cooley/mourne mts area advice

rje66

can anyone reccommend a few trails/walks of reasonable ease (3-4hours) around cooley pen./mourne mts area as an intro for the wife to get into walking/scenery day trips .
thanks

Barnavave

http://www.carlingford.ie/index.php/activities-carlingford-louth-ireland/walking-in-carlingford

Try the Barnavave Loop, it should take around 3 hours and will let you know what level you are at before you venture in to the Mournes. You will get all the info you need in the tourist office in Carlingford along with the relevant maps (€4). You will need a good pair of boots and the right clothing.

paulocon

As stated, Barnavave is a reasonably handy walk. Slieve Foye isn't a great deal harder. If you get decent weather and clear conditions, both offer superb views down onto Carlingford Lough and across to the Mournes. Used to be an organised walk leaving from the Tourist Office each Saturday, not sure if that still happens.

Details of Foye are here.

As for the Mournes, they are a walkers paradise. I'd recommend getting hold of Paddy Dillon's book (think it's called Mournes Walks) - plenty of good routes in there. Slieve Binnian is well worth a visit for the views down onto Silent Valley and the amazing rock formations on top.

You could also check out Slieve Gullion. Handy enough walk to the summit from the car-park there, great views of the 'ring of Gullion', a passage tomb on the summit as well as a an 'enchanted lake'... what more could anyone ask for!

rje66

thanks for feedback, plenty to get us started:)

Barnavave

The Tain Walking Festival starts next Friday.

http://www.walkersassociation.ie/node/35802

Gasherbraun

I kind of graduated to the Mournes from Wicklow via the Cooleys and it is a good way of doing it; The Mournes are in my opinion a lot tougher than Wicklow with the Cooley peninsula being a good taster for the Mournes

If you head up to the Mournes it is worth parking at the Carrick Little car park (J 345 220 - take a left out of Annalong village) and following the track up into the Annalong Valley just to appreciate the full grandeur of these mountains.

From the track out of Little Carrick (one of the most popular approaches into the mountains) you can follow the wall up a very obvious track in a Westerley direction up to the summit of Slieve Binnian which offers superb views. You could also follow the track further into the valley for about 3 km and then follow the fork off to the North West towards the saddle between Binnian and Slievelamagan. You will find that this track is crossed by another obvious track leading onto either Binnian or Lamagan. Both are tough enough hills (Lamagan comes from an old Irish word meaning 'on hands and knees or crawling) but very rewarding.

Slievelamagan is fairly central so on a good clear day you will have a great view of the Mournes and get a good feel for the geography of the area

Do carry a compass and the local O/S map. Navigation in the Mournes is relatively easy in good weather but be prepared to use a map if the weather decides to test you

Daithi2004

Here is another area that you could explore. It is about 3/4 hrs

There is a small walk called the Annaloughan Loop. It is on your way to Carlingford, coming from Dundalk direction. If you look at the map, you could stick to the route or leave it and go to Slievenaglogh. That will make it tough going for a beginner. Also just to make you aware that if you are planning to walk in the Cooley area, there is a No Dog policy bcause of the amount of sheep up there. Farmers are complaining that the very site of a dog can harm the sheep.

Carawaystick

What Gasherbraun said is what I'd suggest, Good scenery and fairly easy walks in the valley floor

Another easier alternative is to head up the silent valley, you'll need stirling to pay for car parking though

rje66

sounds good, baby steps first!!, just dont want to scare wifeee:eek: with a really tough walk first up.
We 'conquered' bray head (from windgates side)on sun and all went well, think shes gettin the bug.

Ive done the annapurna circuit and tongerera crossing, just want to see some of our own great scenery at close range .