Dublin Mountain way

99Luftballons

Hi,

did anybody walk the dublin mountain way from tallaght to shankill? how long did it take you? is it doable in one day?
thanks for help
s

Slogger Jogger

99Luftballons wrote: »

Hi,

did anybody walk the dublin mountain way from tallaght to shankill? how long did it take you? is it doable in one day?
thanks for help
s

Already a thread open on this. Can this be merged in please?

It was shown as being done on TV recently but it was contrived I think. I don't think they actually walked in the day. If you were very fit you could do it. Might consider walk / running it some time - though the road bits around Kilternan put me off.

duckysauce

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Already a thread open on this. Can this be merged in please?

It was shown as being done on TV recently but it was contrived I think. I don't think they actually walked in the day. If you were very fit you could do it. Might consider walk / running it some time - though the road bits around Kilternan put me off.

yep there was no way the couple on tv did it in one day

foolelle

i dont feel this should be merged with existing thread, since the new route has been published surely we should have a new thread too, with opinions and views on the new route.
I think its a very welcomed addition to dublin although i would agree with the other posters on the stretches that are on roads, very dangerous, probably best left undone.

Evil Phil

I'm not going to merge this, it would break the flow of both threads.

foolelle

ok given that it might take 2 days to complete where would be a good, quiet and safe place to camp over night?

dogmatix

foolelle wrote: »

ok given that it might take 2 days to complete where would be a good, quiet and safe place to camp over night?

Somewhere around the tors of the three rock? I've occasionally seen tents pitched up there in the mornings and the tors would offer some protection from the wind. I would'nt camp down in any of the woods or trees along the route - i'd be wary of skangers, scrots and cider parties...

Stark

What distance is it from Tallaght to Shankill?

copacetic

Stark wrote: »

What distance is it from Tallaght to Shankill?

as per other thread, they estimate on their site it's 43k and 13.5-17hrs or so of walking.

http://www.dublinmountains.ie/index.php?id=151

Don't see anyone walking it in one day, except in the middle of the summer.

Judge

Walked the DMW today from Shankill to the Pine Forest (approximate halfway point by my reckoning). Some thoughts:

Initial section from Shankill to The Scalp is, with some reservations, very enjoyable. Love the way they use the lanes behind Brady's to get you out of Shankill and over the M50 really quickly. Within less than 10 minutes you're on quiet roads and lanes and it feels like you're in the country.

My main reservation with this section is the route through Carrickgollogan Wood. It's a pretty boring stretch - really they should have devised a route that would take in the summit of Carrickgollogan and also the Ballycorus Lead Mines chimney.

They've altered the route at Barnaslingan again since my last report. You now don't go all the way out to the lookout point over The Scalp but turn away just short of it. I know I said I thought this section was a bit confusing when I reported on it previously but I didn't think their solution would be to skip that bit. The route down through the trees to the road remains inadequately waymarked. There's a few very soggy sections of the path along here as well that could do with a bit of maintenance.

From The Scalp you're on a lengthy stretch of road walking. There is a path all the way from The Scalp to Kilternan. After this you're on the road facing the traffic. The initial stretch from Kilternan is very narrow with several totally blind corners (most of the cars approaching these corners had to sound their horns to alert oncoming traffic (and hikers!) to their presence). Even banking on the public holiday and the marathon keeping traffic down, I still encountered quite a few cars. It does improve after a few km but frankly this section is totally unsafe and I would not recommend walking it.

Eventually you get into Ticknock Forest and the best stretch of the Way, taking in Three Rock, Fairy Castle, Tibradden and the Pine Forest. As you walk the Three Walk to Fairy Castle section it is somewhat galling to realise you are largely doubling back on your route from Glencullen. The trails around Fairy Castle get worse with every passing year and it is now time for Dublin Mountains Partnership/Mountain Meitheal to perform serious trail remediation here.

Timings:
Shankill to The Scalp (exit to R117): 90 minutes
The Scalp to Glencullen (Johnny Fox's): 60 minutes
Glencullen to Three Rock summit: 60 minutes
Three Rock to Fairy Castle: 45 minutes
Fairy Castle to Tibradden (prehistoric cairn): 45 minutes
Tibradden to Pine Forest (DMW map board at entrance): 30 minutes

With a stop for lunch on Three Rock, total time 6 hours. Distance: 24.6 km.

