31/01/2017
Found this bit of footage whilst going through lots of memory stacks, it's an ideal example of 30 seconds of foolishness whilst being alone in Ireland's outer reaches. It also sparked a very cunning plan for sometime during the summer months. :-)
Alone on the summit ridge of Cnoc an Mara Sea Stack
The month of January 2017 has pretty much-been spring all month with blue sky very little wind and outrageously beautiful sunrises and sunsets every day. It has been a month of spring weather and as such we have been out playing and doing outdoor activities normally associated with the beginning of March rather than the middle of January.
Several Mountain Skills programs have been running with people travelling from Belfast, Dublin, Waterford and Cork to wander the Derrveagh Mountain in search of that elusive contour.
A swift Mountain Leader Assessment resulted in two troops passing their Mountain Leader Award.
Sunrise from the back door of the house
Mountain Skills Training
Mountain Skills Training on Errigal Mountain
Playing on Cruit Island
Several sunny visits to Cruit Island with 27 routes either led or soloed up to HVS, which is an unheard-of amount of outdoor climbing so early in the year. With light south and south-west winds the granite of Cruit Island dries and even warms very quickly with only the slightest hint of sun and breeze.
Dunlewey
A visit to Illancrone
Two island visits have been in order this month, the first being a quick paddle across to Inishcrone from Maghery Strand, admittedly it was a tad breezy and the sea was not the warmest but it was an excellent start to the nautical year. Aidan McGinley was in attendance and in the picture above a massive sky was also in attendance. The second island visit was to Owey and this time a solo venture and as the sea was bouncy from the south a visit to the Bay of Seals was the prefered paddle of choice. Had a wee paddle through the canyon and into three different sea caves on the north coast of the island. In the bay of Seals, a solitary grey seal was looking a bit lost on the rocky shore and pairs of gannets were already nesting on the landward face of Dan's Stack.
The Bay of Seal on Owey Island
Owey Island Village
