Back to Homepage

NB: IN THE INTEREST OF YOUR OWN SAFETY, TAKE STOCK OF YOUR EQUIPMENT

MUST HAVE: - Walking Boots-Raincoat and Leggings - Adequate clothing (layers are the best option) - Hat-Gloves - Packed lunch and at least 1 litre water

SHOULD HAVE: - Torch- Extra Batteries- Whistle - Bivvy Bag- Basic First Aid (at least plasters and bandages)

COULD HAVE: - 1:25000 Mourne Country Map (For the Mournes) or Sheet No. 36 OSI 1:50000 (for the Cooley's) - Compass

GOOD IDEAS: - Carry some emergency rations - Have a change of clothes in the car

(The Leader can refuse to allow you on the walk if you do not have the basics)

Monday 26th December 2011 – Slieve Gullion

Slieve Gullion Car park (J 041 197). (Click Here for Google Map and Street View) at 10:45am

Note: If the gates into Slieve Gullion Car Park is closed please drive to The Three Steps Pub which is just down the road.

 

The Leaders who will be leading this walk are:

 

Paul Fegan , Mick O’Driscoll and any available leaders on the day.

 

Après Walk: Will be decided on the day.

 

A message from our Chairperson :

 

" I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas and a Prosperous 2012.
I hope you all have a great time with family and friends,and that all your travels over the holiday period will be safe.
As usual I want to express on your behalf our gratitude to my fellow committee members for their work over the past year in organising walks and various events for the club.
A special word of thanks to all the Walk Leaders ,who have given their time to the club and to various charity walks over the years,without them we just could not function as a club. Thanks again also to the non committee members who have helped out during the year.
2011 has been another great success for the Wee Binnian Hill Walking

Club and we have a lot to look forward to in 2012,during which we will celebrate our 25th anniversary as a walking club. A number of events are planned for the year ( a brochure containing details will be available on all walks ). I look forward to joining all of you, at all or some of these events to celebrate this milestone in the clubs history.
Mick O'Driscoll Chairperson "

 New logo for the Wee Binnnian Walkers 2012

The Committee invite members to design a new club logo to replace the existing one. The current logo has been in use for many years and as we are approaching our 25th anniversary we feel we would like a new image to represent the club. The new logo will be used in all future communication and documents, on our website and will feature on a special commemorative fleece available to members in 2012.

A prize of two years membership (or one year for two people) of the club will be awarded to the winning entry as judged by the committee. The club will retain all future rights to the logo.

Entries may be hand drawn or (preferably) in electronic format and may be submitted by email to weebinnians@eircom.net or weebinnians@gmail.com or by hand to any committee member before 29th January 2012. Eoghan Bailey Secretary

BBC Radio 4 - Ramblings

BBC Radio 4 Birmingham has invited The Wee Binnian Walkers to take part in their 2012 “Ramblings” series which will run from February 9th 2012 for 6 weeks Clare Balding, which some of you will know is the Producer and the researcher is Helen Chetwynd .

 

Recording will take place on Fri 13th Jan 2012. We will be starting from Carricklittle Car Park. We will be climbing Binnian and they will record 2 hours of audio which will be edited to 25 mins. air time.  If you are interested, contact Veronica McCann at veronica.mccann@btinternet.com.  The theme of this series is “ Inspiration “ and the interviews will focus on your personal Walking Story ie Have you always walked or did you come to it later in life –Why do you walk – What do you get from it – How has walking helped / inspired you etc

This is a great opportunity for us in our Silver Jubilee year to showcase our club so I hope you will agree to participate. The researcher, Helen Chetwynd wants to contact a cross section of participants prior to the recording of the programme. If you want to get a taste of the programme click on the following link. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006xrr2

Dates For Your Diary:

 

The club will have a series of events mark our 25th Anniversary in 2012. A brochure will be published soon, however put this important date in your diary –

 

'Reeling in the Years’

 

Saturday 25th February – 7.30pm Killeavey Football Club An evening of fun and fond memories of ‘Times Gone Bye’ lead by our President - Veronica McCann Refreshments Served. For more details Click Here

Other News:

Mourne Rescue Team.

