TR: Mourne Mountains

In message <[email hidden]>, Graham Ingram
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Had a very pleasant trip to Northern Ireland at the weekend and spent
Saturday on the Mournes doing Slieve Donard and Slieve Commedagh.
Started at the Bloody Bridge and took the easy path upwards beside the
river all the way to the Mourne Wall, terrific feat of engineering!
The route from the col goes straight to the summit of Donard and we
walked on top of the wall all the way up. Stunning views seaward and
of course back over the Mournes. Crossed over to Slieve Commedagh and
then made the descent by the Glen River route back to Newcastle and a
very welcome Guinness !

Looks like there are some great routes in the Mournes over craggy
ridges and granite tors so no doubt more Irish adventures to be had,
great value on easyJet at around £80 for two return from Glasgow to
Belfast !

Recently returned from 10 days in Northern Ireland - managed to get that
'I' figure below to improve greatly (only 150 to go). Had an epic day
doing the full length of the 20 mile Mourne Wall (plus a detour to the
summit of the interesting Chimney Rock mountain) which ended up
floundering in the dark trying to find and get atop the summit tor on
Slieve Binnian and then temporarily mislaying the Mourne Wall despite
its size!

However the most memorable walk was Slieve League with its biggest sea
cliffs in Europe and one-man pass ascended in spooky swirling mists -
with distant tolling church bells adding to the spookiness. And then
descending to Malin Bay in brilliant sunshine to collect my bike and
cycle back to look at the cliffs for the first time from the by then
crowded Bunglass car park. When I had set off from there, there were no
people, just lots of mist. Later that same day I walked along the
fascinating cliffs near the Martello tower above Glencolmcille - highly
recommended (as is much of the coast and hills of Ireland).

--
Martin Richardson
271/284 Munros - 4.5% to go 34/34 'Furths'- 0% to go
53/89 Donalds - 40% to go 487/1554 Marilyns - 68% to go
376/525 Hewitts - 28% to go (E=178/178; W=137/137; I=61/211)

"Martin Richardson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Recently returned from 10 days in Northern Ireland - managed to get

that

Quoted message said:

'I' figure below to improve greatly (only 150 to go). Had an epic

day

Quoted message said:

doing the full length of the 20 mile Mourne Wall (plus a detour to

the

Quoted message said:

summit of the interesting Chimney Rock mountain) which ended up
floundering in the dark trying to find and get atop the summit tor

on

Quoted message said:

Slieve Binnian and then temporarily mislaying the Mourne Wall

despite

Quoted message said:

its size!

However the most memorable walk was Slieve League with its biggest

sea

Quoted message said:

cliffs in Europe and one-man pass ascended in spooky swirling

mists -

Quoted message said:

with distant tolling church bells adding to the spookiness. And then
descending to Malin Bay in brilliant sunshine to collect my bike and
cycle back to look at the cliffs for the first time from the by then
crowded Bunglass car park. When I had set off from there, there were

no

Quoted message said:

people, just lots of mist. Later that same day I walked along the
fascinating cliffs near the Martello tower above Glencolmcille -

highly

Quoted message said:

recommended (as is much of the coast and hills of Ireland).

Martin

Sounds like a great trip and that you really got into the heart of the
Mournes. We just scratched the surface and the guys I was with felt
that Donard would give the flavour of the mountains being the highest
point in the range. The best part for me was looking towards the
tors on the ridge of Binnian and that is definitely on the cards for
the next trip. Actually thinking f following your footsteps to do the
whole of the wall but probably over two days in summer with an
overnight camp.

Great area though and very compact

Cheers
graham

<snip>

Quoted message said:

However the most memorable walk was Slieve League with its biggest sea
cliffs in Europe and one-man pass ascended in spooky swirling mists - with
distant tolling church bells adding to the spookiness. And then descending
to Malin Bay in brilliant sunshine to collect my bike and cycle back to
look at the cliffs for the first time from the by then crowded Bunglass
car park. When I had set off from there, there were no people, just lots
of mist. Later that same day I walked along the fascinating cliffs near
the Martello tower above Glencolmcille - highly recommended (as is much of
the coast and hills of Ireland).

--
Martin Richardson

An aesthetic experience indeed! There's another narrow ridges in NW Ireland
at Corraunabinnia in the Nephin Begs
(http://www.mountainviews.ie/mv/index.php?mtnindex=98) or further out on
the backbone of Achill Island as it sticks into the Atlantic for dramatic
coast scenery. Pic for example from Croughan
(http://www.mountainviews.ie/mv/index.php?mtnindex=166). Achill Island is
joined to the mainland by a bridge so getting to the walk is easy.

I am glad to tell you MountainViews.ie now covers most 500m mountains in
Ireland (the Mournes are well covered) and you do not have to pay to use it
or contribute!

Simon Stewart.

Here's a taste of "Bleck Cra" on Chimney Rock Mountain "There are worse
things than Christmas cardigans. Christmas raybands. And they've started to
emerge: small, grey boil-washed men with wraprounds that could melt radar.
"Coul enough", said one. "Dark enough too," I imagined as he blundered
blindly on. The north wind doth blow and we shall have snow and our monkeys
shall all be brass. A relentless howl, abetted by mischievous flurries of
soft hail, nudged a rake of raggle taggle tough nuts into a merciless
Mournes. Like a child fighting sleep, we are fighting Spring and it's birth
seems oddly painful. Spences Valley, by the Glen River, the Saddle and
Donard Bog is strange, desolate and melancholy. On a chill February morning
the one shoe and rag doll remains of desperate lives stand weary-stone and
forsaken, deep in the hill. ..."
http://www.mountainviews.ie/mv/index.php?mtnindex=178

In message <[email hidden]>, Simon Stewart
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I am glad to tell you MountainViews.ie now covers most 500m mountains in
Ireland (the Mournes are well covered) and you do not have to pay to use it
or contribute!

Simon Stewart.

Hi Simon - I do keep meaning to make a contribution to your excellent
site. It has helped me plan a fair number of walks - some of which I
haven't actually managed to do yet.

The only problem with going over to Ireland is that once you start
listening to one of the phone-ins on RTE2 it is impossible to get out of
the car and go for a walk!
--
Martin Richardson
271/284 Munros - 4.5% to go 34/34 'Furths'- 0% to go
53/89 Donalds - 40% to go 487/1554 Marilyns - 68% to go
376/525 Hewitts - 28% to go (E=178/178; W=137/137; I=61/211)

"Martin Richardson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

The only problem with going over to Ireland is that once you start
listening to one of the phone-ins on RTE2 it is impossible to get out of
the car and go for a walk!

Now that's a pretty unusual excuse Martin! Though I do recall on a trip to
Scotland once being rivetted to a local commentators description of local
politics. So similar yet not quite the same as here.

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