Judge

Completed the DMW today between the Pine Forest and Tallaght. Some more thoughts:

Taking the spur route, took the long way through Massy's (which is a riot of autumn colours at the moment) and the short way to the summit of the Hell Fire Club. Then took the long route back off the Hell Fire Club and the short route back through Massy's (short route is not waymarked but took path indicated on the map on the DMP website.

Arriving at Dogging Point Viewing Point, the first of several waymarking issues manifests itself: no waymarker to indicate what direction to take. Reverting to the map, I find my way to the entrance to the Featherbed Forest. No waymarker on the road to point to the entrance although there is one about 10m or so inside the entrance.

The route through the Featherbed Forest is quite fun: the way though the dense knot of trees is marked with yellow blazes sprayed onto the tree trunks. Being somewhat preprogrammed to look for “walking man” signs at this stage it took me a few seconds to realise this; maybe a sign to follow the yellow marks might be in order.

Loads of road walking once you emerge from the Featherbed Forest. No apparent reason as to why a path can't go up over Piperstown Hill from this side – are there farms on the other side? Entire area seems to serve as an unofficial rubbish tip with plastic bags and junk strewn all about the place. Roads are very quiet though and the scenery is nice.

More waymarking problems:

• The waymarker at the exit from the Featherbed Forest onto the road has been knocked over: hard to say if vandalism or hit by careless driver;
• The waymarker at the junction at grid reference O 108 231 has been snapped off its base: again hard to tell if deliberate or accidental;
• There are no waymarkers on the junctions at grid references O 098 227 and O 103 219

As a general note on the waymarking: DMP say they want the DMW to be one of the national waymarked ways but in order to meet the requirements of the Waymarked Ways Advisory Commitee, the road sections need to be marked with brown roadsigns not walking man waymarkers.

The new route through Kiltipper Park is nothing to write home about: just a rough gravel track through a field. Presume over time as they develop the park it will improve. It would be better if they could run the path along the bank of the Dodder.

The Way re-enters civilisation at Kiltipper passing though some truly awful Celtic Tiger era housing.

Couldn't figure out the last section. The map says the Way enters Sean Walsh Park and there is a waymarker along the Kiltipper Way at an entrance to the park but the gate is closed and locked. I just continued along the Kiltipper Way until I got to the trailhead which is marked with a mapboard and a fancy stone commemorating the opening of the way. The trailhead is located in a not at all attractive bottle bank – why not at the footbridge leading into the park from The Square? The first arrow at the trailhead points into the park to a path that comes to a halt after about 10 metres because there is no bridge over the stream that crosses the park at this point.

I know the Way isn't officially open but with less that 24 hours to go you'd think all this would be sorted.

Timings:
Cruagh Wood to Massy Woods (entrance at hairpin bend over Glendoo Brook): 50 minutes
Massy Woods to Hell Fire Club (summit trig pillar): 80 minutes
Hell Fire Club to Viewing Point: 75 minutes
Viewing Point to St Ann's Graveyard: 80 minutes
St Ann's Graveyard to Fort Bridge: 45 minutes
Fort Bridge to Tallaght: 40 minutes

With a stop for lunch, total time 6 hours 25 minutes. Distance: 25.8km

Slogger Jogger

Feature on the opening today on the 6-1 news.

maloner

Why is this being launched in November?

Surely a big media launch should be done in April/May when the weather is getting better and the days longer. Its now getting darker and wetter by the day!

Judge

The official Dublin Mountains Way map is now available to buy on the EastWest Mapping website.

nomdeboardie

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Feature on the opening today on the 6-1 news.

Thanks. (Missed it and my internet connection's too crappy to view replay - I'm looking at you, O2...)

Judge wrote: »

The official Dublin Mountains Way map is now available to buy on the EastWest Mapping website.

Beat me to it :pac:

Meanwhile, there's a nice (and amusing) entry for the Way in EvertTrail from Joe King http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=869581

Slogger Jogger

Judge wrote: »

The official Dublin Mountains Way map is now available to buy on the EastWest Mapping website.

