Peak time
Here’s no better way to see the natural landscapes of Ireland, than to strap on your boots and take a hike in the hills.
Malcolm Rogers gives the lowdown on the high life.
Hillwalking in Ireland hasn’t had a very good press lately. The case of a Sligo farmer verbally abusing walkers for “trespassing” has even reached the press in the UK, and figures suggest that hillwalking and rambling are the only area of Irish tourism which is in decline.
Which is a pity. To be sure, irate farmers can be a problem, but there’s still plenty of places in Ireland to roam at will.
Suffice to say, if you observe normal civilities, keep your dog under control and generally don’t act the maggot, you’re unlikely to come to blows with the likes of Bull McCabe.
Walking in Ireland is particularly enticing when you consider that on several weekends last summer the Pennine Way in England was closed because it was full up. Just too many walkers.
Compare this to the Creggan in Tyrone, where I wanted to climb up to the Beaghmore stone circle and on another few miles to the Mass Stone erected in penal times.
I knocked at the farmer’s door (please note how it’s done) and he of course had no objections. I then asked him if many folks visited. He replied that it was “brave an’ busy durin’ the summer months — maybe as many as half a dozen people a week.”
The great thing about Irish mountains is their accessibility. You can reach a good walking mountain by parking at the bottom of it, opening a gate and strolling out onto open heathland. You then have in front of you a very manageable walk to the summit of a peak maybe 1,500 to 2,000 feet high.
And as many Irish mountains begin at sea level — in other words, you begin climbing within sight of the sea — when you get to the top the whole 2,000 feet that you have just conquered is fully visible. Apart from the view such a climb affords you, the sense of achievement is immense.
Another big advantage of Irish mountains is that you don’t need to be an experienced “climber”. In order to get to the top of most mountains in Ireland no expertise in rock climbing is required.
There are peaks, of course, notably in the Mournes or Macgillycuddy’s Reeks or the Galtees, which should only be attempted by seasoned rock face specialists with correct equipment.
But in general, to scale most of the heights in the Cooleys (in Co. Louth) or Slieve Gullion range (south Armagh) or Mount Leinster (Carlow and Wexford) only a moderate degree of fitness and the ability to walk uphill for about an hour or so is required.
You will, of course, need to know where you’re going, in which case, it’s good practice to take a map and compass — and make sure you know how to use them before setting off. And you’d do well to keep an eye on the weather forecast to make sure there’s no snow storms or high winds on the way.
Most people cite Mallory’s “because it’s there” syndrome for climbing mountains — but in fact this is only part of the story. A walk in the Irish countryside can teach you about history, mythology, ornithology, botany, zoology, geology — and if you’re out late, astronomy.
“Where every hill has its hero, and every bog its bones,” said the poet, and indeed, sometimes it seems there is more history in an acre of Irish soil than there is in Rome.
Bronze Age stone cists, passage graves some 5,000 years old, Mass stones from the years of oppression, round towers, ruined churches and Victorian follies and cairns — you can expect to see them all in an average walk in most parts of Ireland.
And that’s on the level.
Why not try a walking festival?
Walking festivals are ideal for meeting up with local walkers. Most offer a range of walks, and often talks by local naturalists and historians to bring the countryside alive.
The North Leitrim Glens Hillwalking Easter Festival (April 10 and 11) includes challenging hill walks in Glenade and Glencar, plus a series of gentle country rambles for the less energetically inclined.
Leitrim is, of course, a county where you might expect ideal conditions for walking. Ireland’s least populated county, until last year there were no traffic lights in the entire area. There’s now one set in the county town, Carrick-on-Shannon, but don’t let that put you off — there are acres of unspoilt countryside here, with mountains, lakes and bogland — and there’s even two miles of coastline.
The Easter festival is held on Easter Saturday and Sunday, with a range of three walks to choose from each day. The options include a ramble — a more leisurely walk for the less experienced — and two rather more arduous hill walks.
