Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Looking muddy in Glenbarrow
A wee walk, to dodge the showers. It's quite muddy in Glenbarrow today, but there's a nice bit of water in the waterfall, too.
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Easy Walk in Laois Offaly
This has been a nice weekend and I've had a bit of time to get out and about. I left home with the intention of taking a few pictures at Glenbarrow in the Slieve Bloom mountains, but I got sidetracked.
Halfway between Mountmellick and Portarlington, there's a forest at Garryhinch.
View Larger Map
Which is in Offaly. This is a forest with walks along the river Barrow, and ruins for exploration (though be careful, as ever with ruins they seem to attract activity, with the attendant rubbish). Parking here for probably about 15 cars or so, and 2 marked walks at about 4kms each are outlined on the notice board in the car park. One red, one blue - so they are nicely distinguishable for the colour blind among us. Trails are generally on hardcore forest roads, so pretty easy if a little tough underfoot from time to time. Worth bringing boots if you have them and raingear because you're in Ireland.
A river runs through it - and you cross the bridge to get to the larger body of the forest.
The forest floor offers a lovely combination of colour and texture:
As does the fungus on the trees! Not sure exactly what sort of fungus this is, but I didn't eat it.
I have information on another walk in Portarlington but more about that later.
More information on the walks in Garryhinch available on the Coillte website here and here.
Halfway between Mountmellick and Portarlington, there's a forest at Garryhinch.
View Larger Map
Which is in Offaly. This is a forest with walks along the river Barrow, and ruins for exploration (though be careful, as ever with ruins they seem to attract activity, with the attendant rubbish). Parking here for probably about 15 cars or so, and 2 marked walks at about 4kms each are outlined on the notice board in the car park. One red, one blue - so they are nicely distinguishable for the colour blind among us. Trails are generally on hardcore forest roads, so pretty easy if a little tough underfoot from time to time. Worth bringing boots if you have them and raingear because you're in Ireland.
A river runs through it - and you cross the bridge to get to the larger body of the forest.
The forest floor offers a lovely combination of colour and texture:
As does the fungus on the trees! Not sure exactly what sort of fungus this is, but I didn't eat it.
I have information on another walk in Portarlington but more about that later.
More information on the walks in Garryhinch available on the Coillte website here and here.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Nice Weather Again!
Oh what a trial! We nearly don't know what to do with ourselves, here in Ireland, when weather is favourable 2 days in a row... I eventually decided with the help of herself and discover ireland's walking website - quite a good resource for inspiration which enables you to pick walks in your area, or wherever you're willing to drive to anyway.
I chose the Paul's Lane loop - on the basis that a) it wasn't too far away, being within about an hour's drive and b) wasn't too long, given my recent inactivity. So, I downloaded the map, made a salami sandwich, put some coffee, milk and boiling water into a flask and assorted other contents into the bag, and set off.
On arrival, I found some parking in Cadamstown - there's a small carpark there, just by the junction and the bridge - with a little difficulty, as it is (as I said) a small carpark and it was a glorious day.
Sunblock - is this a first? - and off we went. The lane itself, though marked on the map, is a right turn off the "main road" served by a signpost with the traditional walking man instructing the walker to go straight on...I duly ignored him and turned right. Anyone else following the route should do the same thing - the lane is just beyond a house, high on a hill, with big railings on the road frontage.
Beware, the lane is a little boggy in many patches, granted it is only April, but that said, it's not been very rainy of late. Be prepared! It's a little bit of a featureless trek up the lane, though the lane itself is of interest with retaining walls both sides - you wonder how anyone would use it on a regular basis to come up and down from the (you can understand why) deserted village at the top of the lane.
There are about 5 or 6 tumbled down houses up there (indicated on the map as 3), though to be honest, this is where I found the map to be next to useless. After reviewing the notes when I came home, I reckon that the hillside has just changed so much since it was written. There was no "right turn" to be seen just after the village, and if there were, it was overgrown with gorse and new-growth forestry. So I continued along the track, shortly came to a t-junction (not really indicated map-wise) and turned right down a track through the gorse. At the end of that track, I was nearly stumped....
Knowing that I was still needing a right turn to make it down to a tributary of the silver river, I decided to do so, and with a little bushwacking and some slightly scraped arms, I made it down to that tributary. I since reckon that this is in fact the right turn noted as there is a gate off it roughly where the mass path is shown.
I had taken that gate, and followed the hedge in a field down the same direction and scrambled back out of the field once I got to the tributary. From here it was a simple matter of following the water to where it meets the silver river and on back to the carpark.
After that navigational unrest, the rest of the walk was quite pleasant. I stopped for a sandwich about halfway along (as ever, there is somewhere better a little further on, but I had to stop somewhere!), and admired the bluebells, yellow-flowered things and fancy butterflies that are doing the rounds about now. I took some pictures too, if I can be bothered later on I may well post them up if any of them are anyway decent!
