Trying For A Pre Christmas Mountain Run On Tomies

Looking across Lough Leane towards Crohane

I finished my week of nights this morning and as there is yet another storm coming in this afternoon I decided to head back to the Kerry mountains first thing to see if I could get a quick blast of mountain air in before Christmas. The skies were mostly clear and there was nothing more that a stiff breeze down in the valleys so I opted to head for Tomies Wood and I hoped to go up Tomies and from there on to Shehy and around towards the end of Tomies Wood and so back to the car. I set off from the car and shuffled in the track to the wood. I was delighted to see plenty of Deer on the trail and the views over Lough Leane once I gained some height was lovely. I was struggling with fatigue this morning but it still was great to out and about. I was under no pressure and I walked when I felt like it and I certainly had no choice but to walk when I left the forest trail at it highest point and I broke out onto the open mountain. It was steep and out here the wind was becoming more problematic and it was a bit of a struggle to climb into it. The long slog all the way to the summit of Tomies was a chore but I reached the top in just under 70 minutes. As I neared the top the wind really increased in speed and I had to drop to my hands and knees at times to prevent myself being whipped aside. The chance to a nice long high level run was gone so I decided to give up the fight with the wind and I turned for Tomies Rock and I descended the long spur that heads for the road near Kate Kearneys. Once on the road I ran easily back to my car. Just about 7.5 miles and around 2200 feet of climbing in just over two hours and I was well pleased with my morning. Hopefully I will get the chance to return and complete the original route in the near future.

Yhr view across towards The Reeks.

A Quick Blast Up Cnoc an Cuillinn

Working nights is always a bit of a drag but it does enable me to sometimes make the most of the day and today I took the opportunity to travel back to the Reeks once again with Denis O'Brien for a hike. Denis is in training for a winter trip to the Scottish Highlands in the first week of February so it is necessary to take every chance he can get to get some hill-time in. The weather was its usual unsettled self but at least the rain came in swift sharp heavy bursts that left reasonable clear spells between and when we could see the mountains some of the tops were clear so there was a chance we might even be able to enjoy an occasional view. We left the car in Cronins Yard again and I decided that the north spur of Cnoc an Cuillinn 958 mtrs would make a worthy outing. Off we set at a good pace and once we reached the outlet of Lough Callee we contoured up and around the shoulder of the bone and entered the coum. A couple of squalls had come and gone but we could see the spur rising steeply above us so off we set. It is steep but it is straightforward and we rapidly gained height and soon we were on the pleasing ridge that offers a little scrambling to the summit. We reached the top on a very respectable 1 hour 45 minutes and as the wind was fairly fierce we set off towards Carrauntoohil. More bad weather rolled in and after a short debate we decided to shorten our day and we set off down a very wet Devils Ladder and the long track back to the car. The temperatures were a few degrees colder today (but still much too warm for snow) so it was nice to get into dry clothes at the car a little over four hours after we set out. A good lung-filler before Christmas.

Plenty of water in the river and even a little sunlight to welcome us. Our route rising in the centre up into the cloud.

West from the summit.

The Andy Kirkpatrick Show and A Climb On The Reeks

After the delights of a sunny day on Friday the weather were back to its dismal wet norm on Saturday. There was however one thing to brighten the day...I was heading back to Killarney to see the "Cold Mountain" talk given by the famous "hard core" mountaineer Andy Kirkpatrick. He is a guy that seems to specialize in extreme cold big wall climbing and this talk was about his trip to Antarctica last year. He is a funny self deprecating guy whose talks tend to vary from the account of his latest adventure to the stories that make him who he is. This one was no exception and covered both the expedition and his personal "issues" and problems. Sometimes his brutal honesty was a bit uncomfortable to listen to but he didn't let it spoil the overall comedic content of the show. Personally I wish he would give a deeper nuts and bolts insight into the difficulties and complexities of climbing these big walls in full winter gear but it was still a very enjoyable evening. It was a little disappointing  to see such a small attendance but perhaps the awful weather had played a part in that. I did however win a Thermarest mattress in the raffle..Happy days

Andy Kirkpatrick on the summit of Ulvertanna in the Antarctic.

