Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

Information => Introductions => Topic started by: Bic on August 16, 2010

Title: Hi,
Post by: Bic on August 16, 2010
Hi all....haven, t been in Northern Ireland for a few years now, however am to return next week for a few days, am keen to take in Slieve Donard and am looking for the best location/car park that is convienient from Newcastle direction and suitable as a start point, and if weather allows best scenic route....any ideas
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: LennyJ1 on August 16, 2010
going up the bloody bridgeriveris a lovley walk.

Finally got Quo
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: RedLeader on August 17, 2010
Welcome Bic.

Slieve Donard from Donard Car Park in Newcastle is a nice easy route.
Theres info here:
http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=758.0
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: MG1 on August 17, 2010
Welcome Mate
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: LennyJ1 on August 17, 2010
Hi Bic

Sorry forgot to say hello
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: suspectmonkey on August 17, 2010
Hi Bic, welcome to the forum.

And Lenny, welcome to Club Quo :)
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: ChuckMcB on August 17, 2010
Hi Bic

Go with LennyJ1's route for a scenic route, or go from Newcastle Car Park as J says for a simple route.

Either way, if it's a clear day when you get to the top, for a cracking view of Newcastle/Dundrum etc find the lower carn (it's marked with a cross on LennyJ1's map), it's only abut 100 yards from the great carn, there are lots of wee hollows for you to have a break.

Let us know how you get on.
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: Bic on August 17, 2010
Cheers for the replies, think i,ll go with the Bloody Bridge option,.. How much does the Car Park cost?
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: LennyJ1 on August 17, 2010
Cheers for the replies, think i,ll go with the Bloody Bridge option,.. How much does the Car Park cost?

The car park is free
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: ChuckMcB on August 17, 2010
and at the weekends there is a burger van parked there, handy for a post-summit packet of chips :D
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: Bic on August 17, 2010
...thanks for the info...am probably looking at doing it next Friday, .....so no chips for me  :(              ...anyhow waiting on a map coming from Amazon, and just wondering how far from Donard Car Park to Bloody Bridge...thinkin maybe to do a loop, do the last bit along the road to Bloody Bridge......so how far?
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: ChuckMcB on August 17, 2010
It's about two miles, but some of the walk is quite hairy: no footpath and folks drive like the wind along that coast road, so I wouldn't recommend it. Taxi (http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1045.0) perhaps?

If you really want walk to Bloody Bridge Car Park, when you are in Donard Forest, don't go right to the road, but stay in the forest walking parallel to the coast, the forest road will pop you out onto the main road very near Maggie's Leap, that means the road walking is cut down to less than a mile. I can fire a map up if you are not sure what I mean.
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: Bic on August 17, 2010
...please, if you can....just so i can better plan for the day....
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: ChuckMcB on August 17, 2010
Here you go (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/4902113375/) (another Mapyx mashup (http://affiliate.mapyx.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=172)). Coming down the Glen River follow the blue line I've marked..once in the forest turn right at the second bridge (there other tracks you can take, but this one is the only one that is downhill/flat all the way).

(even with my warnings) If you do end up walking along the road keep an eye open for Maggie's Leap it's a deep but quite narrow crack (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/PHOTOSwords/KilkeelAll.htm#mag) in the rocky coastline (you access it through a clear break in the wall - I notice that there is a 'private property' sign on the entrance..but if you should be able to take a quick peek down it, but don't hang around)
Title: Re: Hi,
Post by: Bic on August 18, 2010
.....cheers for that...got my map in the post this morning, so checkin it out now.....