clearly and we weren’t sure if this was a P 50 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Above: The view over high alpine boulder-strewn snowfields. Kebnekasie fjällstation closed for the season the westwards from From here, we had a 200m descent into the following morning and we made our 19km trek to the the summit of Kaffedalen valley and then went straight into a 500m roadhead at Nikkaloukta. We took advantage of a Kebnekaise ascent to the old Peak Cabin on the shoulder of the Sami-run waterboat taxi along the turquoise (2,099m), Kebnekaise massif. It was essentially Croagh Patrick Laddjujarvi Lake to shorten the journey somewhat. Sweden’s multiplied by five! We lost quite a bit of elevation and entered the highest peak. From here, we boulder-hopped to the snowline and autumnal birch forest again, after several days on the the stunning new emergency cabin on the summit high fells. Nikkaloukta is a Sami village with a daily bus Below: Members plateau. The summit of Kebnekaise is a small ice-field connection to Kiruna and it represents the beginning of the Irish party that varies in height from year to year; caution is and the end of many a hiker’s journey. For us, it was at the summit of advised on this very steep ice-pinnacle as there is a the end of our adventures on the King’s Trail. Kebnekaise. sheer drop of several hundred metres on two sides. The Kungsleden offers many experiences and is a We thought we were the first people on the summit therapeutic place for both mind and body. The days that morning, but we were beaten to it by three hikers on the trail follow a natural rhythm, and the variations who were dropped straight in front of us by a in the landscape, with its long valleys, challenging summits and rounded high fells, are a pleasure to the helicopter. They assured us they were going to hike senses. In many ways, it represents much that we out! have lost in the modern world we live in: a physical After soaking in the view, which encompasses eight and spiritual connection between us and the per cent of Sweden along with Norway’s distant landscape ■ peaks, we started the descent. We met the bulk of the day-hikers on their way up. The descent returns the same way as the ascent and is hard on already Getting there tired knees. However, the feeling of achievement was Daily flights from Dublin to Stockholm. You can immense as we arrived back at the mountain station overnight there and catch the morning flight to following eleven hours on the trail. We had Kiruna the following day. From Kiruna, take the Narvik-bound train to the Abisko stop. celebratory drinks that night and then a bit of a Alternatively, you can do as we did, and take the sleep-in. overnight sleeper train to Kiruna and on to Abisko. Website The Swedish Tourist Association website at www.swedishtouristassociation.com. You can book all your hut-stays here and become a member, which offers a significant discount on the huts and on many hostels operated by the Swedish Tourist Assocation in several towns, including Kiruna and Stockholm. Maps Abisko-Kebnekaise-Narvik Mountain Map, 1:100,000, Lantmateriet edition. Order from Stanfords.co.uk. Swedish Online Topo Maps at https://kso.etjanster.lantmateriet.se/#. Excellent printable maps of the entire Swedish trail system . Suggested reads Kungsleden: the Royal Trail through Sweden, by Claes Grunsten, available from Amazon.

Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 51 SPONSORED

ITALY’S LAKE GARDA Lake Garda is a great place for an activities-based holiday. Patrick O’Sullivan reports.

visited Lake Garda in September last year as a Above: View of Garda are spring, early summer, in particular from guest of the Lake Garda Trentino Tourist Board, Lake Garda in mid-April to mid-June, and autumn. with a small group of Irish journalists. I wasn’t the Dolomites, In fact, September is a popular time for tourists to sure what to expect in a place I assumed was Italy. visit Lake Garda, so we stayed in a hotel a little out of mainly a tourist resort – with a focus on water the city centre. However, getting around was fairly sports, perhaps – but in the end I had an Below: Members easy, as taxis were quite cheap. eIxcellent and surprisingly active stay there. of the group go After settling into our comfortable Hotel Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy, covers an area of e-biking in the Campagnola, we met a representative of the Lake 143 square miles and is situated in the north of the Garda valley. Garda Tourist Board, Danielli Tonelli, who made all the country, at the foot of the Dolomites. After flying into arrangements for us. Then we went out for a meal at Verona airport, we drove the 85km to Riva del Garda, Ristorante La Berlera, which is a restaurant carved the main town at the northern end of the lake. It is an into rock. It was certainly very impressive and the ideal base for an activity-based holiday here. food was wonderful. In fact, throughout our stay, the Being on a lake with a mountain river flowing into it, meals were all excellent, and the people seemed very possible activities include many water sports, such as keen to promote their local produce. canoeing, sailing and windsurfing, but with mountains The next day, we started our activities with a all around the lake and the steep rock faces of the paddle around the lake. The open canoes were heavy Dolomites up-valley, activities such as hiking and rock enough and more difficult to handle as the wind got climbing also beckon. In addition, a full range of other activities such as cycling and mountain biking are well catered for. For anyone with an interest in culture, as well as Verona, Venice is also very accessible from here. The outdoor activities are favoured by a generally mild climate, tempered by the lake, which encourages a typically Mediterranean vegetation here, with lemon trees, olive trees, laurels and palm trees. Winters can be quite cold and summers are sunny and hot, but n

a with thunderstorms. The best times to visit Lake v i l l u S ’ ➤ Patrick O’Sullivan is the Editor O

k of the Irish Mountain Log. c i r t a P

: s h p a r g o t o h P 52 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE WATER SPORTS, HIKING AND ROCK CLIMBING.

