Thursday April 3rd;
I love spring time. It is my favourite time of year and generally my spirit surges with the new growth and life. Add in the fact that I was heading to Cloghane near Mount Brandon with the promise of stunning weather and yes, I was excited.
The approach to Cloghane is always a joy. If some of the finest mountain scenery in the country isn't enough to get the pulse going then add into the mix beautiful beaches and a blue ocean and it is easy to understand my joy. My plan for the couple of days was to either run or hike these mountains (or both) and to do a spot on beach fishing as well. As I neared the village I decided that a run from the village to Brandon Head and An t'Sais would be just the job. I parked at the church and once changed I started my run. I was immediately enjoying myself. Warm spring sunshine bathed everywhere and everywhere looked amazing. The initial kilometres are along the road but this time of year it is quiet and the few cars I met weren't a problem. I then turned off the "main road" and joined a quiet lane that led to the beach near Brandon pier. A quick pause for a photo and I began the gradual climb to Brandon Point. I took my time and enjoyed the experience rather than trying to set a good pace.
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| The beach near Brandon Pier |
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| The view to the main ridge. Brandon in centre----Brandon Peak on left |
Another pause at the point to catch my breath and enjoy the view and I left the road behind and headed on an amazing trail to An t'Sais. The first kilometre is steadily uphill and I was quite pleased that I managed to stay running. You also leave the coast behind and head more inland. The ever improving views of the spectacular main ridge of the Brandon massif are truly inspiring. I was even toying with the idea of climbing up there today. After a hundred metres are gained a delightful downhill section follows where most of the gains are lost. This section can be quite boggy but today it was springy and dry and a joy to gambol down. Alas after the downhill comes a steeper uphill section and this I had to walk most of. It doesn't last long however and soon I was trotting along all the way to the edge of An t'Sais. This is another amazing viewpoint. This giant sunken coum offers a semi circular scoop that drops precipitously to the ocean some four hundred meters below. Throw in the glorious mountain scenery and weather and it simply takes the breath away. Another good reason to pause for a while.
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| Over 1000ft below---no easy way down or up---The Trap |
The trail continues easily around the rim of the coum before turning and after a short downhill section it joins a track that eventually leads to a roadway. I decided to forego the summit ridge and save it for tomorrow. Once on the track I enjoyed watching a few sheepdogs gathering some sheep. Unfortunately they then proceeded to walk them along the track with their master and my running was delayed for a bit. I managed to get past them on a looping section and I once again gamboled along downhill. Once I reached the road I knew I had the bulk of the run done. Once past Teer I re-traced my route back to the village. I was tired but delighted with my effort. Twenty kilometres and 575mtrs ascent is definitely a good outing in my book. I checked into the nearby hostel and after relaxing for a bit I headed to Fermoyle and spent an hour digging bait before enjoying a nice few hours on the beach.
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| Just six kilometres left |
Friday April 4th;
Two days is really too short a time to spend in this wonderful place but it was all I had and I was determined to make the most of it. There had been some rain last night but this morning it was mostly clear skies, although some clouds still clung to the higher tops. After breakfast I set off from the village and headed towards Mount Brandon. I could have driven as far as the car park near the grotto but as I intended going as far as Brandon Peak and doing a horseshoe outing, that would have meant an uphill finish. The plan was to cross the Faha Ridge and then enjoy the splendid summit views from the main ridge. I was feeling quite strong and I set a steady pace up the trail. It was breezier than yesterday and certainly felt chillier and I kept my shell jacket on. Once I eventually reached the airy top of the ridge I paused to soak everything in. Binn Fhaiche sits at 822 metres and standing as it does, removed from the main body of the mountain it offers an outstanding viewpoint. The north face of Brandon with it's cliffs, ridges and lakes looks rugged and wonderful. Add to the mix Masatiompan, An t'Sais, Cloghane bay, Benoskee an Stradbally and much much more and it is hard to know where to look first.
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| Spectacular ground on the north side of the ridge |
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| Leaving Cloghane looking to Benoskee |
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| What a place to be--in the middle of the ridge |
Now comes the wonderful Faha Ridge. It starts off innocuously enough and immediately becomes narrow and engaging. Things were a little slick after the clouds from earlier (now cleared👍) but with a little care safe easy progress is made. Little rocky crests can be taken direct or sometimes a path bypasses them It is your choice how easy or hard you want it to be. One thing that is certain is that the crux cannot be avoided. Two steep sections require back climbing so as to bypass the final rock buttress of the ridge. These require good concentration and can prove a little awkward. By taking your time and choosing the right holds and moves progress can be safely made. I would say it merits a Grade 2 scramble. Now all the difficulties are behind you and you can enjoy the steep 100 metre climb to gain the main ridge. I was feeling good and this passed quickly enough and soon I was atop and enjoying new vistas. And what a view it is. Below the stunning coastline of the Ballyferriter-Slea Head region in truly glorious and the Blasket Islands are a spectacular sight a few miles offshore. I enjoyed the view for a few moments and then set off on the final easy stretch to the summit. I had it to myself and I relaxed a while and had a chocolate bar and a drink. Next up comes the easy trail to Brandon Peak. It was lovely to amble along and enjoy at leisure those views. The stiff 200 metre pull to the airy summit gets the full attention but after this the crossing to An Gearán is an easy delight before I turned southeast and started the steep descent that loses over 600 metres and eventually reaches the outflow of Lough Avoonane. The coum behind the lough becomes more spectacular as you descend and is a mighty sight by the time you reach the lake. Now I was on a good track as as I had just worn my trail runners again today I broke into an easy trot here. This I maintained for the four remaining kilometres back to the village. I had covered the 17 plus kilometres in 4 hours 50 mins and it had included 1250 metres ascent. A very good outing.
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| Slea Head--The Three Sisters--Ballydavid Head |
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| The beautiful ridge to Brandon Peak |
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| Looking east towards Tralee |
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| Lough Avoonane |
Boy it was warm down low and I had also gotten my first sunburn of the year. After a change of clothes and a bite of lunch in Castlegregory I went to the nearby beach for a couple of hours fishing. This topped off the day when I got a couple of fine bass. It had been a wonderful action filled couple of days.
