30 January 2011

Mountain Skills 2 - This Week

We've a Mountain Skills 2 running in Beaufort, Killarney, this Wed 2nd & Thurs 3rd Feb - with some places available on it.

Mountain Skills 2 is a two-day hill walking, map reading and steep ground course in the Kerry mountains.

Over the two days you will cover emergency procedures, grid references, advanced navigation techniques, compass bearings, steep ground work and route cards.

At the end of this course you will be well underway to being self-sufficient in the Irish mountains, in most weather and visibility conditions. You will also have a good understanding of the preparation needed to move onto Mountain Skills Assessment, which is a further two-day assessment.

www.outdoorsireland.com/mountainskills.php

Contact Nathan To Book:
info@outdoorsireland.com
+353 (0) 86 860 45 63

27 January 2011

Trip Advisor Review

We'd really appreciate if you would take the time to write a review, if you've joined us for one of our training courses or adventure trips... Thanks, Nathan

20 January 2011

Guided Climb Of Howling Ridge


3 Pitches Up On Howling Ridge, Hag's Glen Below


Pit-Stop Before Facing Into One Of The Steeper Pitches


Topping Out On A Crux Section


Howling Ridge At It's Most Magnificent


Looking Along 'The Fingers'


John Approaching 'The Fingers'


One Of The Final Belays


'Turn Back Now' Sign


Caher, Castlemaine Harbour & Dingle Bay...


Summit Of Carrauntoohil

Contact Us For Details Of Guided Howling Ridge Climbs:
info@outdoorsireland.com
+353 (0) 86 860 45 63

17 January 2011

Kayaks, Paddling Gear & Open Canoes





















Mountain Skills Feedback

Thanks for the MS Refresher Course. Dave was excellent. He is an excellent communicator but most importantly he was very encouraging which is a trait that is almost unique among other instructors I have encountered. This is hugely important. While others may be equally technically proficient, his few, well chosen, encouraging words distinguish him from other instructors. Two thumbs up to Dave :-) Brian, Cork

I've just finished the Mountain Skills Refresher Course with Dave. I had a really good time and found the quality of Dave's instruction excellent - the course content was the perfect compliment to the Mountain Skills 2 Course I attended in October 2010. Sean, Kerry


Just to let you know we had a great day on Sunday. Really enjoyed the refresher course - got a lot out of it- refreshed knowledge from MS1 and learned lots more! Dave is a very good trainer/teacher! In a quiet and unassuming way - if you know what I mean! Angela, Cork

Upcoming
Mountain Skills Courses

13 January 2011

Pacing (For Mountain Skills)

Pacing is a technique used for Mountain Skills/Mountain Navigation, generally over distances of less than 500 metres. It's used mainly in bad visibility or for night navigation.

Pacing is knowing the exact distance between point A and point B; then knowing how many footsteps or paces you need to take to cover the distance.

You need a 1:50 000 OSI Map and Silva Type 4 Compass.

Stage 1
1. Using the millimetre ruler of your compass, measure the distance between point A and point B.

2. 1 millimetre = 50 metres
If you measure 6 millimetres, between point A and point B, then the distance is 300 metres, and so on...


Stage 2
1. It's hugely important you begin your pacing from the exact position of point A.

2. When you count your paces, you count every double-step - so every time your right foot hits the ground, that's one pace.

3. Pace for 100 metres, counting your paces in your head, until you reach the 100 metre mark.

4. You only pace in multiples of 100 metres, so once you reach your first 100 metres - stop; count off a multiple of 100 metres on your fingers; begin your second multiple of 100 metres; then your third multiple of 100 metres.

5. Once you've paced three multiples of 100 metres, you should be at point B, which is where you were aiming for.


Stage 3
1. Even in zero visibility, if you know that your pacing has taken you, for example, 300 metres to your point B, which could be a spot height; then you can be reasonably confident your spot height is close by.

2. If your point is not obvious, look around a little (without becoming misplaced), continue on for 50 metres, and also back-track for 50 metres.


Stage 4
What we've skipped so far is how do you work out how many double-paces you need to take to walk 100 metres across the mountains?

This is a different number of double-paces for each person, as each walker has a different leg length and walking style.

1. On typical Irish hillside (not too steep), you need to mark out a 100 metre section. For this use a builders tape ruler, a climbing rope of a certain known length or an experienced Outdoors Ireland instructor!

2. Walk this distance, at your average hill walking speed and taking average-sized hill walking steps. As you walk this measured distance, count how many double-paces you take to arrive at 100 metres.

3. Try this four or five times. Your number will probably be something between 54 and 72 double-paces.

Pacing is only useful when used in conjunction with other Mountain Skills techniques, such as Compass Bearings, Timing and Cut-Off Points.


Timing (For Mountain Skills)
Getting Lost/Getting Found Blog
Click Here To See Our Mountain Skills Courses
Any Other Tips Or Advice? Leave A Comment

Waterfall Kayaking

10 January 2011

Ferghal O Grady

One of the Outdoors Ireland team, Ferghal O Grady, featuring in the Kerry's Eye, on a canoe trip recently with a vision impaired teenager...

