Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => Meets, places, trips and reviews => Topic started by: suspectmonkey on September 12, 2010
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What: NOT the MMM
When: Saturday 18th September, 8am
Where: Meelmore Lodge
Saturday 18th September sees the start of the MMM (Mourne Mountain Marathon). There are several forum members taking part, so best of luck to those guys! For those of us who don't quite have the legs for a mountain marathon I thought we could get a good day out in the hills on the same day.
Plan is to start early so we can get a good days walking in! So we will be meeting at Meelmore Lodge at 8am, and once everyone has arrived we will take a couple of cars to the start point at Carrick Little. I've attached a route plan (thanks J!) below, but the route is basically:
Carrick Little car park > Slieve Binnian > Slievelamagan > Cove Mountain > Slieve Beg > Brandy Pad > Slieve Donard > Slieve Commedagh > Slieve Corragh > Slievenaglogh > Trassey Track > Meelmore Lodge
So that's just over 12 miles and just under 1700 metres of ascent. Plan is to take it nice and easy so we can all enjoy the day, and take plenty of stops for breaks and grub along the way. As it happens I originally planned to do the Seven Seven's using this route, but I might leave that for another day :)
If you are a new member you are especially welcome and it would be great to put faces to forum names! Really hope we can get a good number of people out for this one :) So who is in?
Going:
suspectmonkey
Kat
LennyJ1
J
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/suspectmonkey/Outdoors/Not_The_MMM.jpg)
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I'm excited about this route! We may even bump into those NI Wilders doing the MMM! I could set up a water & powerade station on the top of a mountain! :)
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Count me in. :)
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looks like great hike, even a wee shortcut at the castles for those not up for Donard, but i can't make it out that day :'( might bring the kids up to hares gap though near the end of the day and maybe bump into you
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I'm in! Plus it's worth remembering that anyone wanting a shorter route could bail at Beg and just head straight for Hares Gap and anyone wanting something longer can throw in the rest of the Sevens.
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I could set up a water & powerade station on the top of a mountain! :)
I could probably do with one of those at the top of Slievelamagan!
I'm in! Plus it's worth remembering that anyone wanting a shorter route could bail at Beg and just head straight for Hares Gap and anyone wanting something longer can throw in the rest of the Sevens.
Yep, quite good options for alternative routes on this, so we can cater for all abilities! I'm really looking forward to this, as I've never been over Lamagan, Cove or Beg. Will finally get a good look at this Devil's Coachroad as well :)
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Good route guys - just so you know, there is also a charity hike up Donard that day (Marie Curie), so might be busy from the top to the saddle.
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Jeepers, theres plenty going on in the Mournes this coming weekend! Cheers for the heads up, will know not to loiter on Donard for lunch :)
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Don't suppose anyone knows what time the cafe opens at Meelmore Lodge? Hoping its nice and early so I can squeeze a bacon buttie in before hitting the hills :)
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I really really really really really want to come to this but can get access to the car.
Need a lift please
HELPPPPPPPP
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Don't suppose anyone knows what time the cafe opens at Meelmore Lodge?
never open when i'm there that early (before 9am) :'( their website doesn't seem to work but you could try calling them (028 4372 5949)
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Can't get a lift down, sorry guys I wont be making this.
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Thats a shame, we'll catch you next time.
Can't get a lift down, sorry guys I wont be making this.
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Can't get a lift down, sorry guys I wont be making this.
Sorry you can't make it Lenny... I can't even help out with a lift as I'm heading from a totally different direction. Hopefully see you soon at another meet!
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So any other takers for this one? Weather looks like it will be reasonable :)
If you aren't doing the Mourne Mountain Marathon, then you've no excuse! Ditch the remote, get off the sofa and get out in the hills... football sucks anyway :D
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Steady on :)
football sucks anyway :D
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Steady on :)
football sucks anyway :D
to right
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Sorry I cannot make this one, Sarah and I are heading away for the weekend.
