30 October 2010

Route Planning (Mountain Skills)


Route Planning is something we cover in our Mountain Skills Courses and coming into this time of year, with worsening weather and shorter daylight hours, it becomes pretty important. A lot of incidents in the mountains happen due to several small, minor mistakes accumulating to become a major problem; such as forgetting your torch, combined with being caught in darkness, combined with not having a hot drink and not having enough spare food.

BEFOREHAND
1. Plan Your Route

2. Calculate Distance & Duration
(5km per hour, plus 1 extra min per uphill contour)

3. Add Extra Time For Stops/Delays

4. Check Weather Forecast (www.met.ie/www.windguru.com)

5. Take The Following Considerations:
Your Ability
Your Fitness
Wind/Rain/Hail
Stream/River Crossings (avoid where possible)
Terrain
Height Gain

6. Plan A Nearby Bad Weather Option

7. Plan An Escape Route
An escape route is important, so if you need to make a quick or emergency descent off the mountain, you already have a route in mind.

8. Leave A Route Card Behind (with your estimated time of return)

9. Don't Be Afraid To Change Your Route Over The Day
(there's often a point before an incident, when if you re-assessed your route, you may be able to avoid having difficulties)

Failte Ireland's Adventure Conference


Failte Ireland's National Adventure Conference is being held in Killarney next week, with an estimated turnout of 150 - 200 Adventure Providers from around Ireland. It's being held at The Malton on 3rd & 4th November.

Together with Go Ireland, we've been asked to run a variety of outdoor adventure trips for participants, to showcase what Kerry has to offer. We're providing Kayak Trips on the Killarney Lakes and Rock Climbing in the Gap of Dunloe.

29 October 2010

Halloween Hike

Just for Halloween we're running a spooky night hike along the Kerry Way, through the woods and valleys of Glencar, to finish at Glenbeigh Village. Meeting at 7pm, you'll be finished by midnight, and enjoying a hot drink!

Beginners Welcome
Hiking Boots Provided
Price: €65 Per Person
Transfers Included

Contact:
info@outdoorsireland.com
+353 (0) 86 860 45 63

19 October 2010

Singles Rock Climbing - Wicklow


Spend a relaxed and exciting day Rock Climbing in Glendalough! Suitable for beginners and all abilities; you'll discover the adrenaline of climbing, learn different techniques and ropework. With all equipment provided, including hiking boots, you'll get to meet fun, like-minded, people and also try a new adventure sport! There will be a 50/50 male and female split, with 16 people joining us...

Price: €75 Per Person
Date: Sunday 21st November

Price Includes:
One Day's Rock Climbing
Qualified Instructors
All Equipment
Tea/Coffee

To Book Contact:
info@outdoorsireland.com
+353 (0) 86 860 45 63

14 October 2010

Haunted House




'Shepherds Cottage' in the hills above Blackwater, on the Ring of Kerry Road. This old shepherds cottage was abandoned during the Great Famine, when the family attempted to travel on foot to the famine ships at Cobh...

6 October 2010

Bank Holiday & Halloween Adventure


This October Bank Holiday and Halloween Weekends we're running hiking and rock climbing in Killarney, at discounted prices.


October Bank Holiday
Sat 23rd: Guided Climb of Carrauntoohil
€65 Per Person. Hiking Boots Provided

Sun 24th: Rock Climbing & Abseiling in the Gap of Dunloe
€65 Per Person. Beginners Welcome


Halloween Weekend
Sat 30th: Guided Climb of Carrauntoohil (Hag's Tooth Ridge)
€65 Per Person. Hiking Boots Provided

Sun 31st: Hike Devil's Punch Bowl
€65 Per Person. Beginners Welcome


To Book Contact Nathan:
info@outdoorsireland.com
+353 (0) 86 860 45 63

Hag's Tooth Ridge - Carrauntoohil


Approaching Carrauntoohil up the Hag's Glen


Initial climb up the steep gully at the side of The Pinnacle


Taking a breather high on one of the outcrops


Typical, exciting, section of the Hag's Tooth Ridge


Ascending towards the summit of Beenkeragh


Looking down at Devil's Spy Glass Lake and across at O Shea's Gully


Beenkeragh Ridge rising towards Carrauntoohil


Beenkeragh's Summit


Beenkeragh Ridge with Coomloughra Glen in the background


Nearing the end of Beenkeragh Ridge, on one of the trickier sections

Click Here To See Our Carrauntoohil Guided Climbs

5 October 2010

Mountain Safety Workshop - Wicklow

If you've always wanted to get off the beaten track and explore the mountains properly, but lack the right skills; or if a map has always seemed like a random collection of squiggles, then this Mountain Safety Workshop is for you.

