A moody broody black valley |
The view down just before we entered the mist |
There are some strange creatures about..she said |
A gentle start follows an old track that leads up to an old abandoned farmhouse. This winds its way through a little woodland but soon it comes to an end and we broke off and entered the open mountainside. Now the hard work commences and the slope is steep and unremitting. I opted to stay out of the gully that rises through the center of the face and zig zagged up the steep broken ground on the right. This was because I had injured myself at the gym the previous week. As is my wont I was pushing my limits on a machine and loaded on too much weight. As I strained to complete a set of reps I felt a sharp and searing pop in my ribs which brought my efforts to an immediate end. I laid off the gym for a couple of days and things quickly improved so I returned and did two strenuous workouts on consecutive nights which made the injury worse and ensured that a painful few days ensued. I have learned my lesson and so I was being careful not to strain myself this time. Anyway we made steady progress and soon enough topped out over the steep face and entered the plateau before the final drag to the summit plateau. Now we were more exposed to the full effects of the bitingly cold wind so when we arrived at the rather featureless summit we didn't linger and headed down immediately to find a bit of shelter and a good spot for lunch.
What a right pair |
We dropped right down to nearly the valley floor and here we found a sheltered spot just under the cloud base where we enjoyed a nice bite to eat. We finished off our descent on surprisingly dry ground to the rough and wild valley floor. Here we turned once again to the east and the direction of our car. We passed first the beautiful waterfall that thunders down above Lough Reagh and then further to the left passed the "Ogham Stone" at the end of the descent and followed the sodden trail that leads back to the road. About four hours in total and another helping of good company. We retired to Killarney for yet more coffee and we are both looking forward to our next outing.
Waterfall above Lough Reagh |
Ogham is an ancient form of writing in Ireland |
Culture and history all about |
Another end to another great day |
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