tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20348798135154607382024-03-14T08:41:56.503+00:00One Foot in the CloudsA collection of mutterings about my wanderings....One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-32219090608555873192010-08-14T23:00:00.001+01:002010-08-15T22:57:42.117+01:00Sweet Sweet Connemara... Part One - The Maum Turks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Four days of unparalelled scenery and challenging walking lay ahead as I sped along the motorway to County Galway. I was almost dribbling with anticipation as Maam Cross got closer, 33km....24km....18km....9km...<br />
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A sense of utter relaxation enveloped me as the view of the Maum Turks unfolded, their rocky summits lined up one after the other in glorious fashion. They have the look of a 'proper' mountain range, austere and forbidding yet their highest peak just about sits on the 700m contour.<br />
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The 'turks' as I shall now refer to them have long been on my to do list. After my jaunt along their length, I realised they had been on that list far too long.<br />
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I set off mid afternoon with nobody in sight, a common theme during this trip. The only contact I made with other people on the four days was a brief chat with two young German guys from Frankfurt. They were walking the western way which threads through the turks at Maumeen, a broad col with a holy well and small chapel which seems to be kept in fairly good order.<br />
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From here, I ventured onwards and upwards, this time into the dreaded stratus cloud that had enveloped the upper reaches of the mountains as I chatted to Maik and Henning. The turks are notorious for being difficult to navigate, even for the most proficient of orienteers. In the mist, I reminded myself continually, 'trust the compass, it never lies'. I did just that and made it to the summit of Binn Chaonaigh eventually singling out the seemingly highest cairn in the area.<br />
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A brief clearing of the surrounding mist afforded a glimpse of the terrain that lay ahead. I would describe the turks as a complex range, made up of steep descents, angular rocky summits, deep and potentially dangerous bogs, multiple cliff edges and sheer drops. <br />
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In mist or low visibility, these mountains represent a real challenge to walkers as to complete the traverse requires concentration, good decision making and experienced interpretation of the varied terrain. That brief clearing of cloud did wonders for my confidence with the compass as I realised I was exactly where I should be. I continued on to the highest summit, 'Binn Idir an da log' with the knots in my stomach loosened somewhat.<br />
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From the col after Binn Chaonaigh, I re-entered the gloomy, silent mist. I wouldn't complete the entire range this time round, being a linear route I had no way to get back to the car other than turning back on myself and retracing my steps. I got as far as Letterbreckaun before doing just that, stopping on a shoulder of Binn Idir an da log to park the tent and set up camp.<br />
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That night in the tent was without doubt the most silent and still I had ever experienced. No surprise then that I had a most refreshing sleep, which was great, because there was still some serious walking to be done over the next two days. I broke camp in the early morning light which was filtering through the thick mist and found my way back to the car a few hours later. With more new territory on the agenda, Ben Creggan and Ben Gorm my next destination, I headed on feeling like a child in a sweet shop. Bloody marvellous.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-53984141427478026262010-08-09T11:31:00.000+01:002010-08-09T11:31:48.472+01:00Sometimes it pays to be impulsive...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo1AvyhhNgoDD1nz1vlZvuiQnJZNtZkZh8N3Q8E5GwVNTTqeCqoRA2Mscg8114TUUwJqNEuQgt__Rb2fPDbQy0L3GejYZBa7kYJnqiGTB6fk0TyYZAopfy52cxjbx2aPdIMVMBtthnPxL/s1600/P1000757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo1AvyhhNgoDD1nz1vlZvuiQnJZNtZkZh8N3Q8E5GwVNTTqeCqoRA2Mscg8114TUUwJqNEuQgt__Rb2fPDbQy0L3GejYZBa7kYJnqiGTB6fk0TyYZAopfy52cxjbx2aPdIMVMBtthnPxL/s1600/P1000757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo1AvyhhNgoDD1nz1vlZvuiQnJZNtZkZh8N3Q8E5GwVNTTqeCqoRA2Mscg8114TUUwJqNEuQgt__Rb2fPDbQy0L3GejYZBa7kYJnqiGTB6fk0TyYZAopfy52cxjbx2aPdIMVMBtthnPxL/s400/P1000757.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A spur of the moment evening trek up Slievebawn on the Blackstairs range proved to be an inspired decision last night. One of the most dramatic sunsets I have ever witnessed appeared as I topped out at the summit cairn. Twas mighty....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have a trip report coming shortly too from 4 days spent wild camping in the splendid Connemara. Watch this space.</div>One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-53709035966272571152010-07-22T11:52:00.000+01:002010-07-22T11:52:39.782+01:00The Wanderer ReturnsHaving been in the blogging wilderness for the last 3 months, I'm finally ready to make a reappearance. The reason for my abscence? A multitude of factors, new job, new home, new people but primarily, a lack of a camera. To me, a blog without photos is only telling half the story, I like to let the photos tell the story. <br />
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Now though, I'm much more settled, I have a view of the mountains from my kitchen window and a shiny new camera to allow me to share the sights I see when I'm in the hills. <br />
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The last 3 months have also seen a complete overhaul of my kit, details of which I'll be sharing very soon. <br />
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Ahhh its good to be back.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-61456119558711198202010-03-23T19:08:00.001+00:002010-03-23T19:10:29.254+00:00Maumturk Challenge Walk<span lang="EN-GB" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJFQu4KCso7wxSrl-F_pryvwTObujkS2DyOl9wOyUnCbNUAVD8O4fYAb6XhJbT2bzzX8SxS1BOkiK0nSZTEPteMKC3CZdd7ykhxNB8URq9RKOT_AwNJdJfJp9XdKZgHBi0Qc0Eio8M9er/s1600-h/DSCN2850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJFQu4KCso7wxSrl-F_pryvwTObujkS2DyOl9wOyUnCbNUAVD8O4fYAb6XhJbT2bzzX8SxS1BOkiK0nSZTEPteMKC3CZdd7ykhxNB8URq9RKOT_AwNJdJfJp9XdKZgHBi0Qc0Eio8M9er/s400/DSCN2850.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><i>The northern end of the Maumturks from the summit of Mweelrea</i> <br />
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I'm taking part in the Maumturk Challenge Walk next Saturday (April 3rd). Its arguably the most challenging of challenge walks on the <a href="http://www.walkersassociation.ie/challenge/walk/calendar">Irish Walking Associations</a> calendar. <br />
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They describe the route as "one of the strongest tests of endurance in the years calendar", "for very experienced walkers only". I've mentioned before my love of Connemara and its rugged and demanding hills. It's a part of the country largely unexplored by me. Last year I completed another demanding walk nearby, the Joyce Country Challenge which, despite misty and rainy conditions, proved to be a wonderfully arduous 31km trek and I'm busting to get back again.<br />
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The Maumturk challenge is 'only' 24km in comparison but what it lacks in length, it more than makes up for in its steep inclines and variation in terrain. Adaptability, a robust temperament and a truck load of stamina are required for this test, the attributes most of us hillwalkers have in abundance.<br />
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A local weather system around the Twelve Bens and Maumturks mean conditions can change rapidly throughout the day so navigation skills and having your 'homework' done are essential. These things all make for a most interesting Saturday. If the weather holds, be prepared for some of the most fantastic mountain vistas in all of Ireland.<br />
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The walk is organised by the <a href="http://www.nuigmc.com/">NUI Galway Mountaineering Club</a>, they have registration and route info <a href="http://www.nuigmc.com/maamturks/index.php">here</a>.<br />
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</style>One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-55203020044292734502010-03-21T18:52:00.001+00:002010-03-21T19:53:00.485+00:00The Mourne Wall Wild Camping Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4MhMgM3BBZds2qzD84K29BNRj6gpfu2_y3FHaqW-DtvN_uBhZgbfvdsptu0JNexbY549LRIqvoC_zHuZ8LuPpy9A0G2vNPHJ2gEaoTHKNRNdBJJjNMjVG7Ra_GzN3Fmxeo9i76gN_jkc/s1600-h/DSCN1085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4MhMgM3BBZds2qzD84K29BNRj6gpfu2_y3FHaqW-DtvN_uBhZgbfvdsptu0JNexbY549LRIqvoC_zHuZ8LuPpy9A0G2vNPHJ2gEaoTHKNRNdBJJjNMjVG7Ra_GzN3Fmxeo9i76gN_jkc/s400/DSCN1085.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
I'm hoping to get out this week, where to I don't yet know, I'm spoilt for choice, somewhere with a refreshing breeze and a cosy pub fire nearby would be just the ticket. In the meantime I thought I'd put up some of the photos from the Mourne Wall walk I did last summer with a good friend. The Mourne wall can be walked in one arduously long day. We decided to make it a comfortable multi day wild camping trip and it turned out to be a cracker.<br />
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The Mourne wall itself was constructed over 100 years ago between 1904 and 1922. It was built to keep cattle and sheep out of the water catchment area of the Silent Valley reservoir. These were the days before sophisticated water treatment techniques so it was important to ensure that potential contamination of the water was kept to a minimum.<br />
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The wall stretches for 35km and completely encloses the high Mournes. Its course takes in no less than fifteen mountains and is an arduous trek for anyone wishing to complete it in a single day.<br />
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</div>Instead of beginning first thing on the Monday morning, we decided to head up on the Sunday evening and camp up high on Slieve Bearnagh. It meant we could start at the wall afresh on Monday morning. It also meant we would get to enjoy two wild camps instead of one. The skies that evening were softly lit and a light mist began to form in the plains below.<br />
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The first morning, we woke early, a thin layer of cloud had settled down over the hills, the sunlight trying to force through its rays.<br />
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Setting off, with boundless energy, we headed down Bearnagh towards Hares Gap and beyond to Slieve Commedagh. Before the final push to the summit there is a pipe with constantly flowing fresh water where we refilled our bladders and bottles. There would be no fresh drinking water now until Silent Valley.<br />
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Upon reaching the highest point on our walk, Slieve Donard, we realised the entire mountain range was poking up above the clouds. We had found oursleves in a cloud inversion. It wasn't the most dramatic but it did mean we were now walking in unexpected heat, we began to drain our reserves of water at a higher rate than we'd planned.<br />
