“Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.”
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~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The weather was oppressive on Friday but these hillwalkers don't give that dominion over the challenge. They're prepared. On Saturday and Sunday we had ideal hillwalking conditions. 
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Forty five amateur athletes, with a professional approach to hillwalking, participated in the challenge over the three days. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not an athlete. It takes a serious effort in terms of hours -  to get fit enough, learn to navigate, understand the limitations of what you wear/carry: and believe that you can finish. We applaud you all.

Challenge hillwalkers get little recognition for what you do outside of the organizers of these events and your own hillwalking community. Be proud of your achievement. 

What we do is very inclusive and age is no barrier. The age gap between our most junior and senior participant was 38 years. Let that sink in. Some hillwalkers are just remarkable.

Peaks Mountaineering Club won the All-Ireland Club Challenge trophy. In doing so, they halted the three in-a-row for The Wayfarers Hiking Club. 

I can’t thank you all enough for registering, participating and donating.

We are very grateful to those who sponsored food, prizes for the draw and offered financial and logistical support with venus etc.

And, it just wouldn’t work without the ladies and their support.

Participant List

Ger Barrett, Paul Carroll, Karol Caulfield, Siobhán Connolly, Fintan Cooney, John Costigan, Killian D’Arcy, Patrick Dennis, Seán Doherty, Kevin Finn, Ian Fitzgerald, Steven Forde, Sean Freeman, Darren Frehill, Padraig Hackett, Peter Hertting, Miriam Joyce, Brian Kelly, Jenny Kelly, Derek Lyons, David McDonnell, Gerry McVeigh, Alan O’Brien, Josephine O’Brien, Liam O’Brien, Ronan O’Byrne, Johnny O’Connell, Mary O’Connell, Kevin O’Donnell, Thomas O’Dwyer, Graham O’Reilly, Seán O’Riordan, Ulla O’Riordan, David Power, Marian Power, Michael Rea, Gerard Sheehy, William Smyth, Hazel Stapleton, Mick Stewart, Cian Swanton, Mark Vesey, Marian Wallis, Cormack Walsh, Kevin Walsh.

Sign-In/Sign-Out, Stand-By and Catering

Margo, Martha, Nuala, Eimear, Kate.

Event Statistics

72 Registered

45 Participated
19 did 3 days 
11 did 2 days
15 did 1 day.

15 Participants were new to the event

Peaks Mountaineering Club won the trophy with 21 points, from 11 members. The cumulative points are on the upward trajectory each year.

Clubs and Walking Groups Represented:

Ballyhoura Bears, Bishopstown Hillwalking Club, Bogtrotters, Douglas Scouts, Limerick Climbing Club, Na Sléibhte Hillwalking Club, Peaks Mountaineering Club, The Wayfarers Hiking Club, Trailblazers Hiking Group.


Well done Steven Forde on doing every day of the challenge, for the last six years.

​It's not too late to help with a donation. You can do so by clicking 'The Money Part' tab, above.

​This post is for the benefit of those that have not taken part and may not fully understand what’s involved. If you’ve any questions, post them in the comments section.

If previous participants want to post their words of wisdom, fire away.

It takes place on 17th , 18th and 19th August 2018.

I'd email those that have registered in previous years, when registration opens.

Clubs are contacted about the event every year, when registration opens. It’s up to the clubs to inform their members.

The full challenge involves three challenge walks back-to-back over three days.
You can elect to do one, two or three days. It’s up to you. There’s no pressure to do the three.

It’s for self-navigators.

You sign-in at a different location each day. We bus you to the designated start and you walk back to your car. A to B, with no checkpoints, as efficiently as you can. Simple as that.

It’s €75 for three days, €60 for two and €40 for one.

Registration closes on the *17th July* or earlier if the limit of 75 participants is reached.

Your registration fee goes to the nominated beneficiaries. The money needed to stage the event eg. insurance, busses, medals, certs, food on the Sunday etc. etc. is raised separately via donations, a grant and sponsorship.

We have the support of local hillwalking clubs who provide woman/man power.

When you register, you’re entered in the free draw for the five or six prizes and you’re eligible for the free ViewRanger credits.

If you want/need indicative GPX tracks for the three days, we have them for those that register.

An itinerary goes out to you when registration closes giving you details of sign-in/sign-out locations, parking facilities etc.

You’ll be given an emergency phone number on the day(s) in case you need to come off early.

How hard is it to do three days? The hardest part is getting your head around it, as hillwalking challenges tend to be one day events. You take it one day at a time, pace yourself, feed and water yourself correctly, and be smart about what you carry. You might feel like staying in bed, or turning the car around, on day two or three but once you set foot on the hill, you’re off again.

If you get wet on day one or two, having a second pair of boots and change of wet gear is smart as you may not have drying facilities where you’re staying.
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There is also a Club Challenge. A point is awarded for each walker that completes a day, two points if you do two and three points for three. It’s about finishing a day and not about speed. A club with 10 walkers that each do one day would beat a club with three walkers that each do three days. Fifteen points won the accolade and trophy last year.

We drew a line under the fundraising for 2017 and the total fund available was €4,896.

So, half of that is ring fenced for the 'Mend The Mountain Fund' and the balance is divided equally between - Ballyporeen Community Council Ltd., Good Morning South Tipperary and Grange Community Council Ltd.

We'll present them with those drafts for €816 each in the next week or so.

Well done hillwalkers, and everyone else associated with the event.

And, Thank You!!!
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You can still support/donate, as we'll run it again next year.

Cross the length of the Comeragh Mountains. Cross the length of the Galtee Mountains. Cross the length of the Knockmealdown Mountains . . . . .

Indeed, traverse the length of all three mountain ranges over three intense days. This is the ask, so as to complete the Triple Crossing that is the incredible Fei Sheehy Challenge. . . . With Hurricane Gert howling at the ankles -

Jim Holmes describes this year's Fei Sheehy Challenge!

Read on...