Welcome to Ulster Federation of Rambling Clubs                                               

 



Governing body for Rambling and Hill-Walking Clubs in the North of Ireland.

Affiliated to the Ramblers Association http://www.ramblers.org.uk



Sea-Pinks and Mournes~Tyrella


Providing a forum for its 32 clubs - almost 1900 individual members - promoting their interests, encouraging recreational walking, an appreciation and respect for the countryside, working to obtain improved access to the beautiful areas which abound in the region, building and strengthening links to likeminded organisations locally, nationally and internationally.

information from Hon.Secretary:
may walker,
4 woodvale park, dungannon.BT71 6db

 secretary@ufrc-online.co.uk  
 
Use this link
 

UFRC are keen to build up a database of e-mail addresses of individual club members , this allows our Officers to send information directly .  Many walking clubs do not have regular internal meetings so dissemination of information from club secretaries is sometimes slow. If you wish to be contacted in this way either send the name, club  and e-mail address directly to our Secretary


If you have ideas, articles or useful information which you would like to see in the web site please contact us
Use this link  


latest News Update  

 


Saturday, 17 October 2009 - Castlewellan
 

Mourne Ramblers will be organizers ,
 there will be a choice of walks within the Park.
Meeting to start at 2-00pm
A short talk on history of Mourne Ramblers (40th anniversary) and an illustrated talk on "Birds of the Mournes"  will be followed by Business Meeting concluding around 4-00pm.


Further Details later
  

 

Translink Rambler Bus Services for walkers
2009

Check these very useful dedicated bus services for our main walking areas


               Translink Web-site

                               Causeway Rambler   Kilkeel Rambler    Mourne Rambler 
                                            South Down Rambler      Sperrin Rambler

 


Rescue First Aid.  Sat. 26th and Sun. 27th Sept. '09. 
 

Commences - 9.30 am on 26th Sept.. Mary Peters Track, Belfast.  Sat. morning in classroom, the rest of Course practical and outdoors. 
Successful completion merits award of certificate recognised acceptable for first aid component of the Mountain Leader/Walking Leader award. 
Instructor- Stephen Synnott, a qualified instructor and member of the M.M.R.T.
Course fee £75 pp.
Federation will subsidise each person by £15.

To reserve a place, please forward cheque £30pp, payable to UFRC, to Thomas McKenna . Balance of £30 payable at least two weeks before course commences.
Enquiries and applications, accompanied by deposit to reserve a place, to :
Thomas McKenna,
71 Cullaville Road, Crossmaglen ,Newry BT 35 9 AQ.  
Tel. 3086 1759 or  E-mail 


Excellent Walking Food
make your own.-save money
 

Two nutritious and easy recipes for Chewey bars from Lynne McClelland , NIYW.

Any more contributions from members ? 

 

Have you been to Scilly Isles-worth a visit-
see Ronnie Carser's interesting article and pictures

 

 


 Walking in Woodland ?  Bothered by mosquitoes during breaks  ?  Try this tip -keep a bottle of Listerine mouthwash in your backpack and spray around your sitting area. Well worth a try-from Chairman Reg Magowan
 


Latest Club Profiles- Lagan Valley
                       N.I.Y.W

 



"Strolls in the Sperrins" 

Blackwater Rambling Programme 2009 

 


Have a look at :

Available Courses  in N.I.        


Details of E& LB Courses          
 
 Walkers Assn of Ireland          


Walking this weekend?


UK Weather        


Ireland Weather   

Mountain Ranges 

 


See photos and report on
Swartberg Mtns 
in South Africa


    


News Item: OS Map Changes


It looks as if there may be changes afoot in the  way OSI and even our own
L.P.S. maps will be constructed.

OSi are proposing a new 1:50,000 map series.

The  "Irish Grid" is likely to be replaced by all digit ITM references. 
There is an excellent synopsis of possible changes and the consequences, by Simon Stewart on his "mountainviews" website.  

More later
 

 

Regular walkers in Mournes.
 Would you like to help monitor the paths?

CAAN is seeking Volunteer Rangers to provide some simple feedback on and photographs of, the condition of the most popular walking routes in the Mournes, in partnership with Mourne Heritage Trust. 

Contact E-mail Address  
 


UFRC CONGRATULATE
 Noel and Lynne Hanna on becoming the first husband and wife team to conquer Everest.
 

Living in Dromara and with 'The Mournes' as training ground, Noel and Lynne achieved their goal on Thursday 22 May  . 

 Details:

 


 
National Park Debate reawakened?

Before the end of the year, Environment Minister Sammy Wilson is expected to launch a formal consultation process regarding the feasibility of establishing National Park(s) in Northern Ireland .  This follows a visit to Scotland where he visited Cairngorm and Lough Lomond National Parks.  Mr. Wilson met representatives on the N.P.A. and others, including farming groups living and working in these areas.  He discovered that farmers are using support available to make public access to land more manageable and have been able to develop businesses using the National Park idea almost as a brand.  Farmers Markets in these areas had positive consumer perception.
Although
N.P.A.in Scotland could scrutinize planning applications submitted for development within their boundaries, 75% of these had not been queried and of those which were, design issues were the main problem and not siting.
It would appear that Mr. Wilson would wish to
marry the ideas of housing development, promotion of sustainable economic activity and protection of environmentally sensitive areas. An attempt, it would appear, to make everybody happy
-we wish him luck.
 See 'Farming Life' Article

 
A debate where the recreational walker should have a constructive input.

During a recent visit to a small farm in the Mournes, Dr Herbert Diemont .from the Centre for Ecosystem Studies at Wageningen University, Holland stated:

‘’Keep a Hill Farm viable, and a farming family will remain, protecting a centuries old landscape’

Dr Hilary Kirkpatrick from the Ulster Wildlife Trust has noted the increasing number of abandoned fields and lanes being swamped by whins.
Of more than 100 landowners with a share in grazing the Western Mournes, only half a dozen still make full use of their right. Fail to act-and where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea-will become a mere bank of bracken and whin.

A Mourne farmer, speaking on a personal level, hopes that the current debate on how  to manage the mountains-with or without a National Park-will generate fresh ideas and a viable method of taking decisions on how best to use the open land left in trust by previous generations.
There is a need for gradual, planned change to protect the centuries old landscape and the farming businesses that have created it.

Some safety points to ponder...
               

 



was on
Saturday, 4 April    
 Maynard Sinclair Pavilion , Stormont
 
Full Details
  




Find out some detail on Access in N.I.



From R.Carser- Latest on Access situation in N.I. 
 


 


All walking clubs
need to be insured.
Civil liability insurance is especially
important . Personal insurance should also be
considered . 
See our  section on
Club Insurance

Another useful site to have a look at :
Outdoor Sports and Leisure

Outdoor Sports - Walking, Fishing, Shooting, Riding, Climbing, kayaking, Scuba Diving .....
A useful site for anyone looking to take up an outdoor sport, as well being a useful resource for the enthusiast!


Visit our pages, get ideas for 2009 walking trips.
                     
                                      G.B. and Ireland 
        Western Europe          Eastern Europe            
                                                          

SportActive       A local firm offer very good deals
 



CCleaner - Freeware Windows <img border=


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