Purple and Tomies and the Gap of Dunloe

 

Tuesday May 11th;

I went with Jerry for a hike on Tomies and Purple above the Gap of Dunloe. This offers a wonderful outing that is packed with views and interest. It would also be Jerrys first time in the area and it is always nice to introduce someone to somewhere new. The weather forecast was good, promising a stiff breeze but dry conditions. Mind you when I collected Jerry at 9am it looked less than promising. The breeze was there but a steady drizzle was falling and it remained quite miserable until we got near Killarney when there was a dramatic improvement and the rain was left behind and mostly clear skies prevailed. We arrived in a reasonably quiet Kate Kearneys and we were on the move at 10am. We set off back the road until we reached the gate to the forestry lane that rises gently until you reach the end of the spur that rises towards Tomies North Top. This allows for a nice gentle introduction to the hike and a couple of hundred metres is easily gained and as you get higher the East Reeks start to reveal themselves above the bulk of Cnoc na Bracha. Unfortunately the gentle progress doesn't last and a steep tough pull of over 200 metres is required to reach the broad top of Tomies North Top. A brief rest here to admire the now extensive and stunning views and we set off for the climb of Tomies itself. This near 200 metre climb looks worse than it is and except for the final stretch is on a good chicaning path. We topped out to a buffeting cold northerly wind and we wasted no time taking some shelter and enjoying a bite to eat. Even in the shelter it was cold and I put on my hard shell, hat and gloves before setting off on the next leg.

Once on the move we warmed up again and the next climb of 100 metres to the Purple NE Top  passed well. The climbing was now nearly done for the day and it was just a short walk to the col before climbing the final 100 metres to the top of Purple. Oddly enough the wind wasn't as strong since the last top and we were able to relax in the open for a while and enjoy the extensive and wonderful views. It had been a while since I was here and it was also a pleasure to see Jerry's appreciation for the place. One curiosity of the summit is that when you reach the first cairn the next one just 100 metres away looks definitely higher but when you reach the main cairn and look back the first cairn looks higher. I don't know why this is but it is something I have encountered before on other mountains. Wedidn't delay too long and continued straight ahead and dropped easily down the dry slopes until we reached Glas Lough and followed the trail to the Head of The Gap. It felt much warmer down here and we enjoyed walking the 6 kilometres back to the car. We enjoyed an excellent coffee and cake in the nearby cafe before heading home.

It had been a grand old outing and a good test for Jerry who is still getting his mountain legs. 16 kilometres, 1050 metres ascent in just over 5 hours..