Anyone been out hiking in the snow?

keenan110

Just wondering if anyone has been out walking in the recent snow and has any pictures or stories?
Really wish i could get up to Wicklow for some walking, but the roads are awful.

CianRyan

I should be up in Wicklow on Friday with college.
Seeing as the college can't provide 4x4 transportation, it will be tricky and might have to be called off.
Very annoying as I am meant to be doing this as part of my MS training.

Fingers crosses, though.

Cookie_Monster

Did Bray head to Greystones last weekend. no snow, bits of ice.

really wanted to get to Djouce or similar but just wasn't willing to risk it on the roads

Alun

Went up Lug on Stephens Day but that's it. Our group had a walk last Saturday but I didn't go as I was ill. They started from a place called Woodend Bridge, just over the other side of the lakes from Blessington, which apparently was easily accessible and did Sorrel Hill and Black Hill. By all accounts the snow was well packed and the walking wasn't at all bad. This Saturday's walk is in the schedule for Kippure, but I'm assuming it won't go ahead for obvious reasons

Still, with that amount of snow on the hills, once the thaw does set in and the roads are clear once again, it should hang around for a while yet I hope.

larryone

Lug new years day. Dont know when I'll be able to get at it again. Some pictures on the Lugnaquilla thread in this forum.

jenius

Maybe im crazy, but was hoping to hike djouce this Saturday. Is the big problem the roads, the hike itself, or both?

Alun

jenius wrote: »

Maybe im crazy, but was hoping to hike djouce this Saturday. Is the big problem the roads, the hike itself, or both?

Roads mainly, I'd say. Even the road from Kilmac towards Roundwood was impassable yesterday and the Sally and Wicklow Gaps are a complete no-go area. It depends on where you were planning on going up from really and what happens between now and Saturday weather wise.

a147pro

Report here from a chap who climbed it a few days ago:

http://mountainviews.ie/mv/index.php?mtnindex=91

I climbed Maulin from Chrone Woods last year when the snow was in, was incredible. Wanted to go on to Djouce but insanely windy on the top so didn't. My car was then stuck in Chrone woods - there were hills leading down to the area where we parked and we couldn't get back up them. Ended up in a ditch and had to come back when it thawed and pay a local farmer to pull me out!

The roads must be MUCH worse this year. If I go I'm going to get a jeep and leave it at the top of the road from Enniskerry and walk down to Chrone. The problem then is that its a long way over Maulin and on to Djouce, it took me 2 hours just to get to the top of Maulin. But I don't know any other approach to Djouce that the roads will be passable on.

Anyone any ideas as per a passable road to Djouce or been out there this year?

a147pro

Or does anyone know of any road access to Lug or close enough to it to walk?

Dahix

@a147pro I'd say the likelihood of accessing any of wicklows 'proper' mountains in anything other than a 4 by 4 would be very risky and might need the services of wicklow mountain rescue but I stand to be corrected?

Though, for next weekend I'd say all the major hills, Tonalagee, Lug, mullaghore even Djouce and the likes will still be snowy and by then hopefully way more accessible.

As for this weekend, I'd reccomend settling for the (Great- hah!) Sugar Loaf. I haven't heard of much difficulty getting to Kilmacanougue and it's walkable from there. I can see snow on it fom where I live, though how much I can't be certain.


Has anyone been up it in the last few days..?

K09

Hi,
Is is too bad for any hiking over the next week? Would love to see the wonderful views of snow covered countryside from the mountains.
Or is it too dangerous to drive on roads to Lug or other mountains near Dublin?

Thanks.

Dahix

K09,

I dont think anyone know for sure but a lot of roads are EXTREMELY dangerous or closed i.e. the Kilmac to Roundwood road (R755) is closed and Enniskerry is extremely icy for example.

Its NOT worth the risk this weekend, you'll just be putting workload on the rescue services to recover your car!

Though I stand by my assertion that sugarloaf would be alright if ya cant resisit the hillwalking urge

a147pro

Well Enniskerry is where I was aiming for, is it really bad? would be in some kind of BMW SUV thing...

