Monabrack, Knockaterriff, Lyracappul and Galtymor

Wednesday May 27th;

After the disappointing weather of the previous week Ireland was now enjoying record breaking temperatures of May. Just a week before I had "enjoyed" wind and rain and temperatures that struggled to reach the low double digits. Today the temperature was forecast to reach 31 degrees. What a contrast.

I wanted to get a decent round in so I parked in Kings Yard and decided to head in the glen under Monbrack and go from there to Knockaterriff and possibly even Temple Hill before heading to Lyreacappul and then along the ridge to Galtymor. Wow it was warm verging on hot when I left the car at 10.45. I was glad I had four litres of water in the bag. The walk into the glen is always a joy. It feels wild and you know that you are entering a different world. The 300 metre climb to the top of Monabrack looms above and once I was across the river (no footbridge anymore) I began the climb. Nice and steady was the mantra but I was pleased with my progress and before long the expanding views towards the Knockmealdowns provided ample reason to pause and drink some water. Eventually the broad top was reached and there was now a bit of a breeze to enjoy as well as the glorious views. I wasted no time in dropping into the deep glen under Knockaterriff and began the steep 200 metre climb. I was feeling good and it felt wonderful to be out in such glorious weather. 

Fine and lonely stand of trees

Galtymór a fair ways above Monabrack

I enjoyed a bite of lunch at the top and surveyed the route ahead. I decided that for today, in the heat, I would give Temple Hill a miss and instead head directly to Lyracappul. The normally super boggy stretch to the base of the climb was easy to cross today as things had dried out a lot in the few hot days we had had. I was also delighted with how I felt on the 200 metre climb to the 830 metre top. Lyracappul has I think the best views in the whole range. The views to the north, where the ground sweeps steeply down for 2000 feet to the farmland below is wonderful. I set off along the airy ridge and before long I reached the final climb of the day, the near 200 metre pull to the summit of Galtymór. I hadn't seen another person all day until until just below the top I was met three other hikers. From the summit cairn I turned and descended directly to the conjunction of three streams and then returned easily to the car. It had been a lovely outing. I had covered 17 kilometres, climbed 1200 metres in 5 hours 30 mins.

Camping for a few days in Cahersiveen

 I took the plunge and booked a week off work for the third week in May and set off west to one of my favourite campsites, Mannix Point in Cahersiveen. I booked in for four nights and I must say I was looking forward to it. All I needed now was some decent weather. Well as luck would have it the forecast was rubbish and stiff winds and mostly rainy days were to be my lot.

Tuesday May 19th;

My plan was simple, pack in some cycling, running, hiking and fishing. Basically all I like to do. My first order of business was to get some bait for the fishing so I stopped in Rossbeigh and dug some lugworm and collected a good few peeler crabs, which when added to the frozen bait I already had meant I was set fair. I even managed to get my digging done in between squally showers so I was happy and relieved as I drove through the rain to Cahersiveen. Now all I had to do was get the tent up. Once again I was lucky and the rain stayed away until about five minutes after I had everything done. Result. It was now after 3pm so I didn't really have the time to do anything other than a run. I have been nursing a knee injury to my right knee. I don't know if it is a hamstring or ligament problem but it has definitely curtailed my activities of late. I had taken a fortnight off running until a few days before I left and the few runs I had done went well, much to my relief. I didn't want to overdo it so I decided that a gentle 8 or 10 kilometres would be fine. I set off into town and crossed the bridge and headed towards White Strand. Not that I had any intention of going that far. By the time I reached the junction above the playing field I had covered four kilometres so I reckoned a kilometre further would be enough. As it turned out I went as far as the spectacular stone ringforts and turned for home from there. I was well pleased with myself to have done a reasonable 12 kilometres on day one and thankfully the knee wasn't too sore afterwards. The weather was showing some signs of improvement so I headed to the lovely beach at Reenroe to try a spot of surfcasting. It was high tide by the time I got there and the big swell was crashing right to the back of the beach so I stayed on a grassy platform near the road and fished hard for over two hours without any success. At least it stayed dry while I was at the beach but it rained heavily into the night and the wind ensured that the tent was given a stiff test. Still the forecast for tomorrow was a little better.