 That took care of Saturday and as I stayed in a Killarney B&B overnight I was able to meet Denis O'Brien on Sunday morning in town and we headed to The Reeks for a bit of a burnout. Denis is a very fit climber and I knew there would be a good workout to be had today. Unfortunately I awoke to the joys of a stuffed up head and basically aches and pains all over which put a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm but I reckoned that once I was out in the open air I would feel better and so it proved to be the case. There was a good improvement in the weather in the sense that it was merely overcast but not raining as we set off from Cronins Yard. Anything like a ridge or gully was out of the question so we opted to climb Brother O'Sheas and head from Carrauntoohil over to "The Bone". That would give around fifteen kilometers and 1300 meters of climbing so it would be a worthy outing. I was pleased to find that I was feeling much better once I got going and we set a good pace all the way to the top of the mountain. The wind was a good fifty miles an hour here and the high traverse all the way to the bone promised to be invigorating. We didn't tarry and made rapid progress the whole way. No views were to be had but the company was good and it was great to hear Denis' enthusiasm and plans for his trip to climb Ama Dablam next year. We made it back to the car in five hours flat and it was now I found myself very weary. An early night ensued.

Denis O'Brien

Looking back out over the first level

A Sunny Interlude On The Comeraghs...Counshingaun

Lets face it weather of late has been shite. Storm after storm bringing nothing but wind and rain to add to the depression of the short days and long long nights so it was super to be able to join Kevin Ring for a sunny day on the hills in a place I hadn't been before, Coumshingaunon in the Comeragh mountains. Kevin has been super busy of late with a new job and three young babies to mind so our opportunities to hook up have been scarce and when we have it has been for a quick run or somesuch so it was great to have the luxury of a day to ourselves. As per usual the craic was great and after a coffee en-route we were good to go by 10.30. Coumshingaun is widely considered to be the finest coum in the country and it is indeed an impressive sight with its perfectly shaped bowl surrounding a large lake some 300+mtrs under the rim. The route itself is quite short but today was about having a catch up so we set off at a leisurely pace from Kilclooney and rose gently up to the spur on the southern side of the coum. Higher up there are many good scrambling bits on offer on outcrops of conglomerate rock which Kevin took full advantage of. We reached the top and Kevin pointed out the many options for winter fun that are to be had on the gullies that cleave the headwall. 

The impressive coum coming into view

I think we should go thataway

Some nice scrambling options on the way up

Do you really have to??

Up on the plateau

A very exfoliating wind brrr

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We descended the northern spur and dropped down to the lake side and we followed the stream back out. There are lots of amazing spots here to camp which we hope to make good use of in the future. Back to the car and more coffee and back to the train station where we went our separate ways. As always it had been a great day out and I was hoarse from talking. Roll on the next outing.

Galtymore from Kings Yard with James

After the battering from storm Desmond on Saturday it was a relief to venture out to the mountains on Sunday morning and especially nice to welcome back James to the great outdoors. He has been plagued by injury over the past couple of years and a recent family bereavement only added to his woes but finally things seem to be returning to normal for him and he was anxious do get back in the proverbial saddle and get back into an exercising regime. Mindful of his lack of recent outings I opted for a short hike on the Galtees as a nice way to get the ball rolling. We met early doors and headed to Kings Yard and we were on the move before 08.30 and heading for Galtymore. It was dry and after the battering of the recent gales we were pleased to have just a chilly breeze to deal with today. Despite his lack fitness James made great progress and we reached the summit well before 10.30. As you would expect the wind on top was much stronger and really quite cold so after briefly enjoying the views we headed directly down the south side of the mountain to the lovely confluence of the three streams (rivers today) and returned easily to our car. The three and a half hours hadn't knocked a bother out of James and I will have to pick a more challenging outing for the next one, which hopefully won't be too far in the future.

