High energy flapjacks, rocket fuel for hikers
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…
Gloves – how to avoid cold hands in the winter mountains
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…
Hill Skills Series – Navigation – a basic 3 step strategy for relocation when temporarily lost in the hills
It’s important when out in the hills to know where you are at all times. That seems pretty obvious, but unfortunately it is often ignored when hiking through open and mountainous terrain. Navigation is essentially about getting from A to B, but unless you know where A is then how can you find B? If,…
Wind Chill
What is ‘Wind Chill’? The core temperature of a human body is around 37C. The air around us is usually cooler than this and so we lose body heat, particularly from exposed skin. Wind chill is the term that describes this heat loss, and the increased effects of low temperatures and wind. When…
Hill Skills Series – 8 Tips For Successful Night Hiking
As the nights draw in and the available daylight hours decrease, there is an increasing risk of having to finish your hike in the dark. Or on the other hand, maybe you want to try a bit of hiking after nightfall? Either way, hiking at night is a completely different experience, your perception of height…
The mountains of south Mayo
The mountains of south Mayo and north Galway straddle the border between the two counties, and here, on the rugged Atlantic coast they meet in the vicinity of Killary Harbour, the only fjord in Ireland. South of the fjord the mountains of the Twelve Bens and the Maumturks dominate, their pale grey quartzite crags a…
Hypothermia – Causes, treatment and avoidance
Normally your body temperature lies between 36.5 and 37.5C. If it begins to drop below this you will feel cold, you might start to shiver, rub your hands together or look in your pack for a fleece. If it drops below 35C you will start to shiver, your mood may change, your lips may go…
The Glencorbet Horseshoe, 12 Bens, Connemara
Glencorbet, at the northern end of the 12 Bens range in Connemara, Co. Galway, does not immediately inspire like it’s southern counterpart, the Glencoaghan horseshoe. And whilst on a sunny day Glencoaghan will attract many hikers, you can find relative solitude to the north. Glencorbet, like all the glens here, was formed by scouring glacial…
DJOUCE, WAR HILL & TONDUFF – Powerscourt waterfall and the Liffey Head bog.
Join our next challenging, hard graded guided hike on Saturday 9th August. Djouce, Warhill and Tonduff. https://www.facebook.com/events/750571751648483/
How to survive hot weather in the mountains
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
First time wild campers – check this out!
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/
Hill Skills Series – Backpacking kit for summer wild camps in Ireland and the UK
When organising our hill skills overnight trips, we give our clients a list of the essential gear they should take. In this blog I have expanded that list to add explanations and notes on my own experiences of over 35 years of wild camping. Perhaps the overriding consideration is the overall weight of your full…