Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
Information => Introductions => Topic started by: harveymt on August 13, 2012
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Hi to all. Hopefully this post will introduce myself and where I'm at now and where I want to be.
I'm living in Belfast currently but will eventually move to near Warrenpoint, near the in-laws.
I was in the Scouts and did Duke Of Edinburgh so spent a lot of time up the Mournes till I was 17 or so. After that, going out and uni became more important and I wasn't near the Mournes till earlier this year (I'm 33 now). I was into weightlifting for a good while but stopped even that a couple of years ago. As a result my weight ballooned and I had a fighting weight of near 20 stone. Breaking a sweat running across the road kinda makes you realise your long term health prospects are not the best so I got to walking. A lot!
I started on the North Down Coastal path about March/April time. Did 5 - 10 miles on it near every evening. On weekends I was at the in-laws, I'd head to Kilbroney Park and walk up to the Cloughmore Stone, up Slieve Martin then back down the other side and round the back of Kilbroney. With four stone shifted, my fitness is back up and I now park up in Warrenpoint and walk from there and back.
I've done a few other walks through Mournes and I'm trying to climb every peak as an inital goal. Despite Scouting etc, I've never been up Donard so I'm leaving that to last. I also want to do the Mourne Wall Walk. I might combine the two and do Donard and it together. I think I'm fit enough now as a mate has done it and I'm a lot fitter than him. Though I'd prefer to leave it to next year, give me something to aim for in training over winter. I can walk forever on the flat no problem, though I still tire a little more than I'd like when climbing.
I'm hoping to buy a bike in the next month or two. The plan is to cycle to places other than the Mournes. Starting from Warrenpoint I can cycle throught the Mournes, or out to Kilkeel and back round. Or even head to Carlingford and hit the Cooley Mountains. I'd also like to cycle up round the North Coast.
My reasons for joining this site are to refresh my knowledge of the Mournes. I walk alone a lot so I need to bone up on my first aid and what to do should something go wrong. I don't want to out walking, have an accident and be totally unprepared. I'd also like to camp out and do longer walks but don't much fancy that on my own, so meeting some like minded people on here would be good. Longer cycles with camps would be good too and again getting info on where to go and people do to it with would be good. I know a little on the Mournes but next to nothing on the likes of the Sperrins or Cooleys, anything down South for that matter. So I want to get to know about them too.
I'm still in weightloss mode. I want to shift another stone or so for that elusive six pack! After that it will be as much about being out and about enjoying the countryside as keeping fit.
Bit of a ramble that but I wanted to say more than just a Hi. I'm sure I'll have questions needing answering soon and hopefully I'll be able to contribute something to the the forum.
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Welcome, well done on the weight loss. trying to lose quite a bit myself :(
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Hello and welcome! Fair play to you for losing the beef! See u in the Hills
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welcome to ni-wild
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Harveymt, you've done brilliant so far. Keep up the work, and, like you have intimated taking it in small steps will enable you to acheive more.
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Hello and welcome
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welcome to the forum, another great first post, we've been getting some good ones lately :)
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Welcome!
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Welcome to the forum
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Welcome to ni-wild!