9 January 2011

Carrauntoohil & Kerry Mountain Skills


Places are filling on our Carrauntoohil Half-Price Climb on Sat 15th & Free Mountain Skills Refresher on Sun 16th Jan. If you're interested, but not booked, just get in touch over the next day or so - info@outdoorsireland.com or +353 (0) 86 860 45 63.

8 January 2011

Art O Neil Challenge '11


Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team On Standby


Check Point 2 After A Tough Section Across Wicklow Hills


Porridge Point!


Spring Thaw This Morning


Taking A Breather Before The Final Section


Still Smiling!

7 January 2011

Love On The Rocks

Recent Kerry Snow Photos


Sunset On Carrauntoohil
Photo By: Billy Horan


View Over Eastern Reeks
Photo By: Eric O Gorman


Caher, Ireland's Third Highest Peak
Photo By: Eric O Gorman


Sunset Over Caher
Photo By: Eric O Gorman


Looking Down Hag's Tooth Ridge
Photo By: Eric O Gorman


Camp X-Tour Ice Axes & Camp Stalker Crampons
Our New Winter Stock!

5 January 2011

Team Building In 2011: Killarney, Ireland

Clear communication and objectives, combined with an overall shared vision, are now more important than ever, as teams work in 2011.

An ability to address issues simply and strive to improve are vital, be it for a large company, an SME business, or a sports club.

The
overall ethos of your team building program will look at how to take your learning and communication points raised, and use them in real life, as well as addressing inter-team and intra-team issues.


Sample Two Day Program
Monday Evening
Arrive at the luxurious and comfortable, four star,
Lake Hotel; set on the shores of the Killarney Lakes and surrounded by Killarney National Park. Relax in the Lakeside Bar & Bistro that evening.


Tuesday
After an early breakfast you will meet your Outdoors Ireland facilitators in one of the hotel's bright, spacious, meeting rooms for a clear brief on your program and objectives.

From here you will work outside in the wooded hotel grounds, within changing sub-teams and also as one overall team, to complete projects and challenges which have been designed around your objectives, to raise learning points, bring issues to the surface and empower you to perform to your maximum.

Regular open discussions and debriefs will happen in an informal way, with your team very much bringing up your own learning points and issues. Some time will also be spent indoors with more in-depth debriefs and discussions.

Projects will be designed for all abilities and will result in having to examine your actions with questions such as:
What Do We Want To Achieve?
How Can We Achieve?
What Are We Doing Well?
What Needs Improving?
How Can We Communicate Better?


Most importantly, our facilitators will discuss with you how to take your debrief points and learning points from each individual project and apply them to normal, sometimes hectic or pressurised, working life and corporate projects.

Projects will increase in complexity over your day and may finish on the first day with a night-time task, before unwinding with a well deserved and delicious evening meal in the Lake Hotel's Castlelough Restaurant.


Wednesday
The second day of your program may begin with a refreshing strategy project through Killarney National Park.

After a healthy lunch you will be tasked with shorter projects where your team will apply your learnings to agree an overall objective for the day, then divide into sub-teams and work to achieve your objective.

Tuesday will finish over tea/coffee with sub-teams presenting their learning points to the overall group, explaining how they will apply their learnings back into the workplace and developing a simple action plan they commit to continuing with.


Learning Points Generally Raised:
Encourage Opinions Within Team
Planning & Preparation
Understanding Tasks
Time Management
Cooperation & Inclusion
Commitment By All Team Members
Dependability & Trust
Goals & Objectives
Enjoy Problem Solving
More Face To Face Interaction
Listening
Identify Team Strengths & Weaknesses
Understand Everyone's Roles



We can design and tailor a range of team building programs, from half-day to multiple days, throughout Ireland.

To Discuss Options Contact:
Nathan Kingerlee/Outdoors Ireland

info@outdoorsireland.com
+353 (0) 86 860 45 63

3 January 2011

Get High On The 15th!

Happy New Year!

If you're planning your New Year's resolutions, we're running a Half-Price Carrauntoohil Guided Climb on Sat 15th Jan, for anyone who's made a resolution to get out, get active or get high!

To Book Your Place:
1. Join Our Facebook Group - Outdoors Ireland
2. Change Your Facebook Profile Picture To An Outdoor Adventure Image For 24hrs
3. Facebook Message Me Your Interest, Before 5th Jan

Thanks for a fantastic day Nathan! Heavenly Gates and Devils Ladder would have been undoable without your watchful supervision; it was great to get off the beaten track which was made more interesting with all your mythical commentary and historical knowledge. A truly memorable hike in the reeks! I'd recommend to everyone out there to take on Carrauntoohil at some point in 2011! Sinead, Dublin

1 January 2011

First Customers Of 2011


Scrambling Through Heavenly Gates


Lunch Near Collin's Gully


Carrauntoohil's Summit - 1039m


Good Luck For 2011!


Descending Through Hag's Glen

Thanks Sinead, Elaine & Jean!

Next Carrauntoohil Climb - 3rd Jan