Event Information
Cost: £25pp
Sponsorship target: £100pp
Our Mourne Madness trek is back this summer! Join #TeamAutismNI and climb the highest mountain in Northern Ireland on Sunday 22nd June 2025.
Our treks are led by our amazing Mountain Leaders who have supported Autism NI for over 15 years and have the experience and expertise to lead our group up the Mournes.
The route
Starting on a forest tract that meanders along the Glen River, we climb to “The Saddle”, and then to the summit of Slieve Donard (850m), the highest mountain in Northern Ireland. The team will enjoy the views over both mountains and sea whilst celebrating their achievement. We return by the same track to Donard Park. However, if you feel like you could summit one more peak, there is an option to climb Slieve Commedagh (767m), which is directly beside Slieve Donard.
This Slieve Donard route is almost 10km long and involves 850m of ascent. Most people will complete this challenge in 3-6 hours.
**Please note, participants must be over 18 years old, have a certain level of fitness to take part in this challenge and complete a medical form to declare their fitness and well-being.
For more information email events@autismni.org or call 028 9040 1729 (option 3).
What our supporters say
The Team members from Void Art Centre were proud participants in the Mourne Madness climb in 2023. Neurodiversity is such a rich and well represented part of the arts community and something we, at Void, make a conscious effort to support. In the past Autism NI has provided training and support for the Void Art Centre team and we appreciate this fantastic resource available to charity organisations like ours. We want to make sure this is available to as many people as possible alongside all the other great resources Autism NI provides for the neurodiverse community and their families in Northern Ireland.Void Art Centre
My husband and I decided to sign up for Mourne Madness because our son has autism and the support, we have received from Autism NI has got us through some really difficult times. When our son was first diagnosed a member of the team sat and listened to my endless tears and got me through some very difficult feelings. Since then we have always had someone to support us and guide us through a journey that felt very lonely and isolating at the start. So, we wanted to give something back to such a wonderful charity that provides so much for so many families. During the event it was wonderful to meet other people in the same community as us but also to meet some of the wonderful people who work for Autism NI. We are really looking forward to next year!Gillian Robinson