The Mourne Wall Wild Camping Experience

 
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Our minds were taken off the sweltering heat and discomfort it was causing by the fantastic views all around.

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.

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.

Daydreams - A visionary fantasy experienced while awake....

 
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.

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.

That's the fun for February sorted but I have more on my mind today.

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.

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.

I. Cannot. Bloody. Wait.

Who needs a compass anyway?

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!

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.

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.

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).


From the Knockmealdowns a matter of weeks ago (see that walk and pic of entire Galty range here) 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!

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

So, who needs a compass anyway?

Knocklmealdown Mountain

Today, 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.

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.

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.

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.

 

 

A hill walking diary 2009

Its 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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
 
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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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...

Doan Mountain

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.

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. Doan Mountain 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.

If we were to compare the Mourne Mountains 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.

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 Silent Valley 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.

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 Shimna River and deep bog. The path is gentle in gradient and winds around the bottom of Ott Mountain, offering a pleasant view of Fofanny Dam further down the valley.

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 Carn Mountain. A ladder stile here over the Mourne wall gives entrance into the inner Mournes, with the bulky Slieve Binnian dominating the view ahead.

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.

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 Silent Valley can be strong.

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 Carn Mountain.

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.

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.

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 Trassey River 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.