Gougane Barra -- A great trip but only for (!!) the foggy weather

On Saturday we went to Gougane Barra and did a big loop on the mountains around the lake and took over 5 hours. This trip could have been fantastic but for the weather. The cloud and the mist stayed right down on top of us all day long. When we started I think everyone had jackets on but not too far out the same jackets were not long coming back off, as even though it was misty and mucky it was still quite warm and the sweat was beginning to flow very early so all the jackets came off.

The conditions were very overcast, foggy, misty and a slight drizzle and you could hardly see a 100 yards in front of you for most of the trip and underfoot it was mucky and with all of this the going was slow as at all times getting the right co-ordinates was high on the list. 

The climb itself was not that hard, after about an hour long gradual climb up all the rest is quite easy and almost level but wet ground and high grasses in places can make the walk very tough.

Lunchtime :)

The picture tells the story about this walk...

The second half of the route might be very challenging in poor visibility as there's no defined path and good navigating skills are essential. Flattish Bealick top with no defined and clearly visible high point gives you an illusion that everywhere you look it's all the same. It's just a very high boggy upland covered with long grass and it's very easy to fall into a bog hole so keep your head down and mind your steps.

As the Club's training officer, Denis O'Mahony had his chance to give the others a little navigation training. Map reading, compass using and measuring the distance as you walk are the three most important things. If you're not familiar with them, always go with an experienced leader especially in poor visibility. 

All the route was navigated with map and compass with a little bit of GPS help just to confirm the position in some tricky places like Bealick top.

Coming down back to Gougane Barra Lake may be a little bit tricky in wet conditions as some rocks can be slippy.

We had a group of 11 and we had good Craic and the banter was lively as usual and we all agreed some other day we would have to come back here again as guaranteed on a clear day this trip would have been spectacular as in the distant at odd times you could see glimpses of places from Bantry Bay to The Paps and with the fact that there was so many nearby lakes this would be a great trip. We took some photos by the lake and had some refreshments in the cafe.

The Importance Of Proper Gear

 On Saturday I went to Carranutoohil which is probably one of the best & most popular places to go for a climb as it is the highest in the country with great views and scenery on a good day leaving you breathless with the beauty this country has, There are a few things great for climbers on this mountain is that there are always a load of people around especially at the week ends and that are defined paths on the way to the top. Yow will get to the top at your own pace, remember it is not a race. The most important thing is to get there safely, if I can get there believe me anyone can. But there is one thing you first of all learn to do is to respect this mountain because if you go looking for trouble you will find it and the most basic thing is having the proper gear. Hiking is an activity you can start for very little money but it is important to get a few basics.

  Carrauntoohil is a place often used for Charity Climbs, the first thing you should have is BOOTS !! BOOTS !! BOOTS !! even a cheap pair to get you started but have something to support your ankles. This was relevant on Saturday as someone did twist an ankle near the top and the rescue Helicopter had to call out as well as about 10 of the Mountain Rescue Crew had to bring the person down. This person may have had proper gear on and just had an unfortunate slip which has happened us all at some stage but your chances of getting injured are increased by not having proper boots.

  All I can sat is there is always a lot of people going out and sometimes getting injured all because they do not have proper BOOTS. This means others have to leave there daily work to bring people down.

Padraig

What happened on The Bone | Eastern Reeks Misty Adventure

This post will be very different than the others... The day turned out bad. You need days like that though just to remind you that mountains can be dangerous and you should always respect them. We want to share this story to remind the others how quickly things can go wrong and how important is a good preparation, bringing the right gear even if the forecast is good (it's always only a forecast) and to have somebody who can read maps and use compass (and even that person can make a mistake).

The black clouds covering Eastern Reeks

The weather was so good in recent days that we were all expecting sunbathing on the top and maybe swimming in the lake after walk, but when we arrived at Cronins Yard we saw the black clouds covering Eastern Reeks. The top of Carrauntoohil was covered as well but you could see some more light there on that side. But the eastern part of the range was just black...

