Art O Neill Challenge 2012

squelch666

hi
i did the hybrid last year but didnt get good sleep the night before and with it starting at 2am i was pretty tired at the end
what do people recommend sleep wise?..have a lie in on the friday or go to bed during the day for a few hours

Gravale

I've found it more important to get a few nights of good sleep before the night of the event, rather than depending on a good sleep on the day of the 13th when you may be a bit on edge. A lie down on the bed for two hours before heading into town on the night has always relaxed me and kept me calm for the start.

The body and mind is a wonderful thing. I did an unsupported solo 48-hour non-stop mountain trek some years ago and was as lively at the finish as I was at the start. Get the head right and you'll conquer all.

Gravale

Kilbride Camp - Ballynultagh.jpg

Ballinagee - Art's Cross.jpg

Art's Cross - Table Track.jpg

inishoo

Jeez! Sold out.......?! reckon it'll have be a foray into local hills that wknd so. Pity tho, was already looking forward to the pint in Glenmalure!;)

Gravale

One way...

Ballynultagh - Ballinagee 2012 (2).jpg

...or the other

Ballynultagh-Ballinagee 2012 (old).jpg

Gravale

Each year as people finish with the mountains they find themselves on Table Track and therefore on a track which brings them directly to the finish.

However, each year some are also led astray by the fine wide forest trail which runs alongside Table Track and which leads them back UP to the mountains towards Lugnaquilla. By the time they realize that they're on the wrong track they've considerably added both time and pain to their journey.

On the map below make sure that you follow the dots (Table Track) and not the tempting forest trail.

Table Track to Baravore.jpg

Git101

Gravale wrote: »

However, each year some are also led astray by the fine wide forest trail which runs alongside Table Track and which leads them back UP to the mountains towards Lugnaquilla. By the time they realize that they're on the wrong track they've considerably added both time and pain to their journey.

Thanks Gravale

That very error made me nearly cry last year

theduke1

are the ultras and hybrids still starting at 2 am given that the distance is shorter

Git101

Gravale wrote: »

I've not heard any information to the contrary, but you can find out at the information evening in the Great Outdoors tomorrow evening (5th Jan.) at 7pm.

The walkers had theirs last night (3rd Jan.)

Ultras & hybrids information was held tonight (4th)

Some excellent information and tips from Gearoid and crew.

I believe that the presentation from tonight will be posted on the AON website shortly.

theduke1 wrote: »

are the ultras and hybrids still starting at 2 am given that the distance is shorter

It was mentioned tonight that the runners would depart at 1.45 - 2.00 am

ezikel

theduke1 wrote: »

are the ultras and hybrids still starting at 2 am given that the distance is shorter

Everyone: walkers, ultra's and hybrids are all doing the same distance Duke

theduke1

ezikel wrote: »

Everyone: walkers, ultra's and hybrids are all doing the same distance Duke

yes i know that , given that the run to the first cp is shorter the walkers will get there before the runners and will be proably gone in their groups before the hybrids get in, so i thought there might be a earlier start time for ultras/hybrids

nerraw1111

Best of luck to all. I did the hybrid last year, great fun.

Pace yourself to the first CP. Its a mistake to think you'll get a break when you start walking as the walkers go at a surprisingly decent pace uphill. I was hanging off the back of my group for the first hour before the pace slowed/I recovered.

Try get into a group at the start as its a good buzz on the road out to Tallaght. And have faith in the guides. You'll probs think 'we're lost' at least once but you'll get there in the end.

And the pints at the end are heavenly.

coalshed

If you're doing the Art O'Neill Challenge, but haven't read up on the history (like me) then today may be a good day to do so as the original escape took place at midnight on the 6th of January, 1592.

I'm reading about it on Irish History.ie:

http://www.irishhistory.ie/Site/THE_ART_ONEILL_CHALLENGE.html

Gravale

With seven days to go it's difficult to be accurate regarding the weather forecast, but the forecast below seems common to several weather forecast sites:

http://uk.weather.com/weather/dailyDetails-Wicklow-EIXX0049?dayNum=8

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/14days.asp?zipcode=wicklow

http://www.accuweather.com/en-us/ie/wicklow/wicklow/forecast2.aspx


Fingers crossed!

chinomel

Hi.
Has anyone recently walked the rout between black hill and Billy Byrnes gap and if so what are the ground conditions like.
Last year it was frozen solid which made for relatively easy walking but that is unlikely to be the case this year.
Basically I need to know if my boots require an extra coat of wax.:D

coalshed

Walked Black Hill before Christmas and it was frozen at the summit, however once we descended towards the gap and beyond things got wet pretty fast.

