Magical midnight walk along iconic mountain
WITH the recent spell of wonderful weather, this weekend’s night time walk on Ben Bulben should be even more spectacular than usual.
Now in its seventh year the walk is led by the Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team (SLMRT) and is its main fundraiser for the year.
For those who want to try out hiking this is a great first step. Not only will you access one of Ireland’s most iconic mountains led by a team of experienced guides, you will also get to do so at night.
Environmental Scientist Emer Knowles who lives in Strandhill is taking on the night time walk for the forth time.
She says: “I’ve walked Ben Bulben by day and by night, and definitely night time is much more dramatic. The first year we did it, I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s an incredible sensory experience. Because you can only see as far as your head light will allow, you notice things you don’t really see in the day like the shadows on the cliffs or the lights away in the distance.”
Áine Herlihy originally from Cork moved to Sligo seven months ago. She is looking forward not only to the walk itself, but also what it represents.
“I’ve not had the opportunity of climbing Ben Bulben before, and there’s something extra special about doing so with a group of people and for such a great cause. The SLMRT provide invaluable service to the community, and this is a small way of supporting the service. None of us know when we might need their assistance,” she says.
Mountain rescue volunteer Alan Sayers says: “The weather is as usual the great imponderable factor. It is fair to say that we have experienced everything from biblical downpours to warm African winds. This year we are of course very hopeful of clear conditions, people love to be above the cloud line and to be able to enjoy a clear panorama, so fingers crossed.”
Walkers will gather 7pm at Oxfield GAA complex near Carney ahead of the trek where they will be briefed and divided into groups.
They walk begin’s at Luke’s Bridge. The first group will start at 8pm with others following afterwards. The walk- ers start by road heading towards Ballintrillick Bog. They cross the bog – the underfoot conditions can be soft, even in this dry weather, so ensure you wear hiking boots – and begin the summit to the mountain. There, they will head across as far as the trig (highest) point before, weather permitting, they walk towards the headland to enjoy spectacular views across towards Sligo and Donegal.
People travel from far and wide to do the Ben Bulben night walk. Last year two inspirational ladies travelled all the way from Limerick to take part – Íde, aged 75, and Clara, aged 82, and, according to Alan, “they walked up into the clouds and were the life and soul of the party.” For details visit www.sligowalks.ie