Another brilliant day out with a great group from far and near.
It was a particularly special occasion for Lynn who joined us to visit the Old Barytes mines at Glencarbury where her Grandfather managed the operation during the 1920's
Yesterday's hike was an experience of Lakes, Peaks,steep ascents, descents and breathtaking scenery. What more would you want The two hours rain during the morning followed by heavy blanket of fog did not spoil the enjoyment and finally the fine weather appeared from lunch time onward. Highly recommend this hike
Lovely day on Mount Arroo with a visit to Lough Arroo and finally a swim in Keeloges lake more commonly known as Tin Whistle lake. Arroo is the outlier of the Dartry mountain range. It overlooks Lough Melvin and the Glenade valley. The terrain is generally boggy with long grass and heather which makes for slow progress and the fog which covered the summit on our ascent meant the views were hidden at that point. . We stopped at Lough Arroo for lunch and then finally made our way across the boggy ground to reach the lovely Tin whistle lake. Not a whistle in sight but the swim in the lake was unreal. It was the highlight of the day.
After some recent hikes in mist and fog it was a relief and pleasure to hike up Benbulben in good fine weather and enjoy the views that the mountain is renown for. We even made it back down before the rain arrived.
Great to be back up to Slieve League on this fine summers day. These sea cliffs which rise up to 600m command some of the finest views throughout Ireland. Donegal lay claim to the highest sea cliff in Europe. This might be contested, however their accessibility and awesome scenery provided our group with a most memorable experience.
12 Fearless hikers set off after their leader to set foot on the "Breaking Wave" today in what can be described as challenging conditions to say the least. Thursday nights storm had taken its toll on the road up through the bog lifting all the tarred surface and depositing it at the bottom of the hill. The adventure continued up into the mist and heavy downpour which continued for most of the morning. We still managed to stand on top of the "Wave" and sense the sheer drop into the extreme fog and mist. The leader appreciated the fine spirit of all members and feels very proud of their achievements. Well done on a day when it would have been very tempting to stay behind the curtains.
Our summer calendar is filling up for the coming months. Due to huge demand we have published a number of extra guided hikes for August. Please check our calendar of events for details.
If you would like to reserve a place please contact us now. Bearing in mind the ongoing Covid 19 risk we aim to keep numbers lower than normal and your health and safety is first and foremost in our minds
Staycation is also driving demand so please do not leave it until everything is booked out. We appreciate your support and hate turning away people due to overbooking.
Thank you.
Back out on Glencar mountain today. It was bright and pretty breezy for this our second hike after lockdown. The hike took us up to the old Barytes mines at Glencarbury and back. A most enjoyable and rewarding day out. Here’s to many more to come.
Start-up date:
We plan to restart our hiking business after the 20th July 2020, (Phase 4 of the Governments road map).
Meet up:
On meet up you will be requested to declare if you think you may have been in touch with Covid 19 or have any symptoms that might indicate infection, or if you are awaiting a result of a Covid 19 test. If any of these are positive you will not be allowed to participate in the hike.
Social Distancing:
We will continue to uphold the principal of social distancing throughout our hikes which is currently at 2 metres.
Travel and car-pooling:
When travelling to our hikes unless you are sharing with family members please maintain the recommendation of the HSE and use face masks and hand sanitiser
Some of our hikes involve a two car drop. Where car-pooling is a necessity you will be requested to wear a face mask and use hand sanitiser.
Group Size:
We aim to keep our group size small. As of now there is no advice available on what that will be. However group sizes will be a maximum of 12 people.
Sharing:
Unfortunately sharing kit will not be allowed. Please prepare your kit well in advance of the hike. We will not be lending hats, gloves or jackets.
Please remember to bring your own hand sanitiser and face mask.
Lunch Stops:
Maintain the required distance and do not share lunches.
First Aid:
Where a hiker requires first aid, the first responder will be required to wear a face mask gloves and eye protection. The person requiring treatment will be requested to wear face mask.
We await further clarification on the details of today's speech by An Taoiseach but it does give hope that it might be possible to resume hiking in the not too distant future.
Statement of An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD - 1st May 2020
'There is hope'
"Our plan is to re-open the country in a slow, staged, phased way. Five stages, three weeks apart starting on 18 May and, all things going to plan, with the fifth phase commencing on 10 August.
So, on 18 of May, Ireland begins to re-open and begins that journey to a new normal.
From that day, outdoor work like construction and landscaping will resume. Some retail outlets like garden centres, hardware stores, repair shops will re-open, and some outdoor sporting and fitness activities in small groups will be allowed".
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
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All of our hikes for the foreseeable future will not take place due to the current advice to stay at home and avoid travel and meeting in groups. The Covid-19 has to be stopped and the best advice is to avoid all contact with others outside the home. This is going to be difficult for everybody but if it assists in preventing the spread of this horrible disease it will be worth it.
Please email us and we will arrange a refund for the hike you have booked.
Met Eireann's forecast was not very promising for our rescheduled hike which was postponed due to last weekends storm Denis. It was almost tempting to reschedule the rescheduled event facing into gale force winds, hail and snow showers. It called for steady nerves and a calm disposition. 9 brave hearts took on the challenge and were rewarded for their courage and perseverance. We did get some strong winds and a brief sprinkling of snow but all in all we had a truly enjoyable and memorable day.
A truly memorable day on Mayo's famous mountain.
The early sub zero temperatures which called for caution on the roads earlier did not dampen the enthusiasm of the group who travelled from all over the Island of Ireland from Cork to North Donegal and Antrim.
The photos describe the day in a way beyond words.
We hope you enjoy the memories shared.
Storm Atiyah was not due until tomorrow but high up on the Benbulben plateau this morning it felt as if it had rushed in ahead of time. Strong winds reaching almost 100kph were experienced. The 10 brave troopers battled on to reach the Trig pillar which was found quickly in spite of visibility being down to less than 100m. A retreat to the shelter of the cave at Cartonwilliamoge was prudent to enjoy the lunch. All down safely in record time. The heavy blanket of fog which enveloped the entire mountain remained firmly in place, leaving the views to be seen on another occasion
Kings Mountain to Glencar - an unforgettable experience
A class day for our hike from Kings Mountain to Glencar via the disused Barytes Mines. A chilly start to the day. However it warmed up a few degrees to provide a perfect day out on the hills with spells of wintry sunshine too. We enjoyed some of the finest scenery in the Sligo/Leitrim area. Thanks a million for all who participated
Delighted to welcome this extremely adventurous family from Boston who flew during the night to Dublin and hightailed it to Sligo for their guided hike today. The early morning fog soon lifted and the winter sunshine provided perfect hiking in calm conditions. Wishing you a lovely stay during the coming week. Thanks for allowing us to share your adventure.
Today we took on the high point of Donegal's Mount Errigal at 751m.
First we scooted up its lesser peak Mackoght at 555m. It is not to be taken for granted and a great warm up while facing into a stiff northerly wind.
On the saddle we encountered a sharp blast of hailstone which thankfully cleared quickly.
By the time we reached the summit ridge the swirling mist and low clouds had lifted revealing the stunning views that Errigal is renowned for.
It was a most enjoyable and rewarding day out.
Sligo's Royal Peaks Hike
The weather conditions made for a difficult hike todeay for the Royal Peaks event. We still managed to cover most of the planned route even with the constant downpour. Unfortunately the visibility was zero. However the team participated in good spirits and even managed a cheer when the decision was made to descend off Benwiskin a little earlier that intended :) :) :) . Well done to all.