Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

Outdoor Activities => Northern Ireland Hiking, Walking, Running, Orienteering and Geocaching => Topic started by: Eamonn on April 28, 2010

Title: Mourne Caves
Post by: Eamonn on April 28, 2010
Would anybody like to do the two caves near Annalong Wood,  Percy Bysshe and Cove Cave. The Percy Bysshe is a nice wee cave, there's three compartments i've only been into the first two because none of people who where with me would go past the first compartment so i didn't want to go into the third by myself incase i got stuck or freaked out. ;) Cove Cave is only a short distance away and once in side the cave it's a scramble over big wet rocks then a squeeze through a wee hole and another wee scramble. Good Fun.
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: Kirth on April 28, 2010
Would anybody like to do the two caves near Annalong Wood,  Percy Bysshe and Cove Cave. The Percy Bysshe is a nice wee cave, there's three compartments i've only been into the first two because none of people who where with me would go past the first compartment so i didn't want to go into the third by myself incase i got stuck or freaked out. ;) Cove Cave is only a short distance away and once in side the cave it's a scramble over big wet rocks then a squeeze through a wee hole and another wee scramble. Good Fun.

That sounds like pure Hell to me!!  :o
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: RedLeader on April 28, 2010
It does sound scary but I'd definitely be game.
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: nematode on April 28, 2010
Cove cave is nicer by the small side entrance than the massive main cave way in.
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: Eamonn on April 28, 2010
Cove cave is nicer by the small side entrance than the massive main cave way in.

Didn't know there where two ways in. I'll defo have to check that out.
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: nematode on April 28, 2010
There is the big obvious main way into the cave (i.e. the main cave itself).  I have heard reports that in the last year or so something has moved in this area.  I am uncertain if this is true or not or wether it changes things getting in that way.  Last time I was through (just over a month ago) it was via the side way in and nothing seemed to be different to my memory when going this way.  The side way into the cave is via a small entrance accessed about a quarter (or a third) the way up a gully.  The gully is just to the left of the main cave as you look at it from the approach.  The side way is definatly much more fun.

Percy bysshe is a nice cave too.  The last  of the three chambers requires a bit of a crawl on your belly.  A friend of mine once went in and just as he was shuffling along on his belly to get into the third chamber he raised his head to catch two eyes glowing and looking directly at him.  Someone had stuck two cat's eyes (the road ones!) onto the far wall of the third chamber in the perfect alingment for the most dramatic effect.  He nearly self lubricated his exit from the cave.
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: Belfastman1958 on April 28, 2010
".........Someone had stuck two cat's eyes (the road ones!) onto the far wall of the third chamber in the perfect alingment for the most dramatic effect.  He nearly self lubricated his exit from the cave........"

I just lubricated myself with laughter at the very thought of seeing two eyes staring at you from out of the darkness........

Brilliant!!!!!

Alan.
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: LandyLiam on July 22, 2010
hope to visit cove cave this weekend, is it easy to find? (remember it  took me 2 trips to find Percy Bysshe cave  >:( )

bringing a few kids with me so want to look like i know where i'm going  ;D  wonder if i'll tell them about the cats eyes  ::)
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: ChuckMcB on July 22, 2010
Dead easy....on a good sunny day (HA!) you can see it clearly from the Annalong wood which is miles away...just looks like a big black shadow in the mountain side...Otherwise if it's cloudy, just take the first right after passing the Annalong Wood  and keep following the path and you will end up at the foot of it. Want me to fire up a map?
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: LandyLiam on July 22, 2010
house is coming down with maps, a litlle X marks the spot on the attached picture would be nice though  :)

Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: ChuckMcB on July 22, 2010
About here....maybe a bit more to the right...

Here's another pic (http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/2654374.jpg) to show the size.

Here's a map (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/4818078192/) as well.
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: LandyLiam on July 22, 2010
perfect, many thanks

so is it just the 2 caves in the mournes or are there any others?
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: ChuckMcB on July 22, 2010
Quote
are there any others
I'm unaware of any others.
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: LandyLiam on July 26, 2010
cave hike completed yesterday, made it to 2nd chamber in Percy Bysshe this time but chickened out on the third, maybe next time, couldn't hold the kids back though, they just dived in

Cove was a bit tricky for the kids to get to the entrance but we managed to haul them up  :D bit disappointed with it after Percy, or maybe there was more to it that i didn't see

Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: ChuckMcB on July 27, 2010
Yes, the enterance to Cove is a bit slippy (that's why I chicken out last time I was there....the going in would be ok...but the coming down again gives me the jitters).

Apparently you can climb right on up through Cove but it's tough going. The Off the beaten track man went up through it with Banjo Bannon in the program last year, watched the program at the weekend past. Must fire it online somewhere, its only about 100MB (just don't tell the BBC ;) ).

(psst: I uploaded the Off the beated track videos a while back and forgot about them....    https://vimeo.com/user7574987 the one about the caves is called "OTBT 4 Mourne Mountains 2")
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: sjh1 on December 06, 2012
Could somebody give me a grid-reference for the entrance to Percy Bysshe cave? Think have asked this before but forgot to take a note of it.
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: Mourneman on December 06, 2012
332/249  ;)
Title: Re: Mourne Caves
Post by: sjh1 on December 06, 2012
Nice one Mourne Man, thanks!