Hilltops, Heritage and History
Well done to all our young walkers today who climbed to the top of Slieve Gullion! Check out all their fab pictures, thanks to Cara for reading the information board for everyone and to Tomas for recounting the story of Fionn Mc Cool and the Caillleach Bheirre!
This Sunday the 4th of August, Gap Members and their families will be climbing Slieve Gullion, if you would like to walk with us, we will be meeting up at the car park of the Gap Pub, Jonesboro, at 12 for registration and a safety briefing. We will drive to the top car park and climb to the summit, depending on weather conditions we may walk over to the lake and back. This walk is not suitable for very young children or pushchairs! No dogs allowed.
All children remain the responsibility of their accompanying adult, the Gap Hill Walking Club / leaders cannot take any responsibility for walkers, adults or children. As hill walking is an activity with inherent risks of personal injury, all walkers must agree to be responsible for their own actions and involvement and accompanying adults must agree to be responsible for the children in their care.
All walkers, adults and children must be wearing walking boots (no runners allowed, we will be walking on rough terrain, boots give extra ankle support thus reducing the risk of ankle injury). With the current wet weather all walkers must be carrying a waterproof jacket. Bring a packed lunch and plenty of water.
| Scientific Name: | Campanula rotundifolia |
| Irish Name: | Méaracán gorm |
| Family Group: | Campanulaceae |
Our walk this Sunday, 14th of July, starts in the Colin Glen Forest Park, Belfast, after an hours walking in the forest park, we’ll cross the Hannahstown Road and head up into the Belfast Hills, reaching the summits of both Black and Divis Mountains, we’ll then cross bog land and descend to Divis Lodge where our walk will end.
We will be walking on a variety of terrains from stone tracks, to roads, across heathland and bogs and along boardwalks, even with all this recent dry weather it is still very wet and muddy in places.
This walk will differ from our usual outings as we will be walking in 1 group, whilst there is not a lot of climbing, (overall we will only climb about 575m), it is 16km and we will be out for at least 5 hours, in the current heat you will need to carry double if not triple your usual amount of water!!
As always proper walking boots with a deep tread are a must, gaiters would be beneficial in places, and walking poles are always a good idea.
The views over Belfast are spectacular you might want to take binoculars to check out all the landmarks!!
There is also an amazing variety of plant life, as we walk through the different terrains, wild orchids, flax irises and wild mint to name only a few.
As this is a long walk and factoring in travel time of an hour in each direction, I can’t see us home before 6. As always the earlier we get away from the Gap the sooner we will get walking so the bus will be leaving at 10.15 sharp!
There are still places available let me know if you’re interested, £6 per person.
Paula
Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials commonly called foxgloves. This genus was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, but recent phylogenetic research has placed it in the much enlarged familyPlantaginaceae.[1] This genus is native to western and southwestern Europe,[4] western and central Asia, Australasia and northwestern Africa. The scientific name means “finger-like” and refers to the ease with which a flower of Digitalis purpurea can be fitted over a human fingertip. The flowers are produced on a tall spike, are tubular, and vary in colour with species, from purple to pink, white, and yellow. The best-known species is the common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. This biennial plant is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its vivid flowers which range in colour from various purple tints through various shades of light gray, and to purely white. The flowers can also possess various marks and spottings.
The first year of growth of the common foxglove produces only the stem with its long, basal leaves. During the second year of the plant’s life, a long, leafy stem from 50 to 255 centimeters tall grows atop the roots of healthy plants.
The larvae of the moth the “foxglove pug” consume the flowers of the common foxglove for food. Other species of Lepidoptera eat the leaves, includinglesser yellow underwing.
The term digitalis is also used for drug preparations that contain cardiac glycosides, particularly one called digoxin, extracted from various plants of this genus.