up. We had an enjoyable couple of hours looking at points of interest from the water, as we paddled along the side of the lake before coming round in a circle to return to Riva del Garda by paddling down the middle of the lake. Apart from the occasional ferry and some sailing boats, we had the lake to ourselves. In the afternoon, I visited the Museo Alto Garda museum, where they had a section entitled “Altitudes of Vision,” which documented the changes that have happened over the years in the landscapes from the top of the Alps and the Dolomites down to Lake Garda through photographs and film from 1880 to 1930. The museum also had a tower, which you could climb to get an impressively panoramic view of the town, the valley, the lake and the surrounding mountains. Then I went for a walk on a well-marked trail by the side of the lake. The next day, the morning was taken up with visits to coffee- and olive oil-producing factories, both local enterprises they are proud of. In the afternoon, we went up-valley to Arco and I Above: Climbing manageable. While we were cycling mostly on roads, was taken up the Via Ferrata Colodri by a local guide on the Via there was little traffic and any that we met certainly from the Friends of Arco. On the way to the start of Ferrata Colodri treated us with respect. the cable, we passed some people who were sport in Arco. Lake Garda is popular among climbers for its sport climbing. climbing, because of the large numbers of climbs of Once above the trees, at the bottom of the via Below: all grades there that are easily accessible. Because of ferrata cable, we each clipped on. Reassuringly, the Mountains the proximity of many routes to the lake, they offer an guide said that the cable had recently been replaced towering over impressive panorama during the ascent. Summer is and that the points where the new cable was fixed to Riva del Garda. the most popular season for climbing but, with the the rock had been brought closer together so that, if mild climate of Lake Garda, it is possible to climb there you fell off, you wouldn’t fall so far before being all year round. brought to a halt by the stanchion below! In addition to the numerous sport climbing routes in The climbing was very enjoyable, with exposure in an area that are well-maintained by the local safety. The climb was an ascent of 270m. When we authorities and mainly seem to be concentrated at got to the top, after taking our via ferrata gear off and the northern end of the lake, there are many other taking some photos, we started the descent down a routes there at grades from 5a to 9a, which have been path at the back of the mountain. bolted by local climbers and are not necessarily The next day, we went e-biking up the valley, maintained. Around Arco, one of the main traditional covering maybe 40km there and back and gaining climbing areas, there are many trad routes from 5a to about 400m in altitude. With the boost on these 6b up to 300m in length. There are also seemingly bikes, even though I hadn’t been on a bicycle for many hundreds of traditional climbing routes ranging in years, the distance and the uphill stretches were very length from a few hundred metres to over 1,200 metres on the great walls of Brento/Casale. For bad weather days there are also various climbing walls. Certainly, there was an impressive one at Arco but, with all the excellent rock around, it would seem a pity to have to use an artificial climbing wall. There also seemed to be about nine via ferrata at the northern end of the lake, again of varying difficulty. Because of the excellent climbing here, the Czech world champion climber Adam Ondra agreed to be an ambassador for the Garda Trentino area, which he n a

v says is a “climbing paradise.” He has won the Rock i l l u Master competition there in Arco several times and S ’ O

has put up a new 9b route at Lake Garda, the Queen k c i r Line. t a

P There are various well-marked hiking trails in the

: s

h area as well, some of which will take you from hut to p a r hut (‘rifugio’) over several days, and three of which are g o t loop walks of varying lengths at the northern end of o h the lake P ■ Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 53 PATAGONIA

PATAGONIAN FIRST ASCENT

Paul Swail reports on a Patagonian first ascent by a team of Irish climbers last January.

n summer 2017, I was sitting in Chamonix with Above: John John McCune, Will Sim and John Crook. We Crook on a bold are all passionate about the mountains and slab pitch, admiring the are always planning our next adventure, Torres del whether it be a quick trip to Oltre Finale for Avellano. some sport climbing or something slightly fIurther afield. Right: Team The conversation slowly came around to the members potential for planning a big trip in January 2018. enjoying some pancakes in the January 2017 had been a pretty bad time for snowfall ‘Garage Mahal’ in Chamonix (where we are all based) and, with less at basecamp, 8 1

0 snow, we had less work, so we thought: ‘Why not with a cloud- 2

n head off next January?’ European winter is the covered South o i t Avellano Tower i perfect time to head off to the southern hemisphere d

e in the back-

p to try an unclimbed objective in northern Patagonia. x ground. E John Crook had twice visited the area of Torres del g n i b m i l C Paul Swail is an Irish IFMGA o ➤ n a l Mountain Guide based between l e v Chamonix and Ireland. He has A l e climbed all over the world but d

s believes that climbing nowhere e r r o else can beat topping out on a T

h route at Fair Head in the setting s i r I sun. Paul offers guiding services e h T

all over the world. : s h p a r g o t o h P 54 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 PATAGONIA IS FAMOUS FOR BAD WEATHER AND DIFFICULT CLIMBING CONDITIONS.

Avellano, located about 35km east of the second- largest lake in Chile, Lago General Carrera, and the highest peak in Patagonia, Monte San Valentin (4,058m). On both trips he had attempted to climb the 1,000m-high East Face of the South Avellano Tower, but he had been unsuccessful each time because of what Patagonia is famous for: bad weather and very difficult climbing conditions. In planning our expedition, we knew that, to succeed, we had to be prepared to climb in any conditions. On a 1,000m-high wall, that meant bringing a lot of gear. In the end, I think that we may have had one of every piece of climbing gear that is currently available! We also knew that, with the logistics involved in simply reaching basecamp, we would need around six weeks for the trip. We decided to go from just after Christmas until the beginning of February. When I met Will and John McCune at Heathrow Airport on December 30 th , we started something that became a bit of theme for the trip: packing and repacking all the gear. In total, between the three of us, we had just short of 300kg of equipment. Above: A shot 2018, we were all set to head off on our adventure in John Crook and his girlfriend, Ruth Bevan, met us in taken from the Avellanos. Coyhaique, in southern Chile. Rescue would not be so basecamp of the easy where we were going and, as Ruth is a doctor in team high on the Journey in to basecamp addition to being a mountaineer, she was a valuable South Tower. On expeditions, the journey to basecamp is often addition to the team. one of the most memorable parts of the trip as there Another important matter for a trip like this, where Below: Paul is a certain amount of heading into the unknown. The we were planning to spend twenty-five days in laybacking on Austral Highway, or Route 7, is a 1,300-km highway basecamp, was to have enough supplies, mainly food the fourth pitch that runs through rural Patagonia and, for the most but also gas and other things. John and Ruth were of the East Face part, consists of gravel and potholes. tasked with this and did a brilliant job. By January 1 st , route. A day of travel took us to Puerto Guadal, where we enjoyed the hospitality of American climbing legend Jim Donini and his wife Angela. Jim has been climbing for most of his life and has made some incredible ascents all over the world. We were treated to first-hand stories about his epic 28-day attempt on Latok I and his discovery of Toni Egger’s body while climbing on Cerro Torre, and making the first

