Sometimes Retreat Is Best. Whiteout on The Reeks

Wednesday January 21st;

I was back on "home " territory today and I headed back to The Reeks by Killarney. I decided that The Coomloughra Horseshoe would be  great outing, taking in the three highest peaks in the country in winter conditions. It was a bit cloudy and the forecast was for showers throughout the day. There hadn't been a frost overnight but it was reading just four degrees as I drove back so I hoped that things might have been frozen on high. I left the car at 10.30 and set off up the hydro road that leads into the spectacular coum. The showers were much in evidence and it wasn't long before I was getting the rain jacket out. There was some blue sky to be seen as well and I was reasonably hopeful that I might get some views. It was also obvious when Icould see into the coum that there was much more snow here than Connemara. The tops were covered in cloud but the cliffs of Caher looked great. I decided to do the circuit anticlockwise so Caher was the first objective.

Towards Caher

Towards Skregmore

The route up is an easy long spur that rises gently at first before steepening towards the west top. Almost straight away once I gained the spur I was on the snow which gradually got deeper. I had forgotten how much fun breaking trail through soft snow could be and today I was fully re-acquainted with it. As I got higher I was occasionally wading above my knees and it was pretty tiring. I had hoped that things would get firmer as I gained height but alas it wasn't to be and the wallow fest continues all the way to the first summit. Also as I arrived so did some nasty weather and I was getting a good old blasting by spindrift and snow. Visibility also reduced dramatically but there were some cliffs and rocks to be seen so I was able to navigate to the nearby col before the rise to the true summit. The slope up here was completely white which meant that at times I could see nothing. I pressed on and soon reached the top. Here the nature of the terrain changes and the ground narrows to (in dry conditions) a pleasingly narrow ridge. Big cliffs stretch ahead on the left hand side and a steep slope drops on the right. There was now copious amounts of snow and I was really concerned about the possibility of cornices etc. This couples with the face that I was in whiteout conditions meant I was no longer happy to proceed. I decided to have a bite to eat in the hope that a clearance might arrive and allow me to continue but it wasn't to be and I reluctantly made the decision to about face and return to my car. Descending the snow was much easier and the return was quite rapid. I was disappointed not to see the ridge under such heavy snow conditions but if I continued I wouldn't have seen much anyway. Hopefully the snow will last for a little while and I will get the chance to return again soon.

Looking west

One set of tracks up the slope

Hoping the clearance would come

The chilly west top shelter

Back down from the summit

Not a lot to see 

Good mixed climbing conditions on the west top

Mweelrea and The Twelve Bens. A Winters Tale

Saturday January 17th 2015,

I hummed and hawed for the last few days as to what I would do. I debated staying at home or heading over to Snowdonia in the hope of perhaps finding the place in winter conditions. I had just about made up my mind to go, my bag was packed and I was going to head to Dublin after work and catch the overnight ferry across, when I saw a post on facebook of the mountains of Connemara looking amazing and covered in snow so I had a change of heart and decided that the west was best. It meant I could have another night at home and I left home at 10am and set off on the long drive to Letterfrack which is home for a couple of days. Arriving at 13.45 I checked into "The Lodge" and once settled I left and went for a nice leisurely bimble up Diamond Hill 442 meters. Small in stature it may be but its positioning, set apart as it is from all other mountains nearby and rising in splendid isolation out of the boggy plains that stretch to the sea gives it a range of views that are hard to beat. There is a well engineered path that loops up and around the mountain and it offers easy access to a wide range of people and abilities, which ensures that it is quite a busy place. Today it was lovely and sunny as I set off which went a long way to counteracting the chilly 5 degree temperature. I was a little overdressed for such a modest outing but it felt good to give the legs a bit of a stretch after the long drive.

Diamond Hill

Towards "The Bens"

Looking back towards Tully.  Wonderful!

The Twelve Bens....well some of them

Nice evening light.

 The last time I was here it was with Kevin, Terrence and Anthony when we took part in the Rough Diamond adventure race. I struggled to run the hill that day and took 55 minutes but today it was a much more leisurely affair and two hours of pleasure followed. As I neared the summit some cloud and weather approached and this coupled with a brisk breeze meant that the summit was a decidedly chilly spot so after taking a few pictures and soaking in the views I set off back down. It really is a small hill and it doesn't take long to return to lower ground but I am very glad I did it. Bigger days ahead for sure.