Got mine in the post today. Lots of places where you see a circuitous road section that could have been lessened / bettered by a trail section, or a less travelled road

dogmatix

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Got mine in the post today. Lots of places where you see a circuitous road section that could have been lessened / bettered by a trail section, or a less travelled road

I presume you mean the whole route from Barnacullia to the Scalp? You can blame private access and contested rights of way for that problem (for the most part).

macd

Fi Folks, A group of us ran the new DMW from Tallaght to Tiknock on Sunday as part of the launch..weather conditions and visibility up there wasn`t the best on the day but we had a good laugh and enjoyed it ! Ths section is about 26km

There are still some waymarking issues on the Featherbed forest and its very wet in there, but we're told this is being sorted out.

Good maps for the route are available on www.dublinmountains.ie

Slogger Jogger

dogmatix wrote: »

I presume you mean the whole route from Barnacullia to the Scalp? You can blame private access and contested rights of way for that problem (for the most part).

Yep. And at the other end too, near Glenosmole where it could have cut across a bit of a hill but instead heads up a road, across another road and back down a road. I'm given to understand that access will continue to be sought to improve the way, so maybe it'll evolve for the better over time.

Fuinseog

does dublin bus go anywhere near the trail?

dogmatix

Fuinseog wrote: »

does dublin bus go anywhere near the trail?

14, 14A, 16, 48A and 75 all pass through Ballinteer. 16 terminus at the top of Woodpark would be closet to the trail. Anywhere from 45m to 1h 15m to get onto the trail (depending on walking speed).

44 and 44A runs through Stepaside (for Barnaculla - use the fernhill tunnel to get onto the trail) and Kilternan.

Judge

dogmatix wrote: »

14, 14A, 16, 48A and 75 all pass through Ballinteer. 16 terminus at the top of Woodpark would be closet to the trail. Anywhere from 45m to 1h 15m to get onto the trail (depending on walking speed).

44 and 44A runs through Stepaside (for Barnaculla - use the fernhill tunnel to get onto the trail) and Kilternan.

And the 44B which goes to Glencullen via Carthy's Green (where the Way enters Ticknock Forest).

You can also take the 161 to Rockbrook and walk up Cruagh Lane into Massy's Wood.

The 114 stops at the Lamb Doyles where you can climb up Three Rock from the track off the lane opposite the junction of Woodside Road and Slate Cabin Lane.

Edited to add: incidentally, the EastWest map isn't too hot on the locations of bus stops: the 161 does not go all the way up to the junction of Cruagh Lane and Corkscrew Road but turns down Tibradden Road and terminates at the roundabout at the foot of Kilmashogue Lane. Similarly, the 114 does not go up Ticknock Road but terminates at a housing estate off Blackglen Road.

BarryD

Thanks for pointing that out - I have amended accordingly. Don't know how I ended up with a bus symbol on the Ticknock road

ASBO

Hi all,

I can't access dublinmountains.ie due to work internet restrictions. Girlfriend and I are casual walkers, regularly do sugarloaf (from carpark so only takes 45mins or so). Can anyone recommend a trek (90 mins or so return). Drive the car to a spot (are there official car parks?), join a trail, 90 - 120mins later should bring us back around to starting point?

We're based in city centre so looking to not have to travel much further than the 30 mins it takes to get to Sugarloaf area.

BarryD

Hello Asbo, the Dublin Mountains Way is a linear A-B route, though some would say, not a very direct linear route! You want a loop walk, starting & finishing same place? Signposted? You best bet might be to go to Ticknock carpark, follow the tarred road up towards the masts, join the Dublin Mtn Way - follow it over Fairy Castle, meet the Wicklow Way junction and turn north back down towards the city on this. When you meet a wide forest road below, turn right to bring you back around to your outward journey. Buy the DMP map at www.eastwestmapping.ie - this has all the trails and forest roads marked. Ideally however, you need to learn to read the map, make up your own circuits and loops - there are endless possibilities armed with the right info!! Trust this helps, Barry D.

Tobias Greeshman

ASBO wrote: »

We're based in city centre so looking to not have to travel much further than the 30 mins it takes to get to Sugarloaf area.

Can't comment on the Dublin mountains, but how about kippure, you'd definitely be down there in about 30-40 mins from South Dublin. It has a nice track up the mountain to the summit, there's an RTE mast at the top.

Here's the directions from google maps to it here!

