The Hike Life Gougane Barra, February 24th

This event is limited to 70 persons and sign up will be live tomorrow at 8 am which I will share over on instagram and add to this blog post.

 

Meeting Point:Lower Car Park- there are two car parks in the forest I have marked our meeting point on the map below.

NOTE; ā‚¬5 parking fee (in coins) NO CARD ACCEPTED

Google Map: Gougane Barra National Forest Park

 

Map from Coillte.ie

Ā Start Time:10 am, please arrive 15 minutes before to ensure we leave sharp.

 

Hike Time; 2.5 hours

 

Difficulty;Ā Hard. They’re are 6 trails in Gougane Barra so we will be going from one to the other eventually getting onto the longer route which is the most difficult but it has the best views so donā€™t worry it will be worth it, we get aĀ stunning viewing point at about 300m up from there we gradually go back along the forest road.

 

I canā€™t wait to come down to Cork for the first ā€œHike Lifeā€ Cork style. I will be putting up a sign up link this Tuesday- set a reminder. I have received so much help and advice from different hiking and forest organisations since my last meet up so I have made a couple of changes moving forward. I hope you all understand that the main priority of these hikes is that everyone has fun, is safe and gets inspired to get out hiking & exploring Ireland.

There is now a cap on numbers for each hike, this is based on car spaces available at the meeting points, the width of paths and of course guides per person.

I hope you agree this will make our hikes even better moving forward, Iā€™ll just have to host a lot more now! Be sure to sign up to the newsletter on the website too to get Hike information first.

Dogs;Dogs are allowed on the trail, if you do not have effective control of your dog its best to be kept on a lead to ensure they donā€™t go missing along the forest trail with the large group.

 

NOTICE; This is a Coillte forest they promote a ā€˜LEAVE NO TRACEā€™ principle which is important for us all to abide by. If you bring it with you, take it away with you too- this includes your dog poo bags!

 

Minimum Gear Requirement; Walking boots, rain gear, appropriate layers depending on the weather, water and food relative to your needs. Note you may want to bring a spare pair of socks and shoes if the path is muddy.

 

FAQ

Is there a cost to attend? No. These are free to encourage people to get out in nature, ,meet new people and discover new trails.

Can I come alone? Yes of course, loads of people come solo. The whole point of these hikes is to have a group when you want to get out walking but none of your friends will go with you or perhaps you’ve just moved here and you want to meet people with similar interests.

Do I need to sign up?Ā Yes, this will be linked tomorrow morning at 8 am through event brite.

How will I know where to meet the group? I will always post a meeting point prior to the hike with a specific time. You can’t miss the group.

Do I have to be fit? This depends on the hike, each hike will have it’s own separate post which will give a guide on the difficulty level.

Can Kids come? Of course, but ensure the walk is suitable for their ability as some may be strenuous. You know your Childs abilities better than me so depending on their fitness levels you can decide which hike suits best.

Do I need hiking boots? This also depends on the walk, most often good walking shoes are fine however I do not recommend runners with no grip, paths can be muddy and slippy so for your own comfort dress appropriately.

Can I bring my dog? I encourage you to bring friends for Wilko ( my dog) however this depends on the walks, some walks are dog friendly while other not- this will be mentioned in the individual hike posts. I do recommend having your dog on a leash in the large group for your dogs safety and to ensure he doesn’t wander off or lose you.