Off we went hoping for the clouds to clear later on. We climbed up Devil's Ladder quite fast and without any problems. We had our lunch on the top of the ladder and headed up Cnoc na Toinne. At this point one of the leaders started feeling a little bit unsure as the fog was thickening and winds getting stronger. At this point we should have used our escape route down the safe Zig-Zag route. 

Climbing up Devil's Ladder

Remember here please. If you feel unsure, don't go. But we as a group went forward. We were trying to be too brave.

This is where good leaders are vital. In the fog just stay calm and follow the bearing. We had the route card with all the waypoints and bearings, we had 2 compasses and the map. What could go wrong? We learned that day that something still could... 

Looking back to Cnoc na Toinne

We set our compasses and we climbed the next peak Cnoc an Chuillinn no problem. The path is quite easy to follow, but the higher we went the thicker the fog was and soon we lost the view down to the Hag's Glen completely. We continued on the ridge following the bearing again until we reached Maolán Buí (The Bone). That's it we've made it, only down this path now and back to Cronin's Yard. Easy peasy we thought. Set the compass and go...

We started descending all relaxed and happy, talking and laughing. And... then it happened. We had our compasses deep in our pockets and were just following the path until suddenly we had drifted off the route, going to the left without noticing it and missing out on an easy to follow route with some rusted metal fencing posts which will guide you to the bottom. A momentary lapse that led to a tough descent.

One very important thing at this point. We found from later research that it happened there to some other walkers before us in exactly the same point. That point is V831 839.  We had lost the path due to a false path going down to a steep gully used by some individuals who like climbing up these gullies (there's 2 of them there). That is why we posted this to warn people of the easy mistake we made.

One of the 2 sttep gullies down The Bone (not the one we used)

The path  we used started getting steeper and steeper and we knew we were wrong. We looked at the compass. Yes we had drifted west... One of our experienced went down to check down below, saw the lake (Loch Coimin Mor) and then knew we were much too far west. He thought we would have to climb back up to the ridge running down from the top of The Bone to the Hag's Glen and find the path must be there. It was, he found it. He even rang us to tell us that. 

The end of the gully and Loch Coimin Mor

But while he was down below we started to get cold from sitting around, one of our other leaders actually found a safe looking gully, went  down to check this gully and found that it was clear to the bottom and was definitely walked before. It was steep and maybe difficult for some but we managed by staying together as a group. It was a good scramble to the bottom, but we got there slowly but safely.

Our other leader was at that stage going back up to meet us as well, but we contacted him and told him that we decided to go down the gully without climbing back and trying to find the right path. We were safe seeing Hag's Glen and the path between the 2 lakes. We met up with the other leader too.
Back to Cronin's Yard then for some hot coffee.

Hag's Glen - the safe view

Things to remember:

1. Don't go if you're unsure of the route or the weather 
2. Bring the right gear! Even if they give 30 degrees in the forecast, bring something wind and water proof.
3. Make sure you go with somebody who can read maps and use compass as if we had not we would have been in real trouble.
4. Don't panic in the fog. Keep your compass in your hand and follow the bearing not only a path as some paths might be false.
5. Don't be too brave and always consider the ability of the group.

THIS IS THE ROUTE DOWN THE BONE WE DID BY A MISTAKE, DON'T FOLLOW IT! USE THE RIGHT PATH DOWN. KEEP TO THE RIGHT AND STAY ON THE RIDGE WHILE DESCENDING

Whow !! What a day up Hungry Hill

There is very little I can say about this trip as only the pictures will tell the story. It was a fantastic day. The only thing that you could find being wrong is that at times there was no breeze to cool you down from the warmth but in this country we do not complain about the weather.

On this Sunday we set of with a crew of 12 to Hungry Hill which is located just past Adrigole and short of Castetownbere in the deep south west of Cork. There is a saying that by the time you reach Mitchelstown from near here you are half way to Dublin. Another bit of information is that on top of the mountain the Cork / Kerry border runs along , we cannot get everything right !!!