Tomies and Purple and the Magical Gap of Dunloe

It has been chilly the past few days and I had been hopeful that there would be a dusting of snow on the Kerry mountains so I decided to head to The Reeks for a taste of winter walking. Alas as I neared Killarney it was apparent that there was no snow to be seen (the cloud was hovering over the tops of The Reeks) on the hills so I decided to turn instead for the Gap of Dunloe and climb Tomies and Purple. Here at least everything was below the cloud and I would be able to get some views. I had briefly considered joining the Killarney club of their walk on the East Reeks but, since the dog and cats would be inside all day I thought a shorter outing which would enable me to be home early might be best. Anyway my disappointment at the lack of snow soon disappeared as I got into the meat of the outing as I rose up towards the chimneys and Tomies Rock. I was moving well and was soon at the top and the strong chill wind ensured I didn't stop too long anywhere to admire the lovely views. Onwards to the top of Tomies and next to Shehy and finally Purple. I opted to continue from the summit to the head of the "Gap" and walked the few miles back to the car on the narrow little road. This time of year it was very quiet and it was a true pleasure and privilege to walk in such stunning scenery. It was just a 3.5 hour outing but I really enjoyed it. Next time I must do the full circuit of the Gap which would include Strickeen as well.

The Horses Glen Circuit....Back To Normality

I went for a walk around the Horses Glen today which goes up over Stoompa and Mangerton. It is a stress free round on easy ground all the way that stretches out to around 14 kilometers and about 1000 meters of climbing and affords some of the best views in Kerry. After the storms of the last few days it was nice to wake up to calmer conditions even if the skies were still a bit leaden. I was enduring a bout of "the snuffles" in the morning so a day out on the hills was just the ticket. The track at the start of the route is now terribly worn away and it will be interesting to see if there is any repair work done, it is certainly needed. Anyway it is fair to say that on the tops there was more than a hint of winter in the air and if the forecast is to be believed there is a chance of wintry showers this weekend. After the fantastic weather of last week it was back to the wet boggy ground and chilly mists that characteristic walking on these mountains. It was interesting to look around from the summit of Stoompa and look down on Lough Leane some 2000 ft below and also at the wild boggy mountains all around and to compare and contrast with the mountains I was on last week. Both are very different but both are very beautiful. Each place has its own charms and challenges. I look forwards to the mountains being transformed when (hopefully) we get some good dumps of snow.

Starting off. Torc with the Reeks in the distance

Looking into "The Glen"

The View from Stoompa

Crohane

A moody "Devils Punchbowl"

The Black Valley

Lough Guitane

The path washed away

A November Hike in the Chablais Alps.

Saturday November 7th;

Taking advantage of cheap flights to Geneva, I decided to head off on my travels again for a short trip. I had booked to come back on Thursday, so all going well, I would have four full days on the mountains. My first dilemma was where to go. I was in contact with Andy Griffiths, and he was tentatively up for a few days hiking, but would have to work on the fourth day. I was thinking of doing a section of the Tour de Mont Blanc, but I have been to that area quite often by now, and I was keen to visit somewhere new, so I decided to give the Chamonix area a miss. I looked at the possibility of exploring the mountains around Aigle, but one of my biggest headaches was trying to get gas when I arrived, so I could travel, wild camp, and be self sufficient for the duration. Camping is always my preferred option, and I didn't have much choice anyway, as everything would be closed at this time of year. I had sussed out where to get gas in Geneva before I headed to Aigle, but at the last minute, I checked out the southern side of the lake. The Chablais Alps area looked promising and another plan fell into place. I could get to a town called Thonon les Bains fairly quickly, and there was a Decathlon store about a kilometer from the hotel I booked into, which was open until eight pm, so I should be able to get the gas there as I was arriving in Geneva at 15.20 and all going well I could be in Thonon by 17.30.

