Support a Charity Mountain Climb Up Kilimanjaro by Caroline O'Riordans In Aid Of Irish Cancer Research

Support Caroline O'Riordan on her Charity Mountain Climb Up Kilimanjaro for Irish Cancer Research

My name is Caroline O Riordan, I am from Mallow, Co. Cork. On the 17th of October 2016, I am taking on the challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro in Africa in aid of Irish Cancer Research. I am fundraising for cancer as my mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in July 2016. My young cousin spent 4yrs battling a tumour. I have lost friends and other members of my family because of cancer. I wanted to fundraise to help find ways to cure this dreadful disease.

You can support Caroline by donating through the Kanturk Hillwalkers & Mountain Climbers Facebook Page by clicking on the link below

Facebook Link For Donations

I hurt my back in a car accident and had back surgery in 2013 and I broke my left ankle twice.  I was told I was not to exercise for longer than 20 mins a day, which played havoc with my mental health as I was always a sporty person. In 2015, I had a turning point, in which I met a personal trainer who told me "no one can tell you what you can and cannot do, that's in the power of your own mind." Since that meeting, I turned everything around and I am back in the gym twice a week, I run plenty of races and I have signed up with Kanturk Hillwalkers this year and through this club I have climbed Carrauntoill twice, Mangerton, The Paps, Tomies & Purple Mountain, Gougane Barra and MacGillycuddy Reeks.

I have trained as a Life Coach and N.L.P Practitioner and I now teach people the power of their own minds and that they can achieve anything they put their minds too.

Trip Up Tomies & Purple Mts. -- Where are the Clear Skies & our Summer

On Sunday ane of the most beautiful place in the world . The starting point was the world famous Kate Kearne total of 11 of us set off on a trip up Tomies & Purple Mt. . On a fine, clear and sunny day this must be oys cottage and from there we headed a small bit back in towards Killarney before taking a right to start our climb.

The one thing great about our day out was as we started our ascent we got a great view over Lough Leane and the other parts of the Lakes Of Killarney & on a morning like this you get a great chance to appreciate it.

The first step up to little Tomies was not that little at all but a long gradual but strenuous climb but at no actual point overly severe but the quietness in the bunch told its own story. The legs & the lungs were feeling the effects. Our first aim and peak was little Tomies but the only thing by this stage the cloud and fog was down on top of us limiting our view.

After a pit stop and a group photo we headed on towards Big Tomies and as made our way across the top you could see its outline in the cloud with a few whispers of do we really have to go up there but as we progressed all of a sudden we were half way up and when you kept your head down for a bit more and looked up again, sure you were at the top !!!

The disappointing thing of this day was that by this stage was the clod and fog were right down on top of us and you could only see a glimmer of the view raising the question Where was our Summer and the clear skies because if you really wanted to be anywhere to consume the Lakes and surrounds it was right up here but we only got a glimmer.

We headed on our way again towards Purple Mt. and the one thing you notice about this section was the colour of the stone and you find out where this place gets its name. The stand out feature was the amount of loose stone there was . On reaching the peak we were at our highest point of the day but still in the cloud and fog.

As we made our way down below the clouds the views appeared again. To the West of us was the Black Valley and we could out towards Kenmare on one side and Inch Beach on the other and our left were The Reeks and the really Big One .The other noticeable thing as we came down the level of chatter was increasing as the severity decreased.

We finally got down to the road at the Gap Of Dunloe and from here we had to head back towards our cars at Kate Kearneys cottage and as we strolled along the one thing you would notice was the amount of different nationalities that visit this place from Irish, Germans, Indians, English, Russian, Swedish and all other parts. On a clear dry day it really is a spectacular spot and this made the last leg of our journey bearable as most of the legs were feeling the day at this stage and the fact that we turned up a chance to leave a car at the top of the Gap to go back as a taxi to retrieve the others. Even the jarveys were having no pity on our bones when we stuck out our thumb looking for a free lift.

We also got the chance to see a young deer grazing away and taking no notice of a few photographers.

Back to Kate Kearneys and a few refreshments at the end of a long day which everyone really enjoyed even though it did take over 5 hours but in future we may leave a car at the top of the Gap Of Dunloe but overall  a great day out but next time here God will you give us a few more clear skies especially when we are the top. 

Trip To Cnoc Na dTobar

On Sunday 10 of us went for a trip up Cnoc Na dTobar just on the eastern side of Cahersiveen. It is one of the ancient Pilgrim Paths with the Stations of the Cross on the way up to guide you. There was one thing great about this route was between the Crosses and white waymark poles you plenty to guide you all the way.

There was one thing great about this trip was the fantastic views on all sides, To the west on our left side you see right over the town of Cahersiveen and out further was Valentia Island and in the distance was the world famous Skellig Michael. To the west on our right side you could see the Dingle Peninsula including Mount Brandon and all the way out to Ventry & Slea Head and the Blasket Islands.

The trip itself was not that hard and we did it at an easy going pace taking in the views along the way as the weather on the way up and down was good and clear. After taking a break at the top we went across the top for a while to a peak overlooking Glendalough Lakes ( The Kerry Ones ) . By this time a heavy misty fog had come down on top of us and stayed with us until we descended a bit where we got clear views again.

As a day out this was a good day out with good views and mostly good weather and the route was well waymarked and suitable for all. This is somewhere we will visit again as the only bad thing you could say was it is a bit of a trip down.

We finished off the day out with a cup of coffee and a few biscuits in a local house belonging to someone we knew and as we caught up with a few things.

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.