I was in beautiful Sneem for a few days holiday this week and me being me I decided to "relax" in the best way I knew how..running and hiking.
After arriving on Saturday I wasted no time in going for a run along the lovely quiet little road that enters ever wilder scenery as it stretches towards the base of Knocknagantee. I wasn't interested in pace or time I just wanted to immerse myself in this beautiful place. I just did 9 kilometres, but it was enough. Saturday night into Sunday morning had seen torrential rain and strong winds arrive and go. I decided that staying on the road would offer the safest option so once again I ran in the same road as yesterday, this time to its end, which added a few kilometres to yesterdays outing. There was one torrential shower of rain during the run which was both chilling and invigorating at the same time. The river through the village was super spectacular as it thundered over the rocks below the bridge.
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| Any higher and those campers would have been in trouble |
On Monday the weather was very nice so I decided that a long run on the Kerry Way would be just the job. The new "Local Link" bus services that are now available in west Kerry allowed me to catch the 12.20 bus and I arrived in Waterville at 13.10. It was a lovely sunny day and thankfully the strong winds of yesterday were now absent. Mind you the sea was still angry and carried a big big swell. I must confess to having doubts about my ability to do the run. Sneem suddenly seemed an awfully long way away. Still I was here now so off I set. After a delightful run alongside the shoreline I joined the main road for several hundred metres before a right turn onto a quiet lane. Now the only roar was the sound of the huge waves crashing ashore. The next two kilometres followed this lane before the trail rose gently along a delightful track all the way to Coomakista. I stopped several times to take some photos and I was determined not to push too hard and try and have something in the kitty for later on. As you gain height the views only get better and better and in the distance the magical Skelligs rise from the sea.
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| Wild and wonderful in Waterville |
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| Out over Waterville bay and the Skelligs beyond |
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| Coumakista ahead |
I walked the steeper section until I crested the pass and shortly after I reached the wedge tomb where I stopped and revelled in my glorious surroundings. Derrynane is without doubt one of the most beautiful places in Ireland and on a sunny day such as this I felt privileged to be here. I continued steeply down and after crossing the road I was once again on trails. The next several kilometres were mostly through the forest and it was a delight. Views may have been restricted but I loved the variety. Eventually I reached the little village of Caherdaniel and once across the road the trail continues towards another pass and Stague Fort. I ran and walked up the hill along the delightful "walk of the planets". This is a delightful idea where spherical sculptures are in place, each one representing a planet of our solar system, and these spaced at on scale distances from Caherdanial, which I guess represents the sun. A little information board tells about each planet. It means that over two kilometres pass before you finally reach Neptune. A delightful section of trail crosses the mountainside before another quiet lane takes you near Stague Fort. Another climb see you reach the crest above Bohacogram. I was pretty tired by now and had covered 20 kilometres but suddenly I felt that the end was attainable.
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| At the wedge tomb above Derrynane..very special |
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| Leaving Caherdaniel |
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| Leaving Bohacogram, starting the final furlong. |
I ran down and passed the little cottage where we had stayed in the past and after the final climb I stood on the pass and could see Sneem in the distance and the mountains stretching afar on the left. I was really glad that the next few kilometres were down hill. I was pretty pooped. Having said that I was still able to keep trundling along. Once I passed over a footbridge and I reached the road that reaches to the village I was on the final stretch. It seemed interminable but eventually I found myself entering the busy little place. Through the north square and finally it was over. 29 kilometres covered in just less than four hours. I was delighted and strangely proud in equal measure. It somehow felt like I had achieved something.
Wednesday February 26th;
After a relaxing day on Tuesday I decided that today would be a good day for a hike. A beautiful array of mountains frame the skyline from Sneem. Coomcallee is the westernmost and a series of tops and coums stretch across to Finnararagh. One day I hope to cross them all in one go but today I planned on going from Coomnahorna to Knocknagantee. The weather forecast was a deteriorating one. Yesterday it promised to be mostly dry but today it promised showers and blustery winds. Ah well, I would have to see how things went. Margaret dropped me off at the turn for the Lomonagh Loop a few kilometres from the village. It was sunny right now but there had already been a few showers and I could see more were coming. I walked easily up through the forestry and I followed the track until it came to a section of open ground from where I could climb the northeast spur of Coomnahorna. Once I gained the crest of the spur the wind was quite fierce and buffeting at times. I was delighted however by the wonderful views. Below lay the beautiful Slievenashaska Lough above which wild and rugged ground rose to Slievenashaska South Top. As an aside, the eastern face of that mountain looks to offer a few hundred metres of wonderful scrambling opportunities which I hope to explore on future visits. Today I followed the easy ground of this ridge and revelled in the wild experience. It got even wilder when a squally shower of hailstones arrived and it became quite the battle to continue. As the wind (and hail) would have been into my face if I tuned towards Knocknagantee from the top I decided that I would instead go to Coomcallee and return to the village from there.
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| The easy ridge to Coomnahorna |
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| Looks like there are great possibilities for some scrambling |
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| Vicious hail showers |
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| And a few minutes later |
As it happens the hail cleared as I neared the broad summit and conditions weren't too bad but I wouldn't take the risk of more vicious showers returning so I continued as planned. I dropped easily to the pass and started the 200 metre climb to Coomcallee. This soon passed and before long I was walking across the big broad summit. I could see that the distant Reeks had a nice bit of snow on them and the views in all directions were gorgeous. I decided to descend on the south-eastern side of the mountain and so I could reach a forest track that would allow me an easy exit to the road and the Kerry Way. Any descent on this side of the mountain is no bargain. There are lots of bands of sandstone which can give some steep and awkward sections but with some care safe progress can be made. Eventually I reached the track, road and Kerry Way and this I followed until I reached the lane that goes to Sneem where Margaret saved me the final couple of kilometres. It had been a relative short outing of just four and a quarter hours but I had covered over 16 kilometres and almost 1000 metres of ascent.
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| The Dunkerron Mountains and the snow capped distant Reeks |
To finish off the day I went fishing at Waterville beach and it was a wonderful session. Plenty of bass obliged with the biggest well over 6lbs.