Annemasse

Everything worked out beautifully, until I reached the bus stop in Geneva, where I had to wait over half an hour for the bus, which was then caught in rush hour traffic, and arrived too late for the  train connection to Thonon. I then had to wait for 65 minutes for the next connection, which was unfortunately a replacement bus, which was also caught in heavy traffic. This meant I didn't arrive in Thonon until 19.15. No major panic as the shop was open until eight, so I reasoned that a short hop on a taxi and I would be easily sorted. Alas there wasn't a taxi to be seen when I left the station, so I set off on foot, and still reckoned I had enough time to cover the three kilometers or so, before the store closed. I was quickly out of the town centre, and found myself in that urban otherworld that is a mix of busy roads and industrial parks and occasional retail outlets. I found my way as far as the hotel okay, but the final section was vague in my memory, and the one person I saw to ask directions was equally vague, and I ended up taking a wrong turn and getting lost. Balls and bugger to it, my time was suddenly up and I had no gas. As tomorrow was Sunday all the shops would be closed, so I had no option but to put my plan to start my hike the following morning on hold. I returned to my hotel, checked in, and tried to figure out how I would fill the next day.

Sunday November 8th;

A leisurely start, the benefit of WiFi and free train travel, meant I at least could pass the day on the trains. After a good breakfast, and checking in for another night, I went back to the centre of Thonon and caught several trains, that saw me strolling around the city of Lausanne, on the shores of Lake Geneva. I had hoped to stumble across an outdoor store there, but the same applied to this town, and all seemed to be closed up for the day. I went down to the lake shore and enjoyed the busy buzz of the place and soaked in the warm sunshine. I couldn't help but look longingly across the water to the mountains beyond, and feel that it was a day wasted, especially in such glorious weather. The views were wonderful and I was looking forward all the more to starting my trip properly tomorrow.

Down by the lake in Lausanne

Monday November 9th;

Since the shop wouldn't be open until 9am, I had a leisurely start, before going and getting my precious canister of gas. I then got a taxi to the village of Vinzier, which was about 6 miles away ( quite expensive) and finally at 9.40, I was setting off on my route. Even at this stage, I didn't have a definite plan for the three days now left available to me, but for today, I was going to go as far as the CAF refuge on Dent d'Oche 2222mtrs. I had spotted this peak online, and it looked like a worthy place to spend my first night. I had my Alpkit Delta tent with me and food for the duration of the journey, so the bag way fairly heavy, but I was delighted to finally be leaving urban sprawl behind and setting off into the beautiful landscape. The weather was once again wonderful, and it was quite warm and sunny. It was hard to believe that it was November, and the mainly leafless trees, were the only indication that winter was almost upon us. After passing the sleepy hamlet of Le Cret I finally left tarred roads, and started up a forest track that gained me a lovely upland alpine pasture, that led to the first top of the day Mont Baron 1566mtrs. Even here the views were great and almost the whole expanse of Lake Geneva was laid out below. That of course wasn't the only attraction. Everywhere all about the mountains swept away. In the south, the giants of Chamonix could be seen, and the wall of mountains continued east to the Valais. Nearer to hand, the pleasant peak of Dent d'Oche and its near neighbour Chateau d'Oche were spectacular, and only became more so as I got nearer.

Visnier from Le Cret

My target for today,, Dent d'Oche on the left and Chateau d'Oche on the right

Les Cornettes des Bise

From Mont Baron I dropped a hundred meters or so, before climbing to Tete des Fieux 1776mtrs, and then on to Pointe des Pelluaz, which was the top of the ski area that rose from Bernex. Now I was getting close to finally reaching where the mountains took on a higher alpine feel. I had been on the go now for several hours, and the one liter of water I had brought with me was long gone. I was looking forward to reaching the small Lac de la Case, where I could re-hydrate. I was a little dismayed at first by the sight of the little lake, ( more like a big pond really), as the surface looked to have a coating of scum, and the entire edge of the lake was muddy, and was obviously used as a watering hole by cattle. It was more heartening to discover that the layer of "scum" was in fact ice, and the water was crystal clear and sweet. I drank a fair bit of the cold water (which resulted in a resounding "brain-freeze") and filled up my two 1 liter bottles, before setting off to climb Dent d'Oche. From the lake the path diverged. One headed for my main target, and the other headed up steeply towards Chateau d'Oche. At the last minute, I decided to include this peak in my day as well, so off I went. Climbing fairly steeply with the big bag was tough, but I plodded on, and eventually gained the eastern shoulder of the mountain. Now the summit ridge became quite narrow, with particularly big drops on the right hand side. It also became clear that my initial thought, that I could easily combine the two tops, was very much mistaken, and the only place to go from the summit, was back down almost to the lake again.