Run by Outdoors Ireland, in conjunction with the Great Outdoors, in Dublin, the workshop will take place in the Wicklow Mountains near Glendalough. All levels will be catered for, from complete beginners to experienced walkers, together with experienced and fun mountaineering instructors.

The one-day workshop, from 10am to 5pm, will give you a crash course in map reading, compass bearings, navigation techniques, advice on equipment and avoiding hypothermia.

Hiking boots can be provided, so all you'll need is waterproofs, map, compass and a sense of humour!

The Great Outdoors is supporting this event and are offering participants great discounts on gear.

Cost €25 Per Person
Pre Booking Essential
Book For One Or Two Days

Dates:
Friday 19th Nov
Saturday 20th Nov
Sunday 21st Nov

For Details/Bookings Contact:
info@outdoorsireland.com
+353 (0) 86 860 45 63

Two-Day Mountain Skills Courses In Kerry

4 October 2010

Autumn Yew


These bright red yew berries are highly toxic, or rather the little black seed inside the berry is deadly; the berry itself is quite tasty - although don't hold me responsible for any after-effects!
The seeds and needles, ground into powder, were used in pagan times by druids as ingredients for their medication and more recent times (1600's) to poison kings and husbands... Nowadays medication for chemotherapy is extracted from yew trees.

The ancient yew woods in Killarney National Park are some of the oldest in Europe, having seen generation upon generation of history unfold around them, and beneath them

2 October 2010

1 October 2010

Adventure Calendar 2011

Mountain Skills 1:
29th & 30th Jan
26th & 27th Mar
4th & 5th Jun
24th & 25th Sep
26th & 27th Nov

Mountain Skills 2:
26th & 27th Feb
23rd & 24th Apr
29th & 30th Oct
3rd & 4th Dec

Learn to Rock Climb:
19th & 20th Mar
16th & 17th Apr
28th & 29th May
25th & 26th Jun
23rd & 24th Jul
27th & 28th Aug
17th & 18th Sep
22nd & 23rd Oct

Kayak Skills:
2nd & 3rd Apr
10th & 11th Sep

Kayak White Water:
5th & 6th Mar
15th & 16th Oct

Adventure Race Training:
21st & 22nd May
3rd & 4th Sep

Bank Holiday Adventure Weekend:
30th Apr - 2nd May (May Bank Holiday)
30th July - 1st Aug (Aug Ban Holiday)

Carrauntoohil Guided Climbs:
Regular Weekly Dates

Kayak Trips on Killarney Lakes:
Regular Weekly Dates

Rock Climbing in Gap of Dunloe:
Regular Weekly Dates

River Kayaking:
Regular Weekly Dates

Contact Details & Bookings Contact:
www.outdoorsireland.com
info@outdoorsireland.com
+353 (0) 86 860 45 63

Recent Media

Press Release - Carrauntoohil's Oldest Couple


Press Release
Carrauntoohil’s Oldest Couple


Are You Old Enough To Climb Carrauntoohil?
Outdoors Ireland, a Killarney based adventure company, are searching for the oldest couple they can find, to climb to the summit of Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain.

‘With the right training, equipment and safety awareness, Ireland's high and impressive peaks are accessible to most people’ says Nathan Kingerlee of Outdoors Ireland. ‘We're running this competition for fun and to show that age is not a limiting factor when it comes to hill walking’

Kingerlee explains that they’re looking for people to nominate themselves or others they think may be interested in participating. ‘We’ll provide training beforehand plus equipment such as hiking boots, so they should be fully prepared for the challenge facing them.’

On the day of the climb, the couple, together with Kingerlee and his guides, will begin at Cronin’s Yard; Carrauntoohil’s traditional starting point for decades; and from here hike into the Hag’s Glen, where a variety of route choices await. ‘The route we climb and descend will depend on the weather and our group’s abilities’ states Kingerlee.

For the initial selection fitness, lack of experience and lack of equipment are not a problem.

If you’re interested, or there’s a couple you would like to nominate, you can get in touch with Kingerlee on www.outdoorsireland.com or +353 (0) 86 860 45 63.

Press Release Ends
For Details/Photos Contact:
info@outdoorsireland.com
+353 (0) 86 860 45 63