 

From their Facebook account they have a notice up as follows: MISSING: 1 set of mountain Rescue Landover keys. Last seen at quarry at Bearnagh/Trassey track area. Keep your eyes open if you’re up that way. Or if you've found them drop them a line on Facebook.

 

 

Connemara Wild at Heart Four Season Walking Festival:

 

Explore Connemara with Guides Michael Gibbons and Gerry McCluskey who provide an insight into the unique cultural/archeological/historic heritage of the area. Click here for more information...

Christmas Walks:

Belfast Hill Walking Dynamos – FREE Christmas Day Walk:

Date: Sunday 25th December 2011; Time: Meeting at 10.00am, Finishing at 12.30pm Other info: They are meeting at Belfast Castle at 10.00am for a festive walk up Cave Hill on Christmas morning. This is a free public walk. They will walk through the woods and ascend up over the hill and across to the top of ancient McArt's Fort. Once there, they might even have a go at singing a couple of Christmas songs to get into the mood. Then they willl come back down, along the Devil's Punchbowl, past the first cave to return to Belfast Castle car park for about 12.30pm. Cost: No charge. Click here for more details.

Irish Heart Foundation Charity Walk.

Date: Tuesday 27th December 2011; The Annual IHF Charity Walk will be led again by Venora O'Brien. We will meet at the Lumpers Pub, Ravensdale at 11.30am, enjoy a more leisurely 3 hour walk through the heather and hills before adjourning to the fireside in the Lumpers Pub where all are welcome to the free raffle and some refreshments from the pub's diner. All donations will help maintain the Helpline for Patients and Carers of Heart Disease.

Basic Navigation Training Course report:

 

There was a great turnout 14 members enrolled for the Basic Navigation Course given by Thomas McKenna and Eoghan Bailey last weekend. The lads were ably assisted by fellow leaders Paul Fegan and David Sloan

 

On Thurs evening the trainees were put through their paces with a gruelling 2½ hour crash course in map reading, grid references, compass and bearings held in Southern ITEC Boardroom, courtesy of Des. The evening was taken up by Power Point presentations and discussions, followed practice with maps and compasses.

 

On Sunday, the group assembled at Leitrim Lodge and were treated to a Pacing practice and a map reading quiz, before heading out in groups of four trainees and one leader, onto the hills. In this part, all participants were able to lead short sections in turn, whilst all practiced reading the map and the ground and all the skills they had learned so far. The weather was kind but cold and there were suggestions of promising new leaders in the future. Another course will be run next year so watch this space....

UFRC News

 

Governing body for Rambling and Hill-Walking Clubs in the North of Ireland.

Website: www.ufrc-online.co.uk

YOUR IDEAS ARE IMPORTANT TO US ..... Training 2012.

On a beautiful early autumn day in 2011 twenty-seven members from our clubs enjoyed two very successful mountain navigation courses at Tollymore National Outdoor Centre. Now, as we reflect upon these and begin to consider courses for 2012 the question is “What’s next”?
After this year’s courses we asked participants to let us know what courses they would like in the future. Here are some of their suggestions ..... intermediate level map and compass work, developing GPS skills, mountain photography, historical relics in the Mournes and wildlife in the hills. Perhaps you can suggest others.
A few years ago the UFRC worked closely with Tollymore Mountain Centre to create a one day event which embodied a variety of courses – a sort of walkers’ menu from which participants could select two, or maybe three topics. What do you think of this idea? – if you think it is worth following what topics might it include?
So, please put your thinking caps on – talk with your walking friends and then let us know by contacting Simon Reardon, 23 Innisfayle Park, Bangor, BT19 1DR or administration@ufrc-online.co.uk by the end of February.

DON’T FORGET.

Mourne Upland Path Project – Erosion Control at Carricklittle/Blue Lough

Work has started on erosion control along the path from Percy Bysshe/Blue Lough above Annalong Wood to the col at Slieve Binnian/Slieve Lamagan. The project has been funded through the NI Environment Agency’s Natural Heritage Grants Programme.

