Maamturks Challenge 2013 gang

evoke

Is anyone going to this event next weekend? Do not know how to use a compass or read a map. Any gangs going that i can join?

It is on at this time.
Saturday, 13 April 2013 06:00

http://www.nuigmc.com/maamturks/index.php

biko

There's threads in Outdoor Pursuits for each year, this is the 2013 thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=83509356

evoke

thanks. there seems to be a lot of preparation in regards the maps. thought there would be a defined path there. seems like to can go any direction.

galwaycyclist

evoke wrote: »

thanks. there seems to be a lot of preparation in regards the maps. thought there would be a defined path there. seems like to can go any direction.

No there are no paths. The terrain is challenging and should not be attempted if you dont know how to read a map or use a compass.

I will be on the first checkpoint and on more than one occasion I have had to strongly recomend that people go back down the way they came up.

thesandeman

galwaycyclist wrote: »

No there are no paths. The terrain is challenging and should not be attempted if you dont know how to read a map or use a compass.

I will be on the first checkpoint and on more than one occasion I have had to strongly recomend that people go back down the way they came up.

Can't resist this:

Are we talking Shop Street again?

Sorry galwaycyclist and Mods.

galwaycyclist

thesandeman wrote: »

Can't resist this:

Are we talking Shop Street again?

Sorry galwaycyclist and Mods.

Yes

evoke

cool thanks. i ask in the other thread if i where i could down load the route. Do not know anyone with experience so this where i fail.

galwaycyclist

evoke wrote: »

cool thanks. i ask in the other thread if i where i could down load the route. Do not know anyone with experience so this where i fail.

Ok if you mean downloading to GPS you would still need an understanding of maps and of navigation in poor weather and mountainous terrain. What happens if you get tired and need to get yourself off the hill early? What route do you take then? There is steep ground and cliffs how will you know where they are? If you get in trouble the mountain rescue team - who will be there already - could still take two hours to get to you.

evoke

ok sounds a bit bigger than i originally thought. This sounds harder than kilamanjaro.

biko

Since there is no particular Galway city connection here I'm moving this to Outdoor Pursuits.

Alun

evoke wrote: »

Do not know how to use a compass or read a map. Any gangs going that i can join?

My gob is well and truly smacked ... clearly you missed this requirement on the page you referenced?

All participants, irrespective of whether they are a part of a group are required to have their own map(s) and compass and be proficient in navigation.

They don't put that up there for the lolz, you know. I was there on Paddy's day weekend to recce the route in two stages. Saturday was perfect weather and we did the first half no bother, but the Sunday saw us battling 10-20m visibility, gale force gusts of wind, snow and hail, and it took us 1.5 hours to travel only 500m at one stage on Letterbreckaun. We're all experienced hillwalkers and can all navigate and even then it was a huge challenge.

We ended up taking an escape route down to the Western Way at that point to escape the weather, and I can assure you that without navigational skills you almost certainly wouldn't have managed to find a safe way down in those conditions.

I think the OP might be lucky to find a group going that will let someone with no navigational skills tag along. As they say, a group is as fast as the slowest walker.