Matthew
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/me is being tempted....may even throw in a bivvy on Friday night at that spot I saw on Douglas Crag
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You know you want to ::)
/me is being tempted....may even throw in a bivvy on Friday night at that spot I saw on Douglas Crag
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/me is being tempted....may even throw in a bivvy on Friday night at that spot I saw on Douglas Crag
Thats like blood in the water... you will be hounded to submission now :) So see you tomorrow morning at 8am* then?
*honest, its not going to be an "NI-Wild 8am" ;D
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Sorry I cannot make this one, Sarah and I are heading away for the weekend.
Matthew
Pity you can't make it, I had meant to drop you a message to see if you fancied it. Hope you enjoy your weekend away!
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So see you tomorrow morning at 8am* then?
Yup, kinda...Heading for the mountain now (nothing like a bit of a night hike to clear the head), will be parking at Meelmore (can't get lift down..and 'aint leaving my car in Carrick Little), so not sure where I'll end up bivvying, but may see you somewhere near Lamagan/Cove...keep channel 6 open (if I've programmed my new radio correct).
Later.
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Will do, catch you tomorrow.
So see you tomorrow morning at 8am* then?
Yup, kinda...Heading for the mountain now (nothing like a bit of a night hike to clear the head), will be parking at Meelmore (can't get lift down..and 'aint leaving my car in Carrick Little), so not sure where I'll end up bivvying, but may see you somewhere near Lamagan/Cove...keep channel 6 open (if I've programmed my new radio correct).
Later.
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My t'internet is down in house, but if anyone is planning to pop down and meet us on the day then we will probably be hitting the trail from Carrick Little around 9am.
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I ended hitting the mountain ay 10pm, excllent night walking, even with the cresent moon it was bright enough to walk without head torch., ended up on the top of Comedagh at 1am, bivvyed in the hollow. Cold, bright and a bit windy. Lights from Donard.
ps. @Doswer: is this the stick you are talking about (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/5001353092/in/set-72157624981310376/), or did I imagine that conversation about a tree trunk you carried up from Donard Forest to the carn at Comedagh?
pps. forgot to mention that I balled off the mountain at 10am when the rain started...was in Meelmore Lodge by 11 enjosing a sausage, bacon and egg soda with a big mug of tea watching the rain...
Pics:
Route
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5003210523_46cfb96a0c_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/5003210523/in/set-72157624981310376/)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5003826214_60a7519a03_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/5003826214/in/set-72157624981310376/) (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/5003826468_19922dc553_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/5003826468/in/set-72157624981310376/)
Bivvy
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5001196733_af9c2d3dc1_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/5001196733/in/set-72157624981310376/)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5001195007_b1c5607b05_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/5001195007/in/set-72157624981310376/)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5001794786_6a214e0d11_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/5001794786/in/set-72157624981310376/)
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Hope you didn't get to wet today
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i had hoped to do a wee afternoon walk with the kids from meelmore to hares gap but chickened out with all the rain, i might have goretex everything (except underpants!) but all the kids had was a mack-in-a-sack :'( love to get them some good gear but they would only grow out of it >:(
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i have 4 kids so we shud start a swapshop 4 out grown kids kit 4instance; i have abt 8 pairs of hiking boots various sizes
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I've a 4 and 6 year old so I lie the idea of swapping kit :-)
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(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5001831411_72d1f61fd4_z.jpg)
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wow, you did it all in that weather, fair play to you
its probably been explained before but what do i need (hardware & software) to get maps like that?