8 ascent of what was later called Torre Egger. 1 0

2 Our journey continued until we reached the tiny n o i community of Fachinal, where we met Pascal, a local t i d man who was going to look after the logistics for us e p x and provide us with the boat we needed to cross E g Lago General Carrera to reach the valley of La Laura. n i b The huge lake is notorious for unpredictable winds m i l

C that can spring up out of nowhere. The boat was o n loaded with Pascal, John Crook, Ruth and 700kg of a l l e kit, leaving John McCune, Will and me on the shore to v A l await Pascal’s return. We waited and waited, but he e d

s didn’t appear. It seems that the winds had picked up e r r on their crossing and the boat, being somewhat o T

h overloaded, started to take on water. When they s i r I

finally arrived on the other side, Pascal made the e h decision to wait until the winds dropped. As we didn’t T

: s

h expect the boat crossing to be an issue, we hadn’t p a r split the two-way radios, so the three of us left g o t behind didn’t know what was happening. We spent ▲ o h the day sleeping, sunbathing and trying not to worry. P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 55 PATAGONIA WE GOT A FORECAST OF LIGHT WINDS AND NO PRECIPATION FOR FIVE DAYS. THIS WAS OUR CHANCE!

left over from the heavy winter’s snowfall. However, equipped with portaledges and other big-wall gear, we knew that, even if conditions were not in our favour, we could have a good go at climbing it. The first day on the wall was a wet one. John Crook and I set off to fix some ropes. The initial pitches were really wet, but at an easier angle, and we made good progress. On his previous attempt, John had climbed about five pitches up the wall and our aim was to reach his high point that day. We did that mostly free, but with some aid on the sections that were too wet to climb clean. Fixing 200 metres of rope from our high point, we abseiled back down to basecamp. John, Will and Ruth had constructed what we called the ‘Garage Mahal,’ a structure that was watertight, sheltered from the prevailing winds and would allow us to have an open fire in any conditions. It was also somewhere for everyone to hang out instead of being stuck in our tents on bad-weather days, something that really helps to keep morale high. John McCune and Will Sim spent the next day pushing the route higher on the wall, which was exciting for them as they were in virgin terrain, not quite knowing what was ahead. They made excellent progress and reached a ledge system about one- Luckily, we made friends with Don Gerardo, one of Above: Will Sim third of the way up the wall, where they fixed ropes the villagers, who supplied us with home-made bread on about pitch and then abseiled back to basecamp. Psyche and and Mate tea. As we were bedding down for the 20. “After 14 morale was high, having gained a new high point after night, Pascal came back and reassured us that hours’ climbing, four days, and it was now just a waiting game. We everything was okay. We got across safely the we had reached made pancakes, read books, listened to music and following morning. Throughout our trip, Chilean some easier studied the wall. hospitality was second to none. ground.” We could see a huge corner system that looked We had the assistance of packhorses on our possible but also looked permanently damp. There approach to basecamp up La Laura valley. Louis, the Below: Topo of was also a series of cracks above but we were unsure, gaucho, who lives in the La Laura valley for ten the team’s East even with binoculars, if they could be climbed or months of the year, supplied the horses which Face route on would just be dead-ends. transported our equipment up the valley. This was an the South Through our sat-phone, we received daily updates 8 1

0 Avellano Tower. from Jon Griffiths back in Chamonix. We couldn’t

2 opportunity to appreciate the beautiful Patagonian n

o landscape. i t i d Louis put us up for the night at his farm, where we e p x enjoyed a freshly slaughtered roast lamb, did some E

g fishing, attempted some horse-riding and even tried n i b our hand at lassoing – none of which we were very m i l

C good at! o n Louis left us at the head of the La Laura valley as a l l e the horses were unable to travel any further due to v A l the steepness of the terrain. This left the five of us to e d carry all the equipment up to basecamp, which was s e r r totally epic. Haul bags are extremely uncomfortable, o T

h and the food weighed a lot. River crossings and bog s i r I

walks with 30-40kg on your back are hard going. It all e h felt like one step forward and two back, but once we T

: s were established at basecamp, all the sore shoulders, h p a

r achy knees and stiff hips were worth it. g o

t Our first inspection of the East Face of the South o h Avellano Tower showed that it was covered in snow P 56 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 believe our luck when we got a forecast of high pressure building with light winds and no precipitation for five days! This was our chance; it was game on! On Monday, January 15 th , we were up at 2.00am. We brewed up, had some breakfast and set off. It was a little under an hour to the base of the wall where, as a team of four, we climbed up the fixed lines to our high point. We were set up as two pairs. I climbed with John Crook and Will climbed with John McCune. We were well equipped with large racks, including some pitons, plenty of tat and waterproofs – because in Patagonia, anything can happen. John Crook and I set off, with the other pair climbing our line with slight variations, where possible. The rock for the most part was excellent, but we knew that we had to tread carefully as we obviously didn’t want to knock anything too large down on the guys below us. After a short block of leading, I handed the lead over to John for what turned out to be one of the best pitches on the route, a slightly overhanging crack with good Above: Paul Swail curry and a lemon cheesecake – also perfectly timed protection and super burly climbing. on the crux pitch and very well received! At this point, we were committed, but when I came that allowed the up to John he was unsure of where we could push a team to gain the East Face of the South Avellano Tower line through. I spotted a hanging groove and, as long corner systems. Paul Swail, John Crook, Will Sim and John McCune as it had some protection, I was happy to have a go. E4 6a – 1,000m Protection it had, but with exposure in abundance Below left: 15/01/2018 and some of the best climbing on the whole route. It Summit selfie. was probably E4 and was the key pitch to unlocking More first ascents the route, allowing us to gain more corner systems Below right: The Twelve days into our trip, we had climbed our main and find our flow. More amazing pitches revealed a team at the end objective. That left us a few weeks to explore the area, broken ledge system where we could move together, of the trip (from and we were able to do another four first ascents alpine-style, to make up some time. left): Paul Swail, between the team. To say this was a dream trip would Ruth Bevan, John be an understatement; it was well and truly a trip of a Crook, Pascal, lifetime and I am still buzzing! John McCune, With time to spare before catching our flights back Louis and Will to Europe, we relocated to Cerro Colorado. This huge Sim. dolerite column protrudes from the Chilean desert just south-east of Lago General Carrera and was the location of some more first ascents by our team…but that’s a whole other story! ■

