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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 ?
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Have you been to Scilly Isles-worth a visit-
see Ronnie Carser's interesting article and pictures
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 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
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Latest
Club Profiles- Lagan Valley
N.I.Y.W
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"Strolls in the Sperrins"
Blackwater
Rambling
Programme
2009
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Have a look at :
Available Courses in N.I.
Details of E& LB Courses
Walkers Assn of Ireland
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Walking this weekend?
UK Weather
Ireland Weather
Mountain
Ranges
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 See
photos and report on
Swartberg Mtns
in
South Africa
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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
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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
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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:
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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
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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. |
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Some safety points to ponder...
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was on
Saturday, 4 April
Maynard Sinclair Pavilion , Stormont
Full Details
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Find out some detail on Access in N.I.
From R.Carser-
Latest on Access situation in N.I.
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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
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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!
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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
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