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Due to the cloud inversion, views out to sea were minimised. Views in toward the inner mountains were great though. Above is an impressive view of the Devils Coachroad on Cove Mountain with the rocky tors of Slieve Bearnagh in the background, where we began earlier that day.<br />
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From Donard, the wall sweeps alongside Rocky mountain and around into the Annalong Valley. Here the wall splits into 4 directions and we took a short break to discuss which way was correct.<br />
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After minimal deliberation, we took what turned out to be the correct route. There is a short break in the wall where the Annalong River cuts through. The shallow waters provided much needed cooling in the worsening humidity.<br />
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That same humidity was taking its toll, we were feeling tired and the legs were fading. I was affected by brief bouts of cramp on the ascent of Slieve Binnian. Luckily we had planned to camp on the summit where we could rest up.<br />
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We were relieved to arrive at the summit of Binnian, the first day had been tough, tougher than first imagined thanks to the energy sapping humidity experienced from early in the day. Now, perched high above the Silent Valley reservoir we were able to brew up and rehydrate. <br />
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The clouds had dissipated as we pitched our tents for the second time and views over Carlingford Lough and the Kingdom of Mourne were extensive.<br />
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Waking up on the second day was fantastic, a warm and windless night made for a great sleep so we were refreshed once more. The clouds today were high and the sun bright, it was going to be a scorcher.<br />
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With seven mountains remaining to be climbed that day, we were far from home and dry and our water supplies were running low. Luckily we weren't far from Silent Valley where we knew we could top up.<br />
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By the time we reached the reservoir, we were out of water and almost gasping. We were early for the opening of the cafe so we waited a while on the freshly cut grass beside the water. The temperature was beginning to rise, it was turning out to be a gorgeous summers day.<br />
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The Mournes are a very 'up and down' mountain range. You don't get up high and stay there for the whole walk. On this walk there were great descents between the mountains. It makes for a challenging day out.<br />
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The last stretch took us over the summits of Slieve Muck, Carn Mountain, Slieve Loughshannagh, Slieve Meelbeg and Slieve Meelmore. From Slieve Muck, the wall stretches out, almost to infinity over the following hills.<br />
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Our minds were taken off the sweltering heat and discomfort it was causing by the fantastic views all around.<br />
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The wall at this point was immense in proportion, I'd say it was nearly six feet high in places along Slieve Meelbeg and Meelmore and almost a metre thick. I took to walking the last two mountains on top of the sturdy construction. An enjoyable end to the walk.<br />
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Picking our way down the boulders on the slope of Slieve Meelmore brought the finish post into view and a sense of relief washed over me that we had finished. It had been an epic walk and one of the highlights of 2009. Our luck with views, weather and wild camp spots couldn't have been bettered. This is an adventure sure to be repeated.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2OnGX4SZu5vPLwXCoCRvhOLKD1uaYgaqOx1IxQjOn96QkdYYr7DkAgNdFbQcYMIDJv2GTcwv_ioAs3CZ4SKvKOIKtO55C9WqjaKUJKsmVcAb4HeIAZY8RHAyQpboMhyphenhyphenh8DFOfulCG4JR/s1600-h/DSCN1224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2OnGX4SZu5vPLwXCoCRvhOLKD1uaYgaqOx1IxQjOn96QkdYYr7DkAgNdFbQcYMIDJv2GTcwv_ioAs3CZ4SKvKOIKtO55C9WqjaKUJKsmVcAb4HeIAZY8RHAyQpboMhyphenhyphenh8DFOfulCG4JR/s400/DSCN1224.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-48217020094772965922010-03-18T17:22:00.001+00:002010-03-18T17:23:40.503+00:00Innov8 Roclite 370 Boot Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjv24zD8QQnasOGdpNwktNAClCsBMDKsyH_c0DmzjMbbVWgQDaBLDl8Sv_41rzcbuxtA-LxdyCqMb7_IEnQ2yKggGc8wwOPStPyFNKwxvtdklDX2K25M8RLnYsdz9EHLWpwgJlL3oLl3_/s1600-h/DSCN3661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjv24zD8QQnasOGdpNwktNAClCsBMDKsyH_c0DmzjMbbVWgQDaBLDl8Sv_41rzcbuxtA-LxdyCqMb7_IEnQ2yKggGc8wwOPStPyFNKwxvtdklDX2K25M8RLnYsdz9EHLWpwgJlL3oLl3_/s400/DSCN3661.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I've now had these for a couple of months and have now clocked up a few miles in them on terrain a little more testing than the stairs at home.<br />
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I said previously that the fit was excellent, the cushioning satisfactory and the weight astounding. None of those opinions have changed, in fact so much so I feel they are changing the way I walk in the hills.<br />
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The fit was superb, I knew that from day one, my feet were snug straight out of the box. On the hills of the Mournes I wore some Bridgedale Precision Fit Ski socks with a pair of Sealskinz mid length socks as protection from moisture ingress. I have had the Sealskinz for over a year now without really testing them out and as I have had trouble obtaining a pair of Rocky Oversocks I decided to give them a fair trial. I've heard bad reports about them, with some people stating that they have as much waterproofness as a colander.<br />
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As I headed out towards Hares Gap, the thaw had left icy puddles all over the lower slopes which simply couldn't be avoided. At one point before the climb, the Trassey River had to be crossed, the shoes were immersed right up over the laces and I felt the cold water rush in immediately through the mesh upper. Initially, I thought the socks had completely failed and soaked my feet through, thankfully that wasn't the case. It was the temperature of the water deceiving me. I did think that the 2 layer sock combo I was using would have provided a bit better insulation against such a thing.<br />
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Before long my feet had readjusted and were warm once more as I moved onto hardened snow and icy terrain. Here, I felt I could have done with a stiffer boot to allow my feet to sink further into the ice and provide some better traction. At times, especially on the steeper slopes leading up to the summit of Commedagh I found that I had to really force my feet into the ground to gain enough of a secure footing. The deep tread did not aid the climb in these conditions. A pair of Kathoola Microspikes would have been ideal here but I wanted to test these shoes to their limits. At the end of the day when I took the boots and Sealskinz off, my feet were warm and dry.<br />
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In the Comeraghs the next day, the 370s' really came into their own. The grip provided by those deep lugs was exceptional which gave me the confidence to hop skip and jump through the boulder field at the beginning of the walk. Taking on the sharp end of the ridge was no problem whatsoever in these boots, I felt more secure than ever and I see no problem using these for more challenging ridges like the Big Gun on the MacGillycuddys' Reeks in similar conditions. <br />
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Again, I was wearing the same sock combo as in the Mournes but as I reached the ridge, it became apparent that I would be encountering very little water on this walk. So the Sealskinz were jettisoned, allowing more air to get to my now hot feet. I was thankful for a little airflow through the boots, on a hot summers day though, when my feet usually melt in my normal walking boots, its going to be a revelation.<br />
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The higher cuff on these boots does offer a little protection from twisted ankles but obviously, nothing compared to regular 3 season boots which I'm used to but with a little more care taken with each step, I don't see this becoming a real issue. <br />
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The real area where these boots reign supreme over 3 season boots in my opinion is the weight. I noticed as soon as I began my walk on both days that I was somehow lighter despite normal pack weights and clothing. I've heard it said before that a hundred grammes off the weight of your shoes is the equivalent of shaving a kilo off your pack weight.<br />
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Now I'm not sure if that is strictly true but I certainly noticed a huge difference while walking. My legs didn't feel tired at all at the end of either walk, in fact I felt I could motor on for a good while. So in this respect alone, I can see these boots changing my walking in future, especially on longer trips.<br />
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The only area of weakness I can see in the 370s' is their durability. I can see these maybe lasting me until the autumn or this time next year at the most. It's obvious that with their weight and build, they simply are not as robust as the sturdier 3 season alternatives. For me though, its not an issue. The pros far outweigh the cons and they are worth the money to replace them once a year. <br />
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In two weeks I'll be completing a traverse of the the Maamturk range in Connemara, I intend on using these boots, this will be a real test for them, the mountains there are tough, rugged, steep and boggy in parts. At least now, I'll be heading there with my footwear no longer an unknown quantity.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-41030343938468837312010-03-16T15:51:00.002+00:002010-03-16T15:58:15.607+00:00Coumshingaun; A walk back in time...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB5VH5Fkeb6TybsRNlS7g8wt4yG3SJNAJAV7WaHnHPTsTl_QLv0Iu9BF4hXrerKCQ4Yg1Mn6HO-YZyr7gXs_-3Iym9whoZ3FK0-K9rZIdGNx-vqEuwxm3_IfBjiMqwmqF7hIkT15jcKJ2/s1600-h/DSCN3722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB5VH5Fkeb6TybsRNlS7g8wt4yG3SJNAJAV7WaHnHPTsTl_QLv0Iu9BF4hXrerKCQ4Yg1Mn6HO-YZyr7gXs_-3Iym9whoZ3FK0-K9rZIdGNx-vqEuwxm3_IfBjiMqwmqF7hIkT15jcKJ2/s400/DSCN3722.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Still smirking from what I witnessed in the Mournes that morning, I drove back to Tipperary in high spirits with one thought on my mind... Where next?<br />
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Brandon Mountain was the front runner, Mullaghanattin a close second. The weather was set to be clear countrywide, I could have gone anywhere I fancied. As I said, County Kerry seemed to be the destination.<br />
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Until I remembered a mountain range closer to home. One with a feature I've been wanting to get a closer look at for some time.<br />
