Ballyhoura Bears Walks August 1st 2010

Compiled by Denis Bates

Thursday July 29th
The Thursday evening walks continue in popularity. Led by Declan Clancy the walk started from the Lacca and headed down the Goat’s Path into Greenwood. A turn through the Pinch onto Seefin took the group to the heights and a compelling view of the Glen of Aherlow nestling beneath the shadowed slopes of the Galtys. A short descent to the car park brought a fine evening’s walk to a contented conclusion.

Saturday July 31st
The Ballyhoura Beast event took place across the August Bank Holiday weekend. A small group of intrepid Bears lent support by manning two checkpoints on the summits of Galtybeg and Galtymore respectively. Setting off from Cush car park well ahead of the anticipated arrival of the teams the group scaled the heights of Galtybeg and paused for a lunch break and cup of hot tea courtesy of the camping stove and water which had been portered up the mountain. The sherpas weren’t in it when it came to the provision of home comforts on the heights. The group then split, with two of the team continuing to the summit of Galtymore to await the first competitors. The day was chill with low cloud, constant wind and frequent rain. Rare breaks in the cloud offered commanding views of the slopes and eventually, the approach of the lead competitors. Eleven teams in all passed through the checkpoints on their way to Glengara hostel and the delights of abseiling. You could only admire the stamina and dedication of the teams as they hauled themselves to the summits by the shortest though steepest routes possible. A very enjoyable day was had by the checkpoint teams though the high Galtys is not a comfortable place to pass time. It was good to be on the move again once the duty was done and to descend the slopes to Cush car park and home again.

Sunday August 1st
Many of the regular walkers have departed for the annual Ballyhoura Bears away trip, this time to Switzerland. For the faithful remaining two walks were on offer.
The skills practice walk assembled at the Lacca before a leisurely ascent to Seefin by way of Pigeon Rock. The day was warm and humid with passing cloud obscuring visibility from time to time. It was not a day for covering long distances or for great exertion. Instead we took our time to locate and discuss the flora and fauna of the Ballyhouras. As August commences the heathers and grasses are in full growth. Billberries, sometimes known as fraughans or hertz berries were in abundance. Their fragile bodies and delicate flavour make them a particular delight of the late summer season. Time was when people would harvest them to eat fresh or to preserve as a jam. Nowadays it is a rare sight to see anyone harvesting the humble fraughan. The walk continued with opportunities to check the landscape for prominent features. The far Galtys and further Knockmealdowns were quite distinct though their heights were lost in cloud throughout. A short pause at the trig point on Seefin provided a chance to check bearings on landmarks and route. The descent onto the well-worn tack was easy as the boggy stretches had dried out in spite of recent rain. A brief encounter with a fleet of quad bikes reminded us that a new order has been made banning quads from many of our mountains and areas of special conservation. While the quads we met were being responsibly used, the widespread quad damage to many hills shows the real threat they pose to the conservation of our landscape. Some quad riders have marked the summit of Galtymore by doing ‘doughnuts’, ripping the soil open and leaving it vulnerable to erosion by wind and rain. The new legislation is welcome but the real question is who will enforce it?
The ‘B’ walk, led by Cal McCarthy, set off on the Canon Sheehan Loop with a comfortable group of 17 eager participants. This route took the party along the Glenanaar valley and beyond, taking in the Tooreen and the mass rock. The day was mild and warm with passing cloud and the threat though fortunately no the arrival of rain. A lovely outing enjoyed by all.