The Dents du Midi... a constant pleasure to the eye.

The Grand Combin looking stunning

From the summit of Chateau d'Oche looking towards Dent d'Oche

Sunset in the misty cloud as I neared the refuge

Oh dear but I was getting tired by now. Wearily I headed towards Dent 'Oche and after a steep slog I reached the ridge that descended from the summit. I enjoyed the spectacular views, but I wasn't looking forward to the climb I still had to do to reach the refuge, which is situated only 100mtrs below the summit of the mountain.Tired legs protested, but the time was moving on, and I would be doing well to reach sanctuary before dark. I slowly gained height, and the way became steeper on the final stretches.Here some chains and ironware provided some assistance to negotiate the rocky gullies that led to the hut. Finally, just after the sun had set in a hazy firestorm, I arrived at the wonderfully situated hut. I went in search of the winter room, but I was disappointed to find that the whole complex was closed tight. Here, at over 2100mtrs, on a narrow rocky section of the mountain, there was precious little space where a tent could be put up. A stiff breeze was blowing, and to top it all, I had separated the inner section of the tent from the flysheet before packing it away. Now in the breeze and gathering dark, I had to try and re-assemble it correctly, (a bit fiddly at the best of times), and find a spot to pitch it. I decided to place it on the concrete deck alongside the hut, and "peg" it out with stones. It worked well, and I actually enjoyed a pleasant warm evening and night in this spectacular place. It felt great to be back in the mountains.

Towards Lausanne

Thonon and Evian nearest with Geneva on the left

Tuesday November 10th;

I rose just after first light and watched the beautiful red sky fade over Mont Blanc. Yet again the weather promised to be great. I was certainly feeling the effects of the 2000mtrs plus of climbing from yesterday, but I only had 100mtrs to go to reach the summit of Dent d'Oche. I was entertained by a couple of Ibex near the top, and once I reached the summit I delighted in the stunning views. It is seldom that I have found myself on any top anywhere when there has not been a puff of breeze but today was such a day. As you can imagine the vistas were wide ranging but I guess the view down to Lake Geneva and then across to the Mont Blanc massif were the stars of the show. It was nice to sit and relax so soon after starting off, but I had a fair ways to go so I traversed over the mountain, down to Col de Pianchamp. Then I went back down to near the lake and then rejoined the Gr5. My destination for today was Lac de Taney in Switzerland, from where, I had several options to finish my trip on Wednesday. I would also have the opportunity to climb the Cornettes de Bise if I so chose. Down into the shade I went and in the early morning, the chill was noticeable, but later I was again in the sun as I headed down towards the picturesque Chalets de Neuteu. The trail droped down to around 1300mtrs, before then crossing into Switzerland and climbing steeply up to Col de la Croix 1757mtrs, from where I had further options.