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The Comeraghs are situated in County Waterford and only an hour away from the house. The prominent feature are the glacial coums sculpted from the mountains by unimaginable forces over thousands of years. Coumshingaun is probably the most famous of these coums, it falls dramatically from the vast and desolate Comeragh plateau and until Wednesday I'd never seen it in the flesh.<br />
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I'd been here once before but bad weather and a bad feeling in the bones made for an early bath. This day though was different, the weather was bright, I arrived early, clouds were lifting from the ridge nicely. My timing; impeccable. Kilclooney Wood was the starting point for the day. No other cars were there. Its one of the benefits of walking midweek, the weekend crowds are at their desks working hard, or perhaps at their desks sifting through outdoor blogs looking for inspiration for their next trip, which is exactly what I'd be doing if I were them.<br />
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After a short stroll through a forested area and past a fake spruce tree (I think) acting as some sort of antenna, I came out onto a boulder field with a view up to the first prominent rock outcrop ahead. The slope here isn't overly steep but relentless all the same and I found myself peeling off to just my baselayer as the sun beat down upon me. I reached the lower part of the ridge in less than an hour and caught my first glimpse of the immense coum. Wisps of cloud still lingered on the top of the ridge ahead but I was confident it would soon dissipate.<br />
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Further on, the ridge began to sharpen and I purposely kept to the top instead of playing safe on the narrow path that follows alongside the rocky tors. This route kept the coum in view for the entire length of the first ridge and was an absolute joy. I wouldn't attempt it in low visibility or if there was anything resembling a wind blowing, some parts are surprisingly exposed and care is required.<br />
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The back wall of the coum is a breathtaking sight, it rises almost vertically from the corrie lake 335 metres to the crest of the cliffs. They are a geologists dream, what with the rock bands clearly visible. I did a small bit of research into what the rock is here, its predominantly old red sandstone and was formed probably around 380 million years ago when the area of land we now know as Ireland was located somewhere near the equator and had a desert climate which fascinated me. I also found out on the same web page that 350 million years ago Ireland was submerged beneath a shallow tropical sea! To me, trying to get my head around the processes and time involved in changing our landscapes is a folly, but I can't help reading the figures with wonder.<br />
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I intend to read more about the geology of our mountains, I feel it will add yet another interesting dimension to my walks. To be walking over whatever mountain, knowing that 20 gazillion years ago a huge collision between two tectonic plates caused an upsurge in the land to form a range that for a time was higher than the Himalayas really excites me.<br />
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In Ireland we are lucky enough to be able to do such a thing, Im told the Sperrins in Co. Londonderry along with mountains in Scandinavia, Scotland and believe it or not, the Appalachians in the US were once part of a huge mountain range known as the Caledonian Mountains and are thought to be the highest mountains in history, reaching heights of over 10km.<br />
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After a final steep but short scramble I reached the plateau that overlooks the coum, the mist which had been forming at the top of the cliffs was obscuring my view of the lake below. The ground here was icy but it was clear that normally, this area is a soggy bog.<br />
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The summit of Fauscoum (792m) lies approximately 400 metres from the edge of the coum and I wanted to bag it, the mist over the plateau made navigation difficult but I took a bearing and followed. There is no real "summit" to speak of, just a bit of ground that happens to be higher than any other, adorned with a small rock cairn and a piece of cloth with the Waterford colours, blue and white.<br />
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As I approached the cairn, the mist began to thin and I views of the surrounding areas were exposed. The vast, featureless and boggy plateau opened up before me to the west and north. An entire traverse of these hills would be a real test of navigation and willpower and I believe there is a Comeragh Challenge walk every September or October. I'll keep my eyes peeled for more information on it for later in the year.<br />
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I lingered at the summit for a little while, orientating myself with my map, attempting to become familiar with the area as much as possible for another trip in the future. I have a good memory for mountain landscapes, so if I'm ever somewhere new, I try to take in whats around me, it has stood me in good stead in the past.<br />
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The coum was calling me and as I saw a large front rolling in from the east, I made my way back towards the cliff walls in hope of some good snaps of the bowl from above. I was in luck, the mist had disappeared, for a while at least.<br />
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The view was splendid, from the picture above, its easy to see the route the glacier took as it gouged out this chunk of rock and earth and flowed out into the valley below, depositing its load.<br />
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From the cliffs edges, I skirted around to the second ridge where I'd be returning back to the forest where I started out. This ridge wasn't as narrow as the first and proved to be an easy stroll down towards the lower slopes, with only a couple of rock steps to overcome.<br />
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A lunch stop allowed me to stop and take a few more snaps and enjoy the scenery on offer. Once again I had the mountains to myself, one of the perks of walking Irelands hills and mountains. The post walk Guinness in the pub afterward never tasted so good after this grand day out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOlPAcH-5en7ZlLYpFLa7vCQlwqmWuC7mEAl9b0b2UJqYL54DPkBsg5dqdvVoVGnu5qOiFdkQCqZQWPQKKyXIop4VOPQalyA8zEop9De1R3vdARkpl6n1bIaxJF4JVxVi1LcRdAr2NVdm/s1600-h/DSCN3719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOlPAcH-5en7ZlLYpFLa7vCQlwqmWuC7mEAl9b0b2UJqYL54DPkBsg5dqdvVoVGnu5qOiFdkQCqZQWPQKKyXIop4VOPQalyA8zEop9De1R3vdARkpl6n1bIaxJF4JVxVi1LcRdAr2NVdm/s400/DSCN3719.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-80278210753371968962010-03-11T17:24:00.002+00:002010-03-13T14:16:31.928+00:00Back in the Motherland; Slieve Commedagh Wild Camp<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziFy05DhEXbx7JZJjYK4FEJsTsG__dM-KI0hpM0seY8wc5KOAkphdYcV3QmtISOqTyjqo-3oCCbzJmCx8KmeHP8HnRimdZaNvldA4n1czkHu8OKuZWZ8P7DpUqU3S6wGEje2rtiKakWDG/s1600-h/DSCN3653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziFy05DhEXbx7JZJjYK4FEJsTsG__dM-KI0hpM0seY8wc5KOAkphdYcV3QmtISOqTyjqo-3oCCbzJmCx8KmeHP8HnRimdZaNvldA4n1czkHu8OKuZWZ8P7DpUqU3S6wGEje2rtiKakWDG/s400/DSCN3653.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><br />
This is my first post for over a month now, with my trip to Germany and some personal upheaval upon my return, I have not had time to sit and bash out the words on the keyboard. Last weekend I was in Belfast for a party and as I usually do, I threw the gear into the car with the intention of skipping through my favorite mountain range, the Mournes.<br />
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So, on Monday afternoon, I was Newcastle bound, the excellent Meelmore Lodge was my destination at the foot of Slieve Meelmore. I was only parking here as I had my sights on a wildcamp up high. I arrived at around 4:15pm and was in no rush, I mooched about and had some dinner in the car and took some photos of a particularly friendly and inquisitive Robin who perched itself on my wing mirror.<br />
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After that, I was having a final rucksack check when I came to my green drybag which contains my Jetboil and cooking paraphernalia. When I opened it up and took the Jetboil out I knew what the problem was right away..... no gas. Disaster. No gas meant no hot meal or drink, no hot meal or drink meant a cold night in temperatures that were already going to be below freezing on the summits overnight.<br />
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By now it was 4:50pm, Hilltrekker in Newcastle was my only hope, I raced down but only to find Hilltrekker with their shutters down. This wasn't the first time I have required a last minute piece of kit only to find that shop closed. Anyhow, I headed back up the road to one of the caravan parks who didn't have any either but gave me the name of another store in Newcastle; 'Four Seasons', a real 'jack of all trades' store, and I remembered upon entering that I had bought some pots in here years before. To cut a long story short, they were open, and they had the gas, although only in a size that wouldn't fit inside the Jetboil. Beggars can't be choosers however and I was thankful for getting any at all.<br />
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I arrived back at Meelmore at 5:30pm, the light was beginning to fade fast and I was disappointed that I would be missing out on the sunset but at the same time excited that most of my trek would be in the dark, something I haven't enjoyed for a couple of years now. <br />
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I enjoy isolation in the wilds, I would stop often in the cold still air and listen to the silence, the absolute silence. I seemingly had the Mountains all to myself. I hiked up the Hares' Gap and from the top, I realised there wasn't a sinner to be found, I checked for lights from head torches on distant peaks but none were spotted. There's something special about walking alone in the mountains when the daylight has gone and is replaced with a beautiful starry sky.<br />
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Some people I know won't walk alone when darkness falls in the hills let alone camp as they feel spooked out by eerie noises or the feeling that someone is walking behind them when there's nobody to be found for miles. That's fair enough although for me it isn't an issue. In fact, knowing that I'm the only person for miles is something of a privilege for me. Think about it; there's this awesome night in the hills with a darker sky and more stars than you'll ever see in the Mournes and as far as I was aware, I was the only one witnessing it. That's whats I call a privilege.<br />
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I reached the foot of Slieve Commedagh where the slope steepens considerably and in view of the deeper snow which had formed an icy surface, I elected to bring out the head torch for the ascent. There has been a real thaw in the last week in the Mournes and there was no trace of any powder snow left, the slopes were frozen solid almost and I carefully picked a zigzaging route through the ice fields. In what seemed like no time however, I was at the shelter stone unpacking my stove and gas, I had one thing on my mind; dinner.<br />
