Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => Meets, places, trips and reviews => Topic started by: RedLeader on October 11, 2011
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I've treated myself to some new gear and I'm absolutely itching to test it so tomorrow night I'll be bivvying on Commedagh. Plan is to head down after work and hike up from Meelmore Lodge. If anyone fancies it reply below.
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Sorry RL gotta work. I am itching to get out and use my new kit. Just gotta wait till the 22nd.
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I'm in.
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Unfortunately I need to be in work early Thursday AM so can't make it, but the weather looks like set to stay clear for Wednesday night so hope you guys have a good one!
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As i'll be in the area running around with my stretcher i suppose i'll have to pop up and say hello, leaving donard park approx 10pm if anyone else wants to do a night hike up.
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It is now my intention to be on that stretcher 8)
As i'll be in the area running around with my stretcher i suppose i'll have to pop up and say hello, leaving donard park approx 10pm if anyone else wants to do a night hike up.
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It is now my intention to be on that stretcher
its for the beer only ::)
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Should be a nice evening, the forecast give only 1mph of wind in the mournes for 1am :o not often we see that, warm moist air though so good chance of cloud on the tops :( i know a good spot on Shanslieve at a mere 360metres (N 54deg 11.862 W 5deg 55.054 ) that would have a cracking view of Newcastle, but hard to beat a summit camp even if its misty just so you can say you did it ;D
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6205/6100891607_d814dafab9.jpg)
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The weather does look pretty perfect. No rain, low winds and clear skies. Yeooooooo.
Just a pity there's been so much rain lately, rivers will be full and it'll be boggy underfoot.
Does anyone know if the waterpipe on Commedagh is reliable all year round? No point carrying loads of water with it so close to the summit.
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it will definitely have water tonight, lots of good fresh stuff
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I looked on Twitter earlier today and noticed that Jedward are coming up to join you.
I hope you all have a wonderful time together ;)
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I looked on Twitter earlier today and noticed that Jedward are coming up to join you.
I hope you all have a wonderful time together ;)
I think that I have two questions to ask:
First, what are they doing?
And second, what are you doing following them on twitter?
???
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How did it go guys?
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Great night out, 4 of us made it up, redleader and twentyclicks got there about 11pm, I brought one of the kids out for his first night bivvying with a promise that there was a free bottle of buckfast in it for him! (don't worry, he is of age ), we hit the summit about 1am after a 2hr slog up from newcastle (my legs went to jelly on the last bit, bit strange as I'm normally ok with a camping load on my back, maybe the fish supper for dinner wasn't quite the energy food I needed :) ).
The summit was mainly free of cloud and we caught many glimpses of the moon and the odd star while up there. We huddled around a single firelog til 3am. It was a bit chilly (8 degrees) and a very slight breeze appeared. We decided to go geocaching at 2am but the ground was that slippy we soon gave up as we would have had to descend 150 metres (got it the next morning though)
Had a comfy sleep in the bivvy bag (my 2nd ever bivvy night). Woke at 6.30am to find that twentyclicks had been abducted by aliens!!! Then remembered he had said he was leaving at 6am for work, I think he ran all the way to belfast ::) went to water the garden then but really struggled to get the boots on with some really bad cramps (I I thought tent cramps were bad, bivvy ones are much worse!) Managed not to squeal and wake everyone though.
My new campri rollmat worked well in the bivvy bag, no cold felt from the ground at all, my toes did get a bit cold but I did ggo to bed with damp socks, couldn't be bothered changing so all I took off was my waterproofs. I did forget to bring my new tents booties, they might have saved me from getting cramps.
So all in all, an almost perfect bivvy night, the only complaint was that the ground was very damp.
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Good night. What he said ^^^
Really slimy under-foot on the steep bits of Commedagh.
We pitched our tarps in light cloud, but it cleared and the breeze started from the other direction. Lazily we didn't re-pitch and the breeze got stronger through the night (although still quite calm). Everything was dripping in the morning.
The moon was full and there were bowls of cloud filling the valleys. Some thin sheets of icy cloud blew over giving class moon-bows. Very pleasant (other than my cold feet and trying to descend in the dark with no shoe grip - took 1hr40m to reach the bus station but I didn't go on my butt once)!
No idea what the jedward thing is about, but thankfully not sight nor sound of them ;D
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Hey RL, how did you get on with your Osprey pack? and did you get to test your jetboil and exped mat yet?
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I may have missed them.
Awesome night guys, nothing better than a bit of craic round the firelog, all the better when it's on a peak! Great to meet Connor too.
I had a brilliant walk back today. Down into Annalong Valley then across between Lamagan/Binnian than back to Meelmore from Ben Crom. I'm absolutely knackered but satisfied, just how I like it :D
I looked on Twitter earlier today and noticed that Jedward are coming up to join you.
I hope you all have a wonderful time together ;)
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A midweek dander and camp, ahhhh man im jelous.
