Hill Walking in Wicklow

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Hill Walking in Wicklow

Sunday, August 25 2002

By Tony Murphy

Traditionally in County wicklow, hill walking was confined to sheep farmers who would spend days at a time walking the mountains to keep a check on their flocks.

I recall one particular neighbour and distance relative of my own in the Rathdrum area, the late Jim Whelan who knew the landscape of Lugnaquilla better than he did his own back yard. Having grown up in the area, Jim learned the sheep business after spending a few years in Australia. To him, there was nowhere in the world like `Lug' as he affectionately called it.

A walker's paradise

Jim was always fit, healthy and energetic and yet the penny did not drop with so many of us at that time that his fitness was due to his exploits.

However, the change that has now come about in relation to mountain climbing is unreal and is now so popular that Wicklow Tourism has actually turned it into an annual festival.

Almost every time I now go home to Rathdrum I bump into some old friend who likes to inform me that he is either just back from Lugnaquilla or is about to head there. These are not people who I would have accused of being over-active or interested in sheep.

However, walking the mountains of Glenmalure and West Wicklow has almost become an addiction with them and this craze is certainly catching on with both locals and visitors from various parts of the country.

Wicklow Tourism sees the magnificent Wicklow landscape as a gem in the Garden County that provides the best opportunities for holiday walking and strolling in the entire country.

This year's festival alone covered a wide area. It brought people to Table Mountain in Donard and the beautiful Glen of Imaal valley in West Wicklow.

The tourism body advises people in its promotional literature to travel to the Donard/Davidstown Road but to take care in handling any objects because this area also takes in the military firing range.

They describe the Glen of Imaal as a lovely amphitheatre cupped between Table Mountain, the western slopes of Luqnaquilla and Keadeen Mountain. They point out thqt the location for the festival each year is world famous and the best way to experience the area, rather than touring the mountains by car, is to follow trained and informed guides and walk into the hills with them.

Like the aforementioned Jim whelan, Most of the regular walkers from the area today are expert guides and have come to know every hump and hollow that may present an element of danger to those less familiar with the mountains.

However, it is important that care is taken when mountain climbing. The various mountain rescue teams in the area are kept busy each year and hardly a week goes by without an incident of some kind.

Accidents can happen but so many of them can be avoided by taking care in areas that may look somewhat suspect. It is also important to start making your descent in good time to reach the bottom in daylight. Mist and fog can appear quite suddenly and disorientate the walkers.

However, hill walking appears to be here to stay and those who have made it their new way of life have no problem saying that they never felt more healthy.

Anyone interested in becoming involved may contact Wicklow Tourism in Wicklow town where staff there will provide expert advice.

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