The Cooley Mountains are a great Hill Walking destination, consisting of two ridges oriented northwest to southeast, separated by the valley of Glenmore.

The landscape is one of unspoilt rolling countryside with beautiful seascapes and panoramas from the mountain tops in all directions. The views from the various summits include Carlingford Lough, the Mourne Mountains, Slieve Gullion and it’s Ring Dyke Hills, Camlough Mountain and Lake, Dundalk Bay, the ancient plains of Muirthemne and on a good clear day the Isle of Man.

It’s little wonder that the area is considered by many to be one of the most scenic in Ireland and a magnet for Hill Walkers of all grades.

Gaisce Award

Students are encouraged to plan and prepare before they set off to complete either the 25km (Bronze Award) or 50 km (Silver Award) in accordance with guidelines provided by Gaisce.  They will have to demonstrate the skills that they have learned in map reading, route planning, group safety and leadership amongst many other transferable skills in order to achieve their award.

The stunning scenery of the Cooley Peninsula is the perfect location to help inspire young adults to set and surpass new goals. We are inclusive of all groups and are very proud to have assisted a huge number of students achieve their award from across the country.

A guide that will take you through the experience.

Trousers, Walking Boots, Small Rucksack, Plenty of warm clothes, a waterproof jacket & A Refillable Water Bottle.

The ethos of the centre is to offer fun and challenging activities in a safe and friendly environment.

Bronze / Silver Gaisce Sample programme

Bronze Award / Silver Award:
Bronze Award Minimum Walking Distance is 24 km
Silver Award Minimum Walking Distance is 48 km

Day 1
The group will arrive at 9.30am on the first day and prepare a packed lunch, ready for hill walking.
The group will walk all day hopefully covering a distance of around 18 or 19 km
We will then have a dinner at the centre and relax for a while
At around 7pm the group will attend a classroom session where they will do map reading and plan the route for the following day

Day 2
The group will have breakfast at the centre and then prepare themselves for hill walking
In the morning we will hopefully cover the remaining distance required by Gaisce for the Bronze award but for the Silver Award it will be a full days walking with a packed lunch.
Hot lunch at the centre for bronze award people only
As a reward for covering the Bronze Award distance early we will let the group do a multi activity session of their choice
If doing a third day they will have dinner, an evening activity session and overnight stay.

Day 3 (Optional/Silver Award)
The group stay another day and do a full days activities with a lunch and depart at around 5 pm for home
The Silver award people will do a mornings walking and then have a multi activity session in the afternoon on the third day but only if the distance has been covered