Catherine O’Keefe, one of the organisers, explains the set-up: “Walkers meet in the morning to register and are taken to the start of the hikes. The longer treks can take up to six hours and might include a couple of peaks. So you need to be reasonably fit. The shorter ramble is for those without a lot of experience.
“But whatever your standard, we all meet after the walk in a pub for refreshments, roundabout 4.30pm.”
This year, on Saturday evening, the hillwalkers will meet for a meal and disco — if you’ve still got the energy. Between 150 to 200 walkers are expected.
Catherine O’Keefe again: “The walkers are mostly from Ireland, but there are always some representatives from Britain and further afield. But wherever you’re from, we can guarantee a terrific weekend!”
The first of the longer walks is centred round the breathtaking Dartry Plateau, beginning with a steep climb to Keelogoes lake and then on to the cairn at Arroo. At 523m this is the highest point of the walk, with “brilliant views of Lough Melvin and Donegal Bay,” according to Catherine.
The walk then drops down to Lough Aroo (400m) going on to Lough Aganny, passing the pre-Christian standing stones and a set of old stone mill wheels, which were carved at the site but never transported from the hill.
“Local historians will point out all these curios as you go along,” says Catherine, “and, of course, being spring the wild flowers are a treat to behold. There’s always a few naturalists aboard who can explain what’s going on.”
From here the walk is relatively flat, before finally climbing up again to Horse Lough and back to the road.
“This is a very long but rewarding walk,” warns Catherine. “It takes about 6-8 hours, during which time you’ll cover some 16-18km.”
The medium walk begins at the western end of Glenade Lough, taking a track that leads upwards along the western side of the Eriff river. You’ll pass Lough Aganny, Lough Nabrack and Lough Agow en route. The duration is 6 hours, the length about 10km, and the scenery unbeatable.
The ramble, for the less energetically inclined, criss-crosses the bog (in spring you can watch the bog cotton and spring gentians dancing in the breeze) before heading on to Mullies and down into Manorhamilton. Approximately 8km, a duration of a couple of hours. It’s worth adding that Manorhamilton is just an hour from Knock Airport.
For more information, contact: Leitrim North West Tourism on 00 353 (71) 9161201.
Alteratively, e-mail: catherine_okeeffe@yahoo.com
Other festivals
Tipperary — Glen of Aherlow Walking Festival (April 2 to April 4). Guided walks, lectures, tips. Contact: East Coast & Midlands Tourism, Dublin Road, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland. Phone: 00 353 44 48 650.
Donegal Walking Festival (April 10 to April 17).
Hillwalking in the Donegal Highlands. Day-long walks with professional leaders in the Donegal Highlands, including Sliabh Liag (Slieve League), which is Europe’s highest sea cliff. It’s 2,000 feet with a sheer drop, so pack those brown trousers.
Contact: Donegal North West Tourism, phone: 00 353 71 91 61201. Or Liam Ó Cuinneagain, phone: 00 353 74 9730248. Write to: Oideas Gael, Glencolmcille, Co. Donegal. Alternatively, e-mail: oideasgael@eircom
Some handy hiking hints
No really expensive equipment is needed for hillwalking. However, you will need the following:
1. Because of the boggy nature of a lot of the land, a pair of waterproof climbing boots is preferable. These start at about the £50 mark.
2. A pair of walking poles comes in handy in rocky terrain, especially when you’re heading downhill.
3. A small haversack (waterproof) to carry your map, coffee and sarnies — essential in case you have to stay put because of a sudden arrival of fog or some other delay.
4. Waterproofs — trousers and anorak. Remember, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.
5. It’s also good to take a compass with you (ask advice on how to used it) and a good walker’s map
of the area with important details on it, such as cliff faces.
Aside from these basics, take along the sort of clothes you’d expect to wear in any other Irish setting, whether on the beach or shopping mall: woolly jumper, hat, scarf and gloves.
Most Irish towns of any reasonable size will boast a sports equipment shop with a mountain gear department. As well as giving you advice on togging out, these shops are normally a useful source of information about local conditions.
They can even point you in the direction of walking groups if you lean towards conviviality rather than contemplation.
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