MEET: Outside old Irish Press Offices, Burgh Quay, down from Spar shop.

DEPART Sundays 10.00 A.M. (or when the bus is full)

COST: Private bus. Cost €9.00.

NOTE: The leader has the right to refuse anyone who is not adequately equipped (i.e. without adequate rainwear, spare clothes, food, torch and hiking boots). The leader has the right to extend, curtail or alter the route from that described in the program. The leader sets the pace of the hike and walkers are expected to obey his/her instructions at all times.

Your club membership card MUST be carried and produced, if requested on all Sunday hikes. Numbered tickets will be given out on the quays by a committee member. People with a valid membership card and ticket will be given preference on the bus.

Mountaineering is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants should be aware of and accept these risks. People who take part in our club activities do so at their own risk and are responsible for their own actions and involvement. The Committee requests that anyone who is on medication or with a medical condition inform the leader before the start of the hike.

Try to reduce the erosion and widening of trails, e.g. do not walk on the edge of worn tracks; walk through the centre of the original track or go several feet into the scruff where the ground is untrodden, walking parallel to but not on the track.

Litter is unsightly and dangerous to animals. Even bio-degradable items like orange peels and banana skins take years to disappear. Bring all your litter home and try to include at least one extra item from each day out. Do not bury litter – animals will dig it up.

In the interest of safety and comfort please keep the pointed end of your walking stick covered, especially when travelling on the bus.

Details can be found at the back of the newsletter of the club’s trip to the beautiful mountain landscape of Snowdonia.

This will be led by Donal Finn and take place on the October Holiday Weekend 2002 Friday, from October 25^th to Monday October 28^th, 2002. Booking is now open at Head Office (01-8304555).

Prionsias Mac an Bheatha, our club treasurer, leads a quiet existence as a school teacher…except when he is off in the warzones of Central Asia or other exotic locations. Read on for his latest ‘danger man’ exploits:

Aer Lingus managed to upset our departure for Central America with their pilots dispute. Instead we left a day early with Ryan Air. We flew with American Airlines via London and Miami to Guatemala City.

We headed straight for the town of Antigua, an hour by taxi from the capital, as we had heard that Guatemala City can be a dangerous place. Antigua was a nice place to start ones trip as it is full of character and laid back. It is in the highlands so the climate is mild for the tropics. Every church and old building in Antigua is a ruin having been destroyed by earthquakes. They have just left the ruin and built a new church behind it. The town is full of Spanish language schools with great value to be had. For $120 you can attend one to one classes and get full board with a local family for a whole week.

While in Antigua we climbed Pacaya Volcano. It is still active and when torrential rain started near the top, the acid in the smoke mixed with the rain and started to sting our eyes. As we retreated lightening started just above our heads. The thunder brought you to a halt with its explosive crash. Our bus had to be pushed and lifted along the track down as the road was being washed away. In one place half the road was gone down a gully and we all stood and watched as the driver edged the bus slowly past the narrow remaining section of road.

After that we headed for Panajachel beside Lake Atitlan. There are hippies still living here from the sixties. They believed that the lake which is surrounded by volcanoes had an energy force and a spirituality about it. Well they are still there trying to sell tourists ganga and cocaine. I declined there offers, explaining that I was energised enough after Pacaya Volcano.

We climbed San Pedro volcano but lost the track and did not make it to the top.Maybe it was just as well, because as we plodded through fields of coffee and maize, the farmers kept warning us about the thieves with machetes who were waiting on top to rob us. The views were spectacular overlooking the lake.

We went on a day trip to the market in Chichicastenango. The Maya Indians were dressed in their traditional woven clothes, which were very colourful. The Catholic church also holds Maya Gods and the Maya were offering them food and alcohol in the church. It was wonderful to see that the church had not managed to wipe out the Maya religion but had accepted it as part of their own.

Next we headed to Quetzaltenango which is the starting point for Tajumulco 4210m, which is Guatemala’s and Central America’s highest mountain. It took two days so we camped overnight before ascending to the summit. We arose at five in the morning in order to see the sunrise from the summit. As the sky turned from red to yellow we could see a line of volcanoes on the horizon, with smoke coming out of some. The Pacific Ocean could also be seen from Guatemala’s border with Mexico to its border with El Salvador.

We were to dream of that cool night on the mountain as we hit the humidity and heat of the Caribbean. We stayed in Livingston which is a colony of the descendants of ex-slaves. They live by fishing from their dug-out canoes. They like to play Bob Marley music a lot and the place had a real laid back feel about it. We swam and visited some Caya (coral islands) in nearby Belize. The village is surrounded with tropical forest, and although I always wanted to walk through one, it became very claustrophobic after a while. The humidity and heat in the jungle is intense, and the mosquitoes are very aggressive. One did not have time to think about snakes or tarantulas!