The one thing is that you really do find out why they call this place Hungry Hill in that it is a pure wall of rock and a common comment was that it was no wonder that people emigrated or just moved away from here , in that on a good day like the day we were here but it must be really hard to survive of the land as it is that barren and in only the last 20 or 30 years tourism has benefited this economy.

The one thing about this mountain is it can be quite dangerous if you do not know your way around it or have an experienced guide in that the cloud can come in of the ocean and stick on the mountain top quite quickly and you get stranded or lost easily.

The  things that were  very different from the last time we were here last September was this time the route was dry as in September the pathway was really wet & slippy and another thing was last at the top it was freezing and the gloves had to come out, it was September.

This time we really did get treated a beauty in the day we had and got the chance to appreciate this stunning beauty. Oh what a day, pity some of our regulars were missing.

The Clara Loop - Somewhere so beautifull but so close

After doing Mangerton on Saturday and with the fact that I had a few other things on I was looking to go somewhere but it had to be close. The Clara Loop was decided upon and one thing great about it , this also allowed us to bring a few young lads as it was suitable for them.

Once you got to the cross which we got over with early nearly all the hard stuff was over with, after passing on the Cross and the Stones we headed on westwards facing on towards Caherbanagh.

After a while strolling along with some good weather on our side, not to forget we got some nasty showers in between. Thought the April showers were supposed to be gone, so much so one really nasty shower came within 50 yard of us but passed along beside us without dampening our stride. At this point of our was good because looking back towards Caherbanagh & Kerry was breathtaking. At this stage you are under the cross and mountain and above Ballyday and some of our younger companions were mentioning Cadburys, bringing to mind the thoughts of nice chocolates on seeing the factory below us.

The reason you do not do the Clara Loop more is that it can be mucky in places so just make sure if you decide to do it that it has been dry for a while.

Another thing about this trip is that when you think you have all the hard stuff done, there is a climb back up into the forest which is a bit of a drag and can take it out of your legs.

On coming through the forest we meet up with the most common used  pathway up to the cross and we turn for the cars on time leaving us with plenty of the day to do other things and yet have a good day out.

Back Out Again after a few weeks break | Mangerton

On Saturday we got back out again after a few weeks of a break due to lots of other things on and one really bad Sunday of wind and rain, so it was great to get out for some fresh air and scenery .

The chose destination was Mangerton in Killarney . I know we come here a bit but the beauty never ceases to amaze, when you get a clear morning up this mountain the views over looking the lakes and into the distance takes your breath away, which may not be hard considering the hard first section of this mountain.

On Saturday we had 6 which included a new member, which was good as 2 of our stalwarts were out of the country for a christening, from all of us Anna we hope you have a great time while you are in your homeland.

The weather on this morning was clear, maybe a bit cold but dry for most of our trip. One thing I had to do on the way back was to stop and take a picture of Caherbanagh.

The day had to be good after that view.We made reasonably good time up, we may not be the quickest group in the world but we do enjoy it thrown in with a bit of craic. As I said it was a bit cold but dry and when we did get to the top it was clear and we could see out well into the distance from Kenmare Bay to North Kerry & North West Cork. Fantastic no matter how many times you come here.

I really do not have much more to comment, only that Mangerton is one great place on a clear day.

Carrauntoohil For The First Time in 2016 Part 2 (& Clara)

Two groups went out this time.

The first was a small group of those who couldn't go up Carrauntoohil last Sunday. Together with Denis O'Mahony our favorite  Mountain Leader, we climbed it today. For two of the group, Roseann and Stephanie this was the first ascent of  'The Big One' and they did very well.

We decided to follow the same route as the group of us who did it last week. Starting from Lisleibane we climbed up The Heavenly Gates hoping for the clouds to lift up, but we had no luck this time. 

