Sally Gap - conditions?

Tau

Im in dublin for a couple of days and would love to go for a spin - what are the conditions like up the sally gap?

Tabnabs

This is from yesterday

Callout 41: Sally Gap

At 05:36hrs this morning, Mountain Rescue volunteers from Dublin/Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and the Glen of Imaal Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team were tasked by An Garda Síochána for the 10th incident over the Easter Bank Holiday. A car with 4 American tourists had become stuck near Sally Gap due to treacherous road conditions.

Mountain Rescue are urging motorist to avoid the area of Sally Gap.

letape

Tau wrote: »

Im in dublin for a couple of days and would love to go for a spin - what are the conditions like up the sally gap?

Driving from Greystones to Bray this morning and the tops of the mountains/hills in that area (Sugarloaf etc) still appear to be covered in white.

buffalo

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0402/379418-dublin-wicklow-mountain-rescue/

The Dublin and Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team says the number of call-outs it has received so far this year is "completely unprecedented".

DWMRT members, who are all volunteers, have been called to 42 incidents in 2013.

Tau

Thats probably a no then on going to the top of kippure. Shame - looks like a nice (if cold) day tomorrow.

Hmmzis

Tau wrote: »

Thats probably a no then on going to the top of kippure. Shame - looks like a nice (if cold) day tomorrow.

Kippure is a no go for sure. Except with snow shoes or skis. After the Wicklow border there was barely one lane open on Military road. There was a lady in a Micra that did come from that side but she could have just come out of Glencree.

petethedrummer

I was up around there on Friday, but not as far as the Gap. I did this loop and there was some snow between points B and C. It was manageable if you took it very very slowly. Higher up around the gap I would guess is not reachable on a road bike.

Carpenter

petethedrummer wrote: »

I was up around there on Friday, but not as far as the Gap. I did this loop and there was some snow between points B and C. It was manageable if you took it very very slowly. Higher up around the gap I would guess is not reachable on a road bike.

Did you come down Military road a guy stopped me and told me its was bad there and I just wanted to thank him

columbus_66

I went up from Brittas yesterday but it is hard packed ice from about 200mts from the top so turned around.

seamus

MTB only probably till this weekend, I'd say. Went up three rock on Sunday but couldn't get any higher than the car park, it was hard packed ice from there on up.

petethedrummer

Carpenter wrote: »

Did you come down Military road a guy stopped me and told me its was bad there and I just wanted to thank him

May have been me (Giant bike. Dressed in black). You were back from a bad black ice crash? It was doable but anyone back from a broken bone I wouldn't advise going there. Wouldn't be good for the nerves.

Carpenter

petethedrummer wrote: »

May have been me (Giant bike. Dressed in black). You were back from a bad black ice crash? It was doable but anyone back from a broken bone I wouldn't advise going there. Wouldn't be good for the nerves.

Yep Peter that was me thank you for your advice I went back down to Enniskerry if I had gone over Military road I might be back in hospital Ta bro nice 1.

WAPAIC

Carpenter wrote: »

Yep Peter that was me thank you for your advice I went back down to Enniskerry if I had gone over Military road I might be back in hospital Ta bro nice 1.

Could also have been me:) I stopped a lot of people and turned them around on Sunday anyway. At that stage you could easily cycle up as far as Glencree and even up to Lough Bray but it gets icy after that. I went all the way to the gap on a mountain bike with spiky tyres but even then I had to walk some short sections. It was bitterly cold. Cars and 4x4s in the ditch all over the place, some really idiotic driving going on. No indication that it has gotten better since.

petethedrummer

Carpenter wrote: »

Yep Peter that was me thank you for your advice I went back down to Enniskerry if I had gone over Military road I might be back in hospital Ta bro nice 1.

No bother. Later that day some lads in Enniskerry did me a bigger favour when I had a double valve failure, so I got my good will returned in a larger amount.

smacl

Was thinking of doing sally and maybe wicklow gaps this Saturday. Sounds like old long hill, back roads to Laragh is a better option.

munsterleinster

Seems to be a lot of worry about nothing.
Did it on Saturday (30th) and there was only one short 100m patch near Sallygap crossroads where it had to be walked. The rest was fine, if a little slow going in places.

The hard packed stretches were getting a bit slushy so good grip. The 23mm wide tyre seems to cut in a bit and only a few dabs of the foot in the worst areas.

Cars seem to be having a hard time of it, but if you're not in a hurry give it a shot. There was no snow about a mile after Sallygap on the Laragh side.

One word of caution is the state of the roads... The frozen weather seems to have created quite a few fresh potholes with the associated gravel strewn on the road.
As very little traffic has gove over these the gravel is very sharp so punctures will be likely for the next few weeks (I got one on the laragh side of Sallygap).

