Take on a new challenge

10 January 2025

It’s the time of year to set goals! Challenge yourself to do one or two things differently when you hike and climb in 2025.

Consider this menu of suggestions for how you could make a positive difference in Ireland’s mountains and upland areas this year:

 

  • Car-pool whenever you can – it reduces emissions and saves on parking space.
  • Support the areas where you walk and climb by using shops, cafés, pubs and other services.
  • If you come across a farmer in the hills, stop and have a chat – it helps build trust with the people we depend on for access.
  • Reduce the spread of erosion by keeping within existing path lines.
  • Carry a bag to pick up litter that you come across in the outdoors.
  • When ground conditions are wet, change your planned route to reduce your impact on fragile, boggy ground.
  • Volunteer to help care for the mountains - with Mountaineering Ireland in Wicklow Mountains or at Croagh Patrick, or with Mountain Meitheal.
  • Have a friendly chat with a dog owner to explain that dogs can disturb wildlife and that most farmers in upland areas don’t want to see people with dogs on the hills.
  • Use social media to celebrate the nature, landscape, and heritage of Ireland’s mountains.
  • Organise a group hike using public transport - Local Link bus services offer some new options.
  • Cut down on flights by taking a ferry or booking a holiday in Ireland.
  • Do a training course to improve your skills and independence on the mountains.
  • Encourage other hikers and climbers to join Mountaineering Ireland – every additional member enables us to be more effective in representing your interests.

 

Congratulate yourself if you’re doing some of these things already, thank you for helping to protect access and the mountains that provide us with such fantastic experiences! And maybe you would consider taking on a new challenge for 2025…

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