The Boots at The Heavenly Gates

The cross was occupied by the group of Scouts from Dublin who were doing The Four Peaks 2016 Challenge and as a result of that we had to wait for our turn to take our group photo. But the cafe was ours, because we were faster than them and there was too many of them to fit inside (LOL). 

The Heffernan Gang: Roseann, Stephanie & Anna (almost Heffernan) at the top

No views from the top this time so the 2 girls will have to come back some day to see it.

Denis minding us on the Devil's Ladder

As we were descending the Scouts were behind us singing mad and having a great time. We were very happy that they decided to go down The Zig Zags, because they could move a lot of stone going down The Devil's Ladder(!) Big groups should avoid this route especially going down.

We descended carefully with no rush.

When we were down, we looked up and of course now the top was clear. We admired the north-eastern side of the Big One for a while, planning to do Hags Tooth and Howling Ridge(!) some day (only the hard core part of the club :) ) 

We walked back to the car and went back home stopping in Rathmore for a drink and a chat. We had a lovely day out and just can't wait to go back there as we love the place so much...

***

The second group went up Clara, a small but lovely hill with gorgeous views of our beloved Duhallow.

Carrauntoohil -- For the First Time in 2016

For our latest excursion we decided to go up the 'Big One' and we had the great luck to pick a near perfect March day. Eight of us struck off at 9.30 am from the Lisbiebane Car Park. One great advantage starting from here is compared to starting from Cronins Yard is that you get a chance to loosen out the legs as there is a short steep early climb coming up from Cronins Yard where this way is mostly level.

On we continued in the main trail until we cut straight across at the mouth of Lough Gouragh. Our chose route was to go up the Heavenly Gates Route as the other probable route on this side of the river was the O'Sheas Gully  and our leader Denis O'Mahony reckoned there was snow up that side of the ridge and also it was quite windy at this point of our journey.

The Heavenly Gates Route is probably our favourite route up as it's a bit easier than the others and certainly at this time of the year more sheltered. The last leg from O'Sheas Gully to the top might be hard for some and it's more exposed. On we went with a bit of scrambling along the way as there is on all the routes.

Today we had two members who were on their first ascent to the Summit. Bernie Collins & Pearse O'Dwyer were the two who were on their first Carrantoohill excursion, the most amazing thing is that Pearse is not only a Kerryman but also a Killarney native and he had to get a few Cork renegades to show him the way, but he was in good company with Denis looking after us.

We are not the quickest group that you will ever meet but we get there and as preceded along up the ridge the day was clearing as we went along with the usual bantering & giving out other people sticks but sure you will have that. 

There is one thing coming this way by the time you get to the plateau you think you are nearly there and then some. To your right the last leg to the top appears and this one can really rip your insides out. Finally the cross appears and one thing sure on this day I was really hungry and by good fortune there was a seat available at the dinner table. One downside of this day was the fact it was quite cold at the top. Grub eaten & the group photo taken plus 2 singular photos for our first timers to cherish. No matter how many times you do it, it is always a thrill & achievement to get to the top especially for the first time. 

Downwards we go.

When we got to the plateau, the weather at this point was really nice and the views were spectacular. The decision for our descent was to go down The Devils Ladder. The first part of this is quite steep and for me it is down on the backside time to slide down a bit at the time. Going down the Ladder means two things, yes it is quicker but it also means a lot of scrambling from rock to rock. At this stage of our journey the day was really bright and we got some lovely photos. No matter how often you come here this place can always stun you with beauty.

One thing bad about the Carrantoohill trail is that when you get down off the mountain you still have nearly an hour back to the car but thankfully we all got back safe & sound which is the most important thing. Like the last day up Galtymore when we had Ger Morrissey, today we had Denis to guide us safely. From us all to both we really do appreciate what both of you do for us. Thanks!

Finally the most important part of the day. The aftermath synopsis, the pit stop to refuel and not to be forgotten slagging match where stories of the day are told & excuses are made and kept for.