Wednesday May 20th;

After a windy rainy night it was a relief to wake this morning and find that at least the rain had stopped. There was more of a breeze than I would have liked and the cloud still hung low on the hills. The plan for today was to go for a cycle and the route I had planned wouldn't be too big (about 70 kilometres) and had a reasonable amount of climbing . I was hoping that the stretch beyond Ballinskelligs would offer amazing views, especially in the St Finnans Bay area.

I set off through the town shortly after 10am and I must say I was regretting not wearing more clothes. I just had a t-shirt inside my rainproof jacket and a long sleeve top would have been better. I reckon it was struggling to hit 10 degrees. I hoped that the long drag to the pass at Coar would warm me up and it did to a extent, but the long descent on the far side meant I was again chilly. Once I reached the Waterville road I turned into the breeze. It was about 16 kilometres to reach the ring of Kerry road so I didn't push too hard and stayed in a gear I could easily manage. Of greater concern was the fact that there seemed to be a mist coming inland from the sea and by the time I reached Dromid it was drizzling steadily and this soon turned to rain  Now I really regretted not having that extra layer on.  Add to this the fact that the cloud was now very low so this meant my hoped for views around St Finnans Bay  wouldn't be seen so it was an easy decision to cut the outing short. Instead I cycled most of the way to Ballinskelligs and then turned towards Cahersiveen. It ended up being a 55 kilometre outing so it wasn't too bad. I arrived back at the campsite chilled and soaked but the warm shower and fresh clothes made me feel good again. A decent lunch in the excellent kitchen of the site and I was ready for the rest of the day.

The weather improved and the rain stopped and patches of blue sky appeared as I drove towards Waterville where I planned to fish the golf course beach for a few hours. Conditions looked excellent and the weather was actually quite nice but I didn't get a nibble. Disappointed, I packed up at 6pm and decided to try Reenard Pier on my way back. The wind out at the end of the pier was really strong and when you add in the return of the rain I decided to retreat back to my tent. Once again it rained and blowed into the night.

Thursday May 21st;

After a fairly wild and wet night I rose to a less windy but still wet morning. It was a day for a run. I wouldn't go up any hills as the cloud was still down to about 200 metres so I decided to do the Laharn Bog Trail, a waymarked route around Bentee that was about 15 kilometres long but as I was starting a kilometre off the trail it should be 17 kilometres.

Oh dear but I felt rough at the start of the run. My knee hurt and as it was uphill for the first kilometre I struggled badly. Thankfully things eased after a while and once I reached the trail road things levelled off and my knee started to feel okay as well. I didn't know what to expect from the route but at least it was something new to me so I was looking forward to it. After six kilometres of running on quiet country lanes the trail turned onto a green road that crossed wild boggy ground before it reached another road. After a few hundred metres this road became a forest track that was a delight for the next couple of kilometres before it ended when it reached the road I had earlier left. Now I was once again on tarmac but the going was easy. The next four kilometres the road descended gently and traversed under the slopes of Bentee and a wide expanse of bog was on the right. I knew that the trail joined the Kerry Way as it neared Cahersiveen but I managed to miss the turnoff. I stayed on the road until it reached the busy main road outside the town and followed this back to the campsite. It added a little distance to the outing but avoided a little climbing so I was just as happy. Once again I was soaking wet when I got back but well pleased to have completed an 18.5 kilometre run. The longest I had done since the start of February. In the evening I went to Reenard Pier for another attempt at fishing and once again the wind made it hard work. When heavy rain arrived after a couple of fruitless hours I called it a day.

Friday May 22nd;

Finally the forecast was for the day to be mostly dry. After the run yesterday my knee was quite tight but I was determined to get a hike in. There was a fair bit of cloud about but I could see Drung hill in the distance and it's summit was clear of cloud so I decided to head in that direction. I drove up to the place where the Kerry Way meets a country lane and I parked there. I decided that I would climb Been Hill and go from there as far as Drung Hill and return to the car on the Kerry Way. I walked along the trail for a couple of kilometres until I reached a spot where I could easily gain access to the south-westerly spur of Been Hill. This rises fairly gently to the broad top and doesn't present any difficulties. Once again the wind was strong and I had my hat and coat on the whole time. The highest tops of Terromoyle and Com Na Charria where covered by the cloud but thankfully I was able to enjoy views almost all the time. I was pleased that my knee had loosened out and it didn't present too many issues on the way up. I hoped that the descent would also be okay.

