Prolific hillwalker Fergal honoured by his peers

Mullingar hillwalker and mountain climber Fergal Hingerty was recently honoured by the Irish Hill Walkers Association for climbing 1000 of Ireland’s peaks.

The award in some ways is a little late coming as Fergal has now climbed 1285 of Ireland’s summits, making him the country’s most prolific climber, according to the website www.mountainviews.ie, which has verified all of his climbs.

In fact, Fergal is one of the most active climbers in the British isles having scaled over 3,000 summits in Ireland the UK. He has also climbed some of Europe’s best known peaks, including the continent’s highest mountain, Mount Elbrus.

What makes Fergal’s achievements all the more noteworthy is the fact that he only took up hillwalking six years ago as a therapeutic exercise following an operation for acute sciatica.

“Climbing so many hills and mountains in a short time might seem unusual, but once you’ve been in a situation where you’re immobile like I was, the reasons behind it become clearer. My back was so bad that there was no question – I would have ended up in a wheelchair without an operation.

“So it’s a pleasure to be able to do it, whether it’s in rain, snow or sunshine. For anyone recovering from illness, it’s a great way to recover and push yourself on,” he told the Westmeath Examiner last year.

Hillwalking is a rapidly growing activity in Ireland. Fergal believes that its increase in popularity is linked to the urbanisation of society in recent decades.

“That’s why it became so popular in Poland, for example – people wanted to get away from the concrete and high-rises and get back to nature and the mountains.

“It’s therapeutic; great for the mind and spirit. It became popular in England after the First World War, when many officers returning from the trenches wanted to get away for some peace,” he said.