Snowdonia - North Wales hiking weekend 12th - 15th May 2023

Please note to join this weekend participants must have been on at least one of our previous hikes and demonstrated the ability to deal with changing terrain and currently possess a good level of fitness.
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Snowdonia is a region in northwest Wales concentrated around the mountains and glacial landforms of massive Snowdonia National Park.
The park contains the highest mountain in Wales and England, Mount Snowdon 1085m.

We will travel from Dublin to Hollyhead by ferry on Friday 12th May 2023 and return home Monday 15th May 2023

Saturday - We plan on climbing Glyder Fawr 1001m via the Devil's kitchen. We will also include an ascent of Glyder Fach with it famous "Cantilever Rock"

Sunday - We will climb Mount Snowdon via the beautiful less travelled South Ridge and return via the Rhyd Ddu trail.

While these hikes are not technical they will require a good level of fitness.

Accommodation
We will base ourselves in the beautiful village of Betws-y-Coed
The accommodation is in 4 star B&B's. on a shared basis
There is a good choice of beautiful restaurants all within walking distance for evening meals.

The cost of the weekend is 530 euro.

Max number 12.

INCLUDED
*Shared cost of fuel
*Return ferry crossing,
* 3 nights B&B,
*Two fully guided hikes with a qualified guide.
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NOT INCLUDED
*Packed lunches
*Evening Meals.
*Travel insurance.

Car Transport.
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We will require 3 car drivers whose fuel costs will be fully reimbursed.

Booking: A non refundable deposit of 100 euro is required at time of booking with the balance to be paid in full two months before departure.

To book and register for this hike please email us with your name address and contact no at: highhopesmountaintreks@yahoo.com
or call us at: 086 3454045

Equipment required:
Good waterproof boots and waterproof clothing are essential; hiking trousers are advised, (no jeans please); spare warm layer; hat and gloves; lunch and/or snacks; water or juice drink, (1.5 litres); small rucksack to carry it all in.
Walking poles are advisable and will provide additional support

NB - Cancellation policy
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Hike that are cancelled within two months of the event - Full refund
Hikes that are cancelled within one month of the event a refund of 50%
Hikes that are cancelled less than a month no refund available apart from exceptional cases due to illness or family bereavement

Errigal Twin Peaks

Some recent photos from our hike up Errigal and its lesser peak known as Mackoght.

Benbulben - a guided hike

On Saturday past we undertook to climb Benbulben in what can only be described as extremely challenging weather conditions

After the recent brief heat wave it was back to the more usual Irish summer. Strong winds measuring 90kph combined with non stop rain meant that no matter how good the gear was we got well soaked. On a positive note the rain felt warm 😀 and the spirits remained high throughout the day

The views only appeared as we descended back to the valley. Well done all 👏👏👏👏

Benwiskin hike on June Bank holiday Monday

Last hike of the bank holiday weekend💕

Friday was Benbulben, Saturday The Sheefry’s in Mayo and today Benwiskin

Perfect conditions for a tramp up the famous Breaking Wave

Light winds, good spells of sunshine and above all a super group of hikers

What better way could you spend a bank holiday Monday 👏👏👏

The Sheefry's hike

On Saturday 4th June we headed for the sunny Sheefry’s starting at Doolough in the Delphi valley. What a day😎

Our last venture was a complete washout but today was a total opposite

Bright sunshine throughout the hike, though the strong 60 kph winds added a coolish feel at times

With the stunning backdrop of Mweelrea on the opposite side of the valley the steep climb up Barrcashclame was soon forgotten on the broad plateau and exciting arete connecting it to the trig pillar at 772m

A fab day with a most enthusiastic group participating. Well done 👏


Snowdonia hiking weekend

This past weekend we headed to Snowdonia in North Wales. It was a mixed bag of weather but who cares when you are surrounded with such amazing company. As some one remarked "we met as strangers but left as friends"

On Saturday we summited Mount Snowdon 1085m the highest peak in Wales and on Sunday part of the group headed for the Glyders while the others explored the surrounds of Betws y Coed with it beautiful mature forests rivers and waterfalls.

A very memorable weekend was had by all.

Benbulben

No better place to be on a May bank holiday Monday than on Benbulben which largely we had to ourselves.

