Winter Returns to Corrán Tuathail !!!

Winter well and truly returned to Kerry last weekend and added nicely to the challenge of our guided ascent of Corrán Tuathail....There was 3 tackling the climb via "O'Sheas" gully and boy did they really "Experience The Adventure" with KerryClimbing



....From below the white on the summits looked only a dusting but how wrong we were!!! As we exited the shelter of O'Sheas  and onto the Beenkeragh ridge we were quite surprised by the biting stiff breeze and the impressive covering of snow....The 3 gang were excited, amazed and delighted to finally make it to the highest point in Ireland in such unexpected wintery conditions..

Congrats and well done to Jay, Maria and Michael on their first and hopefully not last, ascent of this magnificent mountain...We descended by the "Zig-Zags" a nice easy gentle track which gave them stunning views as we dropped back down into the "Hags Glen" and made them fully appreciate the sheer scale of the mountain they had just climbed and the impressive route they had taken to the top!!!

A fantastic weekend spent in the beautiful Gap of Dunloe..

Cork Institute of Technology Mountaineering Club had a somewhat chilly but sunny day for their Rock Climbing skills Course on Saturday.They spent a great and highly informative day on the wonderful crag of "Bothán" going through everything from knots to anchors and lots of subjects in between. Everyone went away from the day with plenty to ponder and  practice and hopefully lots to improve their own personal climbing over the months and years ahead!!!  



Stunning weather ALL weekend for  "The Gap of Dunloe Climbing  meet" - surprisingly not a huge turnout compared to last year by all accounts, but those who did make the effort were well rewarded with some great big ( and small !!!) routes climbed and a sun tan to boot!!!













Whilst training Sunday on Bothán with the MRT the view over towards The Reeks was absolutely superb...Happy to be "hangin' out" (pun intended) but sorry not to be up on the tops!!!

"THE PROCESS" with Ricky Bell

We are gearing up for the 3rd and final in our series of talks titled  "First Ascents and Vertical Adventures"

All proceeds from these talks have been donated to Mountain Rescue. We are very grateful to all of those that have donated prizes for raffles that have been held during these events - helping to raise much needed funds for Kerry Mountain Rescue Team and S.A.R.D.A. (Ireland) Search Dogs.

We kicked it off with Andy Kirkpatrick who as always, gave a very entertaining talk with his tales from the Troll Wall in Norway and his epic ascents in The Alps http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/

Next up was Scottish Sea Stack Climber and Mountaineer Mr. Iain Miller of http://www.uniqueascent.ie/ who gave an exciting and informative insight into "Adventure Climbing" and the fantastic wild  adventures to be had Sea Stack Climbing off the rugged coasts of Ireland.

We end this years series of talks with "THE PROCESS" by Ireland's top Trad Climber - Ricky Bell. 

Ricky, from Belfast, has been at the heart and soul of pioneering new extreme rock climbing routes and pushing the limits in Ireland over the past number of years.
You may have seen "Underdeveloped", the highly acclaimed and inspiring underground climbing movie that documents what Ricky and his crew have been up to on the crags and sea cliffs in Ireland. This should be another great evening hearing about this countries amazing climbing potential from Irelands own "Rock-star"!!!

We will again be holding another raffle for some great prizes!!!

A huge thanks to:

Magnetic Wild  http://www.magneticwild.ie/  The great new Online Outdoor Equipment specialist Shop based in Dingle for showing such generosity in providing us with some nice prizes.  Some cool Vaude Backpacks and also a selection of nifty products from the "Light My Fire" Range.  Check out their website for some more great products and brands.

Neil Powell author of "Search Dogs and Me" who has very kindly given us a signed copy of his book. 

This book tells the remarkable story of one man's adventures with his life-saving dogs. For the past forty years, Neil Powell has worked with dogs, in mountain search and rescue, drowned victim recovery, collapsed structure searching, and optical disc and drug detection. Neil and his dogs have participated in countless searches - often in life-threatening situations - and saved many lives in Ireland, the United Kingdom and throughout the world. But these are not just heroic working dogs, they are much-loved family pets, and they form the heart of the story. Heartwarming, inspiring and beautifully told.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-Dogs-Me-One-Life-saving/dp/0856408670/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

And a big thanks also to Ricky Bell who has offered us some signed  copies of "UnderDeveloped"

A humble film shot over one year, by a bunch of climbers from   belfast. A film that shows the passion for climbing in Ireland. Features climbing in places like fair head, the Burren, The Mourne Mountains and Glendalough. The DVD received two special mentions at the Kendal mountain Festival (Climbing & Special Jury Award Category). 

       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kWOifXlXKA

Special thanks also to  Climbing.ie and The Cork News and to everyone else who has helped in promoting these events.   

“THE PROCESS” An exciting evening of First Ascents and Vertical Adventures with Irelands top rock climber "Ricky Bell"!!!

DATE: Friday, 13th April

TIME: 19:30 – 22:00

LOCATION: Boole Theatre, U.C.C Campus, Cork

TICKETS: €8 ( on door )

Hosted by KerryClimbing with assistance of UCC Mountaineering Club

Multi Pitch Climbing inThe Mournes

I spent last weekend multi pitch climbing in the beautiful Mourne Mountains of Co. Down. 
Day 1 was spent climbing on Slieve Beg at the head of the Annalong Valley in glorious sunshine - an amazing spot!

Day 2 was spent shivering on the Bearnagh Slabs!!!  Here's a few pics:

The Mourne Mountains are a granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland. It includes the highest mountains in Northern Ireland and the province of Ulster. The highest of these is Slieve Donard at 850 metres. The Mournes is an area of outstanding natural beauty and has been proposed as the first national park in Northern Ireland. The area is partly owned by the National Trust. The name Mourne (historically spelt Morne) is derived from the name of a Gaelic clann or sept called the Múghdhorna.

 Following a fundraising drive in 1993, the National Trust purchased nearly 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) of land in the Mournes. This included a part of Slieve Donard and nearby Slieve Commedagh, at 767 metres  the second-highest mountain in the area.

The Mourne Wall is among the more famous features in the Mournes. It is a 35 kilometres dry-stone wall that crosses fifteen summits, constructed to define the boundaries of the 36 square kilometres area of land purchased by the Belfast Water Commissioners in the late 1800s. This followed a number of Acts of Parliament allowing the sale, and the establishment of a water supply from the Mournes to the growing industrial city of Belfast. Construction of the Mourne Wall was started in 1904 and was completed in 1922.