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Yup, that was well done guys for sticking with it...and even doing Donard....did it clear up any or did no-one want to let the side down by balling out early (like me ::))
@liam:
Software: Mapyx (http://www.mapyx.com) Maps of the Mournes £15 (http://www.mapyx.com/index.asp?tn=productview&pid=42873)
Hardware: Almost any GPS unit (or even your BB). I think J uses a Garmin GPS, one of the eTrex range (http://gps.tall-trekkers.com/buy/Garmin+eTrex)), I use a simple GPS logger (http://gps.tall-trekkers.com/buy/iBlue+747a) (no screen but lasts longer between charges and is a bit cheaper)
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That was quite a jaunt yesterday! 13 miles, 1700m of ascent, 8 mountains, 4 of which are over 700m and 3 of which were new to me. Think it definitely achieved the goal of getting "a good day out in the hills" :)
Unfortunately the weather never relented at any stage of the day, so it was full waterproofs from Carrick Little to Meelmore Lodge. That said, its nearly better that way as you just get on with it and stay optimistic that the cloud might break! Great day out any way, and I finally got my appetite whetted for giving the Devil's Coachroad a blast having seen it up close :)
Liam, I use an iPhone app called MotionX GPS (http://www.motionx.com/) to log my routes, and then import the route into Mapyx like the other fellas. The downside is that with the GPS app running you only get around 4 hours of battery life in the phone. I bought a FreeLoader Pico solar charger to try and bump up the battery life, but it can only charge an iPhone to 50% from its internal battery. So you are talking a maximum run time of 6 hours using an iPhone app and solar charger. As it happens I was talking about this to J yesterday, as I dont really want/need a full Garmin GPS unit as I just want to log my routes. He was telling me about the "black box" that Chuck has linked to, so I'm going to look into that. Thanks for posting the link Chuck, complete coincidence as I was going to PM you about it :)
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Yes...good day out guys! Awesome feeling of satisfaction today! :) All the bumps and knocks were worth it!
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well done guys any pics?
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well done guys any pics?
J took some photos, so I reckon they will be up soon :) Our camera didn't make it out all day though, opps!
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We did the planned route on Saturday regardless of the foul weather - Binnian, Lamagan, Cove, Beg, Donard, Commedagh, Slievenaglogh, Corragh. 13 miles with 1766m ascent, for reference that's more than Ben Nevis with Cave Hill on top which was pretty good going.
It started raining in Carrick Little and pretty much stayed on all day and was mostly windy too. Saw the mountain marathon chaps crossing the wall on our way up Binnian but never saw them again for the rest of the day. The terrible weather must have kept people out of the hills as after that we only saw about 5 people the whole time (though we did see a guy on Donard summit wearing jeans).
All things considered it wasn't as bad as expected, once you get wet through after an hour or two you reach a sort of equlibrium where it doesn't really bother you any more. We didn't race it, just kept plodding on and it was suprisingly comfortable, the push up Donard was actually one of the easier ones I've done purely because we just trundled on and chatting and resting whenever seemed comfortable (every 10 paces on the steeper ascents ;D)
Just a shame that after Binnian we never saw anything further in the distance than about 25m away so the splendid views were wasted on us.
Still feel like I need a knee and spine transplant and I definitely need better wet weather gear - if I'd been camping I'd have been screwed....
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5007735804_b07a7a7009.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/5007736026_509903dcb4.jpg)
The Mountain Marathoners in the distance. Sticking to the low ground, lazy!
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5007126043_3a07422263.jpg)
Slieve Binnian tors
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5007126145_31821dfcc6.jpg)
Devils Coachroad from above
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5007736370_d6385c88f5.jpg)
Donard Summit
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/5007736560_b1092b1a4c.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5007126593_b77b0ae0e8.jpg)
Not sure what these formations are called but they're spectacular. Are on the Newcastle side of the wall between Commedagh and Slievenaglogh
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5007736800_e3a38de6a6.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5007736906_e384e3d58c.jpg)
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Still feel like I need a knee and spine transplant and I definitely need better wet weather gear - if I'd been camping I'd have been screwed....
Yep, I mentioned to Kat on the way home that whilst I wasn't too worried about being wet it might have been a different story if I'd to climb into a sleeping bag that evening!
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5007736370_d6385c88f5.jpg)
Look at the sheer joy on my face at having been gifted a Scotch Egg... bliss :)
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Hehe! ;D You were so happy Jonny you even decided to take your boots off just after! Great pics Jonno! The Mournes actually look quite different and mysterious in those photos!