Club walk Sunday 28th April

Section of the Wicklow Way.
Grade: Moderate (hill walk). A to B. Duration: 4.5 hours. Meet Gullane's car park at 7.45am to depart 8am sharp. Boots, full gear, packed lunch, water/refreshments, change of clothes etc. required. Leader: Frances Leahy.

Tick Talk

Just a quick reminder to all to be tick aware and check your skin after a walk. Plenty has been written on the dangers of tick bites and the consequences of being bitten (see links below), so the following is intended as general information only.   

A tick on human skin
(pic: www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk)

These tiny creatures, no bigger than the head of a pin, are typically found in woodland, forestry, on bogs and bogland, in rough pasture and in gardens/parks with shrubs. They are most active between March and October, although they can occur during a mild winter. Ticks cannot jump or fly but humans and animals come into contact with them by brushing against vegetation. The tick may not bite immediately and can spend time on the skin looking for a suitable site to feed from. Ticks feed on blood. Their bite is usually painless and most people will only know they have been bitten if they happen to see the tick attached to them. Adults are most often bitten around the legs but  it's important to remember that the tick can travel, so check everywhere.  

Erythema migrans or Bull's eye rash
(pic: www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk) 

Ticks carry a number of infections, including Lyme Disease, which has extremely serious consequences for a person's long term health. Although not all ticks carry the infection, all tick bites should be considered as posing a risk of infection. The most recognised sign of infection is a rash known as Erythema migrans, more commonly known as 'Bull's eye rash' which is a roughly circular red rash, without itching or pain, that slowly spreads outwards (see pic).  

To prevent being bitten,  keep to paths and avoid walking through deep vegetation. Keep covered up to make it harder for ticks to reach your skin. Check for ticks regularly and brush off any you see on your clothing before they have a chance to bite. Insect repellents are available. Check skin carefully all over for ticks. Pay attention to folds in the skin and other areas where a tick could hide, especially behind the knee, under the arms and in the groin. Ticks can also survive on clothing.

   
In summary:

• Ticks can be very small and can go unnoticed

• They are most active from March to October, but they can be present in vegetation during a mild winter

• You will not feel the tick attach to you, so check your skin during and after a walk

• Take preventative action by covering up/using insect repellent/washing clothing after walk 

• If you have been bitten, remove the tick or ticks promptly and properly without squashing it/them

• Seek medical advice if rash appears or/and if you develop flu-like symptoms, aching joints/stiffness/headache

Check out these links for more information: 

https://www.mountaineering.ie/hillwalking/ticks/

https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/az/l/lyme-disease/

Rosway Lanzarote Walking Week

Twenty Rosway walkers are embarking on a 6 day walking outing to Lanzarote from the 27^th May to the 1^st June inclusive. The walks programme consists of A & B walks from 3hrs up to 6hrs duration. The A walks will involve some climbing and challenging trails while the B walks will be mostly flat and less challenging. Back in 2105 the Club were also in Lanzarote for a walking week which mostly concentrated on the southern & eastern sides of the island, whereas this year the northern and western areas will be explored. Transport to and from the start/finish points will be by hired bus from our base in Puerto Del Carmen. Also this year one of the walks is on the Island of La Graciosa which is off  the extreme northern end of Lanzarote. We will be getting a ferry across which will give great views along the coastline and the spectacular Famara Cliffs. Normally when visiting Lanzarote, it’s the beaches and the resorts that visitors see but the Rosway Walkers will trek through areas that most people never visit. Some fantastic views will be had from a number of miradores (scenic view points) situated on a number of the most elevated points of the Island. It won’t be all about the walking. As per usual the Rosway crew will eat, drink and make merry and show the other nationalities how to really party. The photographs below show some of the areas and sights that we will explore. Hopefully the walkers will abide by the rule that what happens on holidays stays on holidays as the truth could be hard to live down afterwards ??::{].  What will the weather be like is a frequently asked question about active holidays on Lanzarote and the answer is that once you move inland and gain a bit of high ground there is always a nice African breeze blowing which makes the hiking conditions very pleasant. Drinking loads of water and using lots of sunscreen is vital in order to avoid dehydration and sunburn. When we return we will report on most of what happened (not all) and hopefully each walker will have a memorable trip. 

