Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

General => General Chat => Topic started by: fatty-arbuckle on March 22, 2013

Title: Roads down the mournes
Post by: fatty-arbuckle on March 22, 2013: Hey guys, does anybody have any info on the state of the roads down there - BBC news are saying spelga is closed. Just wondering coz I plan to do an overnighter tomorrow night and want to plan how epic my walk in will have to be.........
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: specimanYak on March 22, 2013: The following roads are closed:

Quarterlands Road, Dunmurry; Cochranstown Road, Belfast; Colinglen Road, Dunmurry; A27 Moyad Road, Spelga; B70 Ballymaconnely Road, Rasharkin; A2 Cushendall Road, Ballycastle; A44 Magheramore Road, Ballycastle; C507 Highmoor Road, Eglinton; U1101 Baloughry Hill Road, Killea; Ligoneil Road, Belfast; A52 Ballyutoag Road, Belfast; A2 Shore Road, Warrenpoint at Well Road junction; B7 Moyad Road; Portmore Road, Lisburn; Carricknadarriff Road, Lisburn; Tullyard Road, Drumbo; Whinney Hill, Holywood; C19 Crosskennan Road, Antrim; Coast Road, Ballywalter; Steeple Road, Antrim; C263 Belfast Road, Newtownards (Bradshaws Brae); A2 Springvale Road, Ballywalter; A22 Belfast Road, Comber; 27 Craigboy Road, Donaghadee; B8 Newry Road, Mayobridge closed at Derryleckagh Road; A36 Shaneshill Road from A8 to B94 at The Battery Inn; A2 Cushendall Road at Water Top Farm; A43 Glenariff Road from junction Ballyeamon Rd to Waterfoot; B14 Ballyeamon Road at junction of Skerry Road; C27 Lylehill Road; B94 Rathkeel Road between A36 Shaneshill Rd and A42 Broughshane Road; Katesbridge Road, Kinallen; B7 Rathfriland Road, Dromara.

http://goo.gl/TslkS

http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/northernireland
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on March 22, 2013: I was in Newcastle today, just rain there, then took a drive up the hills to see how far i could get. Slievenaman road was impassible to cars due to large flood (so the postman told me and he said he would drive through almost anything!). I tried the trassey road, through a couple of decent floods, then got as far as meelmore lodge and turned back due to snow. Tomorrow could well be a completey different (worse) story.

(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280359Small_zps7d612be4.jpg)
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: ChuckMcB on March 23, 2013: A and B roads are clear to newcastle. Will update when I get further in
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: fatty-arbuckle on March 23, 2013: Awesome, looks like its a goer!
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: ChuckMcB on March 23, 2013: Road from kilkeel to banns road car park is clear...after that it gets hairy..single track cleared in snow..

Head road is snowy but passable
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: phil_b on March 23, 2013: Thanks for all the info guys. It sounds like it should be possible to get to Carricklittle tomorrow. I would usually go via Newry, Hilltown and Spelga to that part of the Mournes though it might be sensible to go via Banbridge, Castlewellan and Newcastle tomorrow.
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: ChuckMcB on March 23, 2013: Moyad road now passable to spelga...but fresh snow falling...
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: ChuckMcB on March 24, 2013: Slievenman road is currently being plowed...met a car that was waiting an hour behind the plow..trassey road looking hairy...we baled out at the mountain centre..
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on March 24, 2013: Yes trassey and slievenaman should now have been snowploughed, but word of caution, its only single track with few passing points and you could have a long reverse to do if you meet another car, there are drifts on the road over 6 foot high so if they fall in your snookered. Saw a range rover stuck today on a seemingly easy bit of snowploughed road. Also saw a few snow covered abandoned cars, including 2 abandoned land rovers :o

(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280401Small_zps32d1436e.jpg)
main road from bryansford to hilltown

(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280452Small_zps9e4d456e.jpg)
slievenaman road

(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280468Small_zps1096ffc0.jpg)
slievenaman rd after the snowblower went through, check out the height of the drifts at the side, that is genuine drift snow and not stuff pushed to the side by a snowplough (the snowblower shifts it all into the field)

(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280442Small_zps89803866.jpg)
slievenaman rd

(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280463Small_zps8e6fc292.jpg)

(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280459Small_zps5a87c796.jpg)

(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280472Small_zpsb9674cd3.jpg)
trassey road
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: Rumblebum on March 24, 2013: It looks like total madness out there, cool! :o
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: phil_b on March 24, 2013: Love the snow blower pics, cool machine! Saw the roads service transporter near Bryansford earlier.
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: Glenn B on March 24, 2013: Serious amounts of snow there glad thats not my street ;D ;D
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: KyleL on March 25, 2013: Love the pics, though my MG wouldn't have a chance if it got hairy.
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: specimanYak on March 25, 2013: A few phone pics from a friend out in Dromara, the photos were sent by MMS (no internet connection) hence the small size.
Title: Roads down the mournes
Post by: KyleL on March 25, 2013: Saw similar things on the news from the same area. Crazy!

Fortunately the 'drift' at my tent wasn't quite as dramatic.

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/26/syjymady.jpg)
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: specimanYak on March 25, 2013: Quote from: KyleL on March 25, 2013
Fortunately the 'drift' at my tent wasn't quite as dramatic.

Brilliant, looks like some-ones down sleeping bag has split. :)
Regardless, it's still a 'snow' camp, well done.
Title: Roads down the mournes
Post by: KyleL on March 25, 2013: Haha.

When I went to sleep there was about 2inches covering the ground as far as you could see. I woke up to that and wondered just how many days I'd been snoozing :P
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on March 25, 2013: Slievenaman Road has been ploughed as far as fofanny dam them its back to 4-7 foot drifts again and completely impassible beyond that, also its still single track so you will have a long reverse when you meet oncoming traffic (as i did :-[ ) so please avoid it.
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: GMB on March 26, 2013: Some great pics. Not surprised to see a Landy dug in :-X
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: summit86 on March 26, 2013: Great pics! I think I may have to use the coast road on Sunday to get home from the Airport! ;D
Title: Roads down the mournes
Post by: KyleL on March 26, 2013: Keep us updated for the weekend camp!
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: Glenn B on March 28, 2013: Quote from: specimanYak on March 25, 2013
Quote from: KyleL on March 25, 2013
Fortunately the 'drift' at my tent wasn't quite as dramatic.

Brilliant, looks like some-ones down sleeping bag has split. :)
Regardless, it's still a 'snow' camp, well done.
:o :o HE HE HE
plenty of cotton balls for Tom to get a fire started..
Title: Re: Roads down the mournes
Post by: ChuckMcB on March 29, 2013: Snows clearing from the east. Head road totally clear, so is the track up to the carrick plant car park (where I am now)