Category: Trip Reports
Some experiences of Irish hiking maps
5th September 2024 Much of my hiking has been in England, Scotland and Wales, where I have been rather spoiled by the quality of Ordnance Survey mapping. Things are quite different in Ireland, though the mapping offered here is nowhere as difficult to use as in other places where I have been.
The Standard Option
My go-to scale in OS mapping is 1:25000, while 1:50000 is the most common one offered by Tailte Éireann (formerly Ordnance Survey Ireland or OSi). That makes a difference when estimating distances on a ready reckoning basis. The smaller scale makes it easier to underestimate the length of a trail, and hence the amount of time that it will take to complete. With a need to make a bus back from a day hike, that can be a challenge, but one that is eased by doing things more rigorously in advance. Adding extra slack on the day will help too.
Another habit into which I have fallen is to look at a map to see what trails are available. This again is something that Tailte Éireann could improve. One absence is the lack of Greenway depiction; often, you get the disused railway line, which is a hint, but marking the recreational trail would be even better. While someone has put together a web app to show where Greenways are, having something more official would be better and may have more staying power than a volunteer effort.
It may have something to do with publishing schedules, but not all looped walks may get marked. That is what I founded with the Fastnet Trails around Schull and Ballydehob. At least, there is a website for those. Even so, having more of them marked on a map would help even more. Nevertheless, some are marked already, so some credit is due.
The same could not be said so emphatically for the trails around Mount Melleray Abbey near Cappoquin and Lismore in County Waterford. That might have helped me avoid some rough cross-country travel on a day hike around there that ruined a hiking trousers on me. Saint Declan's Way is completely absent too, so I ended up loading a GPX track onto Outdooractive for future reference. Since this goes from Ardmore to Cashel and through the Knockmealdown Mountains, it could offer hiking possibilities for another time.
Alternative Options
Following the aforementioned escapade, curiosity had me explore what is offered by EastWest mapping these days. They still cover the Wicklow and Dublin Mountains like they always have, and Wild Nephin is another area that they have covered for many years, but other ones are included now.
Parts of Munster now benefit, and the range includes the Knockmealdown Mountains, the Galtee Mountains and the Comeragh Mountains, not always ones that you hear much about when it comes to Irish hillwalking. The county of Cork is absent thus far, while the mountains of Kerry around Killarney and Dingle gain deserved coverage. In Connemara, there is a guide to the Western Way between Oughterard and Westport, along with maps of Connemara, Mweelrea and Croagh Patrick, and Achill and Corraun with Clare Island.
While I do have a Wicklow Mountains map in my collection, I have added one for Knockmealdown Mountains. Like many others in the range, it has a scale of 1:25000, which is more like what I find in Great Britain (Northern Irish mapping is much like what you find in the Republic). Those missing trails from the Tailte Éireann maps are noted too. Should a return to those parts come to pass, the new map will have its uses.
All in all, EastWest is on its way to becoming Ireland's answer to Harvey Maps in Scotland. That operation does not abandon Ireland, either. In fact, it offers two more than it once did: Dingle Peninsula and the Mourne Mountains. They complement longstanding coverage of the Wicklow Mountains, MacGillycuddy's Reeks and Connemara. Most are 1:30000, with the Mourne Mountains getting 1:25000 coverage.
What About Digital?
Much of the discussion here would apply to paper maps, yet I often use the Outdooractive app these days. That is equipped with maps from both Tailte Éireann and Harvey Maps. If I were to do the same for EastWest Mapping, I would need the Hiiker app. Since I plan to stick with what I have for now, I will leave the addition of another app until later. Even so, mixing information from different sources only helps when plying the trails, boreens, and ancient paths that criss-cross the Emerald Isle. Having a paper map and compass to complement digital tooling remains essential too. My Irish explorations may be facing a hiatus for numerous reasons, yet there is so much more to explore.
An Irish summer
3rd September 2024 This summer, I needed to be in Ireland to progress a piece of work that I have wanted to do for a while now. That needed me to have a base here, the purchase of which was completed not so long ago. The work did not need all of my time, so I also got to fit in some day hikes here and there. They allowed me to develop a connection with the place that I never had before, even if this is where I was born, had my upbringing and gained most of my education.
