I decided to take advantage of the good weather and set off yesterday afternoon on the train as far as Millstreet with the intention of heading up into the mountains and having a wild-camping experience. One of my aims is to walk from Millstreet as far as the Atlantic, staying high and wild practically the whole way and carrying my tent and all my food etc. I reckon it will take about 5 or 6 days and if I get the weather it will be one of the best hikes I will have done to date. This time however I didn't have the time to do the whole route but I opted to have a taste of the first couple of days. The plan was to go over Claragh and on to Caherbarna and eventually climb The Paps and then return to Rathmore and get the train home. SO in glorious sunshine I left the train at 13.50 and set off for the long walk into town where the very pretty Claragh rises gently behind. I don't know why but a lot of train stations in Ireland are a considerable distance outside the town and here I had to walk for a couple of kilometers just to reach the town and another 10 minutes and I was at the start of the route up Claragh.
Claragh and Caherbarna beyond |
Claragh is a lovely walk |
Beautiful "Bog Cotton" |
Looking down to Millstreet |
Caherbarna is still a long way off |
Sign of the times |
Towards "The Paps" from Caherbarna |
Wild camping at its best |
A beautiful cascade |
A nice view to end the day |
Saturday July 6th;
I slept fitfully at best and I was still a bit weary when I got up this morning. There was a brisk breeze blowing and a fair bit of low cloud about. I had porridge for breakfast and I was all packed up and on the move at 07.45. It was quite chilly but I soon warmed up on the pull to the broad flat top of Knocknabro. The ground continued in the same vein as yesterday and my tired legs wondered why I was here doing this when I could have been at home tucked up in bed on a Saturday morning like most people, but I got over my self pity and continue on. After the unnamed top of 592 meters there followed a long drop to Lough Glannafreaghaun which sits prettily under the eastern side of the Paps. Bad ground soon got worse and I found myself threading very carefully down through long heather and bouldery slopes that is my least favorite terrain. It would be so easy to have a lapse and twist an ankle or worse. Anyway I eventually reached the lake and here I started on the 450 meter climb to the first summit. Oh boy my legs were tired. I guess I still hadn't recovered from the excellent but tough run from the week before or perhaps I am just getting old but I struggled on the way up and had to stop many times. From the first summit I dropped down to the col and here I left my bag and climbed the 100 meter pull to the western summit. I was now hungry as well so I didn't delay in returning to my bag and I set off down. The ground was consistent anyway but eventually I reached the lake again and here I cooked another bite to eat. The cloud of earlier had long since burned off and it was now quite warm. It was great to sit for a while and the noodles were just what I needed as I was now faced with a 9.5 kilometer walk on the road to reach Rathmore and get my train home.I was also getting a bit tight for time so I set a brisk pace and arrived in the station with just a few minutes to spare at 13.45. So despite the fatigue I had covered 18 kilometers in just about 6 hours. Home beckoned and a shower and a good rest.
Less than glorious first thing |
Near the Paps |
From the summit towards Killarney |
Impressive Cairns |
The Reeks and Killarney |
Back at the lake |
Beautiful lanes |
Rural idyll |
How the Paps were ever associated with the goddess Danu I will never know |
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