A Morning Run On The Galtees.

Again I set off direct from work and linked up with Kevin in Mitchelstown, from where we set off to the trail head for Galtymor 918 meters. It was a pish old morning with rain and a chilly breeze making it very tempting to stay in the nice warm car. Still in for a penny in for a pound so we got out into the drear morning and set off from the car at 08.35. Kevin could of course run all the way to the summit but this morning we wanted to be able to have a chat and enjoy ourselves so we walked some of the steeper bits. The track resembled a stream and out feet were immediately soaked. The ground passed fairly quickly and we soon reached the end of the "Black Road" and we set off across the boggy ground and headed up the slopes of Galtybeg 800 meters. From about 700 meters up there was some laying snow and this made the temperature of the toes drop even further. Running on this ground was out of the question for me but we kept up a good pace and soon we were on the summit. Wind cloud and chilly rain meant there was no reason to stop and we set off for Galtymor. The biggest difficulty was staying upright in the slippery conditions but we managed it. Staying out of the mucky bog was another matter however and we just waded through what presented itself. At the col I got a touch of the hot aches on my toes (for a change) but they soon warmed up and they were fine by the time we reached the top. On across Dawsons Table and we dropped carefully towards Knocknagaltee. We really enjoyed running on this ground, as the mix of good grass and heather offered good grip. Once down below 700 meters we were once again under the cloud and we could enjoy the misty views over the lower hills. We dropped southwest to the valley below and we soon arrived at a beautiful confluence of three swollen streams complete with lovely waterfalls. We waded across and we were once again on a track which rose steadily and rejoined the black road which led quickly to our car. I was in great form here and I was able to run with a vigour I haven't felt in a fair while. It felt great to arrive back at the car and change out of our sodden gear. 1 hour 45 minutes was what it took to complete the 12 or so kilometres and over 900 meters of ascent. We were buzzing as we left and set off to find a well deserved warming coffee. No pictures I'm afraid, smartphones are too heavy ;).