Hiking Skills

Course description

The aim of this practical course is to prepare people to undertake this healthy and interesting pursuit  of Hiking in a safe manner.

The course will give the basic practical first-hand skills in: 

• Map Reading
• Compass Reading
• Time and Pacing
• Equipment needed to safely hill walk.
• Types of food and drinks that you required
• Introduction on Rescue Emergencies Care (REC) first aid
• Phone Apps you can use for hikes
• Understanding how to check the Weather and do a simple weather report for the last hike Creating a Route Card for walks
• Demonstrating the skills learned in the field with some hikes.

Course Content Layout 

1. Introduction
2. Reading A Map
3. Compass
4. Time and pacing
5. Recap on Time and Pacing, Practical use to walk a square
6. Equipment & Food etc
7. Introduction on Rescue Emergencies Care, REC first aid
8. Orienteering map reading for Malahide castle & Howth , Classroom.
9. Orienteering walk in Malahide castle ½ day – 4 /5 hours
10. RE-cap what happened Q&A from last week. – Phone Apps – Weather – and what is in the basic Route card
11. 2/3 Orienteering ½ day hike – 4/5 hours – and Weather  report from Students

Course Day & Time: Tuesday evenings 7.30 – 9.30pm (Six to eight classes in classroom and two to four 4/5 hours hikes)

Start Date: 04/02/25

Cost: €110

Course Format: Six to eight classes in classroom and two to four 4/5 hours hikes

Duration: 10 weeks – Maximum of 12 students in class

Enrolment: You can enrol online through our website www.malahidecsadulted.ie by clicking on the Easy Payments Plus button. Enrolment will begin on Monday the 9th of December at 10am.

Tutor: Ed O Donnell

Ed has been a member of Scouting Ireland for 41 years

1986 – he did, what is known as part of the Anglo-Irish agreement Explorer Belt (Training for a year) carried food, tent, cooking equipment etc with emergency equipment and with one change of  clothing and two pairs of socks for over 2 weeks.

He continued with the Mountaineering and have been on loads of expeditions including celebrity  climbs to base camp Everest. Sam McQuire Cup on top of Carrauntoohil and all the medals that  people have from all Ireland finals since its fountaion of GAA. The Last expedition I was on, was in Nepal Langtang valley, Mount Baden Powel to celebrate 100 years of scouting,

He is a REC First aid instructor and teach emergency Care to Mountaineers and Hillwalkers and  anyone who works and plays in the outdoors.

He is with Mountaineering Ireland, and hold M1 , M2, and MS Assessment.

In Scouts he holds Level 9 in the hill skill training, and he is on the training team for training scout  leadership in the hills.

Over the years Ed has hiked in places including

• Iceland,
• Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa
• Everest base Camp, Nepal
• Island Peak, Nepal,
• Kala Patthar, Nepal
• Alps, Saas Grund, Switzerland
• Langtang valley, Nepal
• Micheal Muicheartaigh with the Sam Cup in Kerry, 16 May 2014. With Alan Kerins from GAA
• Tatra Mountains, Poland.
• Monte Perdido, Spain
• Mount Toubkal, Morocco,  Africa
• All over Ireland , Wales, Scotland
• Howth Head, Ireland