Galtymore From Kings Yard

SEMRA preparing for training

We decided to climb Galtymore from the south this time for change as we usually do it from the north side. We parked our cars at King's Yard, where a group of mountain rescuers from SEMRA was preparing for training. Ok, we are safe today even if we get lost in the deep snow! ;) To get to Kings Yard from Mitchelstown continue to Kilbeheny and through the village, then turn left.

Galtymore

There's a stone road from King's Yard which becomes very boggy after the sheep pen and ends later at some point. To avoid that boggy part, the best idea is to turn right at the sheep pen and follow the fence until you see a stile, then cross it turning left and continue to the top of Knocknagalty and further to the ridge having a gorgeous view of the valley and western Galtees on your left. It's a very straightforward climb, you can't go wrong. Just go straight up until you reach the main ridge and then turn right to the summit of Galtymore.

Nearly there...

The conditions underfoot today were tough with knee deep snow in places and hidden holes full of snow close to the ridge. After turning right to the summit the path was well traveled and quite easy to follow but slippy in places. Real winter conditions, cold and dry with wind chill making you feel like in different world. White and bright tops contrasting with green lands below and some dark clouds above making the scenery very dramatic and absolutely beautiful.

The group photo by the summit cross

Five of us reached the summit today. We met walkers from Cork Mountaineering Club doing the full circuit from the north taking Slievecushnabinnia, Galtymore, Galtybeg and Cush. Fair play to them doing that today in that tough conditions! After lunch we headed back the same way. Going down was a bit slippy, so each one of us landed on the bottom a few times followed by great laugh of the others. Going back home we stopped at Firgroove Hotel for some tea and hot soup.

Really enjoyable day with some winter fun, we can't wait to do more!

Our Trip To Caherbanagh

Today on our third trip of 2016 we went to Caherbanagh. We did it earlier as our last trip of the year 2015 in very bad weather conditions. This time we were more lucky - no rain and the top covered with soft fresh snow.

Caherbanagh is a mountain which lies between The Paps and Clara, or otherwise down in the flatlands between Rathmore and Millstreet above Ballydaly. Caherbanagh also lies very close to the Kerry county bounds.

Today we had 10 in the group with the usual of Anna, Padraig, Jer, Sheilanne, Bernie, Denis who brought his daughter with him, Celina plus a few new and welcome recruits in Geraldine, Nuala and Margaret.

We set out to do the complete Loop of Glanaprehane and Caherbanagh at about 10 am. Off we set and the first part was to climb to our right which today was tough - wet and slippy, until we reached snow-covered part nearer the top and then the higher we went the deeper the snow got but certainly not enough to stop us in our tracks. We got to the top of the Plateau and the next pat was level enough all the way around the loop.

Group photo at the top of Caherbarnagh

Coronation Of The President Of Kanturk Hillwalkers & Mountain Climbers ;)

After a short break for a few photos at the top off we strolled again to our eating point which was a well sheltered spot. After the grub we descended away down and as we did so the skies were starting to clear on all sides of us. By this time the top was clear and in front of us the valley and as always spectacular view of Duhallow and Kerry to our West

.

We descended safely but had to watch our steps as it was slippy, finally back to the cars to refresh and decided to call to The Wallis Arms in Millstreet for a little something and a chat. 

https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.0682846,-9.1812105,945a,20y,180h,81.87t/data=!3m1!1e3

Mushera again

Back to Mushera again this week. Last week I went on my own to check it out and got some good views on all sides, this time unfortunately there was no views at all to be had. The morning remained dry but overcast and Mucky and quite windy when we got to the first peak to the west where normally you can see to West Cork and the Kerry range, nothing today. Underfoot it was fine in most places for January, in some places the paths were a bit soggy so all you had to do was to walk on the grassy verges and away you go.

Today we had 12 varying from Girls & Boys from the young to the not so young and while we may not have got the weather or views we still had a great day out in that the Craic was good thrown in with a bit of banter.