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Author Topic: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011  (Read 12493 times)

whoRya

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Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« on: April 27, 2011 »
Myself and a friend (a forum lurker) are heading for a summit camp on Doan tomorrow night.  Hopefully leaving home about 6pm.

Wind speed: 5 mph 
Wind gusts:  9 mph
Chance of precipitation:  0%
Severity:  Benign
Forecast:  Partly cloudy

If it is enticing to anyone drop a wee reply and let us know.  You can even rise early to get back to see Wills and Kate Kathryn.
 
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LandyLiam

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2011 »
well how did it go?
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whoRya

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2011 »
Great thanks, I'll fire a few pics up in the next couple of days.
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RedLeader

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2011 »
Doan is a great peak for a quick overnighter. Where did you park? That's always our dilemma.
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Scribble

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2011 »
Do you think Doan would be ok for a quick overnighter this Tuesday or is the whole of the Mournes still a no go area , what options are there for parking ? I've only been up Doan once and I parked my car below slievenamuck by the wee car park and I don't fancy leaving car there Overnight
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whoRya

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2011 »
We parked at Meelmore Lodge since there was plenty of life about it being Easter week.  In fact we passed three other groups camping along our route.  They may well have parked there also, it was difficult to know whether the cars there when we arrived were belonging to daytrippers who hadn't returned yet.

Doan enjoys the isolation but that also means you have to walk a bit to get there.  We followed the Trassey Track then up through Pollaphuca, contouring the base of Meelmore, Meelbeg and Slieve Loughshannagh, until it 'felt right' to go straight at Doan.  It was probably an hour-and-a-halfs walk, probably not possible if you were bringing the boys and carrying their gear. 

It would be great if you felt confident enough to park at the Ott car park.  Could you get dropped off there?  The Rambler service has a stop on the Spelga side of Carn Mountain, perhaps parking in Newcastle and getting the service out to there is an option we should consider?

I'd have no hesitation in going there again even with the fires that have been happening.  I suppose only the most committed of arsonists are going to be high up in the mountains. 
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Scribble

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2011 »
Cheers for reply I won't ave any kids with me just a fella from work who wants to do his first bivi so I think the walk before hand from meelmore should tire him out :) I will have to see what he is willing to do ,
We where for going to annalong to break him in easily but the scumbags have put an end to that idea
 
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suspectmonkey

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2011 »
Quote from: whoRya on May 04, 2011
Doan enjoys the isolation but that also means you have to walk a bit to get there.  We followed the Trassey Track then up through Pollaphuca, contouring the base of Meelmore, Meelbeg and Slieve Loughshannagh, until it 'felt right' to go straight at Doan.  It was probably an hour-and-a-halfs walk, probably not possible if you were bringing the boys and carrying their gear.

That would be my choice of route, or follow the Mourne Way from Meelmore Lodge towards Happy Valley, then cross the saddle between Slieve Meelmore and Meelbeg before joining the path described in the route above.  The route along the Ott Track is by far the quickest and easiest, and is the route I took with RedLeader and MikeD.  We risked leaving our cars at the Ott car park, but I wouldn't want to make a habit of it :-\
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LandyLiam

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2011 »
sure just drive up the banns road and park at lough shannagh  ;)
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whoRya

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2011 »
As I mentioned I thought I'd throw a couple of pics up from the other week.  I was determined to get up Doan before the sun completely set.  Getting close to Doan, it seemed I could see the sun drop a wee bit with every step.  My pace was getting faster and faster until I was practically running up the side of Doan.  Anyway, I got up with just enough time to get up and throw the rucksack down and enjoy the last light of the day.

Sun setting over Carn Mountain. 







It wasn't quite as still up on Doan as I thought it might have been.  It seems to get wind from all directions.  It certainly burnt the fire log fairly quickly.  I spent a while just lying on my back on the summit staring up at the stars in the sky.  At home you are used to picking out some of the brighter constellations, the choice was endless with a clear sky on Doan. 

Improvised gloves (personally I'd have put them on the fire to keep it going).


What a fantastic hill it is to wake up on.  I'm not exactly a rise-with-the-sun guy.  Still, the views were fantastic.




After a rather lazy breakfast we set off for Ben Crom.  A first for me.








I still feel like I haven't really climbed it until I do it from below.  I've read a bit about the routes from below so I went for a wee look down the gullies.  The summit gully is usually described as not to be attempted, often being in the shade and very damp.  Perhaps it was just after this long period of dry weather we have had but it looked very interesting, to say the least.  Difficult to ascertain what technical sections there are from above, I concede.

Summit gully.


This one I WILL have a go at though.  It looks class.

Other gully.


We then decided to head towards the cars, but not without having a go at something else on the way.  Meelbeg was the choice.  Rather than doing the norm and going round to the wall we just charged on up the hill as we found it.  It was probably harder terrain to walk on but we had a couple of great stops where we could sit and watch the tiny figures of other walkers in the distance on Slieve Bearnagh, Ben Crom, Doan, Slieve Muck, Carn Mountain and the tracks crossing the bog below us.

From the top of Slieve Meelbeg we then followed the wall down to the col with Slieve Meelmore, where we descended the Happy Valley and back along the Ulster Way to Meelmore Lodge.






I haven't had such great weather up the hills in a while.  It had also been a while since I had camped up high.  We had a great time, one I'd like to repeat before long.

My companion had to get home whereas I opted for a burger in the cafe at Meelmore Lodge, a quick scan at the map and then headed off to climb something close to the road.  Not wanting to leave the hills I parked at Spelga Dam and had a leisurely walk up Spelga Mountain, staying high and walking across the top to Spaltha.

Spelga Mountain looking back towards Doan.

   
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Gerry

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2011 »
Great write up and fab photo's.

Ohh to be there now.  8)
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RedLeader

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2011 »
Awesome pics. I love Doan, being inner there's a great feeling of remoteness.
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666_pack

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #12 on: May 07, 2011 »
yep great pics mate! I will have to get back on Doan in the next few weeks! t feels like being on some ancient out post or something.
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LandyLiam

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #13 on: May 07, 2011 »
lovely pics, i've never been up doan, but i might pop up there this afternoon, mournes are a bit misty at the moment though  :'(
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whoRya

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Re: Doan overnighter - Thur 28 April 2011
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2011 »
I totally get what you mean about the out-post.

As others have mentioned, I find Doan very deceptive.  When you look at it from a distance, you wouldn't imagine the summit area is as large as it is.  Also from afar it doesn't seem very high, but when standing atop if presents quite a commanding view.  Perhaps it is the the way the ground drops off down towards the Silent Valley and Ben Crom reserviors.   
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