Over the years, I have come across a bewildering array of foods that hikers take in to the hills, from bagels with peanut butter to pasta and red pepper salad.However, when quick, easy to eat, and energy packed food is required I have found that these oat and fruit flapjacks really fit the bill. I have often been asked for the recipe, and so here it is. One slice, (if the quantities below are used), contains an alpine ascent fuelling 440 calories, and two slices gets me through most days in the mountains. They are quick and easy to make,and
Regular mountain hikers and climbers will know that keeping your hands warm in the colder months is essential. Cold hands can lead to pain and discomfort, and leave the fingers numb and without feeling. In this state it is difficult to open zips and buckles, or perform the most basic tasks. This is a potentially dangerous situation, especially if trying to navigate with a compass, or open the rucksack to get food or a warm drink. Not addressing the problem can, in the most extreme conditions, lead to frost nip or frostbite and permanent tissue damage. Some hikers are
Good article from UKHillwalking.com on how to survive hot days in the mountains, (that is if we have any more this year). http://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/page.php?id=5676
Thinking of your first wild camping trip? Then check out our blog on essential kit for summer wild camps in Ireland and the UK http://russellmills.blogspot.ie/
After the recent heavy storms, some good advice from Mountaineering Council of Scotland on staying safe if you get caught in the open. http://www.mcofs.org.uk/lightning.asp
By selecting the right clothing you can enjoy the hills in all conditions. ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing’, is a quote that has been used many times and in various forms. It simply means that if you have the correct clothing then the weather should pose no threat or impediment to your day’s hiking. With proper clothing you will remain warm and dry, even in the worst weather. In reality, one of the biggest challenges of cold weather hiking is managing sweat and keeping yourself from overheating. Multiple layering will keep you comfortable all day.
The strange geology of the Burren – Slieve Roe from Mullaghmor in the Burren NP. The Burren, on Ireland’s west coast in the county of Clare, is an area of limestone rising to a modest 300 metres above the nearby sea level. The limestones, from the Carboniferous period, were formed 340 million years ago in a warm shallow sea, and subsequent erosion and the scouring action of glaciers that receded 10,0000 years ago, have exposed these limestones at the surface. Fossil corals This is a karst landscape, weather worn into limestone pavement of clints, grikes and runnels, with sink holes and underground cave systems. Fossils
2012 was one of the wettest years on record in Ireland, and particularly so in the west, so this February it seemed like a good idea to head to Connemara and see for ourselves. Not as daft as it sounds, as February can be a cold, dry and sunny month, great for long views and memorable mountain days. However, our trip was presaged by the prospect of heavy rain showers and cloudy, windy weather. Our base for the four days was Clifden, a lively little town on the southwest of the range, but at this time of year,half closed for