Paul Swail and John McCune would like to thank 8

1 Mountaineering Ireland for its financial support for this trip. 0 2 n o i t i d e p x E

g The rest of the climb flowed extremely well and we n i b arrived at the summit of the South Tower as the m i l

C clouds started to roll in and the wind picked up. We o n indulged in a lot of high fives, selfies and plenty of a l l e smiles on the top before we began to plan our v A l descent. e d Without crampons we couldn’t descend on foot, so s e r r we abseiled back down a line similar to our route up. o T

h The first abseil resulted in damage to our rope’s s i r I

sheath, so that you could see the core of the rope. e h Somehow it survived the following fifteen abseils and T

: s

h we got down in perfect time. As we reached the p a

r bottom, the rain came on and it got dark. Twenty- g o t two hours after we had set out, we arrived back at o h basecamp, where Ruth surprised us with a delicious P Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 57 Access & Conservation

Written by Helen Lawless, Hillwalking, Access Input to ASCENT project in 2017 & Conservation Path erosion the major impact of increased numbers. Officer

about further path work You can read more about planned for Slieve Gullion. Mountaineering Ireland’s In November, a number of work to address upland Mountaineering Ireland path erosion, along with our members participated in an other Access and ASCENT workshop in the Conservation activities last Mournes, where the Helping the year, in Mountaineering Hills guiding principles were Ireland’s Annual Review for discussed and accepted as 2017, available now on providing appropriate www.mountaineering.ie . direction in how to address upland path erosion – see www.helpingthehills.ie . The importance of investing in looking after our upland paths, the need to build capacity to do skilled work and the value of sharing experiences all came brona duddy (gartan oetC), followed by helen donoghue (member of mountaineering Ireland’s Access & Conservation Committee) through at the workshop. during the october workshop at errigal, Co donegal. Further discussion is to take place amongst key ASCENT is an EU-funded In October, Mountaineering organisations on the island of project, led by Donegal County Ireland facilitated a session on Ireland that share an interest in Council, which brings together the future of Errigal in fulfilling these objectives ■ partners from five northern Dunlewey, as part of European countries to Mountaineering Ireland’s collectively develop tools to Autumn Gathering. At the end address the impact of of 2017, following a path increased visitor numbers on condition survey and further the natural environment. A key discussions within the local focus within the project is on community, the Errigal the management of path Stakeholders Group agreed the erosion. best line for a repaired path on Over the last year, Errigal. The council is now Mountaineering Ireland proceeding with an ecological contributed to the ASCENT assessment of that route. project by participating in the Errigal Stakeholders Group, Gullion and Mourne joining a study visit to look at Slieve Gullion and Slieve Donard upland path work in Scotland are also ASCENT sites, through and visiting Croagh Patrick to Newry, Mourne & Down District meet with representatives of Council. During the summer, Pictured on a site visit during the ASCeNt workshop in the mournes the Croagh Patrick Mountaineering Ireland (left to right): richard fox (fix the fells, lake district), with matthew Stakeholders Group. provided input to consultation bushby (mourne heritage trust) and bob Aitken.

Mountain Environment Weekend and one-day workshops s s Mountaineering Ireland’s weekend-long celebration of Ireland’s Officers and Mountaineering Ireland Training Providers. e l th w mountain environment will take place on May 25-27 at a However, subject to availability of space, all interested a L

n venue to be confirmed in the west. We will have people with members who are in a position to share the knowledge they e l e expertise in different aspects of the upland environment acquire with others are welcome to participate ■ H

:

s joining us for two days of exploration and learning in the h p mountains, as well as evening activities. Plans are also in train for more oN theSe eveNtS : For details of the upcoming a r g for one-day environmental workshops in each province. events, see our website www.mountaineering.ie or email o t o These events are of particular value to Club Environmental [email protected] . h P

58 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Responsible Enjoyment of Special Places with Empathy, Care and Trust Celebrate and share our upland heritage Ireland’s mountains and upland areas are rich in reminders of how build understanding within host communities of what interests previous generations have interacted with the landscapes where recreational visitors. we walk and climb. Visible reminders include standing stones, the Deepening our connection with the places where we walk and walls of old houses, lazy-beds and disused mines, while place- climb will give us more confidence that we’re welcome. It will also names sometimes provide invisible evidence of historic events or help us to see how we can enjoy our activities without imposing, settlement. Yet Ireland’s mountains and upland areas are living and how we can bring greater benefit to the area. landscapes, too, where the interactions between people and the Learn more about the European Year of Cultural Heritage on landscape continue to evolve, contributing to our shared cultural www.eych2018.com ■ heritage. 2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage. Cultural heritage is diverse; embracing landscape, wildlife and farming practices, as well as literature, art, music, food and folklore. The knowledge of hillwalkers and climbers, and the passion that we have for Ireland’s mountains, also form part of our cultural heritage. The theme for European Year of Cultural Heritage this year in Ireland is ‘Make a Connection’. This theme aims to deepen the connection between people and heritage, and build a legacy of greater public engagement. Mountaineering Ireland is encouraging all clubs and individual members to tap into the cultural heritage of the places where we walk and climb, and to celebrate and share our upland heritage, for example through guided walks or a photographic exhibition. Doing so in conjunction with an upland community group could make for a mutually beneficial exchange. You could find out more the isolated ruins of Ned Curran’s cottage in Coumtay in the about the mountains where you’re active, and it would help to Comeraghs, believed to have been a ‘safe house’ in the Civil war. Cooley arrows removed, rugged beauty restored The spray-paint vandalism winds and snow showers, the across the Cooley Mountains participants took huge reported in IML 123 (page 11) satisfaction from seeing came to a positive conclusion in immediately how their efforts December when volunteers restored the natural beauty of the removed hundreds of arrows mountains. The cooperation from rocks along the scenic ridge between landowners, hillwalkers, between the Windy Gap and runners, local politicians, NPWS Slieve Foye, in a clean-up that and Mountaineering Ireland in was co-ordinated by resolving the matter was also Mountaineering Ireland and the really heartening. National Parks and Wildlife The ultimate reward for all Service (NPWS). concerned will be to see the It is understood that the Cooleys and other mountain areas arrows were spray-painted onto remain free of this type of marking rocks to mark the route for a into the future. charity challenge, something derek watters, right, and donal mcmorland get stuck into the task Note: In 2017, the Mourne of removing yellow arrows from rocks in the Cooley mountains. which landowners, hillwalkers Outdoor Recreation Forum and other events organisers all adopted an updated protocol on Rural Development Committee. scrubbed off by a small party of s s described as being both waymarking for events, which e l As the Cooley Mountains is a landowners, hillwalkers and w unnecessary and unsightly. The states that the use of spray-paint a