Sunday Jan 18th;

I got up fairly early and set off for Mweelrea nearly forty kilometres away. I was expecting the roads to be pretty poor as we had some snow down to sea level overnight but it was very localised and once I was a kilometre into the trip they were fine. There was a little cloud on some of the tops but my word it was a beautiful drive. I have seldom seen the equal of the scenery that was literally all around me. It was difficult to keep my eyes on the road as I was constantly gazing at each new vista. I think if I never went climbing it would have been worth the journey just to enjoy that drive. I was in great spirits and when I finally arrived at the start of the route at the end of Doo Lough the sight of the enormous Coum that rises to the crest of the Mweelrea mountains, covered as it was in a wintery splendour just made me even keener to get going. All thoughts of Wales were well and truly forgotten. The drive between Louisburg an Leenane in in my humble opinion THE most beautiful that I have seen in the country. There is something about it that just suits my eye. Everything seems to fit, a bit like the northwest of Scotland. It is always a bit sobering to realize that this beautiful place is the area where one of the most awful tragedies of the Famine of the 19th century occurred. In 1849 people from Louisburg had to walk to Delphi Lodge (some 12 miles away) to register for a continuation of famine relief. Hundreds of people undertook the journey (in, as can be imagined a terribly weakened state) in some dreadful weather conditions. Afterwards the bodies of seven people were discovered at the roadside and a further nine people never made it back to their homes. It is always humbling to  realize that here amidst such savage beauty people endured a savage struggle.

Looking into the coum

Towards Ben Creggan

The cliffs on the left of centre drop for about 1500 ft

I set off across the wet boggy ground and headed straight into the heart of the majestic basin. Even though you only gain a little over 100 meters of height to enter the coum it is rough tough walking hopping from boggy tuft to tuft and never able to string 10 easy paces together. Once inside I had a choice as to how I would reach the plateau high above. The normal way is to go up the ramp which rises from left to right at the back of the coum. I was tempted, but I opted instead for the steeper ground on my right which on past occasions involved a very nice scramble up steep rocky ground to reach the shoulder underneath Ben Bury. As I am not a huge fan of scrambling up black wet rock with some snow lying on it I opted to head for the obvious gully on the right of the rocks that promised a demanding but less stressful ascent. The morning wasn't too cold and here in the coum I was sheltered from all the wind, so I took off my hat and gloves and my Rab jacket and set off up. Progress was steady and height was gained quickly on the 40 degree slope. Soon I entered the gully and reached the snow line. As is often the case, once you reach a gully things become a bit rockier and it necessitated using hands. Under "dry" conditions there wouldn't have been a difficulty but when snow covers the rock it requires a more cautious approach. The going was never technically difficult but nevertheless care was required and I had to slow my progress a bit. My hands were also almost constantly in the snow and I was mindful of trying to avoid the "hot aches". Longer stretches of smooth rock meant that I decided to exit the gully on the left which led to some steep bits with one or two awkward steps. The end result was of course that I never stopped to put on gloves and my hands were cold and I got a bitch of a dose of the hot aches. Thankfully I was on easier ground as I eventually had to just stop and "deep breathe" and try not to barf or indeed pass out. Welcome to winter climbing. The one good thing about "the aches" is they pass and soon enough I was climbing the ridge towards the plateau. There is one "bad step" on the ridge that in dry conditions can prove to be a bit awkward. I arrived at its base and it didn't look too appealing to me. It was icy, but not icy enough to give goo axe placements, and as it was really only for three or four moves so I didn't feel it was worth the bother of getting the axe and crampons out, so I went in search of another alternative. I went around to the steep northeastern side of the mountain and there seemed to be a nice line up steep turfy ground to the ridge line some fifty meters above. I set off up and soon realized that I would need my axe as the ground was a bit steeper than first appeared. There followed about twenty rather desperate meters of steep climbing when I was plunging the axe into semi frozen turf with my chest pressing against the snow covered steps in front of me. Thankfully whenever I really needed the axe to bite it did and I gained the crest of the ridge and easy ground. I was mightily relieved to finally be on stress free ground and once I had caught my breath I progressed easily to the broad top of Ben Bury (795 mtrs).

Back and across the coum

Looking up to the bad step. I went up the ground on the right.

Ben Lugmore 803 meters

Wonderful view across to Mweelrea 814 meters.

