17th of April ..."MOONLIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS"

The Comeragh Mountains stretch diagonally across County Waterford from Dungarvan to Clonmel.  They divide the county roughly in half.  As mountains go they are not spectacularly high but they are rugged and interesting, abounding in lakes, rivers, hollows, cliffs and rocky slopes.  At the very summit of the range is a great bog which gave the mountains the name Monavollagh meaning “turf on top”, but the name by which they are better known is The Comeraghs ( Na Comeraigh), meaning having many river confluences. Our objective for this Moonlit walk is the stunning Coumshingaun Lake or Com Seangan (pissmire valley also translated as hollow of the ants.  Coumshingaun is perhaps the finest example of a glacial corrie or coum in the British Isles.  It was formed during the last ice age by the retreating glaciers which left a large moraine at the mouth of the coum holding the lake back to what we see today.

Plants of the Irish Uplands

DEVIL'S MATCHSTICKS

Order: Lecanorales       Family: Cladoniaceae

Species: Cladonia floerkeana

This is the time of year when this tiny plant is most impressive.Tiny stem tipped flowers appear in vibrant red.

 Commonly known as the nail lichen or the devil's matchstick, is a species of lichen in the Cladonia family. It was originally described in 1803, and transferred to the genus Pilophorus in 1857. A fructicose (shrub-like) species, it grows directly on silicate rocks in dense clusters. The lichen starts out as a granular crust on the rock surface, and develops stalks, or pseudopodetia, up to 3 cm (1.2 in) tall and about 1 mm thick that have rounded black or red apothecia at the tips. The stalks are erect and curved so as to appeared combed. In addition to green algae, the lichen contains cyanobacteria that help contribute to soil fertility by supplying nitrogen.

It is also found in peaty soil and mossy rocks on heathland, also on rotting logs.

Some pictures from a few days recent climbing in Scotland...



A stunning morning on loch Marree,Torridon.







Triple Buttress,Beinn Eighe.




John and Brendan on the 3rd pitch of Eastern Buttress,Beinn Eighe.



Off climbing for a week to the Torridon Mountains of NW Scotland...

Torridon is on the west coast of Scotland, 100+ miles north of Fort William and 80 miles west of Inverness. Situated in an area well known to climbers, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts, hikers, and countless visitors from around the world, the surrounding mountains rise almost vertically to 3500 feet from the deep sea lochs.

The loch is surrounded by numerous mountains to the north, including Liathach, Beinn Alligen and Beinn Eighe, all of which are over 3000 feet in height. Specifically, they are:

• Liathach
• Beinn Eighe
• Beinn Alligin
• Beinn Dearg

Hills between Glen Torridon and Strath Carron share much of the splendour and character of the main hills, although perhaps less of the drama:

• Beinn Liath Mhòr
• Sgorr Ruadh
• Maol Cheann-dearg
• Beinn Damh
• An Ruadh-stac
• Fuar Tholl

Liathach seen from Beinn Eighe. With the Munro “Top“ of Stuc a' Choire Dhuibh Bhig (915 metres) in the foreground and the two Munro summits in the background.

The triple buttresses of Coire Mhic Fearchair behind Beinn Eighe