For me to have stayed over and then been at ballymena for 7am, it might have been a wee bit tight gowin :P
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a few pics
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080538Small.jpg)
playing with a long exposure and a headtorch near the ice house
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080546Small.jpg)
crossing the river at the bottom of the donard steps
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080549Small.jpg)
having a break after climbing the steps
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080552Small.jpg)
view of newcastle from the saddle
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080553Small.jpg)
the low cloud starts rollling in
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080554Small.jpg)
summit camp
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080557Small.jpg)
fun outdoors?
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080559Small.jpg)
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080571Small.jpg)
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080573Small.jpg)
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080578Small.jpg)
it wasn't as warm as it looked!
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080611Small.jpg)
the campsite at dawn
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080592Small.jpg)
the famous commedagh water pipe
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080595Small.jpg)
the spot where i found my morning geocache
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080606Small.jpg)
view from the proper summit
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080612Small.jpg)
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080630Small.jpg)
some weird fungal thing we found on the way home
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Sha-weet!
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Great photos Liam. So RL did u like your new rucksack?
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Cracking photos there Liam, they really capture the trip well and give us all a flavour.
Can I ask what camera you are using? I always thought you were a compact digital fella. I'm not sure how I would attempt to get those sort of pics (the night time ones) out of it.
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Can I ask what camera you are using? I always thought you were a compact digital fella. I'm not sure how I would attempt to get those sort of pics (the night time ones) out of it.
its a sub £100 digital, a panasonic fs10, you can get the fs16 for £90 in currys (see linky)
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fs16-compact-digital-camera-black-09635027-pdt.html
but the key to most of those good shots was a £2 tripod ;D
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Tripod-Gorillapod-video-digital-camera-/160574284616?pt=US_Tripods&hash=item2562f92348
and a lot of trial and area, take loads of pics and you should end of with a couple of crackers, there were a lot more badduns than gooduns !
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You're not getting off that easy ;) Do you go to night mode, long exposure mode or is it more technical than that (manual adjustment)?
My camera has special powers that have not yet been revealed to me...well I can't face reading the manual. When I say manual, it is an e-manual and I can't be doing with something you can't hold in your hand and thumb through.
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Those photos are excellent Liam. Well done.
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Lovely pics again Liam :D I got a surprise pressie of a head torch, so im going to have to do some night walking now to see it for myself at last ;D.. can i ask what you did with the mushrooms? ;)
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Flip - Orion was fairly shifting! It's centre frame in both the shot of the tower/stile, and the next shot over the tarps, which is at least 120degrees the other way. Must be 2hrs between shots at most.
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(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080592Small.jpg)
the famous commedagh water pipe
So is this looking down on Slieve Corragh?
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They are fantastic photos, looks like a great night was had by all.
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So is this looking down on Slieve Corragh?
yes that's corragh below
You're not getting off that easy ;) Do you go to night mode, long exposure mode or is it more technical than that (manual adjustment)?
the camera has a night scenery mode which gives varying lengths of exposure from 1 to 7 secs, the best shots were taken using "starry sky" mode which has options of 15, 30 or 60 sec exposures, for most i used 60 secs but you have to make sure there is no bright lights such as moon, headtorchs or fire in the shot or it gets too bright and spoils the pic. I'll gather a few pics of good and bad shots and put them in the photography section (please note i'm NO expert in these matters, just lots of trial and error)
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Lovely pics again Liam :D I got a surprise pressie of a head torch, so im going to have to do some night walking now to see it for myself at last ;D.. can i ask what you did with the mushrooms? ;)
the mushrooms looked tasty but the white fungusy stuff around them looked very dodgey :o it was a bit like frosty snow, but only over the one rock
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/20111012slievecommedaghbivvy/P1080628Small.jpg)
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the camera has a night scenery mode which gives varying lengths of exposure from 1 to 7 secs, the best shots were taken using "starry sky" mode which has options of 15, 30 or 60 sec exposures, for most i used 60 secs but you have to make sure there is no bright lights such as moon, headtorchs or fire in the shot or it gets too bright and spoils the pic. I'll gather a few pics of good and bad shots and put them in the photography section (please note i'm NO expert in these matters, just lots of trial and error)
Thanks for the reply Liam. I know you are doing loads of messing about with the camera so it was for that reason I thought your answer would be interesting.
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Blog for this trip:
http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/blog/2011/10/slieve-commedagh-summit-camp/
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thanks for the trip report, i've always wondered what was the best way from the saddle down to the annalong valley, gonna have to get your gps sorted soon so you can keep to those tracks ;D
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I'm trying to stick to hiking without relying on it!
thanks for the trip report, i've always wondered what was the best way from the saddle down to the annalong valley, gonna have to get your gps sorted soon so you can keep to those tracks ;D
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a great read as always redleader, great work! :)