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Fresh pasta with a spicy sauce and a chopped up spicy pepperami was on the menu. This was real 'haute cuisine' for me, my usual effort is a couple of Wayfayrers boil in the bag meals but since this was a one off camp with no great distances covered I opted for some comfort food.<br />
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Since there wasn't even a breath of a wind, I was able to eat out in the open, on the Mourne wall. With my down jacket on, I didn't feel the cold whatsoever and my meal followed by a almost a litre of hot chocolate went down a storm as I stargazed for what seemed the longest time. <br />
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After around 9:30pm I went in search of a place to camp, there was a large section of summit bereft of snow or ice that was just perfect. The Akto was erected in no time and the truly excellent pegs sunk into the frozen ground without any bother. Soon I was wrapped up in the sleeping bag and after my meal and a bit of a warm up consisting of some running on the spot and star jumps, I was cosy too in the frigid air.<br />
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I was awake early and I popped my head out the tent door to see a slither of moon in the early morning sky. I was anxious not to miss the sunrise as I knew it would be a belter so I donned my warm wear and frozen boots in double quick time. The sun hadn't outed itself just yet so I brewed up in preparation and to get some warmth into my innards. Slieve Donards' north face was still mostly snow covered and provided a wonderful view with the emerging sunrise providing a terrific backdrop.<br />
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I perched myself on the Slieve Commedagh summit cairn, about 50 yards from where I was camped and waited. <br />
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I'll let the pictures tell the tale, It was simply majestic.<br />
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I walked back down later that morning a happy man. I passed a few people including the owner of Jacksons Sports in Belfast who had taken the day off work and was taking the same route I had the night before.<br />
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I chatted to everyone I met and took my time, I was tempted to stay up another night but I had other plans. The drive back to Tipperary wouldn't be so bad now.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-84875216867603226222010-01-30T21:32:00.001+00:002010-01-30T21:35:21.068+00:00Daydreams - A visionary fantasy experienced while awake....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0k87_AAEVqLtw0mleOiQJDTJ6UHQ2N8FyYAJPRdRi3WuHVm409U1jePTGzG439tWbArwX3UUdP4fKs1slHTtkHPpUqaNjqXrgFrDl3o9SKXSXGAASgR0oKmfb6Y_ackSSn4wqnPhETrT/s1600-h/DSCN2828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0k87_AAEVqLtw0mleOiQJDTJ6UHQ2N8FyYAJPRdRi3WuHVm409U1jePTGzG439tWbArwX3UUdP4fKs1slHTtkHPpUqaNjqXrgFrDl3o9SKXSXGAASgR0oKmfb6Y_ackSSn4wqnPhETrT/s400/DSCN2828.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
I've been sat at my desk now for a couple of hours, hankering for a trip. The full moon has outed itself once again and its inducing all sorts of butterfly type feelings in the belly as I dream of mountain solice, at home and further afield.<br />
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Next week, I'm jetting out to southern Germany for a course on sustainable, eco, renewable, responsibly sourced, energy efficiency stuff. While I'm there, I plan on frequenting some of the wonderful mountains they have to offer there. Where I'm staying is only a short drive from Oberstdorf, one of Germanys premier ski resorts situated at the foot of the Allgau Alps. It also offers some of the finest hiking in Germany and seeing as the snow has made a hurried retreat in Ireland, I'm looking forward to padding around in the white stuff once again. <br />
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That's the fun for February sorted but I have more on my mind today.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA5OqSkaOaahJmeChmBhgSACPB-i7YOH_Olp3CjK6qz2W5Kio0Hhpdv-R0ASrtb7k8aCKZyY5y1NT5CIk7dwPWtYDX7rcfWanLdi1DUB9i6gLFjdiitq8TVlfso4yFyXJeAGqmPP-ZNr1/s1600-h/clip_image002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA5OqSkaOaahJmeChmBhgSACPB-i7YOH_Olp3CjK6qz2W5Kio0Hhpdv-R0ASrtb7k8aCKZyY5y1NT5CIk7dwPWtYDX7rcfWanLdi1DUB9i6gLFjdiitq8TVlfso4yFyXJeAGqmPP-ZNr1/s400/clip_image002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Since last summer, I've been seriously thinking about taking on a multi day trip through Connemara and south Mayo. I'm still in the route planning stage, but already I'm so excited by it. The route itself is staggeringly ambitious, it will meander through five separate mountain groups and will probably work out at around 100km long, over roughly 30 summits with a combined ascent of over 12,000m.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBq-hu2S1Xr3unn6jjzpouGKLiRLHhY2qqSllKh300s27tMyhhm7DWY9FdlgUdgyHi-IJbTAZ4QZarziNNAVQCk4Fhfct0wpRxu6qlYbpL-4O1hokcwm6PVRZ-USjNue2OD_q_NYiV3hYk/s1600-h/DSCN2830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBq-hu2S1Xr3unn6jjzpouGKLiRLHhY2qqSllKh300s27tMyhhm7DWY9FdlgUdgyHi-IJbTAZ4QZarziNNAVQCk4Fhfct0wpRxu6qlYbpL-4O1hokcwm6PVRZ-USjNue2OD_q_NYiV3hYk/s400/DSCN2830.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Of course, the precise details are to be confirmed and a few "reconnaissance" trips will be required before I settle on a definite route through this immense landscape. Needless to say, the trip will be scheduled for the summer where longer hours of daylight can be availed of and I'll be carrying everything I'll need for it in the aul 'over shoulder gear holder' from the start.<br />
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I. Cannot. Bloody. Wait.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-35800953354032794542010-01-29T11:52:00.003+00:002010-01-29T11:53:56.446+00:00January Sales Joy<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yAFl_XeIF9O8k3r32FG3ewHj_8afSH_AzdGHew6T2xWE24HUNKGFzeaYI3JrtNIGHj5d7PfxCpjvUvNh-bPc05LOIdWGSpqSTSuEmZLfGbW22bJuUXHTkGbyhK0qg6U_xe9OLHCL-Aiq/s1600-h/jan07afeature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yAFl_XeIF9O8k3r32FG3ewHj_8afSH_AzdGHew6T2xWE24HUNKGFzeaYI3JrtNIGHj5d7PfxCpjvUvNh-bPc05LOIdWGSpqSTSuEmZLfGbW22bJuUXHTkGbyhK0qg6U_xe9OLHCL-Aiq/s320/jan07afeature.jpg" /></a></div> <br />
I hate it when an advertisement from a gear retailer states, "biggest ever sale" or "top brands at lowest prices" only for you to arrive and find all they have are Craghoppers fleeces at half price (which you can normally find for even less at any time of year), The North Face Venture Jacket for 40 quid but only in XXS and XXL and a pair of mens, size 14?? Scarpa Mantas for 50 quid suitable only for Krusty the clown and Andre the giant.. Non of it any good to man nor beast.<br />
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This year however had been a revelation, for me at least. I've found some great bargains this month and taken full advantage. The current glut of online retailers really makes it possible to stretch your hard earned cash and get hold of the best gear for a lot less than the rrp.<br />
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The fruit of this months bargain hunting has been my most successful yet and here it is below:<br />
<br />
Price Paid Usual RRP<br />
<br />
Rab Powerstretch Zip Top 40 50<br />
Mountain Equipment Lightline Jacket 75 150<br />
Smartwool Midweight Zip Top 30 55<br />
Scarpa Charmoz GTX boots 120 230<br />
Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe 60 80<br />
Bridgedale Precision Fit Ski sock 12 15<br />
Roclite 370's 30 85<br />
Source Hydration Bladder 12 17<br />
Primus clip on windshield 8 10<br />
<ul></ul> <b>Total 387 692 </b><br />
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That's a huge saving of over 300 squid!! A few of these items came from <a href="http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/default.asp?submit=Home">The Outdoor Shop</a> which have had a fantastic sale on over the past few weeks, if I had the dosh, I would have spent twice the amount!One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-41124129478470611482010-01-24T20:23:00.001+00:002010-01-24T20:24:51.626+00:00Slievenamon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KTg4KYHJp3b-b7Sl8ZamaiVONBJob5N51a6uzaczDkoPYlDfo-_GUO37xZ1LyK52i2Y_wiIWd-sJ5wFJ0kB8qYtkIhL5gD9NP2U7iUfYLTINmYGH6nfBxX5VZ9RKFmYq37w3mCg5Jko2/s1600-h/DSCN3287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KTg4KYHJp3b-b7Sl8ZamaiVONBJob5N51a6uzaczDkoPYlDfo-_GUO37xZ1LyK52i2Y_wiIWd-sJ5wFJ0kB8qYtkIhL5gD9NP2U7iUfYLTINmYGH6nfBxX5VZ9RKFmYq37w3mCg5Jko2/s320/DSCN3287.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, today saw us head out the door for a quick dander up a mountain (or 'walk' to those of you of a non Irish disposition). I had never climbed Slievenamon (721m) before despite it being an hour away from the front door. It also ranks as one of the most climbed mountains in Ireland due to its good access and well trodden path to the summit. Perhaps this is the reason I've never bothered with it until now, the lure of the Kerry and Connemara mountains are often too great for me. The other reason being that I had to work this morning and was limited in my options for anything further afield. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Slievenamon in Irish, roughly translates as 'Mountain of the women'. Legend has it, Fionn MacCunhaill (one of Irelands most famous mythical figures) sat on top of the mountain while women raced to the summit to win his hand in marriage. The crafty bugger didn't want any old womans hand though, he had previously shown his great love, Grainne, a shortcut to the top and she of course, won the race.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sISyc2eYgfUuCmcDaaG63JdA9x1xHGFkPTbi0PfdVeQme-2isivIF8JFvpnerCyWTjlQml8H-3LJL4RoqakNMx0-tgZpuvY4yeYrBS_4pfBnV2H96Ct8C28GXW27npUrnDNqX6mKJueY/s1600-h/DSCN3340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sISyc2eYgfUuCmcDaaG63JdA9x1xHGFkPTbi0PfdVeQme-2isivIF8JFvpnerCyWTjlQml8H-3LJL4RoqakNMx0-tgZpuvY4yeYrBS_4pfBnV2H96Ct8C28GXW27npUrnDNqX6mKJueY/s320/DSCN3340.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you enjoyed the story behind the mountains name because the walk wasn't anything spectacular. I took the "yak track" up and down as I just didn't have time for a longer walk, whereby I would have knocked off a few of the subsidiary summits. The views of the nearby Comeragh mountains were superb though, in fact visibility was so good, Mount Leinster and the Blackstairs mountains could be seen easily to the east.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DqNmfeI8g2BLliqxTVoMyLljKkuFaFoO2b_79DWm0FQTstNtwcqquld9MmuXUqr83yFN_ElDTyziCTqIDzEJb0_rwqNxXrYylwYG-wp4zRFB5GU1T6DWgJ1EMSQSZQZhHd9f_8H2_PFs/s1600-h/DSCN3305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DqNmfeI8g2BLliqxTVoMyLljKkuFaFoO2b_79DWm0FQTstNtwcqquld9MmuXUqr83yFN_ElDTyziCTqIDzEJb0_rwqNxXrYylwYG-wp4zRFB5GU1T6DWgJ1EMSQSZQZhHd9f_8H2_PFs/s320/DSCN3305.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The trek up is along a broad stony track, leading to a relatively flat summit plateau where an enormous cairn awaits, the trig point is situated a short distance away and its hard to distinguish which is the higher point. A flask of tea was shared at the summit whilst admiring some stunning views and an interesting geological feature unknown to me before which I shall investigate further.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Add to that a vague sighting of a sun dog (see below) and the afternoon stroll was turning out to be a bloody great day out. I can't be sure it is a sun dog although I'll say it is until I'm told otherwise. A quick descent saw us back at the car with barely an ounce of sweat shed but surprisingly, plenty of photos to take home.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_t-sLbt9RdNHeRa5aymFKLKnM5exXbbj1QkspMirWM7ffEolqbWr2BTxcyG91SwKAg_39uprLZlsHV9vba5PGofeeRYShsQUlkz4ymyCNc1X8dOxUkzOXJ1nk4ne4Dwy40vm5NVgeh16p/s1600-h/DSCN3320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_t-sLbt9RdNHeRa5aymFKLKnM5exXbbj1QkspMirWM7ffEolqbWr2BTxcyG91SwKAg_39uprLZlsHV9vba5PGofeeRYShsQUlkz4ymyCNc1X8dOxUkzOXJ1nk4ne4Dwy40vm5NVgeh16p/s320/DSCN3320.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another new mountain too so that's five now this year, 10% of my target achieved before the end of January, I'm impressed.<br />
