LandyLiam - Camping the Seven Sevens for Charity

[666_pack]

nice on mate.

[LandyLiam]

Looks like a top night. Suprised it was so cold though. Where exactly is Happy Valley Car Park? (also where is Happy Valley?)

I think it was the wind chill, hill gales were forecast, didn't affect me too much but was was very noisy howling through the wall which woke me up every 45mins 

Happy Valley Car Park is the one on Trassey Road past Meelmore Lodge, never seen it mentioned on any map, just in the book "a boot up the mourne mountains" by Steven Hanna (nice wee book by the way)

although i've read elsewhere that Silent Vally was once called Happy Valley

in the book "25 walks in Down District" the area above the car park is referred to as Cock Mountain Common, i'll stick with Happy Valley Car Park 

[RedLeader]

Happy Valley Car Park is the one on Trassey Road past Meelmore Lodge, never seen it mentioned on any map, just in the book "a boot up the mourne mountains" by Steven Hanna (nice wee book by the way)

Before Fofanny Dam?

[LandyLiam]

yes thats the one, there's 3 on the Trassey Road

1. Trassey Car Park - aka Clonachuillion Car Park (at at start of Trassey Track)
2. Meelmore Lodge
3. Happy Valley Car Park - probably got another name i haven't heard of

[ChuckMcB]

Happy Valley Car Park - probably got another name i haven't heard of

Yea, I've seen a bit of confusion about the whole Happy Valley thing as well Liam, the BBC always call the valley that is now Silent Valley Reservoir. Anyhow the car park in question is grid ref:  J 293297.

I used to call it the Fofanny Wood Car Park...but that caused confusion on "the night of the wandering dog" which J was a part of

It was def. colder the last couple of days, down to 13c here in Lisburn.

Thanks for posting the pics, tempted to join you on Wednesday...

[LandyLiam]

I've editted my first post with a bit more detail about the event so worth going back and re-reading it

also hope to do a summit on fri or sat night this week

my phone number is 07753 880167 just in case anyone wants to pop up in the dark 

[suspectmonkey]

also hope to do a summit on fri or sat night this week

Fancy doing Binnian?

[LandyLiam]

Thats sat night sorted now, doing one tonight as well, if no one else is coming i'll do meelbeg as it looks the most boring, if anyone else wants to join me they can pick a mountain

[LandyLiam]

Om meelbeg summit now watching the sunset, got my pack down to 12kg but cold night forecast so packed my big sleeping bag bringing it up to 14kg, still a lot better than the 17kg last time. Windier than I expected up here but the walk up was calm and sunny. Vert few spots to pitch a tent so have a few bumps on the floor. Now the moon is out and its pretty amazing up here

[LennyJ1]

Om meelbeg summit now watching the sunset, got my pack down to 12kg but cold night forecast so packed my big sleeping bag bringing it up to 14kg, still a lot better than the 17kg last time. Windier than I expected up here but the walk up was calm and sunny. Vert few spots to pitch a tent so have a few bumps on the floor. Now the moon is out and its pretty amazing up here

Have fun

Dont know if you follow football but spurs won 4-0

[LandyLiam]

sorry, no interest in Mr Crouch on or off the field 

Well i'm down safe now and must say that was a great night, well as great as camping on a mountain summit alone can be  Weather was perfect on way up and way down, should have some nice pics soon but have to go and MOT the car first 

[LandyLiam]

Slive Meelbeg - Camp No.2 - the story with pictures

1hr 15mins up from Happy Valley/Fofanny Wood/Whatever car park going up left of river, 45 mins down going to right of river (that right when looking from car park), could have parked at Meelmore Lodge but that would have added 40 mins to journey and i'd be back before June had the frying pan on in the cafe anyway.



target acquired (the bump on the right)



Bearnagh from the saddle


Meelmore where i camped 2 nights ago



my wee flying friend who kept me company, i seem to recall he was there when i did meelbeg last week too



sunset

the moon over bearnagh



sunrise over bearnagh



me at dawn, actually i lay on til 6.15 this morning as i was so comfy in my warm sleeping bag  

you can see good campsites where hard to find and ground sloped off very quickly, the other side of the wall was a bit better but covered in sheep poo and the wind was coming that way




the moon still hanging around over spelga dam



Lough Shanngh
(I was tempted to go home this way but thought i'd leave it for another day)


One last view of Meelmore as i drove home, good thing i got up early and missed the cloud.





and the car failed the mot, so spending the afternoon putting a new brake caliper on  

[LandyLiam]

car now has an mot  and 3 summits now completed

see http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1367.30 for pics of binnion camp

weather looks calm tonight (but only 3 degrees  ) so thinking of commedagh, busy day but reckon i can walk up that one in the dark and i know exactly where to camp as i was up there only 2 weeks ago, only problem is that i have to be in Dungannon for 10.30am tomorrow as taking part in the gannonball run www.gannonballrun.com

[LandyLiam]

was too busy doing soapbox practise runs today so maybe tuesday night instead

tonight i'll be sitting in watchng a dvd with a homemade cury and a few beers, nearly as much fun as last night 

[LandyLiam]

The plan now is to do bearnagh tonight & next one this friday night. All welcome.