Wow. The scenery was stunning. The day had cleared up beautifully and I was standing in the finest of mountain magic. I stood in the chill, buffeting wind and just gloried in being lucky enough to be here. Little mini tornadoes of spindrift swept along the broad plateau which was scoured by the wind and what remained was nicely frozen so the going would be easy for the 2.5 kilometre hike to the summit of Mweelrea, at 814 meters the highest in Connaght. It must be six years or more since I was last on this mountain and that was in "normal" snow free conditions and I loved it then. Today in snow and blue sky and sea I felt truly elated. A guy who had come up a different route behind me stopped and we had a chat and he described the scenery as almost alpine. I didn't argue. There is always something special about any mountain that rises straight from the sea and Mweelrea is doubly blessed. To the west lies the Atlantic and on the southern side Killary harbour cuts inland. To the north the mountains of the Nephin range and Achill Island just be seen in the hazy distance. I set off for the summit which was a wild and wintry place. The wind seemed to have been channelled up the massive basin to the east and it seemed concentrated on one spot just short of the top. Spindrift blasted like needles so I didn't stay long and I turned around and retraced my steps back to Ben Bury. On the way back I found a nice sheltered spot out of the breeze and enjoyed a nice bite to eat and soaked in the sun and views.

Nice spot for lunch.

From Ben Bury I headed east so as to traverse the four tops that encircle the coum, the highest of which is Ben Lugmore (803 mtrs). I was looking forward to this section and once again it didn't disappoint. The ridge is at times pleasingly narrow but it is always easy and the sense of airiness and exposure is a real treat as you look down into the coum on your left with its 1500 ft cliffs and on the right, the ground slopes steeply for over 2000 ft. It was great to stop and look back at the impressive scenery as I made my way around. All too soon the time came to begin my descent and I set off gently down the south east spur towards the southern of Doo Lough. There is no really easy way down towards the lake and in my usual impatient way I thought I spotted a way down and set off. I knew straight away it was a possible mistake as the ground was really steep with soft snow covering grass and some rock and I had to be very careful to avoid a slip, the consequences of which would have been disastrous. I dropped perhaps eighty meters when I could finally see that the way ahead was barred by a big drop. There was nothing for it but to turn around and head back up. I wasn't doing very well today was I. I could see about a kilometre further on a sure way down and I cursed myself for my impatience and impetuosity for wasting time and energy. I eventually reached easy ground by the lake and made my way back to the car. It had been an adventurous fun packed 7 hour day when I covered about 15 kilometres and 1400 meters of ascent with a couple of mistakes thrown in. I loved it.

Ben Lugmore cliffs

A beautiful ridge

Happy chappie.

Looking towards the Twelve Bens.

Monday January 19th:

Today I was heading for the beautiful Twelve Bens. The morning was pretty good with occasional cloud but plenty of clear sky as well. There had been a frost overnight but now it had gone and a stiff breeze carried a chill. I packed up and set off for the Inagh Valley and I was leaving the car at 9am. There was lovely light as I drove along and I had to stop to and take a picture at Kylemore lake.

Not a bad way to start the day.

My objective today was the Gleninagh Horseshoe which I had done last March with Frank. It is a worthy outing of about 13 kilometres and 1300 meters of ascent. The first thing I noticed upon leaving the car was that the wind was stronger than yesterday and it was a bit colder. The frost meant that the near three kilometres of bog I had to cross to reach the base of Bencorrbeg 577 mtrs was quite firm underfoot. As I was feeling the effects of yesterdays outing and I was glad for any break that came my way. There is no way to avoid the 500 meter slog to the first summit so I just had to knuckle down and forge on. Grey was I guess the dominant colour of the day and the blue skies of yesterday were gone. The forecast was for a front of weather to arrive after midday and I didn't doubt it would arrive. I was just hoping that it wouldn't come until I was done for the day. When I finally reached the broad ridge I was struck with the full force of the wind which was buffeting and cold. Thankfully the cloud stayed above the tops and as I had no incentive to linger I pressed on to the next top. Chilly as it was, I was loving it. The Bens are truly beautiful mountains and even though they only barely reach 700 meters they have a presence and aura of mountains that are much bigger.

From Bencorrbeg towards Binn an tSaighdiura, Binn Chorr. Binn Dubh and Binn Bhan

 The occasional flurry of snow was now arriving and if anything as I approached Binn Chorr 711 meters the conditions got a bit worse. I was glad to drop to the leeward side as I headed for the col under Binn Dubh 696mtrs, which gave welcome shelter for a while. That respite was short lived, as the wind was funnelled through the gap, so I pushed on without delay to the 200mtr climb to the summit. Then it was down again to the beautiful gap below Binn Bhan right in the heart of the range. This is a beautiful atmospheric place that reveals the full majesty of these mountains. It also means that there is a climb of over 300 meters to reach the summit of Binn Bhan 729 meters. Here I was actually pretty sheltered from the worst of the wind and the snow flurries drifted about me in an unhurried manner. All this changed however as I reached the summit, as the cloud came down and the wind became very strong and carried horizontal snow/hail and spindrift. Full on winter conditions had now arrived. I thought that things would improve as I dropped down to the long almost level spur that stretched for three kilometres to Binn Charrach. I couldn't have been more wrong, as by now the weather was positively stormy and fierce in every way. I don't know the formulas but if the temperature was lets say hovering about freezing, what it translated to when windchill was taken into account would have been considerably lower. Still I found I was really enjoying it in a perverse sort of way and it felt great to be alive and experiencing this wild place at its wildest. The descent down to the car was rapid and when I finally got changed into fresh clothes and enjoyed a belated bite to eat my face positively burned from the windburn now that I was in the warmth. The temperature at the car was 3 degrees and it is amazing how balmy that could feel. Now all that I faced was the three hour plus drive back home. I love Connemara.