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</div>One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-13446662805106483102010-01-20T22:31:00.000+00:002010-01-20T22:32:19.814+00:00Look up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbOFm-iPtlF6TcHA6tmkKimLQqsjpgnnDV3ZaZB8NSZjHfTrauYex7XyHFMAp_oOdUhsfo46InD7rDngCD74IkTp18G2gij5M5r-tm8Ad6R-eboVSGyqzOaQzVEvrB0WlzFhBBdzXzZf3/s1600-h/DSC_0618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbOFm-iPtlF6TcHA6tmkKimLQqsjpgnnDV3ZaZB8NSZjHfTrauYex7XyHFMAp_oOdUhsfo46InD7rDngCD74IkTp18G2gij5M5r-tm8Ad6R-eboVSGyqzOaQzVEvrB0WlzFhBBdzXzZf3/s320/DSC_0618.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes that's right, look up, d'ya hear?? I often look up at the skies, on the look out for something stunning, and spending a considerable amount of my time in the hills and mountains, I come across my fair share of wonders, like this nice example of a Lenticular cloud above Slieve Binnian I woke up to a couple of years ago whilst wild camping by Loughshannagh.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't help keeping an eye on <a href="http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/"></a>this website though, the <a href="http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/">cloud appreciation society</a>. I know, I know, it sounds like something Ian Hislop and Angus Deayton would take the piss out of on <i>Have I got News For You</i> but some of the images are truly, truly awesome so I encourage more of you to look up some more, you really never know what you might see.<br />
</div>One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-22619771885849021482010-01-18T21:27:00.000+00:002010-01-21T17:53:35.752+00:00Who needs a compass anyway?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2zFoxESTecSvRHDCzctARj4PRj6ijIPA0ORCXyLD2a-qlysID-Ba9v3gYfkXJu8F_MnJXNXpk6rU5Qa8wf6fhu_hyId-t5xm4BVCrlt72BG-WxRwWXo5706uVTDS7pb9wv8TtFJYm0XV/s1600-h/DSCN3272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2zFoxESTecSvRHDCzctARj4PRj6ijIPA0ORCXyLD2a-qlysID-Ba9v3gYfkXJu8F_MnJXNXpk6rU5Qa8wf6fhu_hyId-t5xm4BVCrlt72BG-WxRwWXo5706uVTDS7pb9wv8TtFJYm0XV/s320/DSCN3272.JPG" /></a><br />
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I have walked many mountains in Ireland now, in different ranges throughout the country, one thing has surprised me though, I have very rarely had to use a compass to find my way. In the whole of 2009, I had to resort to map and compass only once, on Slievemore in County Mayo. I think the only time I ever got lost on a walk was during my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze expedition somewhere on Butter mountain back in 1846 and that wasn't even my fault!<br />
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I'm the first to admit, my compass skills are limited, limited by the fact I rarely practice them. The Mournes were my stomping ground for so long with its great 20 odd mile long handrail, more commonly known as the Mourne wall. Of course I'm aware that these skills can be practiced anywhere but another reason for my relative ineptitude is that I have never really been bothered to learn them.<br />
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I have been blessed with a decent sense of direction and before any walk, I do pour over the map and study the details so I have the route memorised. This of course, doesn't count for much when you remember, at the end of the day, I'm a human like everyone else, and humans make mistakes.<br />
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With that admission, I'll move onto yesterdays walk. I chose the Galty Mountains which straddle Counties Limerick and Tipperary. I love new territory and the chance to get more of a feel for a place. I've been living in Tipperary now for a almost a year and had only visited the Galtys once even though they're only an hour away by car and are home to one of Irelands 'Munros', Galtymore (919m).<br />
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From the Knockmealdowns a matter of weeks ago (see that walk and pic of entire Galty range <a href="http://onefootintheclouds.blogspot.com/2009/12/knocklmealdown.html">here</a>) I had viewed the Galtys at sunset, conjuring ideas of traversing the full range, from west to east, maybe in one long day, maybe with a wild camp thrown in, who am I kidding, definitely with a wild camp thrown in!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7_Ri9R1gZhyphenhyphen_X7RlRi_vvA8Tws0-01BjGwkiEK5MdeFmV3xNrfHisNIGv8SNwS08jyxSdWS3qzaIwwWnTxdBzYl1wa2l4kR2uiPOsA2lN1pdIO7CLrt_p2nDAuJPLOuNVqSa2p5PMDkS/s1600-h/DSCN3269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7_Ri9R1gZhyphenhyphen_X7RlRi_vvA8Tws0-01BjGwkiEK5MdeFmV3xNrfHisNIGv8SNwS08jyxSdWS3qzaIwwWnTxdBzYl1wa2l4kR2uiPOsA2lN1pdIO7CLrt_p2nDAuJPLOuNVqSa2p5PMDkS/s320/DSCN3269.JPG" /></a><br />
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The route I'd chosen for the day though was to be governed by the amount of daylight available, the late start (11am) didn't help matters. I tailored it to suit the timings, 16km was the distance to be covered. A nice easy stroll over four summits and back the way I came.<br />
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Things started off well, visibility was great, large patches of snow still covered the western and northern slopes and the temperature was relatively warm . Temple Hill (785m), the first summit of the day is home to a fortress of a cairn, with built-in stone seats and protected by large stone walls acting as a fantastic wind break.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTZVMtF5tqGjX5revA2osEO1evm3oBYInPaTIlq93upGppCp8mBYrY2FQuCaNeopw036CFeF8WpJaGWXdffQqUTdFVY1oWgCDztw4JlHSXhURymbJUBTDQHSyE12ycY6ebA_TWyuqWMUQ/s1600-h/DSCN3275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTZVMtF5tqGjX5revA2osEO1evm3oBYInPaTIlq93upGppCp8mBYrY2FQuCaNeopw036CFeF8WpJaGWXdffQqUTdFVY1oWgCDztw4JlHSXhURymbJUBTDQHSyE12ycY6ebA_TWyuqWMUQ/s320/DSCN3275.JPG" /></a><br />
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While enjoying a cup of tea, I noticed wisps of clouds beginning to form and flow over the summits to the east, this prompted me to take a compass bearing to the next summit, Knockaterriff Beg (679m). Before reaching the bottom of the col between the two mountains, the stratus cloud had descended, now obscuring the summits ahead entirely. Luckily I had taken bearings to the summit (marked by a steel post).<br />
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From there, after 40m of descent to another col, the steep trudge to the summit of Lyracappul (825m) began. I had taken a bearing to the beginning of the ridge and sure enough came across a vague path leading that way. The ridge begins with a prominent rock outcrop directly overlooking a near vertical precipice. With this found, it was an easy trek to the summit cairn. At this height, it was clear that the cloud cloaking the mountains was very thin as the sun was almost visible and every now and again, the fields and pasture in the valley below would appear in view to the north.<br />
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After another cuppa, the ridge was followed to the summit of Carrignabinnia (822m). From here I debated continuing but it was now just before 3pm and I had to get back. I pretty much backtracked all the way over the ridge to that rock outcrop, took a bearing back to the col below and descended. I made it safely enough but it's here that things took a turn for the worse.<br />
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I took my bearing to the summit of Knockaterriff Beg, directly south and began to follow it. Somewhere though, I went off course and after fifteen minutes I realised I wasn't where I was supposed to be, the summit post was nowhere in sight and when I checked what direction I was now heading, I was shocked. I was now heading north again but I wasn't back at the col.<br />
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I wasn't worried but I found myself struggling to comprehend what had gone wrong. How did I manage to turn full circle following a simple bearing? I'd got it right all day. By now the mist was thick and I was completely disoriented, it would be dark soon enough, I had to get my act together.<br />
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The hardest thing was getting rid of the sensation of anger with myself, it was putting me off thinking clearly. After a while of battling with myself to look at the map and think sensibly, my mind focused and began looking at things logically. I got my facts straight, I knew where north was, I knew my whereabouts within 300-400 square metres and I knew Temple Hills location in relation to this. I trusted the compass totally and headed directly southwest, I figured I would hit Temple Hill at some point, head to the ridgeline and from there, plain sailing.<br />
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It turned out I was completely right, and I got back without a hitch, even hitting the ridgeline only a few metres away from where I had descended from earlier in the day. I had gotten lost, but I'd made sense of my surroundings and found the way again. The walk back through the forest under a rapidly darkening sky sharpened my mind on getting more proficient with a compass, I always have it in my pack. I think I'll sign up for a course sooner rather than later. If the terrain had been more difficult and more precision were required, I may have been in trouble.<br />
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A positive day all round in my book, lessons learned and 4 new mountains climbed, only 46 to go to reach my target for 2010.<br />
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So, who needs a compass anyway?<br />
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</i>One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-87213706263723346592010-01-15T13:56:00.000+00:002010-01-15T13:56:42.592+00:00Inov-8 Roclite 370 - First impressions on an impulsive purchase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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I bought these from <a href="http://www.climbers-shop.com/">the climbers shop</a> online store in England last week where I saw them for a paltry 30 pounds. I had been trying on some Roclite 320's in <a href="http://www.jackson-sports.com/">Jacksons Sports</a> in Belfast just a few days before I came across these babies and I was very impressed with the fit, cushioning and weight.<br />