The low cloud persisted for much of the day

Strangely enough the views on the northern side were great while the cloud inversion on the southern slopes blanked out much of the landscape

It felt pleasantly warm and with calm conditions it was a most enjoyable day Mayo featured strong with a very active group representing East Mayo ramblers joining in the fun joined by hikers from various parts of the country not forgetting to mention Jasmin from Bavaria

Benbulben guided hike

What a cracker of a day

A real international flavour in today group with representatives from Belguim, China, Poland, Lithuania, USA, and 5 counties of Ireland

The biggest difficulty wasn’t getting them up the mountain instead it was trying to get to leave it. It was pure bliss 💕

Slieve League

Had a most enjoyable hike on Slieve League today. These sea cliffs which are among the highest in Europe were at their best. It was chilly with odd patches of snow on north facing slopes. On the whole you could not have asked for better conditions and a super group who travelled from various part of the county. We had loads of fun.

Truskmore above the clouds

Some photos of what Truskmore looks like on a good day

Thanks Gerald for sharing from your hike today

Such a shame we didn’t get any views at all on our last outing Saturday week last. That’s the unpredictable nature of mountain weather

Errigal Twin Peaks hike

In the aftermath of Storm Arwen we faced the might of Donegal's highest mountain Mount Errigal 751m.

At the car park in preparation for some sub zero temperatures on the summit we layered up in advance. The best on offer was a four trouser layer and 5 upper body layer. 😂, Some of us felt more like the Michelin man. But one must be prepared 😍.

After making the ascent of Mackoght 555m we set our sights on the imposing ridge of Errigal.

The winds had eased somewhat and it was deemed safe to progress to the summit. It was then the layering system really shone with temperatures at sub zero and a wind chill measured at -10c. We all were well insulated and apart from the frozen hands used to take photos we felt really toasty.

It was truly a memorable day and well done to the "Magnificent Seven" who undertook the climb👏.

Sheefry's - A guided hike

We got a roaring welcome today on our first guided hike of the Sheefry's mountains in south Mayo. Low cloud combined with heavy rain and strong winds kept us on our toes. The steep ascent up from Doolough got the heart rate up into the red 😍. There was figures mentioned of 174!!!!

All in all we came and conquered and all made it down safely.

It is definitely one worth another visit albeit on a better day.

A welcome treat back in the Blackberry in Leenane was most welcome while one very brave girl headed into Killary for day 13 of her 30 day cancer challenge. Well done Edel.

Thanks to all who kept up the high spirits on a challenging day out.

Mweelrea 814m - hiking up the highest mountain in Connacht

We had an amazing day on Mweelrea yesterday. It was a day of many seasons starting off in bright sunshine and then peppered with hailstones half way up the ramp. On reaching Benbury, Mweelrea was completely enveloped in cloud. However as we made our way to the summit the sun appeared again and we enjoyed the stunning views of the Nephin range to the north and the 12 Bens to the south and westward over Killary and the Atlantic with its many well known islands.

The terrain was extremely spongy and extra care was needed both on the ascent and descent. Lots of slipping and sliding but in the end all down safely and rewarded with a great day on the highest mountain in Connacht.

Benbulben guided hike

This morning we headed out with a yellow wind and rain warning from Met Eireann. There is a feeling that winter is upon us.

It is always a difficult call whether or not to proceed under these circumstances. However we all agreed to give it a go and if required we could always turn back.

Up on top of the ridge the wind speed measured 90Kph. The north side of the plateau provided some measure of shelter so we rambled on to the Trig and out as far as the head in good visibility. There was not too many other souls about apart from a large group from the Wayfarers Hiking club. Not a day for the faint hearted.

The rain held off until lunch time. Ground conditions were extremely slippery and it was difficult to keep upright.

All down safely in good time. Well done to all 👏👏👏

Carrauntohill 1038m - Saturday 25th September 2021

Last Saturday we climbed the highest mountain in Ireland. It was a most enjoyable and memorable day. We enjoyed some fabulous views during the ascent and descent. Unfortunately the summit remained hidden in the cloud as so often is the case. Well done to all.

Royal Peaks hike 18th September 2021.

All stops out this morning for our Royal Peaks Hike. First stop was on Benbulben Trig and then on to Kings Mountain. After refueling we proceeded up to the cross on Slievemore. The rain arrived a bit earlier than expected but the visibility stayed good as we made our way over the high ridge of 566.

A heavy mist descended as we approached the head of the Gleniff Horseshoe valley but soon cleared away to reveal the awesome views of the cliffs of Annacoona. It is always nice to keep the best wine till last. Benwiskin never fails to excite and today was no exception. After all that we made our way back down into the valley feeling very fulfilled after over 7 hours on the hills with a distance of 20k and over 850m of accumulated height gained. Not a bad statistic but our day was much more than just than. Some lasting memories and the odd tired limbs. Well done to one and all.