Trip To Galtymore

 On Sun. May 14th we had a club trip to Galtymore where on a good day you can see 7 counties in all angles as it is nearly in the centre of the country, you get there by turning at the sign for Galtymore just outside Kilbehenney.
  The track we chose started at Kings Yard which is ideal as yo have security for your cars and you have changing facilities after the walk is over.
 The way we went is that we headed out of Kings Yard northwards up the the laneway in the centre of the farm yard and when we reached the end of the lane way we rambled along on the eastern slope of Knocknagalty before turning righr & heading eastwards over a small river which actually is the county bounds between Limerick & Tipperary which led us onto a pathway on a slope on the other side guiding us onto the Black Rd. which we stayed on all the way to the valley or coll between Galtymore & Galtybeag,  which we decided not to climb.

This is one bad part of the journey in that this section can be quite boggy on wet days but this day was dry so things were not so bad.

  At this stage we turned left & westwards towards the top and the weather at this time was a small bit windy but also dry & sunny with a good view all around. Now this is the section and a lesson to be learnt in that as we were at the top  Galtymore  &

had our break a very bad shower came along with a lot of hail stone in it and personally speaking I was lucky to have a second jacket but had no gloves, you should always be prepared even on a May day, but thankfully as we descended to the boggy plateau the cold & wind started to disappear.

 This is not a nice part of the Loop as you have to figure your way around the humps & hollows of this boggy section. After getting through & heading towards Knocknagalty peak on our way back the view was good and clear again. We ended our journey by meandering & descending back towards Kings Yard & a change of clothes and headed on towards Mitchelstown for a welcome stop over for a bowl & a bite with a cuppa and a chat to end our day.

Club Trip Doing the Old Kenmare Rd #ClubTripBlogs

 On April 9th we did a club trip with a difference. For a start we had a great group of 14 and the start was to drive to Kenmare from where we had a bus hired
to take us back into Torc Waterfall from we were to start our trip. This was a day out with a difference as it was probably more of a walk than a climb.
 The first leg was to start at the car park at Torc Waterfall

and climb up the steps and at he the top of this climb we turned left for Kenmare along the old road.
 This section is the same as if if you were going to climb Torc mountain, this you could climb if you wanted. Also on your left is Mangerton Mountain.
 You now proceed to ramble through Killarney National Park & all its beauty. On days like this you really appreciate what a beautiful country we live in.

  On this trip you really do get a bit of everything in lakes, streams , mountains, small forests

and plenty of good views and yet it is still a walk suitable for all in that the climbs were not that strenuous. One thing very handy was the amount of sleepers to get you over any wet lands or boggy spots.
  This trip took us over 4 hours but as we were not in a hurry we got a chance to take the scenery in and after a while the sea and Kenmare comes into view  in the distance.
 If you had to find fault in one aspect is the long walk on tarmac roads at the end which can be tiring on the legs. But at least you have the lovely town of Kenmare awaiting you, this town has a lovely ambiance to it and it is always a lovely place to visit and for sure you will not be short of places to eat or drink and for sure we went for one and a bowl and a bite at the end of this trip.
 Again we have been extremely lucky in our days out. Long may it last.

Fantastic Club Day Out On The Paps

 On Sunday Mar. 26th we had an absolute fantastic day out on The Paps with a group of 13 doing the trip. All the way around we had blue skies overhead with views stretching to the limit on all sides from the Galtees to the North East with The Reeks just behind us and on our South side you could see all the way into the depths of West Cork.
 The only bad thing you could say was at the top of both peaks it was extremely windy and it was no day for hanging around too long but one thing the wind did too was to dry the place out as the ground conditions were good and dry.
The Paps Loop Link
 The route we took was our usual one in that we started at the cleared away forest entrance near Clydagh Bridge which is on the Cork side of Glenflesk & just off the main road from Cork/Macroom to Killarney which leads us on to a fine tough opening 45 minutes which is always testing leading onto the first peak before heading along for the first Western Pap and then down into the valley before climbing up again to the Eastern Pap before heading down into the valley going eastwards to link with the Forest Roadway onto the road and back to our cars.
 Not much more to say as we have been here before but this was a fantastic day to be out.

Charity Climb In Aid Of Kanturk Hospital & The Irish Cancer Society

On Sunday April 30th the 3rd Charity Climb is on up Carrantoohill

in Aid Of Kanturk Hospital & The Irish Cancer Society.

The first climb up Carrantoohill raised €2950 in aid of Pieta Hospital & The Twomey Memorial with 60 climbers and we had a good day out.

Click on the Link to view Video

Charity Climb 1 Up Carrantoohill

The second climb was up Mount Brandon in Aid Of Kanturk Hospital & Marymount Hospice and raised €6500. This climb went over 2 Sundays , on the first Sunday we had to get off the Mountain for safety & the fact we were soaked through & through. The second Sunday was an absolute brillant day where experienced climbers never saw the Brandon top clear & sunny but they saw it that day.

