<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w  unctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w  aveIfXMLInvalid>false</w  aveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w  napToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w  ontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><div classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui> <style> st1\  {behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0cm; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page  ection1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language  0400; mso-fareast-language  0400; mso-bidi-language  0400;} </style> <![endif]--> I have only been hill walking from April and I must say I could not have done it without the help and knowledge contained in this
site or that contributed by its members.
Having first to give up contact sports and then running due to a childhood illness I have been restricted in the exercise I could
enjoy. Finding both enjoyment and excitement in a simple past time has made me feel much fitter; I have lost a good chuck of
weight and just feel very positive about the future.
Anyway I put a few pictures of my travels on the web for my family and friends to view, I hope some of you especially those in
Northern Ireland will enjoy them.
Thanks again David Pictures
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| Edited: 05/07/08 14:53 |
 Welcome to OM forum here then David; and very good to know that some of the info freely available on here has helped you out a good bit too as well!  That's after all what it all be there for!
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| Edited: 05/07/08 23:20 |
 Hi David and welcome to OM. I enjoyed the photos of the Mournes. I've been meaning to spend a few days exploring them but not managed it yet despite going to Northern Ireland every year for Christmas for the since 1999 (I have a brother who lives there). Hopefully next year. 
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 Hi David, good little site, I've never found much on the Mournes before and never visited, I do have a few of my pictures on the info boards in the nature reserves there as they asked me a while back if they could use a few of fauna I had taken elsewhere for illustration purposes, so must go one day to see my piccies! I'll add your site to the links on my website when I next update it! 
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Thanks for the comments, the fact that the Mournes are a very compact range make them ideal for beginners. However as you can walk for hours without meeting a soul means that you can fully appreciate both their beauty and your isolation.
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 DAVID , its a great place isn't it there are some really great people on here who will give you some good advice . we've just finished doin the national 3 peaks we did them over 3 months and the help with routes and places to stay plus footwear has been great . I also had a sporty childhood with parents racing pushbikes and my brother being a great runner , it took me a long time to find my own sport. this place will help you in every way to improve your hill skills . good luck take your time and i'll see you on a hill one day . ric in fleetwood ...  
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 David - for a guy describing himself as having a "dodgy hip" I'm impressed with your walks in the Mournes. It's a favourite stomping ground of mine and the O'Brien Press were only talking to me about it the other day. Some pals of mine from Banbridge are out there all the time, but at the moment they've gone soft and are currently on the Cotswold Way.
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I pass through Banbridge on the bus down to Newcastle, nice town. My hip gives me more trouble in the winter but I take Co-codamol and a leki wanderfreund with me just is case. Unfortunately my right Femer is a couple of inches shorter than my left so I need to be careful walking over uneven groin. I passed a couple of very attractive girls on Friday (while descending a little quicker than I should have) and went on my ass a couple of minutes later, not the look I was going for.
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I passed a couple of very attractive girls on Friday (while descending a little quicker than I should have) and went on my ass a couple of minutes later, not the look I was going for.
Obviously a man of style
Looks good David, i'm checking out the logistics of a trip from London. Whats the best transport from Belfsat?
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 Michael - there are no trains to the Mournes, so that just leaves the Ulsterbus services. There are plenty of those to Newcastle, right at the foot of Slieve Donard, and from there the only limit is your imagination. A tough walker can walk all the way across the Mournes in a day, but on the other hand, you could flog yourself half to death there for two or three weeks and still not see everything!
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I passed a couple of very attractive girls on Friday (while descending a little quicker than I should have) and went on my ass a couple of minutes later, not the look I was going for.
Obviously a man of style
Looks good David, i'm checking out the logistics of a trip from London. Whats the best transport from Belfsat?
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| Edited: 06/07/08 20:57 |
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 Inspirational posts there David.  Good on you for braving the pain to still get out there! I'm often in the same boat too mate, missing a section of my lower spine, where it had to be cut out as it was badly prolapsed after an accident at work nearly a decade ago now. I try to brave the pain to get out there too when I can do! Stay positive my friend, it's indeed the best way to go on in one's life I too feel.
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| Edited: 06/07/08 21:32 |
 > so I need to be careful walking over uneven groin. I passed a couple of very attractive girls on Friday Do I detect a Freudian slip...? ;-)
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 lol!  That was well spotted in there cp! 
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Inspirational posts there David. Good on you for braving the pain to still get out there! I'm often in the same boat too mate, missing a section of my lower spine, where it had to be cut out as it was badly prolapsed after an accident at work nearly a decade ago now. I try to brave the pain to get out there too when I can do! Stay positive my friend, it's indeed the best way to go on in one's life I too feel. > so I need to be careful walking over uneven groin. I passed a couple of very attractive girls on Friday Do I detect a Freudian slip...? ;-)
Thanks for the kind words and double entendres
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 Thanks for the kind words and double entendres -Wrote David. That suddenly Reminds me of a very old joke. A woman walks into a bar and asks for a double entendre, so the barman gives her one........
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| Edited: 08/07/08 21:39 |