Laune Mountaineering
Club
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Walks are for LMC members but anyone is welcome to try out 3 walks before joining; please contact the secretary at joanoreilly7@gmail.com if you wish to walk with us. If a club member wishes to bring a friend on a walk they must contact the leader in advance. Members from other MCI clubs are always welcome to join us (conditions allowing)
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The leader decides the route and has the authority to decide if a walk should be cancelled, postponed, moved to another area or cut short. The leader can also refuse to take a person on a walk who is not properly equipped or whom they consider not fit enough. Please inform the leader if you have any health conditions and bring along details of your condition and next of kin.
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A minimum requirement for walking with the club is proper boots!
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Children are allowed to go on walks provided that they are of suitable age and stamina; they must be accompanied by, and supervised by a responsible adult at all times
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Dogs are not allowed on club walks.
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Hill walking, scrambling and climbing can be dangerous and may result in injury or death. Participants should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions. Please understand that members of the Laune Mountaineering Club committee or designated walk leaders shall not be responsible for any loss or injury to any person and/or their property when involved in club activities.
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Click above to see upcoming weather
Things to Bring
Rucksack/Backpack Those with waist straps as well as shoulder straps are more comfortable
A packed lunch always bring more than you think you need.
Plenty of fluids lots of water and maybe a hot drink in cold weather
First-Aid kit
Boots
For Moderate, Moderate/Hard, Hard and Very Hard walks you will need full mountain boots
with vibram soles (see picture). It is OK to do some Easy and Easy/ Moderate walks with
trekking boots or hill walking runners, please check with the leader before-hand.
If you’re breaking in new boots it’s advisable to bring Compeed (available from pharmacies).
For a fail-safe method of tying your boots see the end of this page.
Clothes
Dress in layers - quick-drying layers of different weights allow you to adapt to our constantly changing '4 seasons in one day' weather.
All clothes should be wicking, breathable & quick drying.
Running clothes etc will work fairly well to start you off on easier walks but are not made for a whole day of varied weather.
If you are buying a something new buy a good quality proper mountaineering item such as North Face, Colombia, Berghaus, Sprayway etc. Trespass are one of the cheapest of the good brands. Don't buy the cheaper leisure clothes such as Regatta or Portwest, (these are fine for a shorter low-level hikes but not good for a whole day out). O'Sullivans in Killarney and Landers in Tralee stock quality items (TK Maxx have some items but they can't give advice). You only need one set of mountaineering clothes, buy the best you can afford. It is advisable to always have extra layers and a hat and gloves as it may be cold at the top, even on the finest summer day. It’s important to avoid cotton, which is both slow-drying and gets heavy when wet. NO DENIM (see below)
List of Basics
Wicking Base-layer or T-shirt
Extra Top Layers eg fleeces (people have been known to wear 4/5 in winter)
Trousers or Leggings. (Avoid cotton and NO DENIM, choose lightweight, quick-
drying trousers. For very cold weather wear base layer leggings under your
trousers. Some walkers wear base layer leggings/tights instead of trousers
Waterproof Jacket
Waterproof Leggings
Fully waterproof, breathable jacket and over-trousers are a must. if your
waterproofs are not breathable, you’ll get wet from the inside out instead of vice
versa, over-trousers with side zips all the way up to the hips will allow you to get
them on and off over your boots, gore-tex is always good.
Socks - buy the best hiking socks you can afford, a heavy pair for cold weather
and lighter ones for warm)
Hat/sunhat
Gloves
Recommended Extras
Spare hat, socks and gloves
Suncream, hopefully you'll need it
Survival Bag (either a bevy bag or an aluminium type survival bag)
Large plastic bag to line your backpack and stop your stuff getting wet
Small waterproof folding mat to sit on
Gaiters for swampy ground (they come in knee-high or calf length).
Change of clothes for when you get back to your car.
INFORMATION & GUIDELINES
Ticks & Lyme Disease
It is very important to remove ticks as soon as possible after a walk, latest info says to remove ticks within 12 hours to prevent Lyme disease. Areas of long grass and ferns are especially prone to them. Some people prefer to wear long trousers tucked in to socks/gaiters and long sleeves to prevent picking them up; while others prefer to wear short sleeves and trousers and check for ticks afterwards. There are insect repellents that claim to prevent them. It is important to remove ticks properly. Click the buttons below for more information
Be Prepared and Don't wear Denim
It is important to have respect for wild spaces, even if they seem picturesque and nonthreatening. The low altitude and gentle shape of Irish mountains may fool people into taking them lightly, but their wetness and windiness can make them just as dangerous as more imposing mountains elsewhere.
While the majority of injuries are caused by accidents or existing health conditions; exhaustion and exposure can also cause or worsen incidents. One key way to prevent injury or death from exposure is to wearthe right clothing.
In 1964 the surprising, and apparently inexplicable, death of three fit young men on a walk in the Peak district in the UK led to an important semi-forensic investigation into weather, clothes, and risk. The three men were each wearing a hooded anorak, a wool jersey, a cotton/wool blend shirt, string vest,cotton underwear, jeans,socks, sturdy walking shoes, and gloves. A test was conducted mimicking the conditions in which the young men walked. The big finding was that a combination of wet and windy conditions could reduce the thermal properties of clothing to nearly nothing. (it fell by an astonishing 85%). Jeans In particular, proved to be a very poor choice. To make things worse you respond to cold by shivering, which takes energy making you more
tired leading to a deadly circle of fatigue and hypothermia (it is often better to seek shelter and wait for help, than to attempt to walk out of a difficult situation).
This is why special clothes are needed for mountains, no jeans and no cotton as they can cause hypothermia. Mountaineering clothes today are fantastic, wicking, quick-drying, breathable, waterproof and life-saving.
Protecting our Environment
It is our official club policy to Leave No Trace
TAKE LITTER HOME, this means EVERYTHING, orange peels and banana skins take 2 years to biodegrade, plastic bags - 10 to 20 years, plastic bottle - 450 years (plastic will live on even after this in the form of micro plastics).
Concentrate use on existing trails.
Respect Wildlife: observe from a distance. never feed, avoid during mating, nesting etc.
Control pets at all times, or leave them at home. Dogs are not allowed on club walks and are not allowed on the Reeks at any time. Due to a continuing problem with some irresponsible dog-owners there is now a 'Dogs May Be Shot' policy in the Reeks.
Be courteous and yield to other users on the trail.
Mountaineering Clothes Are Damaging Our Water Supply
Synthetic clothes, fleeces in particular are one of the worst offenders at putting micro-plastics into our water supply and food chain (in spite of diligent research by Patagonia who are trying to correct this). Hopefully governments will soon make washing machine manufacturers put filters in machines but in the meantime, it is recommended to
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Wash synthetic clothes as little as possible, hang them to air outside instead
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Buy a guppy friend bag in which to wash your synthetic clothes
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Wash synthetic clothes in cold/cool water (30 degrees at most) as this releases
less micro-plastics.
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Use liquid detergent as opposed to powder
For non-mountaineering/sport clothes try to buy clothes made of natural fibres.
Other Environmental Tips
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Buy as few synthetic clothes as possible, you usually only need one set of mountaineering clothes
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Use stainless steel containers for water (tastes better too)
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Use biodegradeable paper lunch bags
Tying Your Boot Laces
The Guppy Friend
Boot laces coming undone is always a problem. Try the surgeons knot and they will never untie by themselves. A quick, firm pull on the two loose ends, and they will untie easily.