L Special Area of Conservation, the runners, working under guidance matter was highlighted on is unacceptable and outlines n e

l NPWS carried out an from the local NPWS

e Facebook in August by local alternatives – see bit.ly/2u1DC1z . H

assessment to ensure the arrows Conservation Ranger, Hugh : Mountain Leader Derek Watters See also Mountaineering Ireland’s s h could be removed without McLindon. p and subsequently discussed at a Policy and Guidelines for a r g public meeting called by causing further damage. Over Although it was tough work, Organised Events in Ireland’s o t o Matthew McGreehan, a local two work days early in December especially on the second day Mountain Areas, at bit.ly/2Gc9oxT h P hillfarmer and Chair of Louth IFA’s the arrows were carefully when the weather brought high ■ Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 59 Training

Written by Jane Carney, Recent and upcoming events Training Officer Brief reports on training events of note run by the Training Office Club Training Officers’ Regional Meeting, Clonmel

The latest Regional Meeting and presents at the meeting. super ideas and suggestions strengthen relationships for Club Training Officers was This regional meeting was emerging to feed into the between clubs in the region expertly hosted in the lovely the best-attended to date, design phase of the next and provide experience of the Park Hotel, Clonmel, by Peaks with over forty participants strategic development plan. range of training models Mountaineering Club on representing eleven walking The agenda of these adopted by clubs. th January 11 . These meetings and climbing clubs. meetings is flexible to suit the Does your club want to are organised by a host club, The workshop had a broad needs of the participants. The host our next regional with support from the focus on access, navigation, shared skills and learnings meeting? Just express your Mountaineering Ireland leadership, communication from the meetings provide interest to Jane Carney in Training Officer, who chairs and climbing, with some networking opportunities, the Training Office ■ Mountaineering Ireland’s 2018 Winter Meet

Mountaineering Ireland’s 2018 available. Participants met and Winter Meet, based in Onich, joined with other like-minded Scotland, took place from people to create teams to March 11-17 th and was well- head out on trips. attended, attracting over 20 At times, the weather was participants and filling two extremely challenging and skills courses. Conditions were harsh, which is to be expected much better than on last year’s in Scotland in winter. The meet, with plenty of snow on speed with which conditions the ground this time. changed surprised all groups As always, skills courses were on the first day of the meet. offered, with a focus on The first day started calm, fostering independence and clear and sunny, but it was confidence through developing quite apparent that the skills and experience. summits were extremely windy Winter Meet 2018 Those pursuing winter and gusty, and that cornice- qualifications attend the meet conditions and maintain this accurate navigation, and to gather quality mountain crested slopes were daily vigil while in Scotland. On confident and appropriate days, observe instructors and dangerously loaded and to be approach, look for evidence spend days in the mountains avoided. decision-making and with others. Mountaineers need to start during the drive to, and walk judgment calls. Considerable This year saw a 50-50 information-gathering in the into, the mountains. This builds pressure can be created by the balance between independent weeks and days before up a local picture and focuses wintry, windy, cold conditions mountaineers and those travelling to Scotland. They the mind in preparation for a and remote setting. seeking training. Some past need to read the weather day in the mountains. trainees returned to carry out forecasts and avalanche Harsh and changeable reAd more: Read a participant’s their own activities, whilst reports over time to build a conditions remind you of the report on this year’s Winter Meet benefiting from the advice historical knowledge of the necessity for practiced and on page 22 ■

y Fees for training candidates Revised climbing awards e n r Mountaineering Ireland has reduced the nd a The revised climbing awards will be launched on April 2 , 2018. C membership fees for training candidates e Single Pitch Award (SPA) becomes Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) n a from €41.60 to €30.00. • J

: Climbing Wall Award (CWA) becomes Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) s h • p Climbing Wall Leading Award (CWLA) becomes Climbing Wall Development a The award registration fee has been r

g • o increased for training candidates from €40 Instructor (CWDI) t o h to €50 ■ Please contact the Training Office or see the website for details

