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| General | Whatever you want to say that doesn't fit under the comments about mountains or another forum. |
| Post details | Post (Expand pics) | ||
| experteesLtd 2009-03-13 23:05:22 |
MI, and a severe attack of Simonitis
Name change. The Board felt that the word ‘Council’ should be dropped, as it implies a committee, whilst ‘Mountaineering’ represents all users of the hills. Between ourselves, I wanted the word ‘Hillwalking’ in it, but was democratically outvoted.Letters Page. This could be censored and may not be democratic. National Hillwalking Body. The WAI and UFRC have already been approached by MI to set up such a body, as the current myriad of organisations representing hillwalkers is not in anyone’s interest (there is only one GAA). The WAI have agreed to ‘talks about talks’ (does this seem familiar to those of us from the north?). I just hope it doesn’t take as long, or require input from the White House! AGM. No-one likes AGMs except Simon. By his own admission, this is the only MI event he attends, so his view of membership participation may be somewhat skewed. Non-attendance is indeed due to boredom, but climbers don’t go either, so this is nothing to do with over-emphasis on the vertical. Forum. MV is excellent, and a valuable addition to the hillwalking scene. Why should MI be in a hurry to set up a hillwalking forum when there is already a very good one in existence? I think it will happen anyway, once the anti doping is sorted! Culture. I don’t necessarily agree there is such a thing as MI culture, passed on like a virus. The Board changes every couple of years and each Board will develop its own culture. What is passed from Board to Board is the reality of the demands and constrictures that govern the running of an NGB. Board members are not paid and it is a big commitment, which now includes the management of staff (thus the need for professionals with experience in such areas). MI. If you want to know what I value about MI, read the next issue of Mountain Log. You may find something about hillwalking in it, written by active amateur hillwalkers, and not totally produced by about three paid professional writers. Get well soon. ExperteesLtd |
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| csd 2009-03-09 22:12:34 |
Re: Dogs in the Reeks
ahendroff, yes indeed, I'm aware of how little rights walkers have :( I don't generally have a problem taking the dog, but some areas (eg the Galtys, Brandon, Lough Dan, Cock Mountain) have signs specifically forbidding canines, so I was wondering if there was anything similar in the Reeks. It would be a shame to drive all the way there only to be thwarted by a "No Dogs" sign. The dog is probably better at scrambling than I am, and doesn't appear to suffer from vertigo! |
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| ahendroff 2009-03-09 14:46:19 |
Re: Dogs in the Reeks
Well csd, as you know rights of way to hillwalkers is non-existent in Ireland, we "tresspass" at our own risk and sometimes upon seeking permission from farmers. There is no legislation in Ireland against quad-bikers or scramblers so I dont see how a dog(!) will not be "allowed" (who's to say no?). Though make sure the dog is on a leash, good at scrambling (Big Gun) and does not suffer from vertigo (Cnoc na Peiste) |
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| csd 2009-03-08 20:49:54 |
Dogs in the Reeks
Looking for some information on access to MacGillycuddy's Reeks with a dog. I'm planning a trip in April, looking to tick off the peaks along ridge from Cnoc an Chuillinn to Cnoc na Péiste. I've only approached the Reeks from Coumloughra before, so I'm not sure what the access is like from the north. Are dogs allowed? Are there approaches that should be avoided with a cainine companion? Any pointers appreciated! |
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| JACKILL 2009-03-06 16:59:56 |
Cra ha ha
sometimes I just have to laugh, very good!are you flying south for Carrauntoohil on the 11th April? maybe he might mclimber up and join you? |
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| Bleck Cra 2009-03-06 15:46:12 |
SMASHING IDEA
wicklore - wonderfully entertaining and we should all be for it and of course aware that it makes far too much good sense for it ever to be accepted.Just for the record - Abalakov Thread is what the Afgans use to repair rifles after the RA has used them; atomic belay is that short period of time between pressing the button and being incinerated; Z clipping is an accident with your flies; and Z pulley is the pet name for a small pack animal. |
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| wicklore 2009-03-06 07:54:44 |
S.M.A.S.H.I.N.G M.(C) I
I have a potential solution to the M(C)I issue-a new rival group which would better represent the majority of people who visit the hills and mountains of Ireland. This group would be the Small Mountain and Small Hill INterest Group-Mountaineers (Cordially) Invited (S.M.A.S.H.I.N.G M.C.I) To be honest I dont know much about the world of mountaineering. I don't know an Abalakov Thread from an Atomic Belay, or Z-clipping from a Z-pulley. I wonder if these specialist mountaineers know our hillwalking language-Ham Sandwiches, Flask of Tea etc. Other terms like Map & Compass and It Gets Dark at 5pm might also be beyond them too. To be serious, I took out MCI membership last year to avail of their insurance and to get their magazine. (10% discounts are handy too) Their magazine doesn't really appeal to me as much as Walking World Ireland. I will contact MCI to ask about the name change and to see if I am still eligible to be a member. (Do they still want a mere walker!) |
