Enjoy great exercise, beautiful scenery and friendly company
The CHA is based in Dublin. We walk every Saturday, offering 4 different levels of walks, each starting at different locations and following different routes. Our ‘A’ and ‘B’ walks are usually in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains, while ‘C’ and ‘D’ walks are on flatter areas of these counties.
All members receive a current walks calendar. Three calendars are published each year in December, April and August detailing the Saturday walks for the following four-month period. In addition, we arrange a Wednesday walk once a month with the objective of completing a river or canal walk over a number of months.
Club members submit walks through our website in advance of the next calendar. New members will not be expected to lead a walk until they are sufficiently experienced and confident to do so and they will be assisted by more experienced members with planning, reconnoitering and executing the walk. Some members have taken advantage of our training budget to do a course on mountain skills which includes instruction on how to use a compass with a topographical map.
Walks are graded as follows:
| Grade | Type | Terrain | Length | Total ascent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Strenuous | Mountain country | 15-23 km | 1000m |
| B | Fairly strenuous | Mountain country | 10-16 km | 650m |
| B minus | Moderate | Mountain, hill & moor | 10-14 km | 425m |
| C | Fairly easy | Hill & moorland | 6-10 km | 200m |
| D | Easy | Coastal and field paths | 4-6 km |
Most of our walks take place in the Dublin or Wicklow mountains. However, the A and B walkers regularly travel further afield to the Mournes, Blackstairs, Comeraghs as well as other parts of Ireland, sometimes involving an overnight stay in a hotel.
We also have an Easi-Bees group for members who enjoy a visit to cultural centres, including museums, exhibitions, fine old houses, gardens and to the theatre. These visits are every second Tuesday of the month.