P ■

60 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Key dates 2018 13 th April Alpine meet lecture, • basecamp Store, dublin, 7pm 17 th April youth Club Climbing Kickstart, • gilford Community Centre, 7pm Winter Meet 2018 • 27-30 th April Climbfest donegal meet 11-13 th may women with Altitude event, • glendalough, Co wickow • 25 th may Alpine Preparation Session, All-island training board wicklow 26 th & 27 th may Skills workshop Navigation, The new Mountain Training Board Ireland (MTBI) has held its first • wicklow meetings. The members of the new Board include Dawson Stelfox 26 th & 27 th may Skills workshop Scrambling, (Chair), Kevin O’Callaghan, Colin Gibbon, Alan Mordaunt, Lorcan • wicklow McDonnell, Kate Thompson, Stephen Creber, David Batt, Maelíosa De 26 th & 27 th may Skills workshop rock Climbing, Buitléar and Joe McKnight. The Board’s Technical Advisors are Kieran • wicklow O’Hara, John Cousins and Mountaineering Ireland’s Training Officer, Jane 1-3 rd June fair head Climbing meet Carney, who is also Secretary of the MTBI. Administrative support will • th be provided byMountaineering Ireland’s Training Administrator. • 18 June mtbI training meeting • 22-24 th June mtUK meeting, tollymore 6th July outdoor learning Symposium, • tollymore field Study Centre News for providers st • 7-21 July Alpine meet, val di mello, Italy ■ Induction is required for the revised climbing awards: SPA, CWA, CWLA. • 14 th September mtbI training meeting Thank you to those who have attended this induction course already. More 15 th & 16 th Sept Skills workshop Navigation, dates will be made available for those who have been unable to attend so far. • Kerry The new awards will be available to be delivered by those who currently 15 th & 16 th Sept Skills workshop Scrambling, deliver the SPA (RCI), CWA (CWI) and CWLA (CWDI). Candidates will be able • Co Kerry to transition between the schemes. Please contact the Training Office with 15 th & 16 th Sept Skills workshop rock Climbing, any queries. • Kerry ■ Providers are reminded to save venues when completing the course report 17 th September mountaineering Instructors and to add candidates before the course. This will flag any issues pre-course, • Award (mIA) workshop such as candidates with lapsed membership, those not registered and those 21-22 nd Sept mountain Skills Providers using the wrong email address or membership number. • workshop, wicklow ■ Dates for forthcoming CPD opportunities are on the 2018 calendar. • 5-7 th october mtUK meeting, Plas y brenin • 12-14 th october Autumn gathering, Clonbur, Changes to climbing modules galway 2-5 th November mountain leader Assessment • th on Instructor Training Courses 16-18 November Club training officers • workshop, galway Outdoor courses available in The key changes are: 28 th November winter meet lecture, Ireland that offer Quality & the experience requirements • basecamp, dublin, 7pm • rd Qualification Ireland (QQI) awards pre-training and the • 3 december mtbI training meeting and modules need to be aware of assessment to include indoor • 6th december lynam lecture, dublin the upcoming changes to the and outdoor sport climbing 7th december Senior Providers workshop Single-Pitch Award QQI Level 5 leads; • wicklow and Level 6 modules. • the duration for the training Please see our website, www.mountaineering.ie, or Mountaineering Ireland has four course increases from two to contact the Training Office (01 625 1115) for more modules within the QQI listings: three days (20 to 24 hours), to details. Please book early! the Level 5 Mountain Skills; the include one full day at a Level 4 Rock Skills; the Level 5 climbing wall; Single-Pitch Award Training; and the introduction of two new Outdoor Instructor Training Courses the Level 6 Single-Pitch Award • and additional modules: (1) At the request of our members, we will continue to Assessment. Teaching Skills and (2) inform members of the outdoor training course options. With the changes that have Managing an Assistant. Mountaineering Ireland will continue to add to the list of resulted from the climbing awards Please contact the Training outdoor course offerings. Please send in an overview of review, it is important that those Office to discuss the transitional your course so we can add it to our list ■ courses, including the Level 5 and arrangements for candidates and Level 6 Single-Pitch Awards, be course requirements for trainers aware of the effect of the revisions and those managing outdoor on those schemes. course provision. Stay safe out there!

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s s t 8 g h o r g l e n e e e f . Literary Editor Peter O’Neill Scottish mountaineering history, Part II presents reviews of some recently Victorian period. It will be adventurous spirit and published books. followed by a third volume in curiosity which led them into which he will bring the history finding and climbing right up to date. mountain routes, which B Ken Crocket’s work is a tour became classics for, and uy now this is de force of research and more inspired, those who followed the book we recom mend most than competent writing skills. after them. high ly f rom our All sources are quoted: this is Accounts are given of spring but 2018 very valuable because it ascents of almost 600 routes reviews about in Arran, the Cairngorms, Skye, makes it possible for us to us and the follow the links to read the full Rum and the Northern, fact that we versions of the necessarily Central and Southern are Irish. Most of us will lack condensed stories he tells. Highlands. These are not just the intimate knowledge of Think of it as a website, bare stories of climbs but are routes referenced and MOUNTAINEERING IN valuable in its own right but populated by all sorts of climbers cited, which helps SCOTLAND: YEARS OF also full of leads which open interesting people with a the imagination to visualise CHANGE up other worlds of wonder to range of characteristics from what we are reading. We will By Ken Crocket us. dour to almost, but not quite, not have the easy familiarity Scottish Mountaineering Club (2017), 412pp , with 84 illustrations, hdbk, Scotland has a very rich irresponsible jokers. with background which Scots £25.00, ISBN 978-1-907233-24-1 body of excellent mountain- The general index contains will have. Despite our eering literature and this is a almost 1,000 entries listing handicap, this is a wonderful This magnificent book covers guidebook to it. We read people and clubs, and also volume, which should mountaineering in Scotland stories about first ascents equipment and development introduce us to a wonderland in the years from 1914 to 1971. and epics on mountains of equipment. beyond our ken. It is a follow-up to the throughout the country. We If I could cavil about any previous volume by the same are introduced to the men aspect of this book it would Sé O’Hanlon mountaineer author, which covered the and women who had the not be about the book itself

