Carrauntoohil with James

Sunday 17 November;

Today I went to Killarney to have a hike with James Moore. It had been far too long since we were last out and this was too good an opportunity to miss. James has been working hard on his fitness over the last couple of years and has been concentrating mainly on road running. A few years ago I would have to take it easy if we went on a run together but now the tables have turned and he can sustain a six minute mile pace while it would give me all I could do to break seven minutes for one. Anyway he had been to Killarney  the day before with his club for a race and social evening and as it had been quite a while since he had been on the mountains we decided to go for a hike.

I have been trying to get in a few long runs of late to try and prepare for a marathon I intend to run in Clonakilty on December 7th. I went for a nineteen miler on Saturday and found it tough, very tough. I ran over Bweeng Mountain and this added over 400 meters of climbing to the route and I guess I paid the price for it in the latter stages as the last three miles were brutal. Its fair to say that I still felt the effects of that outing as I set off for Killarney but I reckoned that a hike was just the ticket to try and stretch out my aching muscles. The weather forecast was for rain to arrive in the morning and continue for the day so it was a pleasant surprise to arrive in town and see that the skies remained largely clear. I collected James from his hotel and after a brief discussion we decided to climb Carrauntoohil and off we set. It was great to see him and we nattered away as we had a fair bit of catching up to do. We were changed and ready for the off at 9.45 and still the weather played ball. It is always a joy to walk into the "Hags Glen" and this amphitheater of 3000 ft plus peaks never fails to inspire. We decided that we would go up the "Heavenly Gates" and  then see from there. I don't think I ever actually climbed the mountain by this route as I normally use it in descent but it is a delight whichever way you go and it shows the impressive ridges and cliffs to their best effect. We were delighted to get a great view of a wild goat perched on a ledge on Primroses Ridge and he looked positively regal as he surveyed all beneath him. Onwards we went and we soon reached the col by the Devils Ladder.

King Puck

Sorry James, not your most flattering pose

The Hags Glen

The Heavenly Gates

The 300 meter slog from here is always a chore and there was nothing for it but to put the head down and plod on. As we got higher the wind got stronger and colder and there was a real bite of winter by the time we reached the summit. I also had a touch of rubber legs and was in dire need of something to eat. We had intermittent views when the clouds parted but the cold ensured we didn't tarry and we left as soon as we had eaten. We both agreed that a swift return to lower ground was the best option and we descended via the Heavenly Gates again. Once we were down under the cloud the temperatures improved dramatically and we enjoyed glorious views down and across the plain of north Kerry. We were back at the car about four hours after setting off and in a reversal of what normally happens when I'm out with Frank I dropped James back to the train station. The weather was now lovely and thankfully the bad weather forecast hadn't materialized. We have plans to get out and about soon, only this time I hope James will take it easy on me during our runs.

TOMIES WOOD AND GLENA COTTAGE

Today I once again went to Killarney to have a hike with Frank. Alas once again the weather was pish so we opted to do something different. Since I ran a circuit of Lough Leane a couple of months ago I have wanted to go back and revisit the beautiful trail that goes from the western end of Tomies Wood  through the rhododendrons to the shores of Lough Leane and the ruins of Glena Cottage.

Frank enjoying the day

O'Sullivans Cascade

Doing chin ups 

We started in the rain and ended in the rain but we ended the day completely smitten and enchanted by our outing. From the car we walked the forestry road for a few kilometers until we diverted briefly to look at the lovely O'Sullivans Cascade. After this there is a gradual pull up to the 200 meter contour where you leave the road and cross some rough boggy ground and just when you think that the way ahead is barred by an impenetrable thicket of rhododendron a tunnel like trail appears and from here for the next couple of kilometers you enter another world of enchanting trail that has the feel of something straight out of a Terry Pratchett novel. Eventually after a steep slippery descent to the lake you come to the ruins of Glena Cottage. A holiday retreat built in the early 19th century by Lady Kenmare and where Queen Victoria lunched when she visited the area. It burnt down in the 1920's but it is still an atmospheric place to visit. We explored hereabouts for a bit and then not wanting to try and cross the truely trying O'Sullivan's Punchbowl we turned and retraced our steps. The climb back up was a bit testing but soon passed and eventually we reemerged into the open ground by Tomies Wood. We returned to the car via the higher road and Frank even wanted to jog some of it. So four hours after we set off we arrived at the car where we changed out of our wet gear and set off for home. It is a spot we will definitely revisit again in the future and makes for an excellent bad weather outing.

Slippery and a surprisingly big drop beneath

Wonderful place

The ruins of Glena Cottage

Gorgeous trails 

Typical trail

Actually much darker

Back in the open ground above Tomies Wood

Coomloughra Horseshoe In Kerry

Today I went with Frank to have another hike in the Kerry Mountains. The weather forecast wasn't great with plenty of heavy showers predicted and with the cloud covering the tops it seemed that that was the way it was going to be. I left it up to Frank to decide where he wanted to go and I was delighted he opted for the Coomloughra Horseshoe. This is one of the best circuits in the area and takes in the three highest peaks in the country. We had our customary coffee and set off and after about fifteen miles we parked up in the excellent new carpark by the "hyrdo road" on the east side of the Reeks.

The hydro road had a charm that is well buried under the rough concrete surface and is best dispatched as quickly as you can. It is a steep-ish plod that rises straight from the car but once you reach the turn to the right the gradient eases and it allows the opportunity to take in the ever expanding views to the west and across to the Dingle peninsula. We opted to do the round in an anti clockwise direction as this means that while the ascents are steeper the long descent from Caher is much nicer and a fitting finish to the day. Once we reached Scregmore we were in the mist and there was a damp chill to the stiff breeze but it didn't matter as we were well wrapped up and we are well used to a lot worse. We made good progress and stopped for a bite of lunch on Beenkeragh before crossing the ridge and easily climbing the 400 ft to the summit of Carrauntoohil. On the way up we passed a couple of guys who caused me to do a double take before I believed my eyes, they had ice axes. I couldn't pass without asking and it transpired they thought that there might have been snow in Central Gully and one said he would have used it to make an anchor for the rope in the gully. I was a bit dumbfounded and decided to press on before I said something I regretted. My God the incredible ( lets be charitable and say) silliness of some people never fails to surprise. I mean it was fifteen or sixteen degrees at the car and there hadn't been a cold day yet this autumn, how did they think snow would be there??. Anyway onward over Caher and we were back under the cloud soon enough. The views were a delight and we stopped frequently to take a few pics and enjoy the array of colour and beauty. Back at the car in a little over five hours and we were really pleased with our day. We were dry once we emerged from the mist and the weather had improved throughout the day, result.

Looking in from Lough Eighter

Feeling the pressure

Looking west on the way down from Caher

A wee bit wind blown

The way up

Stunning Landscape