Night Hike \ Camp ! Saturday18th February 2011

[ChuckMcB]

Was planning to bounce over to the campsite from meelmorelodge to say hello, but only got as far as the foot of spellack before I descided it was too foggy to be wandering off path. Hope you folks get to camp ok.

[MikeD]

We all made it back and to camp at 1 am, was a wild wild night.

Thanks to twenty for his navigation skills or we might have been in trouble as visibility was down to a few metres.

Was really crazy night, epic, as they say!

[Matthew]

Sounds like a rite wee adventure.

[suspectmonkey]

Hi Chuck, did you get my text okay last night?  Sorry was so late replying but didn't take my phone out until we hit the camp spot and reception was a bit patchy.  Shame you couldn't make it over, but I don't blame you at all!  As Mike said, if it wasn't for Craig I doubt we would have made it to the camp spot at all!

Was definitely a top trip as far as night hikes go!  The route to the top of Commedagh was straight forward enough, and Craig made the section to Shan Slieve seem easy.  Unfortunately from Shan Slieve onwards it was very wet underfoot and very slippy!  Think we all ended up on our backsides at some stage or another...  After a couple of hairy river crossings we finally spotted the pitch.  It's every bit as good as it looks in Matthew's photos and well worth the effort of getting there.  Will definitely be making a return trip, although perhaps by a slightly easier route next time

[twentyclicks]

A good adventure alright. Summits, ridges, crags, gorges, rivers, mist, blasting freezing mist, mystical trails, and the promised land of a decent camp spot at the end of it. 

Many thanks to Mike again for getting me back to work in time!  And to Jon and Kat for being game to join us last minute, providing Smarties, the 'route map', and cheer in all conditions - did you guys find that cool trail all the way back in the morning? It's nearly impossible to see in the summer.

Navigation wasn't too bad as we stuck to features and I had some prior knowledge of a lot of the route. Retrace our route on the map at home, take the bearings and work out how you would have set the compass and what you would be looking out for at each point. The altimeter was useful on the way down for gauging progress and knowing when to be on the lookout for that crag. It's pretty basic (and I find the practical accuracy to be about 50m) but only cost a tenner on eBay and has proved its worth in poor mountain conditions.

Actually finding that campsite in the dark was a stroke of luck, although lone trails often lead somewhere.

Chuck, probably a good call: you would have been waiting a while and we retired immediately.

Finally, I forgot my food apart from some ShotBloks but it didn't matter as yes, the BK vouchers got used. 2 Angus burgers and a chip (and 2 Hennessey) comfortably fuelled me until lunchtime today 

[MG1]

Sounds like a great trip guys.

[RedLeader]

This sounds like an epic. Sorry I missed it now. I'd even have done the Glen River path, it's been long enough now that I don't hate it so much anymore

[MG1]

I like to go up Commadagh that way from Donard wood. Me and 666_pack have talking for a while about Donard Commadagh horseshoe finishing on the granite trail.

[suspectmonkey]

did you guys find that cool trail all the way back in the morning? It's nearly impossible to see in the summer.

We cheated on the way back!  We crossed the river and followed the same trail as you guys (just as well, that gorge got pretty deep further down!) until the wall at the back of Tollymore.  We then followed it until we spotted a nice stone stile, so hopped over the wall into Tolly and followed the forest trails back to Newcastle.  Its actually a section of the Mourne Way we missed out last time due to a car rally in the forest!  Was a pleasant walk and thankfully no bog

Did you spot that other pitch further down on the opposite side of the Spinkwee River?  Looked good for a couple of tents and had a nice fire circle.

I'm still chuckling about my disposable "route map"

I'd even have done the Glen River path, it's been long enough now that I don't hate it so much anymore

Thats what I thought before hand!  Didn't mind it going up Donard Wood, but once we crossed the Glen River and had to do the stone steps to the saddle I remembered why I didn't like that route!  It's a pretty tough slog, although the good thing about doing it in the dark is you can't see the top!  Makes for a pleasant surprise when the ground levels off and you finally get there

[RedLeader]

Is the spot you pitched in good for firewood of any kind?

[suspectmonkey]

Is the spot you pitched in good for firewood of any kind?

Hmm... not really.  There was one dead tree across the river that must have fallen recently in stormy weather, but no dead wood about.  It's about a 10 minute walk (and river crossing) from the back wall of Tollymore so you could collect dead wood there, but would be a bit of a hike back and forward to be honest.  You could probably collect lighter stuff from there for a more modest fire and carry it back, but not much chance of carting the big logs we would use in Donard Wood!  There are a couple of stone fire circles though so probably best just bringing a few firelogs (which could perhaps be stashed at the back of Tolly beforehand?).

PS: I think Mike unintentionally stashed a firelog somewhere in the Mournes on Saturday night

[Kat]

Yes that's right, Mike lost his fire log!  Was a great wee trip out, Craig was definitely on the ball with navigation!  I named the weekend "Lost" when I arrived home.  The story goes like this - I lost my Lucozade within the first 10 minutes, shortly after we lost all visibility, we lost time due to poor weather, Mike lost his fire log followed by the loss of his waterproof rucksac cover, we lost the wall and I was losing body heat.  I felt lost at this stage and lost the will....but quickly lost this attitude when we lost the mountain, I lost some hours of sleep that night and by morning we lost 2 people, I arrived home feeling lost without the adventure and now I'm lost for words.

[twentyclicks]

Ha ha, brilliant!

[MikeD]

Class, I lost faith when we were wandering that final trail, suggesting we head to the cottage with the lights in the distance!!

I also lost sight of you three after going back to look for the firelog, you were only 20 metres away !

Scarry stuff!

[whoRya]

Yes that's right, Mike lost his fire log!  Was a great wee trip out, Craig was definitely on the ball with navigation!  I named the weekend "Lost" when I arrived home.  The story goes like this - I lost my Lucozade within the first 10 minutes, shortly after we lost all visibility, we lost time due to poor weather, Mike lost his fire log followed by the loss of his waterproof rucksac cover, we lost the wall and I was losing body heat.  I felt lost at this stage and lost the will....but quickly lost this attitude when we lost the mountain, I lost some hours of sleep that night and by morning we lost 2 people, I arrived home feeling lost without the adventure and now I'm lost for words.

Sorry, could you start again; you've lost me.