Hill Walk Ravensdale Forest to Ben Rock and Clermont Carn

Route Details: Ravensdale Forest, including Ben Rock.  See attached some pics of the walk including a map of Ravensdale Forest.

Distance/Duration: (moderate) 12km 4-4.5 hours (including breaks)

(easy) 8km 2.5-3 hours (including breaks)

Ascent (moderate) 430m  (easy) 270m

Meeting Point: Ravensdale Forest Park (Marble Bridge) LINK HERE

Meeting Time: 09:00am

Walk Start Time: 09:15am

Leader’s Note: There is limited space at the car park, hence the early start.  It may be very busy on the hills on 2^nd of April because of the Climb with Charlie Event.  If you are comfortable carpooling, please do so.  Please bear in mind that the walks are of different duration.

Walks (moderate) and (easy) will start together at Ravensdale Forest Car Park (OSI J081 156) (free parking, link to google maps above).  We will all follow the Ravensdale Loop and Tain Way through the forest along forest tracks.  We may get magnificent views of Slieve Gullion if the weather is kind to us.

The moderate walk will then leave the forest and climb on open mountain tracks to complete the ascent to Ben Rock (410m) with views of Dundalk Bay, and then up to Clermont Cairn (508m).  From the Cairn, on a clear day, the views of Carlingford Lough are spectacular.  We will retrace our steps back down from the Cairn to the forest track and complete the walk following the Tain Way and Ring of Gullion Way back to the car park.  Sections of the open mountain track may be wet and muddy. Poles and Gaiters would be recommended if you use them.

The easy walk does not include the climb of Ben Rock or Clermont Cairn.  It continues along the Tain Way and Ring of Gullion Way along forest tracks back to the car park.  Poles would be recommended, if you use them, for the steeper sections.

Please note there are no toilet facilities at the car park or along the walk. 

Directions: Refer to google maps link above.  Journey time by car from Skerries approximately 55 minutes (74km approx.).

• Take M1 motorway northwards to exit 18.  Follow R132 sign posted Ravensdale.
• After 4km at the roundabout take the exit to R174 Ravensdale.
• At T Junction after approx. 400m turn left (small stone house with no roof).
• The Ravensdale Forest Recreation Park is approx. 1.3km on the right hand side.

Please Text the leader by Thursday 31^st March, if you intend to join us on this Climb with Charlie Event.  Please give your full name and indicate which walk you want to do – moderate or easy.  A WhatsApp group will be set up for ease of communication for those coming on the walk.  This is where you can see who is coming on the walk if you’d like to carpool.  If you do not wish to be included in the WhatsApp group, please let the leader know when registering your interest in either of the walks.

If anyone wants to support Charlie Bird’s fundraising efforts for Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association and Pieta, Ireland’s National Suicide Prevention Charity please visit https://climbwithcharlie.ie/donate.