Off We Go Walking Again !
Today sees the arrival of my first walking group of 2012. I’m bringing them up to the wild and majestic northwest corner of Mayo – to the Mullet peninsula and its fabulous cliff-top walks.
Cong Lakes Walking Weekend 2012
Join our group for this fantastic guided walking weekend in May. Taking place over the May bank holiday weekend, from May 4 through 7, this is one of the top walking weekends the West of Ireland has to offer.
Mountain Scenery
-
- Mountain top bog pools
-
- Cliffs overlook Dirkbeg Lough
-
- Corrie Lake, Mayo
-
- Scree strewn mountain top, Mayo
-
- Hills of Mayo
-
- Early morning fog
A short post to share some pictures I’ve recently taken out hillwalking here in Mayo. The weather has been incredible these past few weeks, with very little rain and nice bright, crisp blue-sky days in the hills. Great weather for hiking Mayo’s hills and higher mountains, so “Get Out There !” and go walking.
Thank you very much, Walshes
We had absolutely beautiful weather as we completed The Bangor Trail on Friday last. Even though we were in the dying days of winter, I had never experienced the trail in such a dry condition, not even in summer. I guess that’s not really surprising, as we’ve had very little rain this winter.
First Hillwalking of New Year
I got out hillwalking at the weekend for the first time since the holidays. Not 100% successful, I must admit!
Devilsmother from the northern Maumturks
On Saturday, I met up with a mate and we decided to take on the northern end of the Maumturks. Standing watch over Leenane, the Maumturks are nice mountains with great views over Killary Harbour (Ireland’s only true fjord), Mweelrea, Ben Gorm, Devilsmother and other summits all around. They’re not very high by any means, but it just wasn’t going to happen on this occasion. The wind was too strong and I could hardly stand up against it. The fierce wind was rushing up the fjord, coming around the corner of the hills and hitting me on my right hand side. Maybe if I had brought some extra ballast in my pockets or lead in my boots. Having been knocked over one time too many, it was time to admit defeat and descend.
World Wetlands Day 2012
Thursday, February 2nd is World Wetlands Day. Check out its origins here.
World Wetlands Day poster
World Wetlands Day is about appreciating the vital role wetlands play in our ecosystems and protecting them. Here in Mayo, we are blessed with many wetland areas, from our blanket bogs, dotted with small lakes and bogpools, to our ‘great western lakes’, like Conn, Cullin, Carra and Mask, to our coastal sites, like Mulranny saltmarshes and the brackish lake of Furnace. Indeed, we have 3 Ramsar wetlands sites of international importance, in the Sheskin Knockmoyle Bog Complex, the Owenduff Bog Complex and the Blacksod & Broadhaven Bays area.
Welcome to 2012
December saw me take on three good hikes in the off-season.
I had a specific reason for revisiting The Bangor Trail from the Bangor end on Dec 21st, the shortest day of the year. While on ‘The Walk of Hope’ with the fabulous people of Foxford Ramblers Walking Club the previous Saturday, two companions from Bangor had told me of works being carried out on the Trail that they weren’t at all happy with. I just had to investigate, fearful of another example of environmental vandalism by public bodies.