Wintry weather

Ben Breen

Pleasant morning looking at the Maumturks

Gaining height

From the slopes of Binn Bhan looking at Binn Dubh

The Maumturks. A bit different from earlier.

Looking back towards Bencorrbeg

Finally back down from Ben Charrach

A good test for my Rab Vapour Rise Alpine Lite Jacket. Mangerton via The Horses Glen

I treated myself to a rather nice bit of outdoor kit this Christmas, namely a Rab Vapour Rise Alpine Lite jacket. I have been searching a long time for a replacement for my old Berghaus mid-layer jacket so I was quite pleased to find the Rab. It has a pertex outer layer and a pilled fleece lining and comes complete with an excellent wired peak on the hood. It is really light as well and comes in at just over 300 grams so it would not be a big load in the bag.

Looking across to Torc and Tomies above Lough Leine

Heading across the bog with Stoompa beyond

First views of The Glen by Lough Garagarry

The narrow neck into the glen

The morning was mild, cloudy and breezy with intermittent mist and drizzle so it seemed like a good opportunity to see what the jacket was made of. Being so light I wasn't totally convinced that it would be effective in a strong breeze and it certainly had to withstand strong winds today. Anyway I left the car at 09.10 and set of up the wet mucky trail. I soon left the "tourist route" and set off across the wild boggy ground that has to be traversed before the wonderfully wild delights of the Horses Glen are revealed. The wind was pretty strong at times but at no time did I feel that the jacket couldn't cope. When I finally reached the narrow entrance to the inner glen I turned right and ascended steeply to the top of the east prow of Mangerton north. The wind increased in strength as I got higher and by the time I was on the top of Mangerton North 782mtrs I was struggling to keep in a straight line. On top of this the mist had changed to horizontal rain, yet at no stage did I feel it necessary to put on my hard shell. I should also say that the day was quite mild with a reading of 12 degrees as I left the car. Still I was up over 2500 feet so it wasn't exactly warm. A brief respite was enjoyed at the col below Mangerton 838 meters where I enjoyed a welcome bite to eat. I wasn't sure whether to head down via the tourist route or continue around the spectacular coum (alas shrouded by cloud) but I decided I would see how severe the wind was when I reached the plateau. Thankfully the wind wasn't too bad and the rain had stopped so I chose the longer outing and struck on for Stoompa.

The east prow of Mangerton North

Lough Managh nestling in the glen

Comfy in the Rab Jacket

Heading back down towards Lough Garagarry from Stoompa

The landscape, at least as much of it as I could see in the mist, took on an ethereal aura. Peat hags loomed like giant fungi from the barren boggy ground and again, as I have often felt in the past, I was really enjoying the whole experience, despite the lack of views. I had the whole place to myself and the only other creature I saw (besides Ravens and Snipe) was a solitary red deer who vanished into the mist as quickly as it arrived. I soon arrived at the col below the gentle pull to Stoompa 705 meters. Here the cloud began to part and offer fleeting views and as the wind was at my back the summit was easily reached. Down fairly steeply on heathery/rocky slopes before reaching the easy spur that descends to the shores of Lough Garagarry. Now the only alternative is to re-cross the boggy ground to once again reach the tourist path and the car. A total of about 14 kilometres and about 900 meters of ascent wasn't a bad mornings work, all in 4 hours 45 minutes. The jacket worked a dream, even better than I had hoped. Not only did it prove to be able to withstand some seriously windblown drizzle and mist but it was so quick to dry and wicking wasn't a problem. I would recommend one to anyone looking for a versatile bit of mountaineering apparel.

One of my favourite views in Kerry

A Morning Run On The Galtees.