Navigational caveat aside - and common sense (and scratched arms) will get you over that hurdle - this was a nice enough meander. Not too challenging up-and-down wise, but a little boggy underfoot along Paul's Lane, with little alternative. No breathtaking views or vistas (vistae?) but the walk back along the river glen makes up for that. The 2 hours or so mentioned in the guidance will be taken up if you stop for a bit of lunch and a wee read with your coffee.
I have to say that website is good for motivating yourself, pointing out the easy-to-reach walks that remove the "it's too far" excuse! So now I'm starting to think about the slieve bloom walking festival in a couple of weeks.....
I chose the Paul's Lane loop - on the basis that a) it wasn't too far away, being within about an hour's drive and b) wasn't too long, given my recent inactivity. So, I downloaded the map, made a salami sandwich, put some coffee, milk and boiling water into a flask and assorted other contents into the bag, and set off.
On arrival, I found some parking in Cadamstown - there's a small carpark there, just by the junction and the bridge - with a little difficulty, as it is (as I said) a small carpark and it was a glorious day.
Sunblock - is this a first? - and off we went. The lane itself, though marked on the map, is a right turn off the "main road" served by a signpost with the traditional walking man instructing the walker to go straight on...I duly ignored him and turned right. Anyone else following the route should do the same thing - the lane is just beyond a house, high on a hill, with big railings on the road frontage.
Beware, the lane is a little boggy in many patches, granted it is only April, but that said, it's not been very rainy of late. Be prepared! It's a little bit of a featureless trek up the lane, though the lane itself is of interest with retaining walls both sides - you wonder how anyone would use it on a regular basis to come up and down from the (you can understand why) deserted village at the top of the lane.
There are about 5 or 6 tumbled down houses up there (indicated on the map as 3), though to be honest, this is where I found the map to be next to useless. After reviewing the notes when I came home, I reckon that the hillside has just changed so much since it was written. There was no "right turn" to be seen just after the village, and if there were, it was overgrown with gorse and new-growth forestry. So I continued along the track, shortly came to a t-junction (not really indicated map-wise) and turned right down a track through the gorse. At the end of that track, I was nearly stumped....
Knowing that I was still needing a right turn to make it down to a tributary of the silver river, I decided to do so, and with a little bushwacking and some slightly scraped arms, I made it down to that tributary. I since reckon that this is in fact the right turn noted as there is a gate off it roughly where the mass path is shown.
I had taken that gate, and followed the hedge in a field down the same direction and scrambled back out of the field once I got to the tributary. From here it was a simple matter of following the water to where it meets the silver river and on back to the carpark.
After that navigational unrest, the rest of the walk was quite pleasant. I stopped for a sandwich about halfway along (as ever, there is somewhere better a little further on, but I had to stop somewhere!), and admired the bluebells, yellow-flowered things and fancy butterflies that are doing the rounds about now. I took some pictures too, if I can be bothered later on I may well post them up if any of them are anyway decent!
Navigational caveat aside - and common sense (and scratched arms) will get you over that hurdle - this was a nice enough meander. Not too challenging up-and-down wise, but a little boggy underfoot along Paul's Lane, with little alternative. No breathtaking views or vistas (vistae?) but the walk back along the river glen makes up for that. The 2 hours or so mentioned in the guidance will be taken up if you stop for a bit of lunch and a wee read with your coffee.
I have to say that website is good for motivating yourself, pointing out the easy-to-reach walks that remove the "it's too far" excuse! So now I'm starting to think about the slieve bloom walking festival in a couple of weeks.....
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Photos will be uploaded soon
Those of you who wrote to ask for Rome photos hopefully won't have too much longer to wait. I'll try and get some uploaded this evening.
Some Hiking has been happening, courtesy of the Slieve Bloom walking festival. How I never walked in the Slieve Blooms before I don't know, but there's some nice walking for doing. I met up with a large group of about 60 walkers today for a nice hike at Glenfelly, near Kinnity. We split up into two groups but unfortunately amalgamated again - unfortunate as the reason was someone sprained their ankle. Luckily it was only a minor injury, but it brings home the importance of good quality walking boots for the hills - this woman wore only runners, and there was a lot of muck and stream crossings...Pics later, as I hope to go again tomorrow.
So, M's away in London, gallivanting no doubt. Little does she know she's been enrolled for the year's walking programme in the Slieve Blooms! That'll teach her.
Cross your fingers the rain stays off tomorrow afternoon. Books to be reviewed shortly and pictures to be loaded - watch this space!
So, M's away in London, gallivanting no doubt. Little does she know she's been enrolled for the year's walking programme in the Slieve Blooms! That'll teach her.
Cross your fingers the rain stays off tomorrow afternoon. Books to be reviewed shortly and pictures to be loaded - watch this space!
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