Dawn light and Mont Blanc

On the summit looking down at the refuge and beyond

The Grand Combin-Dents du Midi and the Mont Blanc massif

 My legs were shot today. Climbing with the big bag was tough, and it was clear that I still hadn't recovered from yesterday. From the col, I could take the difficult trail on the northern side of Lac de Lovenax, or the normal route that followed Route 6 of the Swiss national trails. I opted for Route 6 and followed the trail easily (almost entirely downhill) to the beautifully situated Lac de Taney 1408mtrs. There was a public camping area here, but the facilities were closed, but I pitched my tent anyway and settled in for the evening. The area was a real frost pocket, and I guess this time of year, it didn't receive any sun at all during the day. Several spots on the way down to the lake were still coated in frost, and this came as something of a surprise as up at the refuge it had been really quite mild, but I guess at this height, when there isn't any sun the temperatures would seldom be above freezing during the night. It was just 14.30 when I arrived at the lake, and it didn't feel too warm then either. I set about doing the usual camping stuff-like feeding myself etc, and settled in to the tent soon after it got dark. I had dinner early, and just after eating, my headlight decided to pack in but thankfully I had brought a battery charging pack and this saved the day. I settled in for the night early and slept very well.

First view of Lac de taney

Camping heaven :)

Wednesday November 11th;

Chillier in the morning.

I knew it had been colder last night than the night before, so it wasn't really any great surprise to emerge to a frosted campsite this morning. I had left one water bottle outside and one inside the tent and the one outside was frozen solid. The one in the tent was fine, but it was a surprise to find, that it froze in the time I was cooking breakfast, so it must have been a bit chillier than I had thought. Anyway, I had decided to go as far as the town of Bouverey today, which was down by the shores of Lake Geneva and had public transport links, that would see me able to reach Geneva the following morning for my flight. A lovely walk along the northern side of Lac de Taney, through the woods, quickly gave way to a wonderful hillocky pastureland, and I was once again basking in the morning sun. Down then easily until you reach a forest road, and here the trail divides. I wanted to gain a viewpoint one more time and I turned left and headed for Croix de la Le at 1873mtrs, which promised to give great views down to Lake Geneva and beyond. I followed the trail until point 1669mtrs, and here I diverged and headed straight up to the col, directly above, at 1913mtrs. Here I dropped my bag and walked easily to the nearby summit at 1993mtrs. Wow what a wonderful place to be. The views were so much better than I had anticipated. Everything, from the Mont Blanc massif to the Valais and the Bernese Oberland could be seen on the horizon, and of course the ranges that bounded the huge lake below, were wonderful to behold as well. Warm sun and no wind, meant that a layer of pollution could be seen, hovering above the Rhone valley far below. I relaxed a while, and it was some reluctance that I turned and set off for the long descent all the way to the valley floor over 1600mtrs lower. Once I got back as far as the forest road, I was from there to the bottom walking in the shade. Walking in the woods had a charm all of its own.

The Rhone valley with a layer of pollution clearly seen

The end of Lake Geneva with Bouverey on the bottom and Villeneuve on top

Mont Blanc

The Tashhorn and the Dom

Bouverey seemed to hover far below, and never seemed to get nearer, but eventually I emerged from the woods, and set foot on the smooth tarmacked streets. I made my way as far as the train station, and I found that the first train didn't leave early enough tomorrow for me to make the airport in time. Because of that and the campsite being closed, I opted to walk across the valley to the town of Villeneuve, which had another campsite, and was on the main rail route to Geneva. This proved to be a very enjoyable walk on a mixture of tarmac, walking/ bike trail, and lovely forest trails, that made for easy walking. The campsite in Villeneuve was open so I enjoyed a comfortable evening and a great shower. The connections to Geneva were superb, so the return home was stress free. As a place to launch similar outings in future, this town would be ideal. I had been unlucky with the gas situation, and I must consider getting a multi fuel stove for future international trips, but I had been so so lucky with the weather. It would have been great to get such weather in the summer, not to mind on the cusp of winter. I enjoyed visiting somewhere new, and regretted that I didn't have more time to delve deeper into the area. The Dents de Midi were so beautiful, and the mountains behind Aigle, are definitely worth exploring as well. As I left I couldn't help but feel as well that perhaps I had missed an opportunity to perhaps climb Mont Blanc, or indeed traverse from Bionnasay, but who was to know that the weather would be quite as good as it turned out to be. One thing for sure is that I will return to the area.

Where the Rhone enters the lake

Journeys end, looking at Montreux