The eroded site is within the Eastern Mournes Special Area of Conservation (a European level of habitat protection) and Area of Special Scientific Interest, and is also in the water catchment for Annalong River, and the Silent Valley reservoir via the Binnian Tunnel.

The path has become very eroded in some sections, particularly the steeper parts between Percy Bysshe and Blue Lough and the section leading immediately up to the col. There are severe gullies and the path is rock strewn pushing users onto the adjacent heathland, thus causing wider erosion. The eroded material is washing down to the Carricklittle Track and into watercourses supplying the Binnian Tunnel.

The works aim to mitigate erosion on the one hand whilst maintaining the challenge of being in the remote outdoors for users on the other. The team will work by hand and with a mini-digger as was seen on the North Tor to establish an narrow aggregate path through the eroded corridor. Techniques will include ‘benching’ and other similar sustainable methods to make the paths blend in better with the natural contours and shed water. Stone ‘slabs’ will be used to step up to higher levels and will help demarcate the route and block off severely eroded areas. Careful ongoing monitoring of impact will be undertaken and practices adjusted as necessary.

This project continues on from earlier work in 2011 on the Carricklittle Track and repair of the route from the above col to the North Tor on Slieve Binnian.

The work team will be on site until the end of January 2012. MHT apologises for any inconvenience to adjacent landowners and users.

Contact MHT if you are interested in getting involved with the path volunteers, or even if you want to donate to support this important work.

For more information go to: Tel: 028 4372 4059, Email: mht@mourne.co.uk,

Their volunteering site is: www.activelifestyles.org Website: www.mournelive.com

 

Forest Closures due to outbreak of Tree disease

 

Please be aware, due to an outbreak of Phytophthora (P. ramorum), the Northern Ireland Forest Service has currently closed the following forests. In the Mournes they are: Tievenadarragh and Moneyscalp, In the Antrim Hill,  Glenarm, Glenariff, Woodburn and Ballyboley,

P. ramorum is a fast spreading disease which has the potential to cause serious damage to woodlands and plants here in Northern Ireland.

As such, we would strongly advise that walkers, cyclists and others taking part in outdoor activities do not enter the affected forests until it has been deemed safe to do so.

This harmful tree disease can be spread in many ways, including on footwear, on vehicle wheels or on tools and machinery. If you’re visiting other forests in Northern Ireland, please pay attention to signs showing what you can do to help prevent spread of the disease. These include:

·         avoiding any action which could result in the movement of infected soil or plant parts to uninfected areas

·         keeping to forest roads

·         keeping dogs under control

·         removing soil and mud from shoes and boots before leaving the woodland

For further information on this disease please visit the Forest Service’s website - http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pramorum

 

Our Next walk is:

Sunday 8th January 2012 – Ben Crom – Happy Valley Car Park.(J292 297)

 

The Leaders who will be leading the next walk are:

Grade A: Edward McGuiggan. Brendan Kirke

Grade B: Pat Gaskin, Eileen McKeever, Stephen Downey, Peter McGowan.

Grade C: Tom Kehoe, Fiona Campbell and Neil Lockington

 

Après Walk: Betty Dorans

 

 

Other Information:

 

Did you miss the last Newsletter?. Click here for the last Newsletter

 

Safety Gear List: We ask members, particularly new members or people who are thinking of joining us, to read this information. Click Here

 

Weather Forecast BBC Weather , RTE Weather,

 

Our Website: Wee Binnian Walkers Website, Other: Walks Programme. Our Email address: weebinnians@eircom.net

Contacting Our Club Secretary:

 

Secretary Eoghan Bailey - ROI 00353 (0)86 843 4440 or Assistant Secretary Eileen McKeever.- 0044(0) 759 239 3801. (You may wish to take note of these numbers for future reference and we ask members to store these numbers into your mobile and store them as “Wee Binnians”)

 

Newsletter compiled by: David Sloan. Articles submitted by: Eoghan Bailey, Eileen McKeever

Back to Homepage