On New Year's Day we hiked from Ballinagee to Art's Cross, the going was Soft to Heavy.

So, your boots may well benefit from some wax.

Gravale

I walked from Black Hill to Billy Byrne's Gap last Monday. From the coll below Black Hill, the more direct line you take to the Gap the rougher the ground is. The more you contour around the valley to the left the easier it is. Generally speaking though, the journey through the low heather and grass is easy going. Of course, 'easy' to some is 'rough' to others.

Gravale

First checkpoint:

Art 1st Checkpoint.jpg

Three kilometres later:

Athdown - B'Smuttan (1).jpg

Homer1798

The ascent of Black Hill is pretty straightforward. The easiest route imho is to walk from Black Hill towards Mullagh, there is a vague quad track but this may not be visable on the night/early morning, then contour around the base of Mullagh to the "shoulder " and Billy Byrnes Gap. Up there tomorrow and looking at the 7 day forecast conditions shouldn't be much different than they are at the moment, so it will be "damp" .

Gravale

I'll be up there tomorrow myself, Homer, so I might bump into you. I'll be starting about 9am and finishing at either Ballynultagh Gap or at the forest entrance on the Wicklow Gap road. Weather looks good.

Gravale

Weather looking good for Friday and Saturday:

http://www.yr.no/place/Ireland/Leinster/Wicklow~2960936/long.html

chinomel

Can anyone confirm if the slight variation in this years rout actually brings us back to the original rout of old. Was the section as walked to Kippure lodge and Ballynabrocky last year a fairly new variation.
Presume that the detour to Kippure Lodge ( and now Kilbride camp ) is to suit us softies who need that bit of shelter while we have our soup and sandwich.
God be with the days when hardy souls fought off packs of marauding wolves while having the mug of tay in the open at Kilbride.:D:D
Congratulations to the hardy souls who took part then and are still leading the way today.:)

Gravale

Yes, the present route is the one which you did in former days.

The Kippure House-Ballinabrocky route in recent years was designed to overcome the fact that Ballysmuttan Bridge was destroyed in a flood for quite a while and therefore the bridge at Kippure House was needed to bypass it.

Ballysmuttan Bridge has been fully restored so the former route has been fully restored also. Be mindful, however, that due to environmental concerns there are several routes through the mountain sections available to the fifteen guides, as well as the original.

If you're being led, don't worry. If you're navigating yourself, study the route.

"....but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear." D&C 38:30

Athdown - B'Smuttan (1).jpg

BigGeorge

There were hordes up around black mountain today! The ground conditions down to balinagee forest / bridge are wet - no surprise there at all- so pack those spare socks. Low heather / grass was the fastest route down from billy byrnes gap with a few interesting stream crossings

beveragelady

I'm new to Art O'Neill (also new to boards.ie... hello everybody!) and I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. I have plotted out the route (based on the grid refs on the AON site) on the OS 1:50000 map,and even though I'll have a guide I'd still feel better if I was more sure of the route. Is there a handy link to the route on google maps? I've searched and found nothing, but that doesn't mean it's not there...

Gravale

These maps show you the entire route:

Dublin Castle to Ballynultagh Gap

Castle-Ballynultagh.jpg


Ballynultagh to Ballinagee

Ballynultagh - Ballinagee 2012 (2).jpg


Ballinagee to Baravore (finish)

Ballinagee-Baravore 2012.jpg

They are all taken from the OSI 56 map, so take the map out and find the above on it.

Git101

Only a few day to go :eek:....is everyone ready ?

For anyone that missed the recent information nights at the Great Outdoors the presentation is now on the Art O Neill website

Good Luck all..

webster2009

Hi everyone
Did this last year and going again this year but did'n recce Ballysmuttan Bridge to base of Blackhill what is the terrain for this section road/track/field/boggy ???
Its just for footware selection trainers or boots (i'm walking by the way) ????

Git101

webster2009 wrote: »

Hi everyone
Did this last year and going again this year but did'n recce Ballysmuttan Bridge to base of Blackhill what is the terrain for this section road/track/field/boggy ???
Its just for footware selection trainers or boots (i'm walking by the way) ????

That section is all road. There is a small section crossing fields beforehand between Kilbride camp (CP1) and Ballysmuttan Bridge.

I would suggest changing into your hiking boots at CP1 otherwise you will have to carry your extra footwear to the finish.

The distance from Kilbride to the carpark at Black Hill is about 10k

loobylou

from Ballysmuttan Bridge to Ballynultagh is on road but it is in a very poor state of repair at the moment.
I'll be walking it in boots, definitely would not fancy running it in the dark.