Again I set off direct from work and linked up with Kevin in Mitchelstown, from where we set off to the trail head for Galtymor 918 meters. It was a pish old morning with rain and a chilly breeze making it very tempting to stay in the nice warm car. Still in for a penny in for a pound so we got out into the drear morning and set off from the car at 08.35. Kevin could of course run all the way to the summit but this morning we wanted to be able to have a chat and enjoy ourselves so we walked some of the steeper bits. The track resembled a stream and out feet were immediately soaked. The ground passed fairly quickly and we soon reached the end of the "Black Road" and we set off across the boggy ground and headed up the slopes of Galtybeg 800 meters. From about 700 meters up there was some laying snow and this made the temperature of the toes drop even further. Running on this ground was out of the question for me but we kept up a good pace and soon we were on the summit. Wind cloud and chilly rain meant there was no reason to stop and we set off for Galtymor. The biggest difficulty was staying upright in the slippery conditions but we managed it. Staying out of the mucky bog was another matter however and we just waded through what presented itself. At the col I got a touch of the hot aches on my toes (for a change) but they soon warmed up and they were fine by the time we reached the top. On across Dawsons Table and we dropped carefully towards Knocknagaltee. We really enjoyed running on this ground, as the mix of good grass and heather offered good grip. Once down below 700 meters we were once again under the cloud and we could enjoy the misty views over the lower hills. We dropped southwest to the valley below and we soon arrived at a beautiful confluence of three swollen streams complete with lovely waterfalls. We waded across and we were once again on a track which rose steadily and rejoined the black road which led quickly to our car. I was in great form here and I was able to run with a vigour I haven't felt in a fair while. It felt great to arrive back at the car and change out of our sodden gear. 1 hour 45 minutes was what it took to complete the 12 or so kilometres and over 900 meters of ascent. We were buzzing as we left and set off to find a well deserved warming coffee. No pictures I'm afraid, smartphones are too heavy ;).

The Wonderful Gap of Dunloe and Purple Mountain, Simply Great

Night work sometimes is good if it lets you make the most of the days. I left work this morning and decided to take advantage of what promised to be a nice weather day and I headed west once again for a day on the hills. The outing of choice was to visit Purple Mountain 832 meters. This is a mountain I don't visit that often these days but it offers a fairly straightforward outing and when the weather is good the views are superb. I decided to take advantage of what was turning out to be a beautiful morning and parked at Kate Kearneys cottage and walk in through the six kilometres of the Gap of Dunloe before turning and climbing Purple by the southern ridge. From there I would traverse onto Tomies and then down to above Tomies Rock and then head north and back to the car. A fairly lengthy outing of about 17 kilometres and over 900 meters of ascent but nowhere is the going very steep and the walk through the Gap would give a nice leisurely introduction to the day.

Starting into "The Gap"

Can't think why I enjoyed it.

Coffin Rock

Up by Turnpike Rock

It is lovely to walk at this time of year through the Gap as those annoying "Jarveys" are nowhere to be seen and this early in the day I almost had the place to myself. The Gap is one of the most beautiful places in the country and is justifiably popular with walkers and tourists alike and at times can get really busy. It was therefore a huge pleasure to be able to stride along and enjoy the stunning scenery in blissful solitude. I was really enjoying myself and feeling strong as well. My mood darkened somewhat when I saw a couple of so called "sportsmen" who were out with a couple of dogs looking for something to kill. Why they can't just enjoy nature instead of wanting to destroy some living creature I will never understand.

What a TWAT Hopefully Karma will prevail

 When I finally reached the "head of the gap" I turned off the road and headed up the rough track across open wild ground. As I gained height the views only got better and soon I could see the East Reeks across the valley and behind the wonderful Black Valley gave a good excuse to pause and look back. I made rapid progress and soon I was passing Glas Lough and climbing the steeper ground towards the summit. What a stunning day. At the top the ground on the shaded side was a little frozen and there was a distinct chill in the air but it was such a pleasure to sit and eat a bite and soak up the views. From the top I headed towards Tomies 735 meters and as I dropped my eye was drawn to the outlying summit of Shehy at 762 meters. I was less than a kilometre to reach it so I made the detour to it. It is one of the only places where the three lakes of Killarney can be seen and the view is well worth the effort. I was running a bit short of time now as I had to meet Margaret in Killarney at 14.20 so I didn't delay and returned to the route and headed to Tomies and continued my merry way down. Time caught up with me and I had to run the final few kilometres in order to be on time. It had been a lovely outing with the weather and views playing their part. I look forward to returning sooner rather than later.

Glas Lough with Purple beyond

Quite the view. The Reeks and the Black Valley

Summit view

Towards Tomies

Shehy Mountain

Panoramic view from Shehy

Looking across to the Hags Glen  and Carrauntoohil