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Ive been thinking about changing the set up I have on my feet when walking for a while now and this is the first step in doing that. Currently I use a pair of Meindl Softline Gtx boots which were great until they recently started leaking, with some Bridgedale socks; comfort trekkers or endurances depending on the weather. <br />
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Im now however coming round to the idea that trail shoes may be suitable for most hilly terrain, certainly in the UK and Ireland. My idea is to wear trail shoes, ie the Roclite 370's with a pair of normal socks as usual and a Rocky Gore Tex over-sock as my waterproof membrane.<br />
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As I said, this is still only an idea and I have yet to source a pair of these Rocky Gore Tex over-socks in the UK (I may have to resort to the US to get my hands on a pair.)<br />
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As for the boots though, they weigh in at around 800g per pair (size 10.5) which is fantastic, made originally for paragliding I believe, I hardly notice they are there when walking. The fit is as good as the 320's I tried on in Belfast and whats even better is the higher cuff on them which gives me a little more security from potential broken ankles when crossing more difficult terrain. The tread is the deepest I've ever come across on any trail shoe and look as though they could cope admirably with wet slippery rocks and steep grassy slopes.<br />
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However, I will reserve more judgement for such time as I have tried them out 'in the field' so to speak, so far they have only covered the length and breadth of my house and a short length of footpath. So far the signs are good but watch this space for a more in-depth review.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-78271423878762338492010-01-15T13:20:00.000+00:002010-01-15T13:20:01.027+00:00Feet in the Clouds - Richard Askwith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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I read this book last year but came across it again on the shelf and remembered how much I enjoyed it. The title is also very similar to that of this blog so I thought I'd write about it as a recommended read.<br />
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The book is unique in that it is made up of several themes that switch throughout the read but ultimately come together at the end: <br />
<ul><li>A diary of a running calendar, detailing the various races that take place throughout the year, not just in Britain but Alaska, the Alps and other foreign destinations where British runners may be competing.</li>
</ul><ul><li>A history lesson, not delivered simply as a bunch of facts and records, but written in a style which encapsulates the prestige with which the sport once prided itself on. Some of the stories recalled during these chapters sound almost implausible and boggle the mind to think what physical trauma men put their bodies through in the name of sport. The detailed history of the Bob Graham round is particularly fascinating, and Askwith serves it to the reader in such an enthusiastic way.</li>
</ul><ul><li>An in-depth look at the personalities that made the sport what it was, Joss Naylor, Kenny Stuart and Bill Teasdale to name a few. Askwith interviews several of the sports iconic figures in the book which I found to be much more interesting than simply reading a log of achievements.</li>
</ul>All the names mentioned in the book were unknown to me, fell running has mostly been something I see in the hills and shake my head and mutter something along the lines of "<i>look at those mad b&;*%</i>#$ds". (Although I once attempted a run up Slieve Donard and Commedagh recently enough, I did it... though admittedly I did stop rather frequently for breath).<br />
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All in all, I loved this read. On more than one occasion whilst reading, I found myself wanting to get up and get my runners on and head for the nearest hill. I didn't though as I was so engrossed with the book. Theres no doubt, this book is inspiring and its clear to see how much research and effort has gone into retelling the history of the sport. Askwith is someone who has a great passion for the sport and it shows.<br />
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I just wish I had the balls (or the nerve, time, fitness, energy, willpower, drive etc etc) to get into it myself.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-62527360605253413112010-01-14T23:17:00.000+00:002010-01-14T23:17:44.936+00:00A thank you...I logged on this evening to see my list of followers has increased exponentially, and I have Martin Rye of <a href="http://summitandvalley.blogspot.com/">Summit and Valley</a> to thank for it. Ive been following his blog since the middle of last year, anonymously I must say until I found out exactly what the whole blogging thing was all about and started up myself.<br />
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Im still a rookie as it were in the blogging world and talk of 'keywords', 'analytics' and 'linking to others' is still a bit of a mystery. Im a relatively smart guy so I should catch up in time but for me, the most important thing at the minute is that I hit those hills as often as possible and then come back and write about it and share my experiences with you lot. <br />
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So thats what im going to continue to do so I hope you enjoy my blurb.<br />
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Back soon.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-74183219782041416812010-01-11T12:35:00.000+00:002010-01-14T22:57:59.704+00:00Plans for 2010This year has got off to a great start, the Reeks and the Mournes failed to disappoint. I now find myself thinking ahead to the rest of the year and what I'd like to achieve. I have some plans already in place, the completion of the Santiago de Camino is probably priority, I hate leaving things unfinished, especially a walk.<br />
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I have signed up for some charity events too, including a cycle ride from Lands end to John O'Groats this summer. I have a charity walk planned for this year too in Ireland but i cant reveal the details as yet because it may not have been done before, at least I cant find any evidence to the contrary so far.<br />
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Charity aside though, I have set myself a target of climbing 50 new mountains this year in Ireland. I set myself this target after looking through the <a href="http://www.walkersassociation.ie/challenge/walk/calendar">Irish challenge walk diary</a>. Theres a lot of uncharted territory in there, I'm particularly looking forward to exploring some more of Connemara and Mayo hills and mountains, the few times I've traveled through that area, my eyes have been out on stalks at the beauty of the place.<br />
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Donegal is another place I need to see more of, a visit to Slieve League is all I have to speak of so far but the likes of Errigal and Muckish have as yet eluded me.<br />
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We'll see what comes of the target, who knows, I may need to revise my target and up it to 100!! Wishful thinking...One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-29678155854094383582010-01-07T17:50:00.000+00:002010-01-14T22:59:06.283+00:00The Alps, i mean, erm, The Reeks....<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmTAmrdQjEJzYBDvv0VptsO6bYEmnyc_C0yUcq1lFN3vFwqTHDx7HRhUrnZhVm7WqVbfgqb-_TJg3JJbuR54OSK6SnlMkM3WZT_SeN5w9BXDUR9yf55o4HYDEqDxUZjQux5Ll9YXfa2LZ/s1600-h/DSC_3155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmTAmrdQjEJzYBDvv0VptsO6bYEmnyc_C0yUcq1lFN3vFwqTHDx7HRhUrnZhVm7WqVbfgqb-_TJg3JJbuR54OSK6SnlMkM3WZT_SeN5w9BXDUR9yf55o4HYDEqDxUZjQux5Ll9YXfa2LZ/s320/DSC_3155.JPG" /></a> <br />
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New years day 2010 will be remembered well. My year began as I fully intend it to go on. The weather reports had shown a lot of snow had fallen in the days running up to the new year but today was to be dry, bright, cloudless and windless but exceptionally cold, wavering between -5 and -7 all day. Perfect conditions for a winter walk.<br />
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The Coomloughra Horseshoe was the days objective. To say I was excited on the drive down would be an understatement, and as the brilliant white Reeks came into view on the drive into Killarney i was practically wetting myself. I had seen the Reeks in similar conditions before; on the cover of my 1:25k Ordnance Survey map... <br />
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I had been here before, July 2008 to be exact and had done the entire horseshoe. I still regard it as one of the best walks ive done in Ireland. Today though the mountains looked radically different, drenched in snow and ice, frozen lakes and a clear sky, something I didnt have the last time.<br />
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We made it as far as 700m on Caher when I decided that this was our limit without the aid of crampons and an axe. A couple who were slightly below us continued a while longer. For me though the slope was too dangerous, the ice was rock hard and our walking boots just didnt cut it in these conditions.<br />
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Not summiting on a mountain top isnt a common practice of mine when out walking, but surprisingly I wasnt too despondent. It was enough for me just to be there surrounded by these majestic mountains and at that moment in time, they were indeed mountains although I said to myself that next time, there will be a pair of spikes in the rucksack.<br />
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We opted to saunter back down to the lake that was semi frozen and have a mooch about. We stopped for a short while to see two kids on the summit of Skregmore, one proceeded to snowboard down while the other inched down on his bottom, a sight rarely seen in this country i'm sure.<br />
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Some lunch was had on Skregmore and we watched the sun go down over the Iveragh peninsula, a cloud inversion that had been brewing all day had begun to really take shape in the valleys below as we began to descend back along the Hydro track. So despite no summit views, an awesome day was had and as Arnie would say, I'll be back.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-4614767183934577602010-01-06T22:42:00.000+00:002010-01-06T22:42:37.410+00:00Snow in the MournesSo here we are, 2010, its been a few weeks since i last posted but i've been far from idle. Christmas was a hectic affair this year, shuttling back and forward between Belfast and Thurles takes its toll so before new year we decided to stay at the excellent Meelmore Lodge at the foot of the Mourne Mountains for a couple of days and relax.<br />
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The intention was to walk the first day but a combination of late night poker tournaments, exhaustion and the Cotswold January sale, meant we left it for the second day.<br />
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It turned out to be a wise move, we awoke on the Wednesday morning fresh from a 10 hour sleep, i was hungry for porridge, snow and granite. I got all three.<br />