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| Bleck Cra 2009-03-06 02:38:06 |
The Pale
Don't suppose it has occurred to you MacLimbo, that we all have a pain threshold. Your last contribution was it. |
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| simon3 2009-03-03 22:17:54 |
The M[C]I
You may be interested to learn that the people who say they represent rambling and hillwalking in the Republic have decided to change their name. Recently they restructured themselves introducing a chief executive/ board structure supposedly to be more independent and more capable of leading. With 85% of their membership as walkers or hillwalkers many of us hoped that they would look at the obvious demographics, the national need again. We hoped for a meaningful change to their name to one that represents more what most do most of the time as a step towards better support for walking/hillwalking.Oh No. Not a bit of it. It’s now going to be called Mountaineering Ireland rather than the Mountaineering Council of Ireland. How can this sort of thing get voted in? Simple. It starts with lack of discussion. There is no widespread public discussion about issues such as this – the organisation does not have a letters page in its magazine and there is no forum on their website. Opinions expressed at meetings such as the agm are not circulated. They do have consultation, but their idea of consultation is that you give in your opinion at a controlled local meeting rather than in a public forum - not a development of ideas circulated for the members to decide on. Their approach is more like a focus group for a new ice-cream flavour. Then comes the Board. Many of the members of the Board are professionals in the sport. Nothing wrong with that in itself, excellent in fact, however the issue is about balance. Where exactly is the 85% walking and hillwalking voluntary membership represented? With around one exception, the Board does not have people in it with club or voluntary hillwalking or walking as their main interest. There are no club representatives as such or people from that background. The issue is also structural. There is no body in the MCI set up to look after the interests of walkers and hillwalkers at a national level following the end of the Hillwalking Committee in 2007 - a much stronger group with powers set out in the Memo and Articles should be developing the sport of walking/hillwalking. No doubt all members of the Board do at least some walking but do they live and breathe it like many in the membership? Then comes the meeting. There were just 35 people at the AGM (of which 5 or so would be employees) down from around 55 last year. 30 out of around 9600 or 0.3% In my experience, the people voting are not generally required to vote in line with what their club might have collectively discussed and agreed. The AGM attendees are the people that are interested in the MCI by and large – the rest have long been bored out of it by the mountaineering focus etc. (Voting is only allowed by those that attend in person – no absent or proxy votes and the voters who actually show tend to support the organisation.) So there you have it. No proper public discussion. Skewed Board representation and governance. No national walking group. A handy .3% voting machine. That’s how you get a cosmetic and quite inappropriate change voted in.. Perhaps you don't agree with this? Well, with MV you can put your contrary opinions in. If we hear anything official, expect to hear about how there can be an inclusive byline applied to the new name. This approach was taken after the last time the name was discussed in oh 2000 or so. At that point a majority of clubs (rather than agm attendees) when asked said they would prefer an agreed name with hillwalking in it. 9 years ago. This name discussion is all very stale isn't it? Just like the predictable byline "solution". The problem is simple - the organisation won't face up to the nature of the membership's interests and cater for it culturally and structurally - a small symptom being the name. The're more interested in policies that attract government money such as anti-doping, the competitive end of climbing and the emphasis on youth - or should that be overemphasis? Let me say one last thing about this recent AGM. In the MCI you can meet many people that have worked extremely hard over many years for walking (and climbing). I met many of them and indeed some of them congratulated me warmly on this site etc (Maybe missing the point that this site is a community). We should congratulate the many people in the MCI who have worked hard for many years. In my opinion the issue isn't individuals. Organisations develop cultures almost independently of their people. (Think banks) The ethos in the MCI is still skewed towards the climbing mountaineering minority. It's got a dose of government funded QUANGO about it - implementors of Government policy rather than members wishes. There's a lack of support for the voluntary and for other people's initiatives (challenge walks for example). It's the overall culture that's wrong. |
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| maclimber 2009-03-05 00:59:13 |
Blog from the Bog
Beefy bogbashers berate balletic belay boys bogus ballot!Bonnington or Wainwright Brucie or Wurzles Bonkers or what As jagged little rock would sing" Hey you its only walking hills but I like it, like it , yes I do" |
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