Happy Hiking - Hill Skills Day - 3rd Oct-Laois/Offaly

Mountaineering Ireland’s Happy Hiking Hills Skills Programme returns in Summer 2026 for its fifth year. These Hill Skills Days are a great opportunity for anyone new to the hills or those who want to learn the basics of navigation to join a qualified instructor for a full day's training and to gain useful information and skills that will help keep you safe on the hills.

This programme is subsidised by Mountaineering Ireland. The registration fee for each Hill Skills Day is €25. This programme is for adults only, and both members and non-members of Mountaineering Ireland are welcome.

This Hill Skills day will be based in Laois. Slieveblooms: hiking up as far as the Clear lake. It would be an "out and back" walk of approx. 7km over a mix of forest roads and open mountain giving good options for introducing a variety of navigation skills. There are also easy options to extend the walk depending on the group and weather on the day. The lake itself is an unusual feature and point of interest in the Slieve Blooms.

Throughout the day you will learn about movement skills, basic navigation, map reading, equipment, and safety considerations.

What gear do I need?

• Hiking boots / walking shoes with woolly or synthetic socks (not cotton)
• Comfortable clothing, e.g. leggings / tracksuit bottoms, breathable T-Shirt and fleece & an extra warm layer (try to avoid cotton)
• Small backpack
• Waterproof jacket and pants
• Hat and gloves
• An extra warm layer or two in your backpack
• Water (minimum 1.5 litres), lunch and snacks
• Sunscreen, personal medicine (e.g. inhaler, EpiPen, etc.)
• OSI, Harvey or EastWest map of the area and a compass if you have one – maps and compasses may be supplied by the instructor.
• Mobile phone (fully charged)

Refund policy: refunds will be granted if requested at least 7 days before the event. For cancellations within 7 days of the event, your ticket will refunded if the spot is taken by someone else.

Please note: this programme is not suitable for those who have already participated in a Mountain Skills course, it is targeted at novices and should not be used as a Mountain Skills refresher.

Disclaimer: Mountaineering Ireland recognises that climbing, hillwalking and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.