Advice on Walking Ireland's Mountains

Safety:
Continental visitors will be surprised by how remote and demanding Irish mountains that are only 500 metres high are. Both continental and British visitors will be surprised by the absence of other walkers and of paths. Irish mountains should therefore be treated with the respect due to continental mountains several times higher. These conditions demand greater proficiency in the use of map and compasses, and hill walkers should be aware that if an accident occurs it may be difficult to get help quickly. The absence of good maps in some areas of the Republic is another factor which hill walkers should keep in mind. It is therefore important that the following guidelines should be adhered to carefully.

Don't walk alone. For more difficult walks, three is the recommended minimum, and four better. Let someone know where you are going to be. Don't be over-ambitious. If you are inexperienced or unused to Irish mountain conditions, choose an easier route. Dress for the occasion. Boots with ankle support are highly desirable if not essential for all the one-day walks given in this book. Take a cagoule and make sure that you have sufficient warm, waterproof clothing as weather conditions can change rapidly and unexpectedly. Carry sufficient food, including a hot drink. Carry all your gear in a rucksack and, even taking into account the provisions you need, do not be weighed down with unnecessary gear. Take a map and compass and, most importantly, know how to use them. Don't carry on with the planned route if worsening weather or oncoming nightfall suggest a prudent retreat.

If the worst comes to the worst and there is an accident, keep the patient warm and comfortable, note the exact position, leave someone with the patient and send a competent person for help. The mountain rescue may be alerted by ringing 999.

In general, use a modicum of common sense, take reasonable precautions and then - without being overawed by the dangers - enjoy yourself.

The best time of the year:
It hardly needs saying that weather is the most important factor to get right when walking in Ireland and that it is the one completely in the lap of the gods. Since millions of words have been expended on this subject to no discernible effect, I do not propose to add many more. The truest and most useless generalisation is that you can get good weather - and bad - at any time of year.

First, rain. Just to confirm your worst suspicions, records show 225 wet days per year in the mountains of the west and 175 in the mountains elsewhere. Rain and low cloud that come with warm fronts are the greatest bane of the hill walker. By contrast, cold fronts bring showers and bright, clear periods and are much more acceptable.

April, May and June tend to be the driest months in most parts of the country and these months, as well as September and early October, are probably the best for walking. July and August tend to be a bit warm and humid, with poor visibility. (In addition, at this time of year accommodation is likely to be crowded.) The months of November to March are rainy (with the west having a pronounced and high winter maximum) and the days short. Generally, winter is not very inviting, though occasionally there are cold, fresh days with bright sun that can be delightful. Snow, which is fairly infrequent, does not lie long. It is more prevalent in the east than the west.

Little need be said about the wind except that it is generally stronger in the west and that since westerlies prevail, try to walk west to east (that is, with it on your back) on higher ground. Vegetation, of which bracken is the most unpleasant, is, of course, at its highest in late summer. In particular, it infests ground close to river banks and areas directly above enclosed fields. Midges, the scourge of the summer hill walker in Scotland, are not so prevalent in Ireland.

From David Herman' s Walking Ireland's Mountains. Find out more about the book.