In the north of Guatemala is the country’s most important historical site. At Tikal about 1,500 years ago, the Maya Indians built a vast city with many huge pyramids in the jungle. There are carvings showing humans being sacrificed and they seem to have worshipped the sun. The Maya mysteriously abandoned the site about 900 years ago, it is thought, because of the depletion of the environment.. The site was subsequently rediscovered by the Spanish and is now a national monument. We were prevented from getting to Tikal for three days as ex-fighters for the government in the country’s civil war were blockading the roads and airports, with machetes and batons, demanding payment. They ran after us at one stage so we headed for Belize for a few days until they called off their protest.

Tikal was the highlight of our trip and I just had to climb most of the pyramids. They stand above the jungle canopy, and all around you could hear Howler Monkeys, Parrots and even Toucans calling. Tikal National Park is vast with an area of 900km² and it was great to see giant Mahogany trees in their natural environment.

We had a great time in Guatemala. Accommodation cost us $4 or $5 a night. One could live easily on $20 a day. The food was fine as long as you stayed away from salads. We spent three weeks in the country and spent some days in neighbouring Belize, an ex-British colony. In Belize they were only interested in money, whereas in Guatemala the people were friendlier and had time to talk to you. Now to start planning my next trip.

Proinsias Mac an Bheatha.

[Ed. Note: our teacher passed his spelling test (only one blooper) but his maths are a bit weak as he exceeded the 500-word article guideline by 438 words. Better recheck the club accounts Proinsias!!!]

Saturday Hike – 7^th September Knocksink Woods

Meet at Messrs Maguire Bar, O’Connell Bridge, Dublin at 8.45 a.m.

Bring: Packed lunch, wet weather gear and torch

Wear: Boots, tracksuit bottoms (no jeans), hat and gloves

Weekend Away 1^st to 3^rd November Knockree

Ring An Óige office for details (01-8304555).

Extra locks had been added to the Editorial Office to safeguard the notes and pictures taken on the June weekend-away, in anticipation of persons who might want to prevent a full exposé of the weekend’s shenanigans.

"We’re all part of Philip’s Army

We’re all off to Westport

And we’re never going to stop

‘till we reach the mountain top

Oh! Philip has the greatest walking team"

Yes, it was back in the heady days of World Cup fever and this was the chant as the bold adventurers set off for Westport on the June bank holiday weekend, the first to be led by our own Philip Hayden.

An odd addition to the group was a gang of Irish World Cup supporters who were obviously suffering from the self-imposed delusion that they were in fact going to the Far East. "Is this Hayden’s World Cup Tour bus to Niigata?" they asked on the quays before boarding. Unwilling to be dissuaded they draped their flags along the bus and joined our expedition. Whilst climbing Croagh Patrick they were still holding conversations along the lines of "The locals speak really funny here, don’t they? We can hardly understand them, but the Guinness here is better than I expected this far east. Jeepers, this Mount Fuji is really misty. You know, I think we’re going to win this group" We left them to their little fantasy world…

Philip was assisted by numerous individuals in official and unofficial roles over the course of the weekend and their names are listed hereforth:

Chief Entertainment Officer for the weekend was Brian O’Grainne, who kept us all in stitches with his bus broadcasts and his verbal encouragements on top of Croabh Patrick. With co-host Brendan O’Toole, we were treated to interviews with Roy Keane and the German football team manager.

Amor Sarasola was Chief Chef and cooked up a feast for his fellow walkers on Sunday night. Reports that most of them were in bed next morning with food poisoning are a gross slander [p.s Amor, you still owe the Editor that recipe!].

Philip also hired the finest of musicians to entertain the group at night. Myles, Joe Kavanagh, Joan McDonald and the irrepressible (and ever irresponsible) Ron Cartin.

For the purposes of walking he was assisted by Jimmy McCullagh, Frank Rooney, and Warren Lawless (the fact that Philip gave the latter a lengthy cliff walk to do and greeted his safe return with surprise is been treated dubiously by the Editor).

Amid the spectacular wilderness of west Mayo the club enjoyed, or rather experienced, hikes up Ben Gorm and Mweelrea on Saturday. But our gallant bands were both defeated by mist and time. Next day gave better weather as we explored Achill Island. The weather turned on us again but the three ‘flying columns’ (mod, hard and mad) had the bulk of their walking done and were able to take welcome rest in The Pub. The final day saw good weather as we stormed up the holy mountain, Croagh Patrick.

Much transpired on apart from the walking, but tragically the generous amount of free drink that was directed at the Editor has served to erase his memory of many of the amusing antics and outrageous comments of the weekend…but that’s okay as most of it was unprintable anyway.

A noticeable feature of the weekend was the number of couples among the group. Some of these only seemed to emerge on the weekend itself but we will shelter these new blooms from the glare of publicity, the better for them to prosper. Anyone needing an update can of course ask the Don Reilly Information Bureau on a need-to-know-the-gossip basis.