Donny5

ASBO wrote: »

Hi all,

I can't access dublinmountains.ie due to work internet restrictions. Girlfriend and I are casual walkers, regularly do sugarloaf (from carpark so only takes 45mins or so). Can anyone recommend a trek (90 mins or so return). Drive the car to a spot (are there official car parks?), join a trail, 90 - 120mins later should bring us back around to starting point?

We're based in city centre so looking to not have to travel much further than the 30 mins it takes to get to Sugarloaf area.

You could try Fairy Castle. You can park in the Ticknock car park and head up the hill, past Three Rock and up onto Fairy Castle. It's a short walk and it has a great view from the cairn at the top of two rock. If you look at the area on Google maps or one of maps they have posted up on the information boards in the car park, you'll see there's a load of forest tracks and paths around the area, so you can go up one route and down another without having to retrace your steps.

Another option is to set off from Tibradden car park, from which you have two options. You can follow the Dublin Mountains Way roughly West South West up onto Tibradden, which also has a nice view and a cairn, or you can cross the road and go the other direction up towards Cruagh. If you head towards Cruagh on the DMW, you'll see a turn off up some steps onto a boardwalk that takes you out off the forest tracks out onto open mountain, which can be nicer than walking on tracks.

There's also the Hellfire Club here, which, although a small enough forest, has lots of tracks. You'd probably struggle to spend 90 minutes walking there, though.

You could also head up Kippure. Although not particularly high or difficult, as it's the tallest peak around (tallest in County Dublin, I believe), the view is great on a good day. There's two ways up, the easy way along the RTÉ service road from here and the old bog road, starting from here. The bog road only brings you half way there; the rest is up a small track over boggy ground. Kippure can be very exposed in bad weather.

Another option is Crone Woods. There's a car park here, and there's a lot of options from there. There's lots of nice forest tracks that go quite a distance, if you're looking for an easy walk. For more of a challenge, you can either follow the mountain biking tracks straight up to Maulin (which is a bit of a slog, but well worth it for the view), then follow the old bog track down from the summit until you join the Wicklow Way which you can follow back to the car park, or you can set off on the Wicklow Way and head for Djouce. Neither of these options are much fun in bad weather as both peaks are exposed.

I think all of those shouldn't take (much) longer than half an hour to get to from town.

Hi Donny5. Do you (or anyone else) know any shortcuts that I could take to avoid having to walk on the road in particular from the Scalp to Glencullen? A group of us plan to walk from Shankill to Tallaght (leaving out Hellfire club part) on Saturday. Apparently there are some off road trails marked but I don't know if access is allowed for walkers.

dogmatix

Sloane Plump Uterus wrote: »

Hi Donny5. Do you (or anyone else) know any shortcuts that I could take to avoid having to walk on the road in particular from the Scalp to Glencullen? A group of us plan to walk from Shankill to Tallaght (leaving out Hellfire club part) on Saturday. Apparently there are some off road trails marked but I don't know if access is allowed for walkers.

Nope - i've checked those trails out myself and although they are supposed to be rights of way, they are being contested by a local landowner and are currently closed to walkers. I think you are stuck with the main road for the time being.

ASBO

Thanks for the info folks.

Plenty to go with there.

ASBO

Thanks for your help Dogmatix.

Judge

Sloane Plump Uterus wrote: »

Hi Donny5. Do you (or anyone else) know any shortcuts that I could take to avoid having to walk on the road in particular from the Scalp to Glencullen? A group of us plan to walk from Shankill to Tallaght (leaving out Hellfire club part) on Saturday. Apparently there are some off road trails marked but I don't know if access is allowed for walkers.

Erm... with the days so short at this time of the year are you sure you can complete the trail in one day?

LionelNashe

Sloane Plump Uterus wrote: »

........... A group of us plan to walk from Shankill to Tallaght (leaving out Hellfire club part) on Saturday. ................

Good luck Beach - I've been very tempted to try it myself, just because it would be a race against the light.

Judge

Judge wrote: »

Erm... with the days so short at this time of the year are you sure you can complete the trail in one day?

Thats the plan! We are going to leave early and we have walkers who can night navigate. We will play it by ear - there are opt out points along way if needed.

