Glenariff glen (Sun 10 - Mon 11 Dec)

[RedLeader]

Not for this one unfortunately. However, I might be able to persuade the wife'n'boy to come to Glenariff on Sunday afternoon for a walk if you know where you're going to be.

[Paul]

Are you camping on top of Trostan? You are leaving it kind of late to get up there and set up if you are only meeting at 3? Or are you camping in the forest?

[666_pack]

this is billys baby, but I think we are camping in the forest and then hiking in the glen the next day......but you know how plans change round the camp fire and we could hit trostan in the morning.

[RedLeader]

Any idea where? Prob best to PM!

[666_pack]

to be honest mate I have no clue as I don't know the area. As you can see time is against us for day one and some of it might be planned on the hoof but we'll give you a call on the day and keep you posted. But I'm sure andy has a better idea than me as it's his neck of the woods and he'd have a better idea of were we are likely to be.

[Paul]

On the hoof plans are sometimes the best especially in this weather. When you guys firm up a meeting time and place i will see you there. i will only be there for the day it would be nice to put some faces to the names.

[RedLeader]

Looks like the Alpkit 600s are going to get a proper test  If anyone wants to borrow my bivi bag let me know.

[billy backpack]

It's hard to know what to believe the talk is for -10 but looking at the weather report today it said it's to be +2/3 .

No matter I'm lookin forward to it

I take it there will just be the trio overnighting.

[Paul]

So what is the final plans and times then lads?

[MG1]

At the min i think we are meeting in Larne at 15.00 and i think hoping to be at Glenariff for 15.30, then find a a spot around along the tree line on Troston to stick the tent up.

[billy backpack]

Are you talking about the crossroads at the chapel or the staggered crossroads at the country end of the killyglen road?

Good evening Paul, Have been workin so couldn't get a chance to reply I'm more the staggered end.

As for final plans we're quietly hopefull that we may be joined by others  ..... so we haven't came to a final conclusion other than still meeting in Larne. The other two will take approx 45 minutes to arrive and they are leaving home at 1.30pm on Sunday afternoon so as soon as they arrive it's off to Glenariff and let the games begin

Are you still for coming ?

Opps I see MG1 has beat me to the update

[Paul]

What tree line on Trostan?

[MG1]

Sorry Paul don't really know the area. But i think we're camping on the edge of the Glenariff forest facing Troston.

[Paul]

Where are you parking when you get to glenariff folks?

[ulsterwalker]

Only experience of the area is from walking the Ulster Way when the weather closed in and we ended up camping in pretty much a bog just a bit from Trostan, not the most enjoyable tent bound experience, but anyways.

For anybody that hasn't been round the park I'd recommend having a look at the waterfalls, if you have the time and like that sort of thing, however the walk down could be a bit tricky.

The Ulster Way/Moyle Way is probably a sensible and easily followed option for getting to Trostan and its tagged pretty regularly, however you do go through quite a lot of forest and jump streams here and there, might be "interesting" in this weather.

From what I can remember if you leave the main entrance of the park, you cross the road and follow a track up the hill with the river on the left passing waterfalls and crossing forest tracks before entering the forest, you follow a stream for the most part and come in and out of forest crossing boggy fire breaks before re-entering more forest, eventually you come out of the forest and follow a fence line for a bit and then you move away from the fence line following 6 foot posts marking the route, at this stage Trostan will be to the right somewhere, but its pretty hard to differentiate as the inclines are pretty low.   

Can't remember seeing anywhere to camp on the way up but wasn't looking, not to say there isn't, I wouldn't normally camp where we did but had to make do.

If you have any questions I'll try and answer them but the memories getting a bit rusty, think I killed off half my brain over Christmas 
Have fun guys, If I didn't have an exam on Monday and one on Thursday I'd be on it like vomit!