Slideshows are planned for the following dates: Oct 1^st, Oct 22^nd. To start us off, we have:

Tuesday, October 1^st 8.30pm, Upstairs Lounge, Palace Bar

Meanwhile, if anyone would like to present a slide show, please contact Donal Finn (through the An Óige office : 01-8304555). Dates presently available are Nov 12^th and Dec 3^rd

Tour of Mont Blanc, July 2002

The entire Tour Du Mont Blanc provides a classic walking circuit around this massif, passing through three countries. The whole tour covers a little over 100 miles altogether with about 10,000 metres of climbs and descents.

Having thought of going to Mont Blanc for a holiday, I booked a tour. It started on the 6^th July and lasted for a week. It cost £529 Sterling and you fly from Dublin to London, and from London to Geneva. It is a five day walking trip, with vehicle support, plus one free day. There was 10 girls and 6 guys [Ed: Fellas, take note]; two were from Dublin, and the rest were from England.

We reached maximum altitudes of 2525m and this would have been grade B walking. Each day we would get up at 7.30 am, have our breakfast and leave to go walking at 8.30 am. We reached the mountain top we would have a picnic on top. This is the way we did it each day.

We stayed in Chalet Savoy, situated in the quiet hamlet of Les Chavants, near Les Hoches, in the Chamonix Valley. One day we were in France, the next day in Italy and the next day in Switzerland.

The weather was beautiful and the scenery was priceless. Because this was skiing resort area, some people would decide to get the cable car back down, but I decided that was not for me. Each day was wonderful for walking, you never knew what was ahead. The food too was beautiful and a lot of wine was drunk.

On our free day off, we all went to a town called Annecy and in the afternoon we went on the cable car. This went up to 3842m, which was a magic moment not to be forgotten.

To me, this was a beautiful trip, the walking was easy, with not many people around and well worth the money.

Chairperson: Donal Finn
Secretary: Frank Rooney
Treasurer Prionsias Mac an Bheatha
Editor Warren Lawless
Sunday Hikes: Jim Barry
Membership Secretary: Gerry Walshe
Training Officer: Joe Kellegher
Young Hillwalkers: Dave Rooney

Distribution: Cyril McFeeney & Pearse Foley
Webmaster: Matt Geraghty

The Hillwalkers Club annual membership fee is €19.

The club intends giving preference to members for places on the Sunday bus, so please be sure to renew your membership now. An application form is enclosed and should be sent to the membership secretary at the following address: Mr. Ger Walsh, 15 Summerfield Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.

Walking holiday articles and pictures must be in electronic form where possible or at least typed, and should be a maximum of 500 words. A stamped addressed envelope should accompany any photographs or printed articles to ensure their return. Articles will generally be published in order of receipt. A prize will be awarded for the best article and best cover photo featured in the newsletter at the annual club Christmas party.

Since its founding in 1993, the Hillwalker's Club has organised a popular Map and Compass programme each year. The course aims to provide a comprehensive grounding in Mountain Skills and it typically involves three indoor evening sessions followed by three outdoor training weekends. The syllabus covered in the course is similar to the Mountain Skills courses (MS1 and MS2) prescribed by Bord Oiliunt Sleibhe - Irish Mountain Training Board and offered by the various Irish outdoor adventure centres (eg, Tiglin, Delphi, etc).

In order to further promote and develop mountain skills amongst club members, financial support in the form of bursaries will be made available to members who successfully complete a Mountain Skills Assessment in 2002.

The Mountain Skills Assessment (MSA) is based on a skills evaluation programme and is held over a weekend. It involves a number of stages as follows:

1. A written (multiple choice type) assessment on general navigation issues.
2. Practical assessment of day navigation skills.
3. Practical assessment of night navigation skills.
4. Near and far feature recognition.
5. Steep ground awareness.

To undertake the Mountain Skills Assessment (MSA), it is necessary to fulfil the following requirements:

1. to have completed at least 30 hill walks in Ireland or Britain over a period of 24 months,
2. to present a Mountain Skills log book detailing the above walks,
3. to hold a valid Rescue and Emergency Care (REC2) certificate or its equivalent (Basic First Aid Certificate).

The National Adventure Centre at Tiglin, Wicklow (www.tiglin.com) amongst others, organises the MSA at a current cost of €170.

In 2002, the Hillwalker's Club plans to make available at least five bursaries each of €150 to members of at least 24 months standing who successfully complete the MSA.

The financial resources to support these bursaries will be made available from the surplus associated with the Club's annual Map and Compass training programme. Support in future years is contingent on sufficient funds being available from this source.

Further enquiries from Donal Finn or Joseph Kellegher.

An extended walking weekend in some of the following Snowdonia ranges (Carnedds, Tryfan/Glyders, Snowdon, Cnicht/Moelwyns). Three grades of walk will be provided each day to cater for all interests (long, moderate and short).

Please book through Head Office. Deposit €70. Balance €100 to be paid to Head Office before departure.