Three Peninsulas Hike Ireland’S Greatest High-Level Long-Distance Hiking Route
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Spring 2020 €3.95 UK£3.40 ISSN 0790 8008 Issue 133 HILLWALKING • CLIMBING • MOUNTAINEERING Three Peninsulas Hike Ireland’s greatest high-level long-distance hiking route Climbing the Voie Petit Hardest free rock climb on Chamonix granite www.mountaineering.ie VENTILATED COMFORTABLE VERSATILE Featuring all-new, patented FormKnit™ technology, the AirZone Trek’s iconic carry system o ers world-class comfort and ventilation. Whether you’re feeling the heat on dusty tracks or picking up the pace hut-to-hut, the AirZone Trek helps you keep your cool. #MOVEYOURWORLD Mountaineering ireland SuMMer alpine Meet July 4-18th, 2020, Saas Grund, Switzerland For details see www.mountaineering.ie or contact [email protected] 00353 (0)1 625 1112 SubSidiSed burSary placeS for 18 to 25-year-olds 2 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2020 A WORd fROM THE EdITOR ISSUE 133 The Irish Mountain Log is the membership magazine of Mountaineering Ireland. The organisation promotes the interests of hillwalkers and climbers in Ireland. Mountaineering Ireland Welcome Mountaineering Ireland Ltd is a company limited by guarantee and éad míle fáilte! I hope you are registered in Dublin, No 199053. all keeping well in these Registered office: Irish Sport HQ, extraordinary times? We have National Sports Campus, a magazine that is full of Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland. Tel: (+353 1) 625 1115 reports of activities that we We can still go walking Fax: (+353 1) 625 1116 can probably now only dream locally,❝ as long as we [email protected] Cabout. However, life goes on! We may not www.mountaineering.ie be able to plan exotic holidays at present, maintain our social distance. but we can still go walking locally, as long Hot Rock Climbing Wall as we can maintain our social distance Tollymore Mountain Centre Bryansford, Newcastle from our companions. County Down, BT33 0PT We have a magazine that is full of McDonagh, on hiking and climbing in the Tel: (+44 28) 4372 5354 inspiring accounts of activities in mountain era of Covid-19 (see page 7). However, that [email protected] ranges around the world. The features start advice is changing all the time and will be Editor: Patrick O’Sullivan with Aidan Ennis’ account of the amazing updated further on hike he undertook in Kerry – the Three Tel: (+353 1) 837 8166 (pm, wknds) www.mountaineering.ie as it develops. Our [email protected] Peninsulas Mountain Hike. Almost as CEO strikes a note that is optimistic but Literary Editor: Peter O’Neill amazing is the story of the events that led that also emphasises the precautions we [email protected] up to that hike. all need to take to protect ourselves, our The Irish Mountain Log is published by In addition, we have accounts of hiking in family and friends, and most importantly New Zealand and in Nepal, and then a Mountaineering Ireland four times a the vulnerable people we know in our year, in March, June, September, description of a superb climb in the Alps, Le communities. December. The material published in Voie Petit, the hardest free rock climb on As we go to print at the end of March, we the Log by the voluntary editorial team Chamonix granite, which was undertaken are still promoting events that are planned and contributors must not be taken as official Mountaineering Ireland policy by two leading Irish Alpinists, John McCune for later in the year on the basis that they unless specifically stated. and Freja Shannon. have not officially been cancelled yet. The Finally, we have an update on the elusive situation is changing day by day and it is Copy deadline for the Summer 2020 hen harrier, with some amazing pictures of likely Covid-19 will affect planned events for issue of the Irish Mountain Log is: this very rare native bird in its breeding at least some months to come. Please do Friday, May 29th 2020. habitat. check the website www.mountaineering.ie Advertising: [email protected] Hopefully, there should be something in regularly for updated advice and for this issue for everyone in the audience! updates on forthcoming events. Keep safe! It is a difficult time for us all and we have Production: Cóilín MacLochlainn, [email protected] up-to-date advice from our CEO, Murrough Patrick O’Sullivan, Editor Printing: GPS Colour Graphics Ltd, Alexander Road, Belfast BT6 9HP Tel: +44 (0)28 9070 2020 Write for the Log PARTICIPATION AND RISK Readers of the Irish Mountain Log are reminded that hillwalking and climbing are activities with a danger of personal Contributions of features, news items and photographs for injury or death. Participants in these the Irish Mountain Log are always welcome and should be activities should be aware of and sent to the Editor at: [email protected]. accept these risks, and be responsible for their own actions and involvement. Contributors’ guidelines can be downloaded from the Mountaineering Ireland publishes and Mountaineering Ireland website, www.mountaineering.ie. promotes safety and good practice advice and through the Mountain ON THE COVER Training Board of Ireland administers a To join Mountaineering Ireland and receive four issues of the View from finnararagh looking east range of training programmes for Irish Mountain Log delivered to your door each year, please towards Mullaghanattin on the walkers and climbers. also go to the website, www.mountaineering.ie. Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry PHOTOGRAPH AIdAN ENNIS Spring 2020 Irish Mountain Log 3 Participants at the launch of the Access & Conservation Forum in CONTENTS Spring 2020 November working on a timeline on the history of access and conservation in the uplands. See story, page 28 18 Dingle Walking Festival 2020 42 Tongariro Alpine Crossing News By Ethna Garvey By Greg Butler 5 Alpinism now ‘cultural 19 Women with Altitude to 46 Overcrowding on the heritage’ celebrate 10th anniversary Everest Trail Patrick O’Sullivan reports Ruth Whelan reports By Jim Ryan 6 Be ‘AdventureSmart’! 20 Wicklow Uplands Council 48 The small way, and others... John McCune climbs the Voie Petit 7 Covid-19: please take discusses recreation matters in Chamonix these precautions Helen Lawless reports Murrough McDonagh reports 52 The hen harrier 21 New climbing wall to open By Mario Mac Rory 8 ‘Life and Times’ – Lynam at UL in May Lecture by Chris Bonington Martin Flood reports Regulars A report by Patrick O’Sullivan 56 Access & Conservation 11 The future of hill farming Climbing Helen Lawless reports in the Dublin Mountains Wicklow Uplands Council reports 22 Youth Trad Climbing Camps 58 Training Damien O’Sullivan reports Jane Carney reports 12 Upland farm walks in Dublin Dublin Mountains Partnership reports 23 Climbing Meets 2020 61 Crossword Competition Damien O’Sullivan reports 13 Tracking the E8 in Ireland 62 Books 24 2019/2020 Irish Reviews of recent books A report by Marian Wallis Bouldering League 14 New members of staff: Ania Damien O’Sullivan reports 66 The Last Word Ed Drummond (1945-2019) Bakiewicz and Linda Sankey 25 Youth Climbing Club Meet 16 The Woodlands for Health Kevin Kilroy reports Programme 26 The Intervarsity Climbing Linda Sankey reports Competition 2020 17 Family-friendly walks A report by Lauren Conlon Linda Sankey reports News Features 28 Access & Conservation Network launched A report by Helen Lawless 30 A trip to the High Tatras By Paul Griffin 32 Happy giving back Chris Avison reports on the Irish Nepalese Educational Trust’s 20th anniversary 34 Scottish Winter Meet 2020 A report by Aron Barry Sir Chris Bonington Features John McCune high on the Voie Petit route 36 The Three Peninsulas LYNAM LECTURE 2019 Mountain Hike IRISH ASCENT OF VOIE PETIT 8 By Aidan Ennis 48 Photographs: Helen Lawless (Access & Conservation Forum), John McCune Collection (John on Voie Petit) Voie on (John John McCune Collection Forum), & Conservation (Access Helen Lawless Photographs: 4 Irish Mountain Log Spring 2020 Staff & Board General enquirieS [email protected] Staff Chief executive Officer Newsdesk Murrough McDonagh, [email protected] administration Officer Siobhán Quinn, [email protected] Hillwalking Development Officer Ruth Whelan, [email protected] access & Conservation Officer Helen Lawless, [email protected] Women in Sport Coordinator Ania Bakiewicz, [email protected] training Officer Jane Carney, [email protected] training & Membership Support administrator Laura Griffin, [email protected] Climbing Officer Damien O’Sullivan, [email protected] Youth Development Officer for The Matterhorn northern ireland Kevin Kilroy, [email protected] Get irelanD WalkinG initiative Alpinism now ‘cultural heritage’ Programme Manager, Get ireland Walking Jason King, [email protected] UNESCO recognises alpinism as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity Communications & administrative Officer, Get ireland Walking Alpinism is not only a physical activity ■ of challenging one’s own capabilities Linda Sankey, [email protected] requiring athletic qualities and technical and expertise while negotiating MOuntaineerinG irelanD expertise; it is also an exploration of natural, non-artificial obstacles; BOarD OffiCerS fascinating landscapes and a quest for ■ of evaluating and assuming measured President personal achievements. These risks; Paul Kellagher exceptional characteristics, plus its ■ of self-managing, self-responsibility [email protected] historical and cultural backgrounds, make and solidarity; Chairperson alpinism worth identifying as an ■ of respecting other people and natural