Hillwalking

[KHD]

Lovely photos CR. Bird looks like a Sanderling.

[CelticRambler]

Lovely photos CR. Bird looks like a Sanderling.

Thanks. Got the "new" camera at a bargain price - 80€ when they're typically selling for 150-200€ secondhand - and it's in great condition, especially now that I've cleaned the sensor.

As for the bird ID, Google agrees with you! My description would have been "some kind of seagull" ... I don't really do birds.

[isha]

Spent four hours this morning out on a hillwalk on high bogland and I can tell yiz, though there may be a few cold days yet, Spring is definitely on its way!

[Dec A Wash]

Good day for hillwalking. Did 17k with my club from Cloon, Curtlestown Wood, taking in Prince William's Seat, Knocknagun and Glendoo.

[Hairy-Joe]

Good day for hillwalking. Did 17k with my club from Cloon, Curtlestown Wood, taking in Prince William's Seat, Knocknagun and Glendoo.

My hip is getting sore at the thoughts of 17km. It usually gives out after 7 to 8 km.

[isha]

Developing story. If you scroll down you can see a photo of the alleged attack (although I don't know how such a photo was obtained). It was a disgraceful attack. It's lambing season, the farmer would be doubly wary of dogs. It could badly impact on hill walking.

[marhay70]

Developing story. If you scroll down you can see a photo of the alleged attack (although I don't know how such a photo was obtained). It was a disgraceful attack. It's lambing season, the farmer would be doubly wary of dogs. It could badly impact on hill walking.

How many more people who were willing to abide by the rules will now be denied the pleasure of this walk because of the selfish behaviour of this one entitled individual? It's a pattern for modern day life unfortunately.

[678904673]

Close to where my Father is from is probably the best persevered Medieval settlement in Ireland. But its been off limits to the general public for a number of years (except locals) because of self-entitled you know what's. Who would cross the various fields. Leave open gates so cattle and sheep would get lost and not bother picking up their litter.

[Del.Monte]

It's mad to think that anybody interested enough to walk in the countryside would be that disrespectful towards landowners, their livestock, the environment etc.

[Setanta]

That lad was interviewed on ear to ground last year about the hassle he was getting off dogs chasing his sheep on the hill and into swamps

[marhay70]

I live in a touristy area and I've noticed that people from urban areas seem to have an urge to let dogs run free as soon as they see a bit of grass. I'm a Dub, born and reared myself but in the many years I've lived in rural Ireland I've come to appreciate the ways of the countryside. Farmers can and will shoot the most innocent(if there is such a thing) of dogs, the amount of damage one friendly, family, pooch can do in a couple of hours, particularly at this time of year, has to be seen to be believed.
To me, the loss of the family pet, plus the fine of a couple of hundred euros is insufficient for offenders whether or not they are complicit in bringing the dogs onto farmers' land, and should be complemented with compensation or a custodial sentence and a direction never to be in charge of dogs again.

[CelticRambler]

Back at work for a bit, so back on the mountain trails too. A quick 15km afternoon stroll yesterday to remind myself of which foot goes in which boot.

Here be not dragons, but maybe no less scary for all that, and at least there's a suggestion of a handrail:



Does it really count as a hike, though, if they provide a staircase out of the deep damp hole?



I was going to do the other (reputedly more dangerous) half of the walk today, but the weather was pretty grotty and then about a million people showed up in trainers and lycra and I didn't want to be seen in the same place as any of them, so I stayed in the warmth of my camper van instead. Will aim to do it next week, if the weather is reasonable.

[CelticRambler]

So the weather "next week" was reasonable. Better than "reasonable" as it turned out, with perfect walking weather forecast to last all of the Saturday until 8pm at and around the tops of the hills I had my eye on. So it was that I set off with great enthusiasm and appropriate instructions to those left behind if I never came back from what is reputed to be one of France most dangerous treks.

FFS.

What a disappointment:


... a handrail and a bridge? Sure you could do that in your nicest pink runners ...



That was the supposedly "most difficult, most dangerous, most technical" part, which I completed in about two thirds of the time indicated on the info board (and would probably have been quicker if I hadn't been stuck behind Miss Pink Runners for most of it). Later discussion with a hardier trekker confirmed that it's only one of the most "dangerous" trails because you get a load of people coming up at the weekends with inappropriate clothing and footwear because the access is only metres away from a convenient car park.

Fortunately, that class of tourist - having bucketted their instagram photo - tends to take the first short-cut back to the same car park and leave the remaining two thirds of the trail to the kind of hiker who appreciates signs such as this:


"Cross quickly - risk of falling stones" Not sure if that'd be enough to reject an insurance claim in Ireland, but it seems to work for the French, so let's make a run for it. That blue smudge, by the way, marks the path ahead.

Around the corner, these'd be some of the stones in question


And to put the fall into context, here are the rest of them:


Elsewhere, there were other stones that obviously haven't moved in quite some time:


Some that couldn't quite decide whether they were staying or going:


And others that had long gone and left it to the trees to kill any inattentive humans:



The weather forecast was almost accurate. The rain (and wind, oh boy, what wind ... ) came in an hour early, but by then I'd done my 26km, reached the summit and had a fast downhill route back to the bowl of soup waiting for me in the camper.