Author: Liam Roche

The Mirador Del Rio, probably the most iconic viewpoint in Lanzarote. A visitor centre , restaurant and viewing area built on the side of the Famara Cliffs. A must see and we will explore this area on one of our walks. Photo: L. Roche

View from the Mirador. Photo: L. Roche

Club training courses 2019

The Club is organising two training courses this year (details below).  Courses are run by Russell Mills and his team at Mountaintrails (https://mountaintrails.ie/). Those who participated last year really enjoyed the experience.

Course title: Basic Navigation Skills 

Date: Sunday July 14th 2019                                                                                  
Details: Suitable for beginners/refreshers. One day introductory course to basic navigation in the Slieve Bloom Mountains.  Course content includes understanding the nature of the map as a two dimensional plan, map symbols and scales, taking a six figure grid reference, how to interpret simple contour features, understanding the different parts of the compass. There will be a practical outdoor session after lunch.

Cost: €25 pp. Eight places available and the course will only go ahead if all eight places are filled.

Course title: Mountain Skills 1 (MS1) 
Date: Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September 2019                             

Details: NB Previous hillwalking experience/reasonable level of fitness required. Mixture of indoor formal and informal lectures/discussions and outdoor practical sessions. This two-day course, which is accredited by Mountaineering Ireland, will be held in Slieve Bloom Mountains and is for Rosway club members only. MS 1 covers map reading and basic navigational techniques, pacing and timing, recognition of natural features and contour interpretation, mountain hazards, personal equipment, route planning, measuring distance.

 Cost: €55. Six places are available and the course will only go ahead if all six places are filled. 

Pre-payment for each course is required and is non-refundable. Payments will be collected on Tuesday 30th April . The time and location will be sent out by text. Course fees have been subsidised by 50% so that participants will put to use the skills they learn on the courses for the future benefit of the club.

Please contact Training Officer Fiona or email roswaywalkers@gmail.com if you require additional information. Apologies as the incorrect costs were sent out in the texts. 

Walks calendar

A few people have been in touch to say that they've mislaid the walks scheduled for this year and could we put a copy up on the blog. So here you go....  Rosway Calendar 2019

More information on the individual walks are sent out by text and posted on the blog closer to the time giving details of  the meeting point and time, duration, degree of difficulty of the walks and gear required as specified by the walk leader. There is a link to the gear lists on the right hand side of the blog page. You should read this carefully and make sure you are prepared/fit for purpose before heading out with the Club.

Rosway Walkers follow the principles of Leave No Trace. Further details on http://www.leavenotraceireland.org/

Some good advice originally published in the Sunday Independent on 17th April 1949, which appears in today's edition to mark the 70th anniversary of the Irish Republic. 

Club walk Sunday 14th April

Ballinacarrigy to Ballymahon along the Royal Canal. A to B flat walk. 18 kms. Boots required. Bus leaving Gullane's car park at 9am. Leader: Jim Curley.











Edit: The inclement weather didn't deter these hardy Roswayers last Sunday.

Photo: Claire Dolphin

Talks and walks

There will be a talk hosted by the Camino Society of Ireland on the Celtic Camino starting at 7pm sharp on 12th April in the PortWest store, 20 High Street, Galway. See Celtic Camino talk for further info. 

If anyone is thinking ahead and would be interested in organising a weekend away for the club, the Sneem Hotel on the Ring of Kerry has some very competitive offers for groups. Self-catering options are available. They have great walking in the area for all levels and I can speak from personal experience (and Kerry roots!) that it's a fantastic place at any time of the year. 

See links below 

walking guide

The Sneem Hotel

There are also plenty of  walking festivals taking place over the next few weeks if the Club walks don't tickle your fancy. The 2019 North Leitrim Glens Hillwalking Festival organised by the Holey Soles Walking Club will take place on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April. Walks this year include Cuilcagh and the Glenfarne Plateau. Further info on https://sites.google.com/site/hshillwalkers/the-walks

The Connemara Mountain Walking festival takes place on the first weekend in May for walkers of various levels. If you don't have navigation skills or don't feel confident navigating on your own in Connemara, the walks are led by experienced guides. For info see
http://www.leenanevillage.com/lmwf.html

Closer to home, 2019 marks the 25th year of the Slieve Bloom Walking Festival and it will be also held over the bank holiday weekend 3rd-6th May. Loads of excellent walks and less than an hour's drive from Ballinasloe.
Slieve Bloom festival schedule