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The weather was foul outside the hostel, but we were layered perfectly for the job, i had bought a new Rab Powerstretch top from Cotswold in the sale the day before and boy was it a nice piece of kit. Santa had been kind enough to leave me a pair of Primaloft Ice Gauntlet gloves, also from Rab the week before and my hands were the warmest they had ever been but ill talk more on the gear on another post.<br />
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The walk we had planned was simple and relatively short as we had booked ourselves in for a seaweed bath in Newcastle at <i>Soak </i>that evening<i>. </i>It involved contouring around Slieve Meelmore to the Trassey track, up to Hares Gap and then to the summit of Slieve Commedagh. <br />
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We met a guy at the wall on Hares Gap who was not for venturing any further, <i>"you'd be mad to go any further today in this wind" </i>he chirped. Indeed the wind was strong but it was certainly not the worst i had experienced on these fine hills. We hopped over the wall and continued on our way over Slievenaglogh where we met a man who was out looking for his dog, a scottish terrier, a <i>white </i>scottish terrier, in a foot of <i>white </i>snow. Good luck i thought, he had been out now for two days searching for his canine friend.<br />
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As we began the ascent of Commedagh, the wind picked up some more and it began blowing snow and ice particles violently into our faces which has subsequently prompted the purchase of snow goggles in the event of this happening again.<br />
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Aside from this the going was good, my boots bit into the hardened snow well. The granite summit shelter had taken on the form of an arctic igloo with snow drifts up as high as the top of the entrance. We stopped for some lunch before heading back down to the hostel.<br />
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I enjoy reacquainting myself with the Mournes, the hills i spent most weekends bounding over once upon a time. I only have photos of the hills taken from Meelmore Lodge as we didnt have the nerve to bring the Nikon D70 into the storm above and we were right to as there was no let up in the blizzard all day.<br />
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Oh and the bath was tremendous, I really recommend it to anyone after a long days walk in the hills.One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-27339869066280927002009-12-13T22:38:00.000+00:002009-12-15T20:27:16.451+00:00Knocklmealdown MountainToday, for the first time since October, I went for a walk. The objective; to summit Knockmealdown mountain. I woke and immediately peeked out of the bedroom window to find the sun shining and a hard frost on the lawn, an auspicious start to the day promising perfect walking conditions and fine views. It felt great to be back on the hills again and at 794m high, its fairly large by Irish standards.<br />
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The views from the top were extraordinary as expected, straddling the border between Tipperary and Waterford, the sea can be seen to the south and the Galtees to the north west, Slievenamon and the Comeraghs were also clearly visible roughly east. Underfoot the ground was easy and dry, I would perhaps go so far as to say Knockmealdown from the Vee gap offers some of the best ground in the country. No bog was encountered on the entire route.<br />
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The route itself was a doddle, following a low stone wall from the Vee all the way to the summit, passing Sugarloaf and Knockmoylan along the way. As I said the height at the summit is 794m but the fact that the car park at the Vee sits at 300m, the actual ascent required is vastly reduced. A walk can be completed from the bottom of the Vee and I plan on coming back to complete the entire Knockmealdown range next year.<br />
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Total route time, from the Vee to the summit and back; 3.5hrs although we stopped for a good 30mins for lunch and since the views were so good, we stopped frequently to take them in. Ill leave you with a couple of examples of those views.<br />
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</div>One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-70461909332795482182009-12-11T21:56:00.000+00:002009-12-15T19:38:03.253+00:00A hill walking diary 2009Its coming to that time of year where people are starting to think about new years resolutions and perhaps beginning to plan their holidays for the year ahead and im no different. There was one guy i used to work with who would come into the office after the new years holidays and immediately hand in his holiday request form using up all of his holiday entitlement. Now that was a guy that worked to live, not the other way round.<br />
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</div>This morning i found myself looking over the photographs from my trips in 2009. Its been my most active year from a walking point of view. It would be interesting to see just how many miles i covered in this time, maybe an exercise for a rainy day...<br />
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The years walking really began in February in the Mourne Mountains, the hills had been covered in snow, so much so that parts of the Mourne wall leading to the summit of Slieve Donard were completely covered. I spent two days up there, the Saturday being bright, cloudless and chilly with wondrous views and no wind. The Sunday was the polar opposite, complete whiteout, below freezing temperatures and fierce winds to boot. Hard to judge which day i enjoyed more though as i had just as much fun in the whiteout as the sunshine.<br />
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February also saw my first ascent of Slievemore on Achill Island. Its no giant at 671m but its a good climb, the mountain is shapely and the views i hear are superb but ive yet to sample them as that trip along with another ive done there since were completed in thick fog.<br />
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In March i only had one real trip to speak of, a miserably wet 18km trek through the Mournes, i got so wet so quickly on Slieve Donard, i never even bothered to put my waterproof trousers on.<br />
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My girlfriend and I headed to Spain in April for a week to begin our Camino de Santiago, an 800km walk from St Jean Pied de Port in France, over the Pyrenees and finishing in Santiago near the west coast. We didn't get far, 70km or so and only 3 days walking in total due to illness and an unplanned diversion to Bilbao. The highlight of the trip was camping out during a thunder storm at 1200m in the Pyrenees as we shared a one man Hilleberg Akto whilst I continually spewed out sulphurous burps due to some sort of stomach bug. It was a deeply unpleasant 9 hours for both of us.<br />
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</div>May was a busy month too, we headed back to Achill with the intention of climbing Croaghan but the weather was so good we scrambled out to Achill head and sunbathed instead. Achill Island is such a beautiful place, I love it there. A couple of weeks later we took a trip across to County Kerry where we visited the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, again the weather was sublime. We took in 6 summits that day including Carrauntoohil, we didn't reach there until late evening and had the whole mountain to ourselves to enjoy the sunset.<br />
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I returned with a good friend just a week later with a view to traversing the full length of the ridge, the route can be completed in a day but we planned to take our time and do the ridge plus the Coomloughra Horseshoe over two days, breaking it up with a wild camp somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately this time we weren't so lucky with the weather and we were literally forced to hightail it off the ridgeline on the first evening.<br />
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Our plan B consisted of descending to the Hag's Glen and camping low down, continuing again the next day, when we reached the Glen though, the entire area was swimming in water and there looked to be no let up in the storm. We eventually resorted to staying in the hostel a few miles away but not before we completely soaked ourselves crossing a dangerously swollen river. The decision was made that night to come back another time.<br />
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After the Reek's debacle Mark and I decided to try another long walk, the Mourne Wall. Again, not being too interested in breaking speed records we went for the two day option. This time everything went great, the wild camps and views were awesome and i even came home with a sun tan.<br />
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I returned again to the Mournes a couple of weeks later for a wild camp and a short trek over 3 of the 4 highest peaks in the Mournes.<br />
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July saw a day walk up Galtymore and Galtybeg and we completed the Joyce Country Challenge in Galway. The route was 31km in length and took us around ten hours, there was plenty of ascent and descent during the day which meant tired legs at the end. The gourmet burger we each had in Leenane afterward was probably the best meal we'd ever had.<br />
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We took the kids to Wales in July too and decided to take a trip up Snowdon via the railway. The weather was so bad though even the bloody train couldn't get past 600m. There wouldn't have been anything to see from the top anyway, we were in cloud before we left the station!<br />
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I had plans to go to Slovenia in August and an attempt on Triglav, the highest point there. Circumstances dictated that that didnt happen so Mena and I decided to return to our Camino de Santiago instead.<br />
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We had the whole month to ourselves so we took full advantage and spent 26 days in Spain, starting off from where we had left off in Pamplona back in April. We took our time and walked for 21 days, getting as far as Leon before taking off to Madrid to do the tourist thing. This trip was the most fantastic of my life and the best thing is, its not over, we still have another 200km or so to go before reaching our destination in Santiago.<br />
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Not long after we returned to Ireland, I was out again, up Doan Mountain in the Mournes for a quick wildcamp. (You can read about that trip a few posts below)<br />
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</div>All year I had been longing to climb Mweelrea in County Mayo and in October the opportunity arose so I took off with Mena to bag it. We did the horseshoe from Delphi Spa and it turned out to be one of the best walks we did all year. The trip also provided the greatest sight we had witnessed all year, a circular rainbow that we saw beneath us from the ridge. That walk was truly spectacular.<br />
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A week later i was back on Achill Island for the third time in 9 months. I did Slievemore again but continued over the other side of the mountain this time instead of retracing my steps like I did in February. Again the cloud was low and the wind was gale force. I needed to use my compass to get off the summit plateau as visibility on the top was practically zero.<br />
