Day: |
002 |
Date: |
Saturday, 26 March 2016 |
Start: |
Knockree Hostel |
Finish: |
Laragh |
Daily
Kilometres: |
30 |
Total
Kilometres: |
62 |
Weather: |
Rained all morning with high winds at
altitude. Occasional rain and hail squalls in afternoon with
high winds at altitude. |
Accommodation: |
Mountain View B&B |
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Full Irish Breakfast
Lunch: Muesli Bars and Chocolate Dinner: Fish, chips
and peas, and chocolate |
Aches: |
Very tired and stiff all over. Right
heel very painful by the end of the day. |
Highlight: |
Sharing most of the day's hike with
Younjung, a 29-y-o Korean student, who asked whether she could
accompany me south along the Wicklow Way as I headed out into the
miserable weather. |
Lowlight: |
The horizontal and head-on hail squall as I
crossed the last bit of high moorland for the day. |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
Here |
Journal: |
The hostel was buffeted by strong winds all
night and it was raining steadily in the morning. Breakfast
wasn't until 8:30am, so it was 9:30am before I left the hostel.
As I did, a young American girl I had seen head out while I fnished
my breakfast returned soaked through and shivering, having decided
not to attempt to get to Dublin on foot. She was ill-equipped
for the weather and made a good decision. While talking to
her, a young Korean girl who had been sitting near the door asked me
whether I was heading south, and if so, whether she could join me.
She looked slightly better equipped than the American girl, but I
doubted her umbrella would last the distance!
Younjung was
studying English in Dublin for six months and told me that she also
was "retired" from work and just wanted to travel. She had a
good sense of humour and the early kilometres at low altitude passed
quickly, though the top did blow off her umbrella at one point.
Early on we discovered there was a major trail ultra race
out-and-back along much of our course for the day and we saw many
runners, which also added interest to the day.
The rain was
continuous and the trail was flooded and muddy. I was glad of
my good hiking boots, but Younjung and all the trail runners had
very wet feet. The trail climbed higher and higher onto very
exposed moorland on the shoulder of Djouce Mountain, and it got very
cold with a sub-zero wind-chill. I was cold and worried about
Younjung whose gear was not nearly as good as mine. I felt
responsible, but no matter how cold she looked, she always smiled
and waved she was OK when I checked.
The moorland went on and
on and we were mostly walking into the teeth of the gale. The
runners began coming back and what a cold bedraggled bunch they
looked, even with the wind behind them. Long sections of the
trail was narrow boardwalk and had to keep getting off to let
runners pass. I should say, however, that despite the weather
the scenery was magnificent and it was clear enough to see the
valleys below and the brooding mountain above.
At last the
trail descended to some shelter provided by a small group of
conifers and we put on some extra clothes and had a bite to eat, but
couldn't stop shivering and soon began walking again. We had
passed the race turnaround point and saw few hikers thereafter as we
descended to more sheltered terrain. Around 3:30pm, Younjung
turned off to Roundwood where she had booked accommodation and I
continued on along mostly country lanes, apart from one last bit of
exposed moorland, before reaching the B&B I had booked at Laragh.
Dinner was not provided at the B&B, but the kind hosts took pity
on me and produced a meal which was gratefully accepted. It was
about 5km into town, where there was a pub, and they offered to
drive me there, but I accepted their meal offer instead.
I'm
feeling very sore and tired tonight and will sleep very well. |
|
ADVENTURE LIST
Round Ireland
(2016)
Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)
Via Alpina
(2012)
Australian Alps Walking
Track (2011)
Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)
Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)
Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)
Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)
Three Peaks Race
(2004)
Appalachian Trail
(1986)
Alpine Track
(1983)
|