Killarney's hold on my affections was enough to stymie an ascent of Mangerton with a diversion around by the Knockreer estate and Ross Castle. A second attempt needed self-restraint given those other distractions. That succeeded, and it helped that cloud cover broke to allow some pleasing photos to be made, so much so that I could have missed my train back to Cork. In the event, there was plenty of time for everything. There were other rugged eminences, and they needed to be left for another occasion; an abundance of ruggedness will keep any hill wanderer busy hereabouts.
There was a time in my life when family outings took us to the Ballyhoura Mountains that line part of the county boundary between Limerick and Cork. More recently, though, I have been passing them rather than exploring them. A long summer day provided an exception to this: an out and back trek between Ballyhea and Seefin Mountain, near Ardpatrick. Though plenty of delights were encountered, it also took its toll on me and a period of recovery ensued. Recollections of surrounding views over the counties of Cork, Limerick and Tipperary stay with me, including those of the Galtee Mountains.
Another destination for family outings was Mount Melleray Abbey near Cappoquin in County Waterford. This also inspired a visit when the weather offered. That took in Glenshelane on the way from Cappoquin, and some rough cross-country travel was the cause of getting me to Lismore by following Saint Declan's Way for much of the route, despite it not being marked on my map. An alternative from EastWest Mapping was acquired later, and I have added a GPX track to Outdooractive for any future traipsing that may come to pass. After all, Lismore remains worth another visit because of its castle; I fancy a photo when the time of day ensures sunlight from the right direction. The place also has associations with the late travel writer, Dervla Murphy.
There was time for a brace of walks near the West Cork coastline too. The first took me from Schull to Ballydehob in bright sunshine. Then, Glengarriff's nature reserve surprised me with its diverse trails, leaving me eager to return and explore more of the area. Thus, a challenging but rewarding hike along part of the Beara Way from Adrigole to Glengarriff followed, offering impressive scenery despite waterlogged terrain and often cloudy skies. The end of the set took me to the Sheep's Head Peninsula for a short walk between Kilcrohane and Ahakista that bus service timings allowed. Though a little too rushed for my liking given the stunning surroundings, There remained ample time for admiring stunning views of both the Beara and Mizen Head peninsulas across their respective bays, Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay.
These were not all, since there have been encounters with Doneraile, Cashel, Cahir and Galway too. There may not have been hiking trips, per se, but some lay the ground for future escapades, too. All in all, it has been a summer filled with traipsing along long-distance trails and looped walks, along with other bespoke routing. The variety has extended from hill tops and forested trails to coastal paths and historic sites, mostly accompanied by some sunshine.
All reconnected me with my home country in a new way, while also doing the same for reminisces from a past before life spent in Scotland and England. Back then, Irish public transport did not offer what it does now. The recent expansion under the Connecting Rural Ireland banner has opened up opportunities where once there were few. That really helps for day trips, though the advantages of staying in an area for exploring it in more detail remains. Here, I think about Castletownbere for a walk between there and Adrigole as well as strolling around nearby Bere Island. Something similar applies to exploring many of West Cork's offshore islands.
That gets accentuated with increasing mileage. For instance, a day trip to Connemara from Cork does not work very well. Limerick might work better, but Galway is a much better base. Even then, that probably is not so ideal for Mayo, while Sligo and Donegal are another matter entirely. Even with a base in a country, it only allows for so much.
All of that is thinking ahead, though. The reality is that this summer has both reminded of past ones in Ireland and better connected me with various stomping grounds, old and new. For too long, I chided myself for not savouring the delights of the place of my birth. That has changed in recent years, and there is much more to sample yet.
Last hurrahs
29th August 2024 These days, this time of year makes me wistful at the passing of summer. However, it was not always so. This also is the season when academic years start, so there are beginnings as well as endings. Even then, the decline in hours of daylight and dropping temperatures brought any attempts to hang onto a sense of summer to an unyielding halt.
Towards the end of my secondary schooling, the purchase of a new bicycle meant cycling it home. That was not only a sixteen-kilometre distance but a frustrating struggle against autumnal winds. That which was plausible in the summer months had become less easy away from them. There were a few more years of summertime cycling, building up distance with the passage of time, that not only met shortening evenings but also the commencing of studies again. That was broken when I moved to Edinburgh, meaning that my time in Ireland was much more limited.