Along the way, earlier in the day ...

Got a bad vibe of this wan, who did not want her picture taken


Felt for a moment like I was back in The Auld Country


Was seriously tempted to invoke the rule of "Finders, Keepers" (but didn't)


And enjoyed some absolutely magnificent views across the Vosges in all directions, including this view across the Rhine to the Black Forest

[Apelles]

So the weather "next week" was reasonable. Better than "reasonable" as it turned out, with perfect walking weather forecast to last all of the Saturday until 8pm at and around the tops of the hills I had my eye on. So it was that I set off with great enthusiasm and appropriate instructions to those left behind if I never came back from what is reputed to be one of France most dangerous treks.

FFS.

Great post CelticRambler. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing and reading about your undangerous day out hiking.

[isha]

Looks blooming dangerous enough to me!

[Del.Monte]

Bah, looks no more dangerous than a ramble up Bray Head plus it has the advantage that you're unlikely to meet any undesirables up there.

[isha]

I have an absolute unfixable terror of heights. When my father built us a two storey house and we moved out of the cottage when I was 7, I could not go upstairs. And for months after I did I used to go along the landing on my belly.

My completely immoveable fear of heights from the youngest years makes me wonder about reincarnation to be honest. How did this fear get there from the very beginning?

Anyway if a precipitous slope appears on a walk I will fling myself dramatically to the landward side and cling to the earth like a limpet, genuinely feeling like the whole universe is tilting and you would want the strength of Samson to remove me. The amount of times I have had to be "talked down" by my family on even tame enough spots. Poor kids.

Otherwise I am fairly sane

[kadman]

"Talked Down"

I'd have left you up there
You'd soon come home at teatime

[CelticRambler]

"Talked Down"

I'd have left you up there
You'd soon come home at teatime

Pretty much the same approach I used with my children!

Anyway if a precipitous slope appears on a walk I will fling myself dramatically to the landward side and cling to the earth like a limpet, genuinely feeling like the whole universe is tilting and you would want the strength of Samson to remove me.

To be fair to the French, there is a board at the main (car park) entrance advising people who suffer from vertigo and/or fear of heights to opt instead for a leisurely tour of the local bar and souvenir shop.

[kadman]

My mother who is now 91, loved nothing better than to be brought up in a cherry picker to its full 10metre extension, just to see the view. And then she went down to the wood shed and split a load of ash and oak rings with a log splitter.

Hey Isha, ye young lassies dont know you're born

[isha]

Feck off both of yiz ....up a very high mountain.

As it happens I do a fair amount of hill walking. I just don't go to the edges of drops. Only mad people love them. Although my beloved daughter is sending heart stopping photos of her in Norway at the minute

And weirdly I had a brief spell in my youth when I spent six months trekking in the high Himalayan mountains. Really high ridges in my socks and sandals and long Kumaon skirt! I crossed long steep ice fields that were at 45 degree angles with footholds cut into them. I even ended up trapped on a glacier overnight, where I fortunately found a tiny hut and was able to use a miraculous bunch of twigs left there ( above the tree line) to boil down snow and cook lentils, as I carried all the stuff I needed. Proper girl scout.

I had nightmares for years afterwards about the heights I crossed in that brief spell when I was high on new love and frankly often a nice smoke of ganja! Did yer oul mother do that?

[kadman]

Feck off both of yiz ....up a very high mountain.

As it happens I do a fair amount of hill walking. I just don't go to the edges of drops. Only mad people love them. Although my beloved daughter is sending heart stopping photos of her in Norway at the minute

And weirdly I had a brief spell in my youth when I spent six months trekking in the high Himalayan mountains. Really high ridges in my socks and sandals and long Kumaon skirt! I crossed long steep ice fields that were at 45 degree angles with footholds cut into them. I even ended up trapped on a glacier overnight, where I fortunately found a tiny hut and was able to use a miraculous bunch of twigs left there ( above the tree line) to boil down snow and cook lentils, as I carried all the stuff I needed. Proper girl scout.

I had nightmares for years afterwards about the heights I crossed in that brief spell when I was high on new love and frankly often a nice smoke of ganja! Did yer oul mother do that?

Fekk off will ya.....Sounds like some hallucinations you got from smoking too many reefers on yer travels.

In my youth, I used to work on demolition 7 stories up on unsecured scaffold, single Haitch frame, after a booze filled night before and 2 bottles of black and white scotch whisky....every week for 12 months.

How do ya like dem apples.

[isha]

On my life, it's true and only a part of a lot more

Scaffolding freaks the crap out of me.

[Dec A Wash]

I was out walking today and the route started from Laragh Free Car Park (near the Wollen Mills). Then we followed a track which brought us directly on to the Green Route towards Glendalough National Park. We crossed over a bridge bringing us behind the Glendalough hotel. We went around it and passed near its front before crossing the road and ascending the forest track. We followed a track up towards the Brockaghs and then did a circuit back towards that forest path. 15kn in total. It would have been a piece of cake had it not been for the marshy mucky conditions and some rain. Still enjoyable though.