HOWLINGMIST: Galty Mor & Galty Beg. A Proper Taste Of Winter

The day didn't start too well when I was woken by Margaret who informed me it was 8am. Damm and bugger, my alarm hadn't gone off at 06.30 and I was supposed to be meeting Kevin in Mitchelstown (45 kilometers away) in 30 minutes. Panic and rush and I arrived at 09.10. Anthony and Terence came along as well and they were still in good humor despite my late arrival. A quick chat and we decided to head towards Kings Yard and head up Galty Mor via Knocknagantee and take it from there. What a beautiful morning. It was reading -2 in the car on the way down and mostly clear skies with a dusting of snow higher up. We parked in the middle of the woods and enjoyed a nice easy two kilometer walk through the woods before exiting onto the open mountain and heading up the broad sput towards Dawsons Table and the summit. Right from the off the banter bluster and fun was mighty and I don't think it eased throughout the walk. Kevin was his usual beast of a mountain man and the speed at which he attacked the slopes was impressive. He had the good grace to wait for the more mortal of us but we made quite fast progress upwards.

Starting out

Anthony and Terence having fun

Minding the auld fella

Ninja Kevin

Before too long we were at the snowline and the final slopes to the summit were reasonably covered. Once we reached the top the wind was biting and we needed no persuasion to seek the sheltered side of the cairn while we had a bit to eat. It was cold, perhaps -10 including windchill, so we didn't delay and headed to the true summit nearby and decided from there to complete our circuit by heading over Galty Beg and down the Black Road and from there drop down towards the woods and back to the car. The ground between tGalty Mor and Galty Beg is usually a real muck fest of bog but today it was frozen and this made for easier going. The ground and the time passed quickly and before we knew it we were heading down. The weather was changing a bit as well and we had increasing cloud and some snow as we got lower down.We arrived back after about four hours delighted with our day out. It was great to hook up with the guys again. Hopefully it wint be too long before we get the chance to get out and about again.