With the end of my university years, the association of autumn with beginnings was broken. It all ended with a job search that preceded by a tour of the Scottish highlands and islands with my brother before a quick trip to Ireland. In truth, the continuity of a research degree throughout the year had faded the sense of autumnal beginnings anyway.
My career saw me move to England, where I had much more time for exploring than I ever did. Without the ebb and flow of academic life, it was all too tempting to try overlooking the seasons, especially when moving south took up so much of spring and summer. August was when the hills of Cheshire and Derbyshire still any prospects of exploring hill country by bike. Walking became the way forward. As the month ended, I made my first trip to Wales in mixed weather that was hinting that overlooking seasons was not an option.
In ensuing years, the range of experiences broadened. A few saw me returning to Edinburgh in August to note how autumnal the place could feel at that time of year. Academic pressures and lack of experience meant that I had been overlooking this. That even included a week of conference attendance in Aberdeen during my research degree. The sense was there yet not prioritised.
Sometimes, autumn can make amends for a less satisfying summer. Being soaked around Lorn and Lochaber during a week at the end of July was enough to send me north again. Numerous visits to the Lake District in August had not healed wounds that only a weekend visit to Lochaber at the end of August could do. The year after was wet for much of the time, and I moved house too. Thus, a muddy November hike from the Cat and Fiddle Inn to Rushton Spencer marked something of a beginning.
September is a month with its illusions too. There can be a lot of sun, so it is easy to think of endless summer. That certainly fitted a sunny weekend around Moffat, crowned by a stunning walk along the Southern Upland Way. The changing colours and closure of businesses at the end of the busy tourist season countermand this. The latter hit me while on a September visit to Gougane Barra with my parents. Still, autumn can offer its chances for partial continuity with local hikes through October, November and into December. There have been a few years of that too.
Seasons are not the only transitions that we meet in life. A change of employer once became a major career event for me, Before the turmoil that led to this, there were contrasting trips to Yorkshire, one in September and another in October. The first was to a sunny Wharfedale, while an often grey Ingleton became my lot for the second. After the changeover, my energy for walking trips was curtailed, yet there was an October stroll along the High Peak Trail and a November excursion to Church Stretton. Though work pressures grew after that, the wandering was much needed and happened more often than not. When even that was halted, local cycles and walks often provided release.
Family ageing, infirmity and bereavement took hold of a few years after that. Grieving continued through spring, beyond summer and into autumn. Nothing could stop an October hike from the Cat and Fiddle inn to Whaley Bridge, such were my needs at the time. The real end of August feel pervaded a weekend divided between Durham and York. This may have been the Summer Bank Holiday one in England, but it often just feels too late for it. As it happens, the same complaint can be levelled at the timing of the British Spring Bank Holiday weekend.
Feelings eased by the next autumn, though a weekend spent in mixed weather around Oban reflected a sense of political tumult that only got more intense in ensuing years. Eventually, a sense of release emerged to allow a memorable September Swiss escapade. Bern and Kleine Scheidegg were grey under autumn clouds, yet Geneva, Zermatt and Grindelwald continued the sunny theme. Inheritance matters lay ahead, but not before a November interlude around Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath.
International travel was getting going for me, and dotted the year for a few weeks. An end-of-August trip to sunny Oslo and rainy Bergen bookended the summer the year after the Swiss trip. Inheritance matters were coming to a head to show that office work need not note the passing of seasons, unlike outdoor activities. They were to cause exhaustion, so a later autumn would see decompression at the start of a much-needed career break. That year, there was continuity of a sort from a week in Sweden in August to October day hikes in the Peak District and South Pennines.
Before the pandemic years, my freelancing faced an autumnal challenge that got addressed before the onset of restrictions. In September, there were visits to Oxford and Bath following a summer in British Columbia. The autumnal atmosphere of those, even if people were dressed in period costume around Bath for an event, reflected my mood at the time, for more things were ending than starting in that year.