Walking around Arran

encircles the island, mainly at or near sea level, as a suggested seven-day walk (or a more challenging five- or six-day hike for fit walkers who make early starts). Goat Fell, 874m, the roof of Arran, is the main fine- weather, higher alternative. The ferry crossing from Ardrossan to Brodick can be reached by train from Glasgow, providing bound format, with clear introduce more walkers to the convenient access from ARRAN COASTAL WAY route descriptions, notes on dramatic scenery of this Ireland. By Jacquetta Megarry accommodation and bus beautiful island, but heed the Maps at 1:55,000, described Rucksack Readers (2018, revised, with routes and information on warning that this walk should as ‘new large-scale maps’ new large-scale maps), 76pp, many not be underestimated. came as somewhat of a topics such as geology, pre- colour photos, 10 pages of 1:55,000 Picking your way among surprise when other Rucksack history and history, Scotch maps, £12.99, ISBN 978-1-898481-79-9 boulder fields near sea level Readers’ guides have provided whisky and wildlife, and a can make coastal walking The Arran Coastal Way is maps at larger scale, but reminder to be tide-aware. more demanding and slower shorter, at 105km (65 miles), these maps are very clear and Arran, described as than might be anticipated. than some of the other Ways this scale provides adequate ‘Scotland in miniature,’ has perhaps in the past attracted covered by the guides in the detail. Peter O’Neill literary editor, Irish Rucksack Readers stable that The guide follows the climbers rather than walkers. Mountain Log and member of the we reviewed recently. It familiar waterproof, ring- This guide may help to Irish mountaineering Club Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 63 Books

All-achieving adventurer on peaks and high seas

“Ah,” said the questioner, Arctic seas? exchanging letters from “following in Tilman’s In fairness to the author, Arctic islands and behind footsteps!” you don’t; there’s just too enemy lines. Those letters, I hope the story is true, as it much. To Anderson’s credit, together with accounts from would encapsulate so much it would seem that he fellow travellers, seem to me of Tilman’s life; so famous as realised this and wrote to put the lie to the to be an icon, but still to go something much more infamous misogyny Shipton unrecognised on his own useful: a brilliant overview attributed to his partner. I boat; so prolific as to have that can be read as a would read Tilman as being left enough footprints that complete biography or, quite shy, a theory the he could be simultaneously better still in my view, a author discerned but then following them and making starting place, in essence a discarded as Tilman was new tracks. massive index from which able to lecture to large That same profile is a you can branch out and read audiences. Though many readers of HIGH MOUNTAINS AND problem for a book like this: Tilman’s own books about the Irish Mountain Log will COLD SEAS: THE LIFE OF HW how do you properly record whichever expeditions or already be aware of Tilman, ‘BILL’ TILMAN: SOLDIER, the life of a man who was voyages catch your there is so much to this MOUNTAINEER, NAVIGATOR decorated in two world wars, imagination. And there are book that there will almost By JRL Anderson became a farmer in Kenya, lots of them to choose from: Tilman Books (first published 1980, prospected for gold, cycled one boat alone, Mischief, certainly be parts of his life republished 2017), 416pp, £12.00, across Africa, climbed many inspired six books. new to you, and that alone is ISBN 978-1-909461-44-4 of its highest mountains, Besides books, Tilman’s reason enough to open the then turned his attention to other writing habit was to book and enjoy it. As Tilman was arriving in the Himalaya as half of one write to his sister, a Iceland on one of his later of the most influential fantastically comprehensive Kevin Duffy mountaineer, Arctic voyages, a passenger partnerships ever seen in record of his life that they currently in training to fulfil polar ambitions, which he hopes will on a cruise ship asked where mountaineering, before shared with determination take him in some of tilman’s the boat was headed. spending his later years and ingenuity no matter footsteps. you can find out more “Greenland,” replied Tilman. sailing the southern and where he ended up, at www.kevinandedel.com

Tilman’s final voyages and triumphs

and followed it up by understandable. Tilman he went on to tackle embarking on Triumph and didn’t start sailing as a sailor, northern voyages after that Tribulation, Tilman’s account but rather as a climber trying with no apparent lack of of his most northerly voyages to reach new and less determination in the face of and what turned out to be his accessible ranges. His books tough conditions. final book. It’s wonderful! still included climbing but I Obviously this was Tilman’s Tilman was an engaging found his transition to last book, but not his last sail, and literate writer. While he prolific sailor a joy to read and perhaps that’s a fitting had the odd harsh word about. Perhaps it’s that way to end, his last voyage as about the behaviour of some transition that makes his skipper being his last entry as crew members, overall he was writing accessible to non- author. It seems unlikely we’ll warm and likeable and, as the sailors like me? again see a combination of afterword describes, he was During one of the journeys career, character and canon TRIUMPH AND TRIBULATION: more liked by his crews than related in this book, the like this. If you value those NO SHIP SHOULD BE many claimed. He displayed a prolific exchange of letters things, I can’t recommend WITHOUT TABASCO SAUCE touching loyalty to some of between Tilman and his this book, or the rest of this By HW ‘Bill’ Tilman them long after they sailed sister ended with her death. re-issued series, highly Tilman Books (first published 1977, together. The effect this had on Tilman enough. republished 2017), 153pp, £12.00, ISBN 978-1-909461-42-0 Tilman also managed to is shown by how little he make his journals detailed says about it, though a Kevin Duffy mountaineer, currently in training to fulfil polar I took on board my own technical accounts of his poignant undercurrent of ambitions, which he hopes will suggestion of using trips, but despite my very encroaching age starts to take him in some of tilman’s Anderson’s biography of basic knowledge of sailing I emerge from there on. That footsteps. you can find out more Tilman as a port of departure found his style made them didn’t stop him, though, and at www.kevinandedel.com 64 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 Stage & Screen

