In his element |
More weather on the way |
By The Devils Punchbowl |
I set off back on the train again and Frank was his usual punctual self and we set off for Mangerton (after our almost obligatory coffees) to see what we could do. The skies were showing substantial patches of blue and there seemed to be a good chance that we would get some decent views. There was a good dusting of snow down to below six hundred meters and this coupled with the stiff wind and distinctly chilly temperatures promised that we were in for a blast of winter. I wasn't feeling too bad by now and I reckoned that a big helping of fresh air was just what I needed. I put on full waterproofs and gloves and was cozy and snug starting out. We decided to climb Mangerton via the pony track and depending on conditions, do the full round above the Horses Glen all the was around to Stoompa and return across the bog to our car. A worthy outing of about 14 kilometers with about 900 meters of climbing. Nice light bags meant we made good progress and we were soon enjoying expanding views in all directions. Behind, Killarney hugged Lough Leane which in turn swept across to the base of Tomies and the Reeks. To the east Crohane elegantly drew the eye as it rose from the shores of Lough Guitane and other hills stretched into the distance. Eventually we arrived at the lake called the Devils Punchbowl and now the weather really closed in and from here to the summit we were blasted by horizontal snow and spindrift. Thankfully the wind was to our backs and we were spared trying to make progress into the worst of it. The temperature was now -1 Celsius and I guess it felt much much lower when the wind-chill was taken into account. It was delightful to find ourselves in sometimes near whiteout conditions as we went through a dense cloud of spindrift.
The Devils Punchbowl |
Towards Stoompa |
The cliffs on Mangertons north side |
What do you mean stop gurning :o) |
Looking back from Stoompa |
One of my favorite views |
Enjoying the day |
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