The pandemic did nothing to halt hiking and, in 2020, even caused a resurgence of cycling. Getting outdoors then was much needed, resulting in a surprisingly rich year of day trips. That more or less ended at the end of September on a day that turned from sunny to grey as I walked from Hayfield to Chapel en le Frith. In the subsequent twelve months, things became less restricted, perhaps too quickly for my sensibilities. That made the discovery of Combs Moss near Buxton an uncrowded godsend during August and September that year. More were to be found when a new variant brought more restrictions around the end of the year.
Since then, the last few years have been about changing what I own. Some is being sold, and I now have a base in Cork that I can use. Manageability is what I am trying to improve now. More time has been spent in the outdoors as well, especially in Ireland. When it comes to the ending of summer, that does not feature so much, though. In the year before last, August was ended with a sunny ascent of Helvellyn followed by less satisfying trips to the Ochil Hills and Trossachs, extending activities into September.
Last year, a longstanding personal matter got attention and progress has felt rather miraculous. That started in August of last year and was got helped by numerous hill walks in Wales in August and September, a trip to Guernsey at the end of August, and a satisfying October encounter with the Ochil Hills from Stirling. While there was a sense of curtailment as the year wore on and other matters intruded, it still is remarkable to note what was happening then in any case.
This year has seen numerous walking trips in various places. Wales, Scotland, France and Ireland all provide the locations. Irish responsibilities continue to be reduced alongside these, and I am looking to progress other work activities as well. Autumn this year is about looking forward more than looking back during a period of letting go of things.
Autumn can feel quiet, yet it is often busy. Places can feel less thronged, giving a sense of new beginning that gets thwarted by the increasing sense of approaching winter. Even so, the working lives of many become more busy, as do places of learning. The latter can be filled with hubris that then is vanquished by academic pressures. This is an odd time of year, looking forward with anticipation, but also looking back with poignancy. Maybe, that is what transition brings. Nevertheless, spring is more to my liking and likely will remain thus.
Exploring north and mid Wales through multiple seasons
28th August 2024 This time last year, I was making plenty of visits to Wales. There was a matter in my life that needed attention, and the getaways were a big help with these. Shoehorned within them was a bank holiday weekend foray to Guernsey, but that is not the subject of this piece.
Looking at my interim synopses of trip reports that await writing, I notice that there have been more in the last few years than I have mentioned above. Even 2020 had one, though there was none in 2021. That got me wondering about a multi-season survey. Though one might have felt wintry, I still believe that it fits in spring. Thus, winter gets excluded here.
Most were in Eryri National Park, while some featured parts of the Welsh coastline and even the heart of Wales. Wales is of such a size that its coastline is not far away even when hills are being climbed. On weekend stays, most of those places where I overnighted were by the sea as well. Only Chester and Wrexham, which helped with outbound travel during industrial actions on the rail network, were the exceptions. Aberystwyth, Caernarfon, Llandudno and Porthmadog were the coastal bases.
The list of hills includes Y Garn (near the Ogwen Valley), Glyder Fawr, Glyder Fach, Carnedd Gwenllian, Gyrn Wigau, Cadair Idris, and Pumlumon Fawr. The latter was summited twice, once in damp and dank conditions and the second occasion involved the endurance of chilly, obstinate gusts on what otherwise was a brighter day. Even so, I have my fill of the area for the moment.
Carnedd Gwenllian also the subject of two approaches, the first was unsuccessful in that it was halted by blustery wet conditions and lack of time. Better weather and more time made it possible to reach that summit; it may have been cloud capped, but there was plenty of sunshine at other times. Gyrn Wigau was crossed on that second trip, on the way back to Bethesda, as it happened. Cadair Idris is best known to me, and I again reached its top, albeit on a hot sunny day. That made for better views than I ever had before, so I descended to Morfa Mawddach instead of Minffordd (my staring point) or Dolgellau.
Of the Ogwen Valley hills, Y Garn got its own day on a circuit from Nant Peris. The descent proved challenging and prevented me from catching an earlier bus as I might have hoped. Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr went beforehand and together. Such was the challenge of their terrain that I abandoned designs on reaching Llanberis for a return to the Ogwen Valley. Both days were hot, one in May and the other in July. These were day trips without any overnight stay, unlike others that have been mentioned in this posting.
