COST: £55pp

LENGTH: 7 hours 

HIKE DISTANCE: 7km

Do you love being in the mountains and fancy trying something a bit different? This day will combine the pleasure of easy hiking into the heart of the Mourne Mountains with some new and exciting adventure activities you may not have tried before, all guaranteed to leave you buzzing to be in the mountains!

Hike

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Starting at the beautiful Carrick Cottage where we have an optional cooked breakfast (a very tasty one too!), we'll set off up the trail head for approximately 5km, largely on flat or gently rising terrain which is largely a good mountain path underfoot. After a relaxing hike in urrounded by the biggest peaks in Northern Ireland, we have  a short but steep section that leads us to the base of the cliff where we will spend the rest of the day - Lower Cove.

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Cave

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After a short break for a snack and drink, and also to stare in wonder at the 45 metre cliff face above you, our experienced team will give you a quick safety brief, kit you up with a helmet and harness, and then guide you to the top of  Lower Cove the cool way -by squirming through the narrow construction in the side of the mountain and then wriggling up through it, eventually making it to the top. The cave element is about 10 metres horizontally and then another 10 metres or so vertically, and although our team will guide you safely through it, this section is totally optional and can be avoided if it's not your thing

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Abseil

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Once we make it to the top, we can once again take in the stunning views over the Mourne Mountains, looking to Slieve Donard (Northern Ireland's highest peak), Binnian, Lamagan and the Annalong Valley southwards. Then we get strapped in to two safety ropes and after a short safety brief, start your descent back to the base which is over 150 feet (45 metres) from top to bottom! You'll be in the driver's seat, totally controlling your descent, but don't worry our instructors will have you nice and safe on the back up safety rope that they are in charge of at all times. It's the best way to get back to the ground, an absolute must do!

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Climb

After this buzz you can spend a bit of time focussing your mind and body by learning some rock climbing skills as you scale back up the cliff you just came down! Rock Climbing truly is a meditative activity, your focus is 100% on the task at hand and everything else simply goes away for the time you’re on the rock. It's both an adrenaline filled experience and a highly relaxing one at the same time, and to be honest you simply have to try it to understand what we mean. We'll spend the rest of the day trying these rock climbs, and progressing to harder ones as the day goes on and your ability improves. After that, it's time to pack up and walk back out to Carrick Cottage, where everyone will be welcome to buy a coffee or tea for the road and chat about the awesome day we all just had in the hills - and maybe plan your next trip too??

What's included:

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• Fully qualified and experienced Rock Climbing Instructors  & Mountain Leaders to guide you
• Comfortable climbing harness
• Climbing Helmet
• Climbing Shoes - most centres make you climb in trainers which really makes it hard!
• All other technical equipment
• Routes selected specifically for your abilities
• Digital pictures and videos of your day so you can remember it forever
• A guaranteed good day out in the hills with lots of stunning views and interesting things to learn!

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What to bring:

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• A completed Health Declaration & Registration Form - see footer of page for link
• Any medication you may need
• Good hiking boots that are well broken in
• Map and compass if you have them
• A rucksack with waterproof liner
• Head torch with spare batteries
• Emergency bivvy bag
• Fully charged mobile
• Water proof jacket and trousers
• Lots of light top layers
• Hat and gloves
• Lunch and water
• Anything else on the kit list - this will be sent at the booking stage (also available at the bottom of the page)

PLEASE NOTE - If you wish to park at Carrick cottage cafe (which is great for parking as we have an arrangemnet with the owner), you must get something from the cafe like a coffee or something. If you don't fancy this, there is other parking avaliable within 200 metres, however its often extremely difficult to get a space on the weekends.

Covid-19:

Should government restrictions come into effect on the date of the course which would prevent us from running the activity, we will offer alternative dates on which to take part in the activity, or a credit note to the value of the missed activity, which can be used against any of our services or events.