Click on the Link to view Video

Charity Climb Up Brandon

Charity Climb Up Brandon Part 2

So hopefully our third climb

Club Outing -- First time doing The Claragh Loop

 On Sun. March 11th for the first time we had a club outing doing the Claragh Loop , to get there you go into Millstreet, turn down the road between Centra & the Church and travel out for about a mile until you meet a Grotto and just beyond this you park on the right on the bend. You then proceed to walk up the small road on the town side of where you are after parking until you meet the entrance into the forest on your right . This is the start of the Claragh Loop.
 On this day we started with a good crowd of 11 including another new member & 2 day visitors which was a great turn out

 The Claragh Loop is another good walk for us in that it is not that far away and in some ways for us it is so close most people never bother doing it, thinking the far away fields are greener. The way we did it is by first climbing the traditional route to the top of Claragh Mt. and going as far as the Cross but instead of turning back you continue on until you meet you meet up with The Duhallow Way and the follow the waymarked signs.

 As you descend from the top in front of you is Caherbanagh with views stretching on towards the Kerry Mountains and on a good day the pinnacle of our days out - Carrantoohill.

This way is marked but you would want to watch out as an odd sign may not be standing up but it is relatively easy and just follow the paths and after a while it is time to turn around & head back towards Millstreet and this  leads to the one bad point of doing the Claragh Loop in that this section can be mucky in places. Today we were lucky in that it was dry for a few days and it was not too bad.

Clara Mt. is now on your right with its gorse filled sides, if you wanted you could go straight up or down to reach the Cross from around here if you were feeling really adventurous . As you are travelling along you are looking on towards Millstreet town and the rest of Duhallow. Another thing about this route is that there is a sting in the tail in that just when you think you are nearly back there is a fine tough little climb up through the forest to join up with the original pathway which led you up to the top & the cross, at this point you take a left & back to the car.

Claragh Mt. may not be the talest you will ever climb but it is always a good test or a very good workout  and the full loop is always worthwhile but allow for a few dry days if you can because it can be mucky in places but overall a good day out

First time to the Ballyhouras

A few weeks ago on our second trip of the year we headed to the Ballyhoura Mountains which was perfect in many ways in that it was not that far away especially at this time of the year and the fact we were walking for the most part on Forrest roadways. The day itself was cloudy, windy and mucky but we as usual made the most of it and got on with it and enjoyed the day.
 We parked in the Coillte ran car park, we departed by going back out onto the road & on back southwards for a small bit before we turned left down a small country road facing out towards the Galtees in the distance before we looped onto the main road again before crossing onto the mountain side again using the Forest roadway along the way. There was one steep section of this roadway but other than that it was a great walk for a February Sunday morning.
 Once we reached the top of the roadway we took a short stroll to go to our first peak which faced out towards Tipperary & Limerick but the view was cloudy and not really much to take note of because of this.
 We moved on and over the road and we decided to head for the top of Seefin Mt. and compliments must go out here as Timber Sleepers have laid to overcome the one really mucky part of our journey. When we reached the top the one thing we noticed was that the wind had picked up & with it a big chill factor with the blow. We had a short break before we set on our way again.
 We descended using the Mountain tracks which are well waymarked, the one thing to watch out is that some are for bikes only and we finally got back through the Forest back to our cars.
 Again compliments go out to the great available facilities for changing afterwards and this is one place we will return to again

On our hikes Here we go again

  As we were away for a while since November it was great to get out into the fresh air again and start another year on our travels exploring new places and some old as well and meeting new people along the way.
 We started this year with a relatively easy day out and we went somewhere we were not before and that was Torc Mountain in Killarney. We arrived with 9 people which was a good number especially as the weather was not great and some could not make it .

 We started at the bottom of Torc waterfall which is always nice to see and up the steps we went which leads us up to the Old Kenmare Road. This road was the old way of going from Killarney to Kenmare which is part of the Killarney National Park and which is also closed to traffic. We made our way along the road for about a quarter of an hour unti we met the sign for Torc Mountain.

 The one thing great about Torc is for a lot of the way up you are walking on timber sleepers which are covered with a steel mesh to stop you slipping. All the way up you get a great view of the National Park and stretching back towards Kenmare and lloking over towards Mangerton. The sleepers are great at this time of the year as you do not have to be travelling through muddy ground and it also speeds you up. To get to the top at an easy pace you will get there in about 70 minutes from the lower car park by the Waterfall. Torc can also be done from the Car Park by the Old Kenmare Rd.

 The fabolous thing about Torc is when you get to the top the view is really worth it as you are overlooking the Lakes Of Killarney and today did not dissappoint especially as you could see the lakes through the cloud. This place is really special on a sunny summers day with the sparkle of the water below and Muckross House and grounds just below you. Always worth a trip even on your own and well signposted to guide everyone and easy to follow the sleepers which are great if you have younger people with you.

 This was a great start to another year and a place we have not been before, yes it was a short trip but Torc is always worth it.