Blog

With some snow already present in the Scottish Highlands it looks like winter is about to arrive to our mountains and bring with it the inherent problems of poor visibility, cold weather and challenging terrain. To ensure you don’t get caught out when venturing into the winter hills it’s time to prepare for the harsher…

The Maumturks lie to the east of the 12 Bens, on the far side of Lough Inagh, in Connemara. Like the Bens they are made from tough quartzite rock that weathers to a pale hard gravel and which holds very little vegetation on the upper slopes where soils are very thin or non-existent. Like the…

In this webinar we discuss the upland flora of Ireland. Starting in the valleys (Lowland Zone) and working our way up the slopes to the exposed and harsh mountain tops (High Montane Zone). Ireland has a number of ecological zones in its upland terrain, from temperate rainforest to blanket bog, heath and montane plateau. Here…

Long established with trainers and mountain professionals alike, using the five D’s at the beginning of each navigation leg, particularly when first learning these vital skills, ensures that no essential information is missed and adds structure to our decision making process when navigating in the mountains. Mountain navigation is often complex and difficult, with steep…

Glendalough sits in the Wicklow Mountains are a range of granite hills a short drive south of Dublin on the east coast of Ireland. Shaped by the glaciers that covered this land more than 12,000 years ago, they are now a series of rounded mountains and ‘U’ shaped valleys that rise to a high point…

Understanding contours and being able to interpret the shapes they make on a map is a very powerful navigational tool. However, all too often contour interpretation is overlooked in favour of more obvious features such as streams and forests. An experienced and competent navigator will look at the contours early in the process and use…

I’m a bit of a winter glove obsessive. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s that I suffer with cold hands but I am constantly on the search for the perfect winter gloves and dip into outdoor stores regularly to check out the latest offerings. So, what are the important features I am looking…

I regularly get asked by clients if using hiking poles is a good idea and my answer may sometimes sound noncommittal, ‘well maybe yes, maybe no’. In reality it is down to the individual to determine whether hiking poles are for them. To help with making that decision I have laid out the major advantages…

Lake District Hiking Weekend Here is a great opportunity to climb the highest mountain in England (Scafell Pike) and other iconic Lakeland peaks. Numbers are restricted to 18 participants, plus our 2 guides. You will need to be a competent hillwalker with experience of climbing some of the higher tops in Ireland. We will be…

Scotland Winter Skills & Ben Nevis Weekend Here is an exciting opportunity to sample some Scottish winter walking (mountaineering), with awesomeness guaranteed. Learn the skills of hiking in the snowy Scottish hills, use of a walking ice axe and the correct use of crampons, then use these skills for a guided ascent of Ben Nevis,…

Lugnaquilla is the highest mountain in the Wicklow Mountains National Park, and at 925 metres it is the highest point in Ireland outside of Co. Kerry. It can be a difficult mountain to navigate in poor visibility. Shaped rather like a large upturned Christmas pudding with 3 large bites taken out of it, there are…

When considering how to ascend or descend a particular section of steep terrain, whether steep wet grass or a rocky outcrop, it is important to make a personal judgment on your ability to safely negotiate the ground ahead of you. When assessing the risk to your personal safety it can often be useful to think…