Jun 2006
Eagle Mountain June '06
Tuesday June 2006 09:27 PM
Thanks to
Colin for the following walk report:
Sunday 25th June 2006 was a dry sunny day with a light cooling breeze: ideal for walking and our first visit to this particular portion of the western Mournes. Twenty one of us, including a number of new faces, met just below Pigeon Rock and set off along one of the quarry tracks that had in times past been used by the stone cutters and quarriers to haul their stone from the hills, much of it ending up as paviers on the streets of Liverpool.
We then descended into the Attical Valley over a stile and up through the heather to reach the end of the spectacular cliffs on Eagle Mountain. We had a couple of breaks along the way, sitting on the rocks, soaking up the sun and enjoying the views towards Binnian and the coast.
We walked past the top of the Great Gully (a rock climbers set piece), and had our lunch a short distance on. At the top of Eagle Mountain, we took in the view of the High Mournes, Spelga Dam, Carlingford, Hen and Cock Mountains and then descended the steep mountainside along Batt's Wall to reach Windy Gap, a further suitable "pit stop" as it did not live up to its name as it was a pleasantly sheltered sun trap.
All but eight of us then went down the valley and back over the same stile to return to the cars. The 'A' walkers then climbed Slievemoughanmore and on getting to the top, and all fired up with ambition, made our way up Pigeon Rock Mountain as well!
We would hope that everyone had enjoyed the day, particularly the newcomers who perhaps did not know what to expect form a days walking with our group. There was the usual social "apres walk" session in the Maghera Inn on the way home.
Sunday 25th June 2006 was a dry sunny day with a light cooling breeze: ideal for walking and our first visit to this particular portion of the western Mournes. Twenty one of us, including a number of new faces, met just below Pigeon Rock and set off along one of the quarry tracks that had in times past been used by the stone cutters and quarriers to haul their stone from the hills, much of it ending up as paviers on the streets of Liverpool.
We then descended into the Attical Valley over a stile and up through the heather to reach the end of the spectacular cliffs on Eagle Mountain. We had a couple of breaks along the way, sitting on the rocks, soaking up the sun and enjoying the views towards Binnian and the coast.
We walked past the top of the Great Gully (a rock climbers set piece), and had our lunch a short distance on. At the top of Eagle Mountain, we took in the view of the High Mournes, Spelga Dam, Carlingford, Hen and Cock Mountains and then descended the steep mountainside along Batt's Wall to reach Windy Gap, a further suitable "pit stop" as it did not live up to its name as it was a pleasantly sheltered sun trap.
All but eight of us then went down the valley and back over the same stile to return to the cars. The 'A' walkers then climbed Slievemoughanmore and on getting to the top, and all fired up with ambition, made our way up Pigeon Rock Mountain as well!
We would hope that everyone had enjoyed the day, particularly the newcomers who perhaps did not know what to expect form a days walking with our group. There was the usual social "apres walk" session in the Maghera Inn on the way home.