Hilltops, Heritage and History
Our next walk is Slieve Gullion on Sunday 3rd of April, when we will have 2 Groups out, both of which will go to the summit…so if you still have any eggs left over then, there will be opportunities to roll them! Happy Easter everyone and hope to see you next Sunday.
This Sunday our Leaders, Adrian and Jimmy are leading a walk on Slieve Martin, Kilbroney. They have scouted routes to give the option of B and C Groups splitting along the way, this will depend on numbers and who turns up on the day, but the decisions as to if, where and when the split occurs and who walks with each Group will be decisions made by the Leaders on the day and will be made with Group safety in mind. Both Groups will be out for 3½ to 3¾ hours, C Group will walk around 8/9 km the B Group 12.5 km but there will be a great difference in the pace if the split occurs.
Depending on the routes Leaders decide upon on the day, walkers may be walking on Slievemartin, Slievedermot, Slievefadda, Slievemeen… but if the current weather holds up no matter what the route the scenes will be stunning!
As always walking boots, a waterproof jacket and a packed lunch are essential. Expect it to be several degrees colder on top, so layers are advisable and carry an extra layer of clothing in your rucksack.
We will be driving to Kilbroney and using the upper car park, car pooling will be organised on Sunday morning, so please could everyone be punctual, so that we can get this organised. Meet at the Gap O’ the North Pub, Jonesborough for 10 am.
Membership is up at the end of March, so membership will reopen on Sunday 3rd of April, ( i.e. the next walk), membership remains at £20 OR 25 Euros for the year. New members very welcome.
Members please note, if you are interested in joining us on our planned Saturday walk on the 30th of April, the cost will be £10 for the bus, and will be collected this Sunday.
Sunday’s walk will be a one group walk and a little shorter than our normal, at around three hours. We will be in Ravensdale Woods on tracks no one else seems to use, following a wall which extends for several kilometres and which it is guessed, formed the boundary of Lord Clermont’s original deer park. Some parts of it now buried under forestry roads. We’ve no idea how old it is, but it appears on the first Ordnance Survey maps from 1834-36 so it is definitely not a famine relief wall. Intrigued? So why not join us….and find out more!
We meet at the Gap O’ the North Pub, Jonesborough at 10 am for registration and debriefing. All walkers must have walking boots and a waterproof jacket, in addition we recommend (but not essential), gaiters and walking poles. Bring a packed lunch and water.
New comers are very welcome, your first walk with us is free afterwards if you choose to join us membership runs from April until the end of March and costs £20/year.
Members please note our A.G.M follows Sunday’s Walk,
(open to fully paid up members only).
Our membership re-opens at the beginning of April… If you have thought of joining us you would be most welcome, membership is £20 or €25 /year. We have few rules and regulations, those that we do have are mostly for safety on the hillside, not just for the individual but also for the Group as a whole. Please see a summary below and if you would still like to join us come along on one of our walks.
We are next walking on Sunday 21st of February in the Cooleys, more information about this walk will follow over the next few days.
Walks
W – We are a Hill Walking Club, we climb hills and mountains, you will need a degree of fitness for even our C group, (our lowest level Group), what we do is not comparable to road walking, if keeping clean, dry and walking on the flat is your thing then …. perhaps we are not for you.
As a rough guide we think that you need to be comfortably capable of walking from the lower courtyard car park at Slieve Gullion forest park via the forest drive and take the new mountain path from the upper car-park to the summit cairn (cave) and back in 3 hours. This walk is approximately 10km and climbs 450 m but is all on both tarmac forest drive and very good mountain paths. This should mean that you are fit enough for our C group. This is only a guide to a minimum level of fitness required.
A Always- obey the walks leader, they scout, plan and know the route. Group Safety is our number 1 priority therefore we operate a strict frontman / backman code on all our walks, if you fail to comply with this rule you will not be permitted to walk with us. Passing the leader or trying to push the pace endangers the safety of the group, if this is what you want to do, join a running club, we are not the club for you!!
L Leave- no trace is our abiding principle, “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints”. Respect the environment: take home all litter, (even what you might consider to be biodegradable), close gates, avoid livestock cross ditches/gates only at the appointed spots.
Remember rambling rights are limited in NI, often we walk on land owned outright, if we are forbidden to walk across ground by the owner we respect it without argument.
K Kit- being properly kitted out is important for safety but will also make your walking experience more enjoyable. Proper waterproof walking boots with deep tread (no runners or fell /walking shoes) are a must, as is a waterproof raincoat and appropriate cold weather clothing, including hats & gloves, (at all times of the year). Layers are best, jeans are forbidden. Water and a packed lunch are needed. All should be carried in a personal rucksack.
S Scenery, seasons and sites– Take the time to look around and enjoy the breath taking scenery, watch the fauna and flora change with the seasons and marvel at the over 2,000 historical sites which are to be found within the fabulous Ring of Gullion.
We think we have identified this correctly! We spotted it on our walk last week, in the field in front of Bell’s Castle, on Slieve Gullion. From what we’ve researched it’s not a native plant but is usually an escapee from a demesne or large garden, where it was planted for ground cover. It carpets damp places, embankments and shady roadsides, all of which makes sense in the location where we found it.
Winter heliotrope or Petasites fragrans, is strongly scented of vanilla, was introduced from North Africa and has spread throughout Europe. It forms large patches of heart-shaped leaves.
It normally flowers from November through to March, although there were no flowers on it last week. The flowers are pale pink, in heads 10-15 mm across and are borne in spikes up to 25 cm long. Male and Female plants are carried on separate plants. From what we’ve read it seems likely that only male plants may be found in Ireland.
The leaves are distinctive shiny green and kidney shaped, hairless above and hairy below. It is very invasive as it can regenerate itself from a very small part of its fleshy rhizome and belongs to the family Asteraceae.
Heliotropism is the daily movement of plants in response to the direction of the sun. The flowers and leaves of this heliotropic plant gradually follow the sun from east to west and during the night turn back to the east to greet the next dawn. A very valuable source of winter feeding for bees, Winter Heliotrope was often planted near their hives specifically to provide nutrition to them during winter.