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Once I found my way, i descended into the "deserted village" at the foot of the mountain, I took off then to a lookout tower on the lower slopes of Croaghan before heading back along the Atlantic Drive to Keem Strand. Bizarrely for me I somehow got it into my head that the walk I had done hadn't been strenuous enough and so I ran the last 4 miles to Keem Strand, stopping only at the point where a 19 year old man had driven off the clifftop road to his death a day before.<br />
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All in all, a fantastic year, over 4000 photos that will last a life time and a truck load of memories although all I can think about is what sights i'll see during 2010...One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-60543195492491214692009-12-07T19:01:00.000+00:002009-12-13T22:41:20.946+00:00Ed Viesturs - No Shortcuts to the Top<span style="font-style: italic;">Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4wbhRVPdA1q-fnebKMZGX1wKOC1LHVt5xdktS8SBiUWYd_wSpugQzZHKYc4U-k88I5-NkChzS9eqLFe6dOHA-l-Blxn5XEiHAfFjtkSCxJHIOh6pamDe8-MOpC0VdhuGfB9jV9YwYjDM/s1600-h/ed+viesturs.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412595630657315090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4wbhRVPdA1q-fnebKMZGX1wKOC1LHVt5xdktS8SBiUWYd_wSpugQzZHKYc4U-k88I5-NkChzS9eqLFe6dOHA-l-Blxn5XEiHAfFjtkSCxJHIOh6pamDe8-MOpC0VdhuGfB9jV9YwYjDM/s320/ed+viesturs.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Ive just finished this great book, the first book I've read for a while that i literally have not been able to put down.<br />
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As the sub-heading suggests, it centres on Ed Viesturs attempts on reaching the summits of the highest peaks in the Himalaya and Karakoram, without the aid of oxygen, what he calls, his 'Endeavour 8000'. The book details part of his private life outside of the mountains too but not to a great extent and what he does talk about, is only to explain how it affected his mountaineering life.<br />
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He describes his ascents of K2, Everest and Annapurna in great detail which is fascinating, especially for wannabe Himalayan Mountaineers like me. My heart rate increased as he got further and further up the mountains, he didn't reach the summit of all the peaks on the first go so the ending of each account isn't a foregone conclusion before you begin. He does of course get there in the end but not without plenty of drama, and tragedy.<br />
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One thing that shocked me was the sheer number of friends he lost in the mountains, i'm not sure what the books death toll is but it would probably put some Stephen King novels to shame.<br />
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One thing i loved was the amount of depth he goes into about the logistics of climbing an 8000er, the gear required, the food required, how the money is raised, the training involved, the skills needed etc.<br />
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I hadn't heard of Ed Viesturs before reading the book so i had no knowledge or pre-conceptions of him. He comes across though as a thoroughly driven, ambitious mountaineer who never let his ambition allow him to die on the mountains, something he sums up well with his saying, 'getting up is optional, getting down is mandatory'.<br />
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Anyone who has read <span style="font-style: italic;">Into Thin Air </span>may also enjoy Viesturs interesting account of the '96 Everest tragedy, he was on the mountain that year making a film about climbing the mountain while the events unfolded.<br />
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Overall a fantastic read, im really considering reading it again....One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-52611413744718401492009-11-22T19:18:00.000+00:002009-12-13T22:41:51.520+00:00Doan Mountain<o:p>Ill start things off with a look back at a walk taken this September in the Mourne Mountains, i wrote this piece initially to see if i was any good as a travel writer. Being able to combine work and my love for the wild places is a dream of mine so we'll see what comes of it. It was written as a route description so the style isn't as personal as my writing on this blog will be.<br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6Sw_P6dZFspG-FXB-mlbY1yN6ztBHsMio8MCowEgqg-z0RWFd3vflXASEJFgtt2f0OaJ6Zwb_4MCX0bHj2ihfHzY2pBcnd2zVIN23gKk6ttYfc96fj8ECAxMhI49g0QL16DY88dKY0lO/s1600/DSCN2536.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407010660141145394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6Sw_P6dZFspG-FXB-mlbY1yN6ztBHsMio8MCowEgqg-z0RWFd3vflXASEJFgtt2f0OaJ6Zwb_4MCX0bHj2ihfHzY2pBcnd2zVIN23gKk6ttYfc96fj8ECAxMhI49g0QL16DY88dKY0lO/s320/DSCN2536.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 180px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have spoken to many people over the years about the joys of wild camping; many of whom use it as a tool to enable them to complete more difficult and lengthy routes. For others just starting out though, that may be a step too far at first. <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Doan</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></st1:place> in the Mournes offers a chance of waking up to an awesome sunrise, on an actual summit, without the uncertainty of being miles from civilization, proving that bigger isn’t always better.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">If we were to compare the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Mourne</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Mountains</st1:placetype></st1:place> to a litter of puppies, Doan would seemingly be the runt of the pack. Under-rated, under appreciated and dwarfed by its larger brothers and sisters, many walkers choose to ignore this peak, opting instead to go in search of bigger prizes around its periphery.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">For the discerning walker though, Doan comfortably rides up front alongside its more celebrated neighbours like Bernagh and Binnian. Its position is enviable, sitting at the head of the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Silent</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> reservoir, Doan affords the walker with some of the finest vistas in all of the Mournes. As well as the reservoir itself, all of the surrounding 700m peaks can be identified easily, with uniquely unobstructed views. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Ott car park on the Slievenaman road is our starting point for this route, its close proximity should offer peace of mind to those heading out for their first wild camp. From the car park, cross the road and hop over the stile onto a wide stony path, follow this path to a fork where you should veer right to avoid ascending via the sometimes swollen <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Shimna</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> and deep bog. The path is gentle in gradient and winds around the bottom of <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Ott</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></st1:place>, offering a pleasant view of Fofanny Dam further down the valley.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Further up, the path comes to an end but a trail can then be negotiated through wet ground and peat hags to the saddle between Slieve Loughshannagh and <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Carn</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></st1:place>. A ladder stile here over the Mourne wall gives entrance into the inner Mournes, with the bulky Slieve Binnian dominating the view ahead. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Leave the wall to pick up the path again, avoid the broad gully which leads down to the shores of Lough Shannagh, instead contour around Slieve Loughshannagh to the left. The aesthetically pleasing Doan now comes into view to the south east. The narrow track leads gently downhill again to a flat, open area of soggy ground which is easily crossed. A path is now clearly visible leading a direct route to the summit. The gradient is not overly steep and the only obstacle will be an easily negotiated and very short rock step leading to the summit.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The summit is rocky but sports a flat grassy area large enough for a couple of small tents. Make sure that the tent is facing into the prevailing wind as the summit is exposed and the wind funneled up the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Silent</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> can be strong.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once you have your camp set up, have a wander around and explore the area. There is some good scrambling to be had on the southern side. If you have enough time before dark, a stroll around Lough Shannagh is recommended or else nip over to Ben Crom for a peak down its shear walls that fall into the reservoir below. Whatever you do, make sure sunset is spent on the summit, there’s nothing quite like a hot drink whilst watching the sun disappear over <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Carn</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<br />
</div>As dusk descends you will quickly become aware of the quiet solitude. Doan offers a kind of serenity that you won’t experience anywhere else. Its position in the heart of the Mournes gives a real sensation of remoteness whilst still being less than an hour away from the car. This is what sets it apart from its larger counterparts, for they invariably require a longer walk in, more time to get to the top, more food, more water, etcetera etcetera. It’s accessible all year round and in the summer months, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect to set off from the car at seven o’clock and still strike camp before sunset.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">For the return journey back to the car, simply retrace your steps from the day before. An alternative would be to bear right at the Mourne Wall and take in the summits of Slieve Loughshannagh, Slieve Meelbeg and Slieve Meelmore before heading down a granite path at the col between Slieve Meelmore and Slieve Bernagh known locally as Pollaphuca. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The granite paving slabs lead past an old quarry to your right on the slopes of Slieve Bernagh where the granite for the path was taken from. The path leads to a wide stony path known as Trassey Track. Follow the path, keeping the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Trassey</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> on the left until a dry stone wall is reached, travel south west alongside this wall, walking around the foot of the mountains climbed earlier in the day. Skirt around Fofanny Dam and a small evergreen forest before hitting the road for the final 1.5km trudge back to the car.<br />
</div>One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034879813515460738.post-8801983023625987562009-11-22T19:12:00.000+00:002009-11-22T19:15:09.117+00:00Hello Welcome!Welcome to my blog, its looking pretty bare right now but i intend on keeping it well up to date and will be including lots of outdoor related action very soon. Thanks for visiting!One Foot in the Cloudshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03136282104236792356noreply@blogger.com1