Mount Leinster

Towards Blackstair Mountain from Mount Leinster

The impresive summit mast

Mount Leinster

Bluebells a plenty

While on a few days away with Margaret looking at gardens in the Carlow area I decided to take advantage of the day she was meeting some gardening friends and head out for a climb of Mount Leinster. At 795mtrs the highest hill in Carlow and as the highest of the Blackstairs Mountains it promised to have extensive views. The start point is the col at Corrbut gap. This is at 330mtrs and the ascent from here is a gentle pull up heathery slopes and the tarmac road that goes all the way to the summit. There was a strong wind to accompany me all the way to the summit which is crowned by an impressive communications mast of some 400ft. Not being a lover of such mountaintop paraphenalia I didn't tarry and headed instead off down the slope towards Blackstair Mountain at 735mtrs the second highest top in the compact range.

 The air was a little hazy so the views weren't as far ranging as I had hoped but I could see the Irish sea off to the left and to the north the Wicklow hills rose gently from the verdant landscape. To the south Slievenamon and the Comeragh Mountains were hazy outlines in the distance. I was enjoying myself crossing the broad easy slopes watching the swathes of bog cotton bowing obediently to the wind. There is a great sense of freedom in such a place that thankfully was totally devoid of unnecessary and unsightly fences. My route went up over Knockroe and down to Scullogue Gap. This was a fairly big drop and meant that I had over 560mtrs of a pull to the summit. I pushed on and was glad when I eventually arrived at the broad windswept top. While I dined (two bananas) I rang Margaret and arranged to meet her in the village of Kiltealy at the base of the mountain. I had an hour and three quarters before our rendevous so I found a nice shaded spot and dozed for twenty minutes and enjoyed the solitude and birdsong. I decended at a leisurely pace and the walk finished along delightful deserted country lanes alive with wildflower and song. I arrived in the village tired but fulfilled after nearly 20K and 1100 mtrs of ascent.

Good trainng days and Miracle Camera

I have been somewhat lax in my blogging efforts of late but I can assure you that I have been getting out and about. I enjoyed a very nice run around the Horses Glen over Mangerton and Stoompa last week with James Moore. Not scorchingly fast but a respectable two hours to cover the approx 14K and 800mtrs ascent.

I went with my two partners for the upcoming alpine trip to the Reeks last Saturday and we enjoyed a good convivial day out on the Hags Glen Horseshoe, a fine 16K and 1700mtrs of ascent. They are two good old boys and fit to boot so all is good on that front.

Sunday I headed out with Killarney Mountaineering Club for a walk up Purple Mountain. As I was eager to pack as much into the day as possible I left the group and pushed on alone over Purple and then down to the head of the Gap of Dunloe and up the other side to Cnoc na Bracha and on to Strickeen and back to Kate Kearneys. A fine round of 20K anf 1500mtrs of ascent all in 5hours 15 mins.

From the Aonach Eagach



Finally today the camera that I had lost on the NE Buttress on Ben Nevis in the middle of February arrived in the post. The camera was lost up near the Mantrap and was found by Mr Craig Coid at the end of April. This meant that it had fallen over 1000ft and was out in the Scottish winter weather for over two months in just a cloth bag. Remarkably it arrived in perfect condition and in perfect working order. I had long ago given up any hope of recovering the camera yet alone recieving it intact, so a huge big thank you to the gentleman that is Craig Coid who proves that the mountaineering fraternity contains very fine people. I hope to thank him in person and buy him several drams of something suitably warming.

North East Buttress Ben Nevis

Just below the Mantrap

Glengarra Wood Horseshoe, Galtees



Rhododendron trees

After a week of night work I decided to make the most of the two days off I had and also the good weather and headed first thing for the Galtee Mountains instead of home to bed. I decided upon the Glengarra Wood horseshoe as this was an area I hadn't visited in years. After a long drive through the forestry the walk starts  just after a ford of a stream at Cullenagh. The start of the woodland drive was a wonder of old flowering rhododendron trees that arched over the road giving glorious tunnels.

I left the car at 7.35 and was soon out on the open mountainside striding up the broad southern spur of the equally broad Greenane. The Galtees are a compact gentle range of mountains that run generally on an east west axis , where a series of spurs reach south and where the northern side is steeper and is punctuated by four glacial corries which each hold lovely lakes. I soon reached the summit at 802mtrs and headed along the broad ridge towards the conglomerate rock outcrop called O'Loughlans Castle. This outcrop bears an uncanny resemblance to the ruin of a man made structure. The ground underfoot is usually tediously boggy, but today, after the recent spell of good weather the gong was firm and progress was easy. Even the peat hags that normally bar the way and necessitate detours and much jumping were dry enough just to walk over. The one disappointment was the scarring in evidence after recent activity by motorbikes.


O'Loughlans Castle with Galtymore beyond

Mossy Cascades

I was soon down at the col under Galtybeg and the 160mtr pull up here got the heart pumping. The top soon arrived and off down again to the col above Lough Diheen with its cliffs and on for another 200mtrs to the summit of Galtymore, at 919mtrs one of the few 3000ft tops in the country. A little brunch here and I retraced my steps to the col and crossed under Galtybeg and then southeast towards the confluence of a triumvirate of streams where they entered the forest. This is a nice easy decent and the forest glen looked wonderful with the new leaves on the deciduous trees. The stream itself was a sparkling series of mossy cascades that led to a series of plunge pools that would be very tempting in the summer when we get (hopefully) some warm weather. Soon I was back in the forestry and a couple of kilometers more saw me back at the car. It was a lovely relaxing walk of 12k with  just over 900mtrs of climbing. It was a nice way to start the day off.

Lovely confluence of streams