Pen Y Fan and the Cotswolds

Great hothouse

Margaret and I set off for a break to the Cotswolds on Saturday September £rd for a five day trip to see some of the best gardens in the UK. We traveled over on the Fastnet Line ferry from Cork to Swansea which gives one the best chance of getting the most of a limited timeframe as it crosses overnight. A comfortable sleep saw us arrive in Swansea at 8am on the Sunday morning and after an awful breakfast in a motorway services dump we headed to the botanic garden of Wales about twenty miles away. This proved to be an inspired choice and we were absolutely delighted and surprised by its scale, grandeur and quality. We had intended it only as a stopgap to fill in the morning and had planned to visit another garden in the afternoon but such was the variety and interest to be enjoyed that we spent nearly five happy hours exploring. It is a marvelous facility and something  which Wales should be very proud of.

Giant glasshouse.

It was now too late to visit the other garden so we decided to go for a drive up and through the Brecon Beacons. The road was quite busy and very twisty and we had the misfortune of getting caught behind a horsebox which slowed our progress for a full tweny miles or more. Still despite the delay I decided to round off the day by going for a run up Pen y Fan. We headed on down the A470 and parked at the Storey Arms car park. I changed and headed up the well made track. It is a fairly gentle route and I managed to run the most of the way up. There is a nice little downhill section before the steep final push to the summit of Corn Du 873mtrs. From here it is only about 600mtrs to the summit of Pen y Fan, at 886mtrs the highest summit in south Wales. It is a nice mountain with some nice steep ground on its northern side but overall the impression I got of the range is that it is very tame and managed ground. There is a uniformity to the ground cover that almost looks like a lawn or grass carpet covering everything. Anyway after the ferry crossing and the walk around the garden it was great to have the freedom of the hills for a while and I arrived back at the car invigourated and refreshed. From here we headed to Gloucester and our hotel, all in all a grand day.

The next few days were mostly taken up with the usual touristy things but the one thing I was really impressed by was the network of public paths that criss cross the countryside and link up the villages. What a wonderful facility these are and I took great delight in going for a couple of runs on them. It was great to enjoy the openness of the countryside and be able to avoid the roads. If the same was available here I would seldon run on the roads The Cotswolds is a beautiful area and one village after another is like a picture postcard. It is a triumph of planning and good taste. I was also very impressed by Stratford upon Avon. The town center has a great range of old beautifully preserved buildings and is mostly pedestrianised therefore is easy to get around. To finish the trip off we went to visit Prince Charles at his country estate in Highgrove. He didn't greet us in person but we did have a great tour around his garden. A visit to the nearby Westonbirt Arbouretum polished off the trip and a painless journey on the M4 back to Swansea and our ferry.

Mount Brandon Bivvy

From Brandon Head towards Benoskee

On Monday I decided on a whim to head for my favourite mountain massif in Ireland and pointed the car for Mount Brandon. In recent days for some reason I had been a bit down and was lethargic and  unenthusiastic about the outdoors. Even on the road back I was doubting my decision and I was not really looking forward to the trip. As the weather was set fair I had decided to pack the bivvy bag and food for a day and make an over-nighter of it. In keeping with my mood I actually didn't arrive in Cloghane until 13.30. I intended to traverse the full ridge so that meant that a 5mile road walk was needed to get to Brandon Head from where the walk proper would start. Now road walks are not something that I generally enjoy but this time on this day in this place it was magic. The narrow lanes were a riot of colour. Fuschia, montbretia, meadowsweet and much more were carpeting the hedgerows. This, coupled with the glorious views and clear blue skies was just what the doctor ordered and I found that I was enjoying myself immensely. As I neared Brandon head I was delighted to see a pod of common Dolphins moving along just offshore. This was just wonderful to see and raised the already great spirits even more.

Dolphins down below

Rocky shore and blue skies

The beautiful An Sas

After a nice rest looking down at the Dolphins I left the road behind and headed on to the open mountain and headed in the direction of An Sas. This was still about 5K away and on the was I followed a stream down an glen to the rocky cliffs below. This meant that I lost an unnecessary 200mtrs of height but I was determined to approach this trip in a leisurely fashion and the beauty of the blue sea crashing onto the shore more than made up for it. I continued up the ridge, keeping the sea in view the whole way. Eventually I reached the wonderful amphitheatre that is An Sas. This sunken Coum is a two thirds circle that sweeps over a thousand feet down to the sea. It never fails to inspire and I felf I made the right decision to stop and have a bite to eat here. So rested and refreshed I gloried in the airy walk around the cliff edge and headed down to the col under Masatiompan. I wasn't looking forward to the 450meter slog to the summit but on this day nothing was going to spoil the mood. Eventually I gained the rounded summit and now the vista changed again. As well as the georgous views to the north and east I could now gaze down to the magnificent panorama that streatches from Slea Head and the Blasket Islands away south over the Iveragh Peninsula and beyond.