Tree Scape

munsterleinster wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of worry about nothing.
Did it on Saturday (30th) and there was only one short 100m patch near Sallygap crossroads where it had to be walked. The rest was fine, if a little slow going in places.

The hard packed stretches were getting a bit slushy so good grip. The 23mm wide tyre seems to cut in a bit and only a few dabs of the foot in the worst areas.

Cars seem to be having a hard time of it, but if you're not in a hurry give it a shot. There was no snow about a mile after Sallygap on the Laragh side.

One word of caution is the state of the roads... The frozen weather seems to have created quite a few fresh potholes with the associated gravel strewn on the road.
As very little traffic has gove over these the gravel is very sharp so punctures will be likely for the next few weeks (I got one on the laragh side of Sallygap).

Jaysus, that's bonkers!
I went up on Friday but turned back even before Glencree - too scaredycat!

iregk

Hopefully it's clearing with the sun we've had the past couple of days. Going up it Sunday so want it nice and clear by then.

elduggo

munsterleinster wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of worry about nothing.

ah yea, agree completely

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=83979090&postcount=3540

mirrormatrix

munsterleinster wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of worry about nothing.

Assume you're having a laugh right? Either that or you just have no common sense at all. Plenty of places to cycle that aren't covered in snow and ice. Is it really worth breaking your neck (not to mention wasting the time of the mountain rescue lads), when you could easily just cycle somewhere else for a couple of weeks while it thaws?

listermint

mirrormatrix wrote: »

Assume you're having a laugh right? Either that or you just have no common sense at all. Plenty of places to cycle that aren't covered in snow and ice. Is it really worth breaking your neck (not to mention wasting the time of the mountain rescue lads), when you could easily just cycle somewhere else for a couple of weeks while it thaws?

This in a nutshell.

People dont realise how much it costs to launch rescue effort for idiots doing stupid things with scant regard for the people that have to go after them.

Konkers

mirrormatrix wrote: »

Assume you're having a laugh right? Either that or you just have no common sense at all. Plenty of places to cycle that aren't covered in snow and ice. Is it really worth breaking your neck (not to mention wasting the time of the mountain rescue lads), when you could easily just cycle somewhere else for a couple of weeks while it thaws?

Absolutely. So I won't be heading up there this afternoon.

iregk

Anyone know how this road is at present?

elduggo

see post #19 above

aa roadwatch advisory is still in place.

that means don't go there

RO 06

Headed up on tues.Knew I wouldnt get to the top.Went up from Kilbride

munsterleinster

mirrormatrix wrote: »

Assume you're having a laugh right?

Absolutely not.. Did you even read my post about the actual conditions??

Oh, quit being so melodramatic with the broken neck and mountain rescue.
If you're not interested, stay at home.
If you are comfortable riding on some short stretches of snow & slush and you're not in a hurry give it a shot

smacl

Was up there today, absolutely glorious and roads clear from every direction except Glencree, which had a layer of icy slush. Road surfaces on the luggala / lough dan approach are awful and care is advised.

At cross roads, looking in l. bray direction, about 3pm today

Surinam

munsterleinster wrote: »

Absolutely not.. Did you even read my post about the actual conditions??

Oh, quit being so melodramatic with the broken neck and mountain rescue.
If you're not interested, stay at home.
If you are comfortable riding on some short stretches of snow & slush and you're not in a hurry give it a shot

Wow munsterleinster you are such a hard man, I wish I was half as reckless and ballsy as you. If everyone was like you the world would be a better place.

iregk

Alright lads settle. No need for this tit for tat.

munsterleinster

smacl wrote: »

Was up there today, absolutely glorious and roads clear from every direction except Glencree, which had a layer of icy slush. Road surfaces on the luggala / lough dan approach are awful and care is advised.

Was up there about the same time. More bikes than cars on the road.
There are about 3 short (20m) stretches with this slush between Glencree and the cross roads...

Agree it was absolutely glorious...It's the same scenery I've ridden dozens of times but it's had a spring clean and a lick of white paint.

iregk wrote: »

Alright lads settle. No need for this tit for tat.

I agree...Better not upset them with my ostentatious display of bravado. The wet toes from walking through the bit of slush might be a bit much for some.

route66

I'm planning on a trip to Laragh this weekend, coming from the Glencree direction and going through the Sally Gap. I'm guessing the conditions up there are ok at the moment with no snow and ice (potholes I can cope with), but I'd like to hear from anyone who has been in the area over the last day or two.

I did hear a bulletin the on radio mid-week - warning of this exact stretch - but haven't found any current warnings. I checked the Dublin & Wicklow Mountain rescue site and the last callout they were involved in was last Sunday.

I Haven't been up there since last October !!!