Dublin Mountain way

Judge

BeachMusic 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

BeachMusic 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.

BeachMusic

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

BeachMusic 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.

BeachMusic

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

BeachMusic 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...

BeachMusic

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

BeachMusic 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.

BeachMusic

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.

Alun

From memory, as you're facing the pub you enter the car park entrance to the right of the pub/chinese restaurant and keep left, you'll see a little alleyway appear which leads you out behind the pub and onto a road which you then follow to the overbridge over the N11. There's an information board just outside the pub itself.

Clare_Culchie

You go down the lane, and a bit of a warren of lanes that go pretty much in a westerly direction, through a council estate, to a footbridge over the M11 motorway. You then follow Lordello Road in Rathmichael to a T-Junction, then turn right for a few metres and then turn left to get into Rathmichael Woods. I don't know how well the DMW is signed going East to West, but it's very good from West to East. I imagine it's all to the same high standard.

EB_2013

Clare_Culchie wrote: »

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).

Hi, any idea of how long it took you to get from the Kiltipper Woods Care Centre to Three Rock? I was thinking of doing this route and then heading down to Ballinteer via Tiknock to get a bus back into the city. The route to Shankill from there looks a bit too much on the roads for me.

dubliner24

Hi Guys,

I know this thread is a while old now but I'm hoping someone can help...

Is it feasible to camp somewhere along the way? Obviously with a 'leave no trace' policy etc.
I would just be worried that with the proximity to the city, we'd find it hard to find a place thats away from cider gangs and the likes!

My plan was to start the way on a Saturday morning in Tallaght and camp somewhere halfway that night, finishing in Shankill on Sunday.

I'd be really grateful for any advice!

Thanks

a148pro

dubliner24 wrote: »

I would just be worried that with the proximity to the city, we'd find it hard to find a place thats away from cider gangs and the likes!

I'd say 95% of this route is well out of reach of any scobes. Look at the map and check out the half way point, from my limited knowledge of the route would be somewhere between Kippure and Three Rock. There's some forest between the Featherbeds and Three Rock, above Glencree, would be unlucky to be disturbed there I think.

Tabnabs

Between Kippure and Three Rock?! You'd be way off track. Cruagh or Tibradden might be the best location for a sneaky overnighter.

http://www.dublinmountains.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/dmwmap2_hellfire_threerock.pdf

mfonline

dubliner24 wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I know this thread is a while old now but I'm hoping someone can help...

Is it feasible to camp somewhere along the way? Obviously with a 'leave no trace' policy etc.
I would just be worried that with the proximity to the city, we'd find it hard to find a place thats away from cider gangs and the likes!

My plan was to start the way on a Saturday morning in Tallaght and camp somewhere halfway that night, finishing in Shankill on Sunday.

I'd be really grateful for any advice!

Thanks

Did the DMW yesterday over one day, started out from Tallaght, would definitely recommend Tallaght-Shankill over Shankill-Tallaght.

The distance from Tallaght Stadium (where we started) to Brady's pub in Shankill is 40k, the half way point is roughly the exit from Cruagh Woods / entrance to Tibradden Woods.

If I were to camp, I would do so at the end of Tibradden woods furthest away from the main road and just before you come out of the forest and start to make your way towards Two Rock. I couldn't see many scobes making it up that far and they'd probably get distracted by the Zipwire park in Tibradden anyway! Also, the walk from the end of Tibradden to Three Rock is by far the best part of the entire way, if the morning was fine it would be a really great spot to take in the sunrise.

dubliner24

Did the route over the weekend and really enjoyed it. There are fairly large sections on road however, but I suppose this is the trade-off that comes with having a route that traverses the mountains but also has to contend with access rights and the amount of privately owned land in the area. I think overall they've done a great job. Cruagh, Tibradden and Two Rock are real gems!

I'm amazed at hearing the stories of people doing the whole route in one day... would've found that quite tough. Then again, maybe having an 18kg backpack with stuff for an overnight didn't exactly speed us up. Is an 18kg backpack considered the norm for an overnight with some comfort, or did I pack too much?

Thanks guys for the advice and tips!

BarryD

Grand, fairly humid this weekend gone, maybe there was a bit more of a breeze higher up? The section between Glencullen and the Scalp is 'provisional' as far as I understand it. What is needed are regular letters and emails from the public to their TDs and local authority to ask them to get back on the ball and make this both safer and more pleasant. The options are there, all it needs is the political and administrative will to make it happen. But I guess, most people do something like this once. grumble a bit and then forget about it etc., so the collective will never gathers any steam and it just passes under the radar.

Tabnabs

dubliner24 wrote: »

Did the route over the weekend and really enjoyed it. There are fairly large sections on road however, but I suppose this is the trade-off that comes with having a route that traverses the mountains but also has to contend with access rights and the amount of privately owned land in the area. I think overall they've done a great job. Cruagh, Tibradden and Two Rock are real gems!

I'm amazed at hearing the stories of people doing the whole route in one day... would've found that quite tough. Then again, maybe having an 18kg backpack with stuff for an overnight didn't exactly speed us up. Is an 18kg backpack considered the norm for an overnight with some comfort, or did I pack too much?

Thanks guys for the advice and tips!

18kg/40lbs would be rather significant for an overnighter. You could put up your pack-list and let the great unwashed mull over the contents