The Wales Coast path got well trodden in the middle of all this traipsing. The most recent was the section between Borth and Aberystwyth last March. Sunshine felt like it was being rationed, yet that took nothing away from the walking. The coastal scenery had its own drama anyway. No weather or seasonality can remove that, no matter what.
Aside from that, it was the North Wales coast that got my attention. Even in 2020, I reached Llandudno for a stroll around the Great Orme, the only coastline exposure that I got during that very challenging year that most probably wish to delete. Last autumn saw two repeat visits, both after hill climbing the day before. On the first of these, I went on top of the headline instead of going around it. For the second, I walked along the coast to Llandudno Junction train station, savouring what I could see with some relish. The first attempt at reaching Carnedd Gwenllian may have been unsuccessful, but the Wales Coast Path got me to Bangor, and with some sunny accompaniment at times too.
All in all, there was quite a range of weather encountered, from warm sunshine to persistent rain to chilling gusts of wind. Given that, it probably is worth recording which season was which for all of these. For spring, it was the second weekend around Aberystwyth and the day hike around Y Garn. The first of these feet more like winter and the second more like summer. Speaking of the latter, that was when the day circuit of Glyderau happened and when I tried reaching the top of Carnedd Gwenllian, the latter of these followed by coastal walking leading to Bangor and around Llandudno. Again, the first was typical of high summer and the latter giving a hint of approaching autumn, which is when the Irish Celtic seasons would place it. The rest belong to autumn anyway, which remains undeniable, even given the ambiguity there often is about seasonal timings.
Pondering past trends
22nd August 2024 Some years feature multiple visits to a single area, or a sign of a developing theme. Going back in time, 2001 was the year of the Peak District, while it was the turn of the Yorkshire Dales in 2002. 2003 then became a year for the Lake District.
Other places were visited too as I began my hill wandering journey in those years. After all, the first decade of the century saw ever deeper incursions into Scotland, while Wales did not get neglected either. The mention of Wales brings me to 2005, when I spent a good deal of time around Denbighshire and Gwynedd.
2007 was a year for a single theme: long-distance trails. Both the West Highland Way and the Gritstone were completed then using a section hiking approach. That has not been the end of long-distance trail walking for me, partly because it is difficult to avoid them if you want something more established than making your own way.
Some years have not offered any meaningful trend. 2004 was one of those, and not a year best remembered for its weather. House moving also limited movements. 2008 is remembered for recovering from a mental travail as much as its most dramatic foray: spending some time around Skye and the Western Isles. 2009 did get me to the Cairngorms, but only twice before career travails overtook me.
A new job limited things from 2010 before family bereavements then dominated things. After that, international travel took over for a while from 2015 onward. Even so, 2014 can be remembered for multiple visits to the Lake District, offering a much-needed respite from what was happening at the time.
A developing taste for overseas explorations was set back with the onset of the pandemic. Before that, destinations of a Scandinavian or Alpine feel were attracting my attention, and there was a first leisure trip to North America that took me to British Columbia. Local hill country across the Peak District then became a godsend in both 2020 and 2021, though I also got to Shropshire and the Llandudno during 2020.
2022 not only marked the start of my returning to travelling farther away from home, but it also became the first year with numerous incursions into Irish hill country. The moors around Marsden also got some of my attention, as did some Lakeland fells and Scottish hills, and Wales was not excluded either. Even so, the Irish excursions in the counties of Dublin, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Kerry and Cork were the big feature of the year. It was as if I were moving beyond the pandemic more in my native country than anywhere else.
The Irish explorations were fewer in 2023, while Wales got much of my attention, and there was a longer distance escapade to the San Francisco Bay Area. The Channel Islands became the subject of two visits too, with the first of these allowing a day excursion to Saint-Malo in France.
Thus far, 2024 has become another year with numerous Irish explorations. The counties of Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford all featured. However, it also has been a year with numerous Scottish incursions, reaching the Trossachs, Strathspey and Lochaber. Other business has deflected explorations from Inverness that would take in more around Loch Ness, as well as getting a hike in from Achnasheen. Much like a mooted trip to the American Pacific Northwest, these will need to wait. Having unused ideas cannot be a source of criticism. France also featured on two itineraries that took in its capital city, Brittany and Grenoble. They may not end explorations of a country that I scarcely had probed, but some extra reflection and learning needs to precede such things.