Slea Head and the Blasket Islands

Sunset



Sunset

 It was now after six in the evening and was time to search for my home for the night. I chose the nearby Parias Mor as there was a trickle of water to be found about 100mtrs away and the view from there wasn't bad either. I really enjoyed my dinner and wasn't bothered too much by the midges. My biggest problem was deciding where to look and I was constantly turning to enjoy the varied vistas. After grub I settled down to enjoy the stunning sunset and it didn't dissappoint. All too soon it was time for bed. I had left my sleeping bag at home but was fairly confident that with my belay jacket I would be warm enough. It was a mistake. As darkness engulfed me and I was confined in the bivvy bag it grew colder and colder. Eventually after midnight I put on my hard shell and put my boots on as well. This helped a little but the chill ensured that I didn't get any sleep. Still there were compensations. When I turned to one side the few lights that sprinkled the Ballyferriter area and the faint lights from trawlers at sea were to be seen. On the other side the lights of Tralee and the other nearby towns reminded one that civilisation was not far away. Straight above the sky was a carpet of stars. Still eventually the night passed and I rose to a perfect dawn.



Dawn over Tralee Bay

Rosy glow on Mount Brandon

I didn't tarry as I was anxious to get going and warm up so I was packed up and on the move at 06.30. Soon the light show that was the sun rising over tralee bay was inspiring the soul and as I approached Mount Brandon its east face was bathed in a rosy glow. I was now warm and moving well. No aches and pains were in evidence after yesterdays exertions and it felt great to be out on the mountain and have the whole place to myself. I was now on familiar ground and the ridge passed in comfortable relaxation. After Brandon Peak the nature of the terrain changes again to a series of broad boggy saddles. Easy ground allowed the eyes to constantly scan the views and good progress was made. Another bite to eat was required around 10.30 and I was ready to push on across the Conair Pass. From here I went up Slieveanea. Down steeply to the rough ground above Coumanare and up to the sharp little peak of Slievenalecka. From here there is a short steep drop to a broad ridge and then down to Lock an Duin and enjoyed the views of the impressive waterfall under Slievenagower. A pleasent stroll along a good trail and another three kilometers on the road saw me back at the car. I was tired but well happy with the experience and most of all re-invigourated about the outdoors.

Fabulous and complex Barndon

Slievenalecka

Lock an Duin

 Day 1; 16K and 1100mtrs and Day2; 23K and 1200mtrs.

Great Burren Run

Waves breaking against the rocky shore

The setting sun.

On the spur of the moment I decided to head to the northwest of Clare and take part in the Great Burren Run. This is a half marathon that is held in the beautiful village of Fanore. I had never run a half marathon before so it was something of a trip into the unknown. So I packed my tent and headed off after work on Friday afternoon. It is about a hundred mile trip but it soon passed thanks to the new motorways that are all we have to show for the so called "Celtic Tiger". As I was nearing the Burren I was keeping my eyes open for a possible wild camping spot. Things weren't looking too good until I rounded a bend and there by the sea was a flat expanse of grass that several others were already camping on. I was able to use the car as a shelter from the stiff breeze and I had the tent up in no time. After a leisurely bite to eat I went for a little walkabout to explore my surroundings. It was a wonderful spot where the rough seas pounded the rocky shore and there was a constant thunder of breakers crashing against the nearby cliffs. A good nights sleep followed and I awoke to a beautiful calm sunny day. A good breakfast and a short stroll and I was ready to head for the run.

Unique and bleak landscape

Limestone pavement

The village of Fanore consists of no more than a pub, a shop, a cafe and a few houses. It is situated in a beautiful spot hard up against the sea and the rocky Burren rising gently behind. After registering for the run I warmed up by taking little jogs. They were expecting about 100 to take part and these were split between a half marathon and a 10K run. There was a great atmosphere before the start and the rousing sound of a ceili band blaring from loudspeakers saw some even practice some jiggy moves. Soon we were lined up at the start and we were off.

There was a bit of a mad dash from the start and the super fit and super ambitious set off at a fast pace. After just half a mile on the road we went off down a dirt track and from there on to a beach. The soft sand made for hard going but I didn't push it and concentrated on keeping in my comfort zone. From the beach we were up another track where we passed by a herd of Alpaca. Not too many of them to the square mile in this neck of the world. Anyway another short road section was followed by a stiff climb on a waymarked trail where 400ft was gained. Another road section for a couple of miles alongside a delightful little river and we were climbing again on a green road. This was a long steep climb where over 600ft was climbed. A long run along the top of the mountain afforded wonderful views which helped to take the mind off the aching body was finally followed by a long downhill section to the finish.

The beautiful Burren

Ancient Dolmen

 I managed to come in eight in 1hour 53mins. I guess my hill walking and occasional hill runs stood me in good stead and I seemed to suffer less on the uphill sections. Anyway I really enjoyed the route which was really varied and went through beautiful scenery. After several large glasses of water and soup and sandwiches  I was ready for the journey home. I came back a different way via Ballyvaughan and Corofin. This travelled right through the high Burren and gave a great flavour of the magic of the place. I stopped and had a look at the famous Dolmen near Ballyvaughan. This is a really impressive tomb which is all of 5000years old. I wonder how much the landscape has changed since then. I was well happy with my efforts and the trip and as I headed home I was already thinking of my next trip to the area which I vowed would not be too far in the future.