Alun

I'm going to be settling for a grand tour of the Great and Little Sugarloafs (Sugarloaves?) tomorrow too. Even if the roads are passable, there's more snow forecast for tomorrow as well, so it'd be madness to even try. See you all there

Slogger Jogger

Ran on snowy trails today. Took some pictures here. Lug is resplendent in evening light. Flickr link

nomdeboardie

Sugarloaf from Kilmacanogue sounds like the safest bet. I’ve parked next to the GAA pitch and gone up the trail next to that a few times, but driving the tiny road up to that point is a nightmare at the best of times (meeting a car coming the other way at some points requires one of you to reverse back to a passing place). Anyone know whether there are alternative places to park for a couple of hours (without fear of towing/tickets or disrupting access etc)?

a147pro

chickened out today due to clouds but mainly due to very little sleep last night. if the clouds came in and you were up at any height I think you'd have a fight on your hands.

anyone get up today let us know. also anyone know where to park for the Sugarloaf off the N11?

BeardyGit

Dahix wrote: »

Its NOT worth the risk this weekend, you'll just be putting workload on the rescue services to recover your car!

Just a little reminder that rescue teams/emergency services don't recover cars. They'll rescue people, but cars stay where they are....

Went up Mangerton. Stretch above Devil's Punhbowl was pretty tricky, crampons would have been useful, and at the top bit of a wind was blowing so temperature really plummeted, gloves froze, water pipe from camel pack froze. But lovely.

wrecks1971

Any pics Conor 74

Yeah, will upload them later. Mast at the top of Mangerton has snapped, presume ice made it top heavy.

Was up Boughil yesterday. Nice, snow thicker than Saturday.

burly

Hi all, Did Fauscoum summit on the Commeraghs on 3rd Jan and did Galtymore last Saturday 9th Jan.
Lough Coumshinghaunn was very picturesque, even if this part of the Commergahs doesnt really retain the snow because its so rocky.
Conditions were ok on the Galtees, care required on the icy track but no real problems. Galtymore was covered in a freezing fog so navigation required, but very enjoyable none the less. Lough Dineen at the base of Galtymore was frozen solid.
The old N8 road was very icy, but driveable, and the boreen up to the car-park at Galtymore was slippy coming down, but no major problems.
Plenty of snow-boarders on the Galtees, they are really a fantastic range in the snow if your looking for snow-boarding, sledging, or like me, just climb into the bivvy bag and away you go!! Ive attached some pictures.

Coumshingaun, Commeragh Mountains, Waterford


Near Fauscoum Summit, Commeragh Mountains, Waterford



The boreen off the old N8 that leads up to Galtymore



The track up to Galtymore



The cross at the summit of Galtymore in freezing fog.

pmurphy00

did mount brandon on saturday with crampons from the brandon side via teer..clear on top which was amazing very cold thankfully i was well prepared..must have been -10 or 15 below with wind chill and strong ne wind..amazing day here in west kerry may go 4 a short snowy hike soon.

oldscoil

Hi Folks.

I was thinking of heading up maybe 22nd / 23rd of January.

I had hoped to park somewhere, then walk to a Hostel, maybe Glendalough Hostel. And go out in the Glendalough area for food and pints.

Is the snow in the Dublin / Wicklow mountains down for the next few weeks, or does it thaw out and disappear much like it has today, Monday, in Dublin.

Antone have any good trails taht we could park/ walk for a few hours/ dine/ drink / sleep/ wake up and walk back the next morning?

Thanks Folks.

wrecks1971

wrecks1971 wrote: »

Any pics Conor 74

Heading up Mangerton


Devil's Punchbowl


Eastern Reeks from Mangerton


Boughil, looking down on Barfinnihy


Boughil

wrecks1971

Thanks for sharing fantastic looking.

keenan110

Really nice photos Burly ans Conor74, thanks!

NathanKingerlee

Have had a fabulous couple weeks in the snow and ice in the MacGillycuddy Reeks, amazing conditions! Fingers crossed we'll have more of the same before March.
Here's a photo slideshow of the past couple weeks: http://tinyurl.com/ybdjjzl

Takeshi_Kovacs

Nice pics Nathan, conditions look pretty good. Pity now that a lot of the snow is melting away now though up on the Reeks and Slieve Mish

Cookie_Monster

was out today. crone wood to maulin to war hill to tonduff and back down to the wall and back to crone.

still quite a lot of snow up there despite the heavy rain yesterday. 3ft in places, walkable on sometimes

nomdeboardie

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

was out today. crone wood to maulin to war hill to tonduff and back down to the wall and back to crone.

still quite a lot of snow up there despite the heavy rain yesterday. 3ft in places, walkable on sometimes

How are the roads around there Cookie Monster?