Judge

Sloane Plump Uterus wrote: »

Thats the plan! We are going to leave early and we have walkers who can night navigate. We will play it by ear - there are opt out points along way if needed.

In that case you need to be aware that the city council lock the gates of the Glenasmole reservoir at sunset.

Judge

Judge wrote: »

In that case you need to be aware that the city council lock the gates of the Glenasmole reservoir at sunset.

Thanks Judge - I didnt know that. Is there a fence or something we can climb over if gates are locked?!

Judge

Sloane Plump Uterus wrote: »

Thanks Judge - I didnt know that. Is there a fence or something we can climb over if gates are locked?!

The reservoir is monitored by CCTV. If you're there after closing you'll be going home in the back of a Garda car...

Judge

Judge wrote: »

The reservoir is monitored by CCTV. If you're there after closing you'll be going home in the back of a Garda car...

At that stage a lift and a hot meal back at the station might be very welcome! Joking aside, thanks for this helpful info.

Judge

Sloane Plump Uterus wrote: »

At that stage a lift and a hot meal back at the station might be very welcome! Joking aside, thanks for this helpful info.

If I could make a suggestion: why not start in Tallaght instead of Shankill? Gets you around the problem of Bohernabreena's opening times and walking the views ahead of you going east are generally a lot better in my opinion. You also have more options in terms of getting off the trail if people get tired etc.

Judge

Judge wrote: »

If I could make a suggestion: why not start in Tallaght instead of Shankill? Gets you around the problem of Bohernabreena's opening times and walking the views ahead of you going east are generally a lot better in my opinion. You also have more options in terms of getting off the trail if people get tired etc.

That does make a lot of sense. I think we decided to start in Tallaght as we didn't want to have to travel from shankill at end of day as we are mostly Wicklow based.

a148pro

Did this walk from Shankill to the scalp and back on Sunday. Very enjoyable. Like the previous reviewer I thought the exit from Shankill was well done. Couldn't actually find the scalp viewing point, I presume the trail is more easily followed when the snow isnt down, but visited what I think was probably a better viewing point up off the trail to the left a little earlier.

Looking to try it from the Tallaght side next, was in Tallaght yesterday and the mountains look fantastic.

Edit:

If you're doing this loop be sure to take in the viewing point (at Carrickgologgan) and the lead tower

antomag

Did the full walk on Good Friday. left tallaght luas at 9 am and got to dart station at 7.30 pm. a detour to forest closure added a few km on bringing total to 48 km. stock up on drinks and food as no where once you leave tallaght until Johnny Foxes.

Judge

Letter in today's Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/index.html#1224300883469

Sir, – As a supporter of opening up Ireland to the joys of walking and its potential for tourist income, I was keen to try out the initiative of the Dublin Mountains Partnership in creating new walks in the vicinity of Dublin city. Their website was enticing, with detailed maps of the new walk which links the Luas between Tallaght and the Dart at Shankill.

A shuttle bus (with detailed timetable) meant that you could walk to the Hellfire Club from Tallaght and get a bus back to base.

I set out from Tallaght, and was very pleasantly surprised at the route taken and the quality and quantity of the direction signage. The landscape just out of Tallaght was spectacular and a pleasure to walk. However, once I left the off-road walking at roads near Glassamucky, the signs simply disappeared and I was left floundering. At this point I decided to end the walk and return by a road route to Tallaght.

When I contacted the partnership, they informed me that local farmers have been removing the walking signs from the roads in the area. I was also told that if I had proceeded to the Hellfire Club, there would have been no bus to take me back! Apparently, there has been poor usage of the service, and with tight finances, it had to be axed. However, this news was not made clear to me on the website.

With this state of affairs, walking will never become popular with the Irish and tourists alike. It is unacceptable that local people can remove signs on the public road. What is their agenda? With no bus, it means that walkers will have to walk back on the same route, which diminishes the walking experience. This scenario is so different to the walking situation in other countries, for example the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. Everybody there, including local farmers, are all supportive of walking in their midst, and all gain by the activity.

The Dublin Mountains Partnership are conscious of these issues, and are trying to resolve them. I have no criticism of them (apart from poor communication regarding the ending of the bus service), and wish them well in their endeavours to open our wonderful countryside to the citizens of Dublin and visitors to Ireland. –

Yours, etc,

ERIC CONROY,
Keep Ireland Open,
Sundrive Park, Dublin 12.

