A Taste of a White Christmas.On The Galtees

 

On Christmas Eve I headed to the Galtee Mountains for a long overdue visit. It had been ages since I was last here. What with loc-kdowns and covid restrictions, coupled with a renewed re-discovery of sea angling, I hadn't had the chance to visit them. I was actually quite excited on the drive down. It had been quite cold these past few days and a good amount of snow had fallen on the mountains. The forecast for the day was good so it seemed I would get a taste of a winters day. I arrived at the fine new carpark on the north side of the mountains and I was on the move by 10.15. It was quite cold leaving the car, (just 3 degrees), and I was soon debating removing my light down jacket. Once I reached the open mountainside the breeze became evident so I kept the jacket on. I had decided to do the beautiful Clydagh Valley Horseshoe and it is nearly always my preferred way to do it by climbing Cush first. This makes for an easier descent and gets the hard climbing out of the way in the first half of the walk. There was a fair bit of snow on the mountains down to around the 500 metre level but a layer of cloud clung to the tops. I didn't mind about that. It simply felt great to be back on the hills. 

The summit cross looking rather chilly

Things looking icy heading up Galtybeg

Welcome back..half way up Cush

As I neared the summit of Cush the breeze became a stiff wind. Add to this the snow and rimed up rocks and it suddenly began to feel like a proper winters outing. On the top the wind sucked at any exposed skin and it felt wonderful and exhilarating. Next up comes the drop to the col and the 400 metre climb to Galtybeg. This in interminable at the best of times and today seemed to go on for ages. When I reached the final steep 100 metre section to reach the summit, the temperature seemed to plummet further and the grass was seriously rimed with ice. It was bitingly cold in the strong wind. It was also quite icy in the scoured, grass less sections and I began to wonder if I had made a mistake by leaving my crampons at home. Thankfully progress was safely made and I soon reached the summit. I didn't linger and headed immediately towards Galtymor. Did I say it was cold??. The climb to the summit of the highest inland mountain in the country went well, but again in places I would have found crampons useful, and I began to wonder what the descent at the far side of Dawsons Table would be like. The icy, windswept summit, was a properly fierce winter-scape. With no views to be had, I wasted no time in continuing on my way. Thankfully, the descent from the summit was a breeze. There was a lovely bank of firm snow that made it safe and easy to progress. The next section, above Lough Curra, provided easy going as the boggy sections were frozen. I stopped for a bite to eat at the low point and sheltered behind the wall. Next came the easy pull over Slievecushnabinnea before an easy descent off the mountain and back to the car. Just over 4 hours of invigorating winter fun made it a wonderful outing. 

As an aside, it has been wonderful to get back to sea angling. My success (or rather lack of it) has been patchy but my enjoyment is constant. The hills have some competition. I will have to find a balance.