Looking back towards Cahersiveen

As luck would have it a veil of cloud swept across the summit when I arrived so I wasted no time in heading to the next top Beenmore. The gentle descent to the col went well as did the climb to the summit and as I was once again free of cloud I was able to enjoy the views down to Comnacronia lake, the first of a total of six lakes that nestle in the Glenbeigh Horseshoe. Once on top I walked the kilometre to Drung hill and then dropped steeply to the Kerry Way some 350 metres below. I followed the way for the six kilometres and finally reached my car. When I started driving back the rain once again arrived with a vengeance. It was just that sort of week. I had really enjoyed the outing. 15 kilometres, almost 1000metres ascent in just over four hours.

Towards Rossbeigh from Drung Hill

It did clear up again in the evening so I ventured to Coonana pier for a couple of hours fishing. It wasn't great but at least it was sheltered enough to fish easily and a couple of Ballan Wrasse obliged. This basically ended the adventure as I returned home the following morning. I also returned minus my tent as the wind had rent a one foot tear in the flysheet and I could see another area that was about to go as well. It was a not very expensive one from Decathlon which I had used a fair bit since Covid and had served me very well. I shall get another one. 

Purple and Tomies and the Gap of Dunloe

 

Tuesday May 11th;

I went with Jerry for a hike on Tomies and Purple above the Gap of Dunloe. This offers a wonderful outing that is packed with views and interest. It would also be Jerrys first time in the area and it is always nice to introduce someone to somewhere new. The weather forecast was good, promising a stiff breeze but dry conditions. Mind you when I collected Jerry at 9am it looked less than promising. The breeze was there but a steady drizzle was falling and it remained quite miserable until we got near Killarney when there was a dramatic improvement and the rain was left behind and mostly clear skies prevailed. We arrived in a reasonably quiet Kate Kearneys and we were on the move at 10am. We set off back the road until we reached the gate to the forestry lane that rises gently until you reach the end of the spur that rises towards Tomies North Top. This allows for a nice gentle introduction to the hike and a couple of hundred metres is easily gained and as you get higher the East Reeks start to reveal themselves above the bulk of Cnoc na Bracha. Unfortunately the gentle progress doesn't last and a steep tough pull of over 200 metres is required to reach the broad top of Tomies North Top. A brief rest here to admire the now extensive and stunning views and we set off for the climb of Tomies itself. This near 200 metre climb looks worse than it is and except for the final stretch is on a good chicaning path. We topped out to a buffeting cold northerly wind and we wasted no time taking some shelter and enjoying a bite to eat. Even in the shelter it was cold and I put on my hard shell, hat and gloves before setting off on the next leg.

Once on the move we warmed up again and the next climb of 100 metres to the Purple NE Top  passed well. The climbing was now nearly done for the day and it was just a short walk to the col before climbing the final 100 metres to the top of Purple. Oddly enough the wind wasn't as strong since the last top and we were able to relax in the open for a while and enjoy the extensive and wonderful views. It had been a while since I was here and it was also a pleasure to see Jerry's appreciation for the place. One curiosity of the summit is that when you reach the first cairn the next one just 100 metres away looks definitely higher but when you reach the main cairn and look back the first cairn looks higher. I don't know why this is but it is something I have encountered before on other mountains. Wedidn't delay too long and continued straight ahead and dropped easily down the dry slopes until we reached Glas Lough and followed the trail to the Head of The Gap. It felt much warmer down here and we enjoyed walking the 6 kilometres back to the car. We enjoyed an excellent coffee and cake in the nearby cafe before heading home.

It had been a grand old outing and a good test for Jerry who is still getting his mountain legs. 16 kilometres, 1050 metres ascent in just over 5 hours..