Explains the missing/knocked over signs I found when I walked it late last year. Doesn't augur well for improvements in the route in the coming years.

nomdeboardie

Judge wrote: »

Letter in today's Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/index.html#1224300883469



Explains the missing/knocked over signs I found when I walked it late last year. Doesn't augur well for improvements in the route in the coming years.

Grimly interesting :mad:
I wonder how the DMC found out that the farmers were (allegedly) removing the signs. Assuming it's the case, what's their agenda? Is it not enough for them that they get to deny the walking proles slivers of off-road access, without making sure they have minimal info about the public road?

delta_bravo

I have been doing a bit of research of this route and would love to do it.

Navigation issues aside, I was planning on starting from Tallaght at about 7am some Saturday and trying to do it with a few friends. I'm not a hillwalker but think I could do it in approx 12 hours, at a leisurely pace.

Just a few queries, would I need hiking boots or could I get away with bringing a pair of runners and a pair of new balance (fairly sturdy runner type shoe).

Also I saw Judges post a few months back saying the reservoir closes at a certain time. Does it open at a certain time or would there any issue with me getting there before 9am?

Cheers.

Stark

No need for hiking boots imo. It's pretty much all road/manicured trail.

Krusty_Clown

delta_bravo wrote: »

Just a few queries, would I need hiking boots or could I get away with bringing a pair of runners and a pair of new balance (fairly sturdy runner type shoe).

There are a few mucky places, e.g. Kiltiper Park, the forest at Piperstown/Kilakee, the section up to Fairy Castle and the loop down to the masts at Three Rock, but if you don't mind getting your running shoes a bit mucky, they'll be fine.

chinomel

Did a solo hike of the complete rout last May using all forms of public transport to get to and from the trail.
Live in Maynooth so got early morning train to Connolly stn, got Dart to Shankhill.
Had breakfast in Shankhill, early lunch in johnny Foxes and finished in Tallagh around five . Then it was Luas to Heuston and the 66 bus back home in time for dinner.
A great day on a great trail BUT there is FAR TOO MUCH of it on busy public roads.

Clare_Culchie

I did the DMW yesterday from Tallaght Luas Stop to Shankill Dart Station. It took me 10.5 hrs of constant walking. I would not recommend it to be done in one day, I'm feeling the pain today.

If I were to do it again I'd come down from the Three Rock Mountain and get the 47 bus from Stepaside back to town. I know this is over half-way along the route, but it is the closest point I know to a regular bus service along the route. Rejoining the route at Three Rock on a second day would still leave plenty of highlights such as lunch at Johnny Fox's in Glencullen, the fantastic views of the Sugarloaf & Wicklow Mountains along the sweep down to Kilternan, the view from Barnaslingen Woods, the pint at Mickey Byrnes (?) in Shankill.

The DMW is something to take your time with, there's no sense in marching right through. I did, and I missed out in taking it all in.

BTW, the route markings are fairly poor throughout that urban park behind Tallaght Stadium. It doesn't get clear again until Kiltipper, and then it's missing a direction-marker at the Kiltipper Woods Care Centre. After that, the way-marking is excellent.

The route doesn't bring you to Massy's Estate or Hell Fire Club. I think it used to, at least according to the Wikipedia article on the subject, but instead it brings you south of both, through Cruagh Woods. It's still nice all the same. Oh, and I never new about the zip-wire course in Tibradden Woods. That would be something worth checking out along the way (it was closed by the time I was passing at 4pm).

IrlJidel

Clare_Culchie wrote: »

The route doesn't bring you to Massy's Estate or Hell Fire Club. I think it used to, at least according to the Wikipedia article on the subject, but instead it brings you south of both, through Cruagh Woods. It's still nice all the same. Oh, and I never new about the zip-wire course in Tibradden Woods. That would be something worth checking out along the way (it was closed by the time I was passing at 4pm).

see dublinmountains.ie site

"the DMW loops in Hell Fire Wood and Massy's Estate will no longer be part of DMW"

RAFA B

Just wondering is it well sign posted starting off in Shankill on the first leg? Do you go in behind the pub or through the village itself and out towards the church and then turn off for Rathmichael? Please and thanks.