Picture it... Sunday morning it's cold damn cold, venturers and their  

leaders waiting to do some walking, but they are waiting for some bunch of  

chancers from Cork City because they are late, everyone must wait...but, on  

meeting them, it was worth it, 15 minutes in the cold and an opportunity to  

sign the legendary 'BOOK OF WHO IS HERE AND WHO IS NOT' 

The weather was perfect, but cold, clear views and the bluest of skies;  

everything was planned perfectly, even the weather, thanks to Declan  

Condon. We had venturers from all parts of Munster, males and females with  

one thing on their mind...hill walking. We had excellent hike leaders the  

kind that could walk for miles and not think about the benefits of cars,  

trains or planes and of course the beautiful setting of the snow covered  

peaks of the Galtee mountains that form the borders for Cork, Limerick, and  

Tipperary. 

Everyone set off at 10.30 with a huge trail of venturers that hadn't been  

seen in the Galtees since the time of Baden Powell. For a short time he was  

stationed in Ballincollig army barracks and it was well known that he used  

to train in the Galtees, local folklore has it that he mastered his  

tracking skills there. The venturers obviously heard about this local 

folklore and didn't waste any time and started practising their tracking  

skills, as certain males were followed by females and of course vice versa. 

Lunch was early this Sunday and was a little different to everyone's  

Christmas dinner as we were on the side of Galtee Mor in the bitter cold  

wind, a coffee shop or a hot dog stand could make a fortune here on a good  

day not to mention if it was a bad one, we were lucky as there was buckets  

of coffee and pots of tea for everyone. Some reconnaissance was then done  

and our worst fears were realised, someone had put poison in the bucket of  

coffee...only joking...but Galtee Mor was cover in a white substance,        

resembling snow and similar to an E.U. sugar mountain and it was later  

discovered to be ice unsuitable even for ice skating. After some quick  

thinking by Declan Condon it was decided that it would safer to ascent  

Galtee Beag and don't be fooled by its name, it's like comparing the  

Incredible Hulk to a W.W.F. wrestler, there was plenty of ice and snow at  

the top so after some quick photographs and the customary snow fight a slow  

and cautious descent was made, you could say too cautious as there wasn't  

any injuries, another first for venturing in Munster. 

 Having arrived back to the car park at 14.30, telephone numbers were  

exchanged and in the excitement, neckerchiefs were lost and then swapped. 

 A huge thanks must go to Declan for organising the hike, he is already  

planning a leaders meeting for all Venturer Leaders next month so that  

similar activities can be planned, and improve the networking and  

communication between leaders in the Munster area.

 59 venturers and their leaders attended, groups represented were Ballinora,  

Ballinhassig, Bishopstown, Glanworth, Carrigaline, Ballinlough, Cios