Mountaintrails

04/04/2025

Check out our April E-News which has just gone out to our subscribers.
You can read it here:
https://mailchi.mp/9b6f30ebaf86/welcome-to-mountaintrails-april-2025-e-news
to get it in your inbox each month sign up from our FB page or website: Mountaintrails.ie.

03/04/2025

MIDWEEK MOUNTAIN SKILLS
Still a few places remaining for our course on 09/10 April in Wicklow.

Learn the essential skills to become a competent and capable navigator and never 'fear the fog' again..😳

For more information and to book a place go to:
https://mountaintrails.ie/skills-courses/skills-1/

Join The Adventure today..🙂

Our instructors are fully qualified Mountain Leaders with REC first aid certificates. We are accredited by Mountaineering Ireland to provide Mountain Skills courses.

02/04/2025

An absolutely beautiful day ☀️ for our first MIDWEEK MEANDER of the 2025 season...😊
A moderate grade hike over the Spinc, Mullacor and Derrybawn hill in the Wicklow Mountains.

The new gravel/stone path at the start of the Spinc being a great improvement on the poor quality boardwalk that preceeded it.

Great to have Maeve, Will and Alison out with us today, enjoying the near perfect hiking weather.
An amazing start to our guiding season.. 👍

01/04/2025

Look out for these little beauties in the spring sunshine this month...😊

To find out more follow

31/03/2025

We still have places available for our Midweek Meander in Wicklow on Wednesday 02 April.
Join us for a gentle paced hike around the southern skyline of Glendalough, taking in Derrybawn, Mullacor and the Spinc, (graded Moderate).

The weather forecast certainly looks to be playing along, with wall to wall sunshine predicted all day...😀☀️

For more information and to book your place please go to:

https://mountaintrails.ie/wicklow-mountain-hikes/the-spinc-derrybawn-ridge/

or call 086 446 6997

Starting at the Glendalough visitor centre, this Spinc trail hike climbs onto the Derrybawn ridge for magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. Book your guided hike online!

28/03/2025

Our MS2 courses have finished until the autumn, but we still have availability on a number of MOUNTAIN SKILLS 1 courses in the coming weeks.. 😀

Book your place through our website at https://mountaintrails.ie/skills-courses/skills-1/
or call 086 446 6997.

Our instructors are fully qualified Mountain Leaders with REC first aid certificates. We are accredited by Mountaineering Ireland to provide Mountain Skills courses.

26/03/2025

A perfect day in Wicklow for our last MOUNTAIN SKILLS 2 course this season.
Clear skies with patchy cloud and light winds made for very pleasant conditions in the mountains..🌤

The team were super motivated and we had a ace first day, revisting skills from MS1, learning to take and walk accurately on a bearing, and then putting it all together to navigate across open hillsides in the dark.

Great job guys.. 👏 👏

25/03/2025

April sees our guiding season go into full swing, and we have so many great hiking days for you to enjoy this year..😊

Join us on Sunday 06 April as Anthea will be guiding a climb of LUGNAQUILLA from Glenmalure.

For more details and to book a place go to https://mountaintrails.ie/wicklow-mountain-hikes/climb-lugnaquilla-mountain/
or call 086 446 6997

We climb Lugnaquilla mountain via Fraughan Rock Glen, which offers a more gradual and scenic route to the summit, at 925 metres.

24/03/2025

Our busy weekend of events here at Mountaintrails.ie concluded with our monthly REC 3 course in Annamoe.
Many thanks to Paul from 1StepMore.ie for provideing the excellent instruction and to all the participants who made the two days work so well..😀🙏

23/03/2025

Big thanks to Anthea from for guiding these lovely folks on a DERRYBAWN & SPINC guided hike in Wicklow on Saturday.

Great fun had by all on a super hike with stunning views around the south Glendalough skyline.

It also stayed dry, which was an added bonus for our guests.. 😊

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22/03/2025

Day 1 of our latest MOUNTAIN SKILLS 1 course in Wicklow.
The weather held fine well into the afternoon, despite the forecast.
After which it fell down..🌧

First day out in the hills after the equinox and the official start of spring,

Skylarks competing in song for the best nesting sites and vying for a mate.
An essential sound of the hills in springtime, I could sit and listen to them all day.. 🎶 🐦‍⬛

20/03/2025

On Paddy's day, yet again, we had to help someone who was completely disorientated in the mist on Lugnaquilla.
This has now happened twice in 2025 and is a common occurrence through the year.

To make sure you are best able to safely ascend AND descend this deceptive mountain, check out my blog, 5 TIPS FOR CLIMBING LUGNAQUILLA.
https://mountaintrails.ie/blog/climbing-lugnaquilla-mountain/

If you are not sure of your abilities, particularly navigation, then sign up for one of our regular guided trips.

Lugnaquilla is the highest mountain in the Wicklow Mountains National Park, and at 925 metres it is the highest point in Ireland outside of Co. Kerry. It can be a difficult mountain to navigate in poor visibility. Shaped rather like a large upturned Christmas pudding…

18/03/2025

There is still some limited availability on our MOUNTAIN SKILLS courses in March and April.
Check out the dates below and go to:
https://mountaintrails.ie/skills-courses/ for more information and to book a place.

The Mountain Skills (MS) training scheme provides a general introduction to hillwalking and introduces the basics of mountain navigation.

17/03/2025

It was a cold but ultimately dry day for our St Patrick's Day hike to LUGNAQUILLA mountain 🇮🇪 😀

Great effort by the team on a chilly and grey outing to Leinster's highest peak.
It was the first time on this mountain for some of the group, and the cloud stayed (mostly) above the summits to give them some lovely views.

Nice one..

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16/03/2025

Out in the Blackstairs with the EXPLORERS today.
Super weather as we took on the Mt Leinster and Black Rock Mountain loop.. ⛰️ 😎

Another stunning day in the very best of company.. 😊
One of those life affirming days that stay in the mind a long time.
Thanks to all the guys who came out to play today.

15/03/2025

A beautiful day in Wicklow for our first INTRODUCTION TO NAVIGATION course of 2025...😍
A superb day of fundamental but vital navigation skills learned and put into practice by this amazing team.. 👏
They are all really keen to go on to the next level IMPROVERS course in April.
Great stuff.

14/03/2025

with Mountaintrails.ie today.

12/03/2025

A beautiful day (if a little chilly), and a clear night for our MOUNTAIN SKILLS 2 course today.

Day 1 of this course puts heavy emphasis on taking bearings from the map and walking accurately on that bearing (not so easy), in both daylight and darkness, to successfully reach a destination.

The team quickly picked up the necessary skills and put them into practice with top results... 👏 👏
Nice one guys..💪

Great to see returning clients David and Christina out on the course today.