Play captures atmosphere of Antarctic exploration

SHACKLETON Crean’s failed Developed with Jocelyn Clarke, Antarctic exploration directed by Niall Henry and their voyage Blue Raincoat Theatre Company, from Elephant Island Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin. to South Georgia. The Duration 80 mins. Run ended March play used the 10 th , 2018. wordless actions of its cast, “Men wanted for hazardous complemented by journey. Low wages, bitter cold original film footage ... safe return doubtful.” and scaled puppetry, to tell this story of While it seems that this bravery and advertisement may never persistence as have actually been placed, the Shackleton and his Blue Raincoat Theatre men attempted to Company, Ireland’s longest- escape from running theatre company, Antarctica by definitely put on an crossing the Weddell interesting visual theatre Sea to South Georgia. Once actors very effectively using interest in polar exploration, presentation of Shackleton at they made landfall, white sheets to create the icy this is a play to see, if you get a the Project Arts Centre in Shackleton, Crean and one seas, and recount the chance. I found it very thought- Temple Bar, Dublin, in other crew member still had destruction of the Endurance, provoking and something that February. to cross the island’s mountain the journey in the three stayed in my thoughts for a This atmospheric production range to get help from lifeboats across the Weddell good while afterwards. certainly held my attention. It Fortune Bay. Sea and the crossing of the helped to know the story of All of these adventures were mountain range on South Patrick O’Sullivan editor, Irish Ernest Shackleton and Tom portrayed wordlessly by four Georgia. If you have an Mountain Log Breath-taking footage of world’s mountains

MOUNTAIN some of the shots. The music Written by Robert Macfarlane, is dramatic and generally directed by Jennifer Peedom quite appropriate, though, like Irish Film Institute. Temple Bar, Dublin. me, you’ll probably be Duration 75 mins. Run has finished. focusing on the mountains In a collaboration between being portrayed. filmmaker Jennifer Peedom Apart from mountaineering and the Australian Chamber and climbing, several other Orchestra, and narrated by extreme mountain sports are Willem Dafoe, Mountain looks shown, but the focus is always at mankind’s fascination with on the grandeur of the the world’s highest peaks, mountain scenery. The something we can all, I’m sure, frustration I had, slight though empathise with. With it was, was not always being Peedom, Robert Macfarlane, able to place all of the mountaineer and author, mountains being shown, as wrote the evocative script for we zipped around the world, this excellent but sometimes and back and forth, with few photography and bouncing all about the overuse of that frustrating film, which was attempts being made in the around the world, from the environment and the shown at the Irish Film film to identify the mountains Alps to the Himalayas, to the exploitation of the Institute in Temple Bar, Dublin, being so dramatically Southern Alps to the polar indigenous peoples who live earlier this year. portrayed. regions, and so on. The film there in pursuit of sport. The filming is amazing, Overall, it was an enthralling celebrates the mountain making you wonder experience, the film bringing environment but also Patrick O’Sullivan editor, Irish sometimes how they got together some amazing expresses some concerns Mountain Log Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 65 The Last Word Jim Bridwell American big wall climber

Jim Bridwell in 1990

Jim ‘The Bird’ Bridwell, the first ascent of in a flamboyant renegade day. American big-wall rock climber He camped at Camp 4 in ) e f with a reputation for wild Yosemite for months on end, i l r e living, has died in Palm Springs seemingly with impunity, t a l aged 73 years from liver failure. despite his wild lifestyle. The n i l l That liver failure was as a authorities were apparently Billy Westbay, Jim Bridwell and in front of , 1975 e w

d result of a hepatitis C happy to let him be because i r B

( infection, which he contracted he had started the local Bridwell was party to the the Himalayas, where he y t t after he received a traditional mountain rescue service there dramatic rise in free-climbing unsuccessfully attempted e G

/ tattoo when he walked across in 1970. standards in Yosemite and Everest twice by new routes. i n a Borneo in the 1980s. Bridwell was born in San He was, however, among the

z later moved on to extreme aid z u four Americans who in 1982

L Bridwell was a prolific big- Antonio, Texas. He grew into climbing. He was influenced in

o completed what was c wall climber. In Yosemite, he an able athlete and decided to

r his climbing by Yvon a described as the first trek M climbed more than one go to college in San José, Chouinard, who thought that

, ) n hundred new free routes in the California, for its track around , a 300- a skills developed in Yosemite t i mile trek that required p 1960s and ’70s, plus some A5 programme. However, the call could be used on big walls a

C ascending peaks like . l big wall aid routes on Half of Yosemite and his anti- elsewhere. Bridwell proved E f Dome and El Capitan, in establishment sentiments Jim Bridwell is survived by o

Chouinard right when he t his wife, Peggy, whom he n consistently fast times. soon took him down another

o made the first complete r f married in 1974, and his son, For Bridwell, speed was track. n ascent of the south-east ridge i ( safety. His first ascents Bridwell’s climbing career Layton. n of Cerro Torre in Patagonia in o i t included the hardest routes in began in the early 1960s as a c 1979. In 1981, he made the first e l Patrick O’Sullivan l the world at the time, first the young climber among the o ascent of the east face of C

l Pacific Ocean Wall and then established big-wall climbers l th e Moose’s Tooth in Alaska. Jim Bridwell: born July 29 1944; w later Sea of Dreams with its of Yosemite’s golden age, such th d r Bridwell had less success in died February 16 2018 i

B notorious A5 ‘Hook or Book’ as and Chuck m i pitch. Pratt, and culminated in the J

, )

0 With Frank Sacherer, free-climbing scene of the 9 9

1 Bridwell made a mid-‘70s. Bridwell was a n i

l reconnaissance of the classic central figure amongst the l e

w Nose route on El Capitan in hippie climbers who d i r 1964, with the intention of populated Yosemite in the B ( t

n climbing it in a day. Royal 1970s, a group that became e

m Robbins had taken seven days known as the Stonemasters. A t to complete it in 1960, but In his time, Bridwell climbed a P

: Bridwell persisted, teaming up with many other greats, s h p in 1975 with two younger including and a r g climbers, John Long and Billy Layton Kor, after whom he o t o Westbay, to finally make the named his son. h P 66 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2018 WILDERNESS LODGE , Glenmalure, Co. Wicklow, Ireland Self-Catering Apartments group bookings for walking and trekking Clubs http://wildernesslodge.ie and http://wildernessactivitiesireland.com telephone: 0404 46839 and 087 262 5549 email: [email protected]

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Spring 2018 Irish Mountain Log 67 For mor e inf ormation visit www .mountaineer ing .ie or contact the office on (01) 625 1115

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