Dave Byrnes

Round Ireland - 2016

Overview Planned Schedule Map Diary Pictures

Day:	049
Date:	Thursday, 12 May 2016
Start:	Fanore
Finish:	Carran
Daily Kilometres:	35
Total Kilometres:	1323
Weather:	Cool, breezy, hazy and overcast in the morning with some light drizzle, and mostly mild and sunny in the afternoon
Accommodation:	Clare's Rock Hostel
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Tuna, sweetcorn & tomato roll Lunch: Tuna, sweetcorn & tomato roll, muesli bars and chocolate Dinner: Chicken casserole pie & vegetables, apple pie & ice-cream
Aches:	None really
Highlight:	The morning walk around Black Head, high on the white limestone rock slopes and overlooking Galway Bay.
Lowlight:	None really
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	I left the B&B around 8:30am and walked back past the village shop in case it was open, but sadly it wasn't. My snack bag is looking a little empty and I won't see another shop until tomorrow night. I headed north along the Burren Way as it slowly climbed the western slopes of the bare limestone stratified Aghaglinny Mountain on a grassy old farm road. It was new and interesting terrain, especially higher up where it was pretty much all bare white rock. The Burren Way then continued to follow the old farm road as it contoured around the slopes of Black Head, overlooking the tourist road and Galway Bay far below. Despite the lingering haze, it was an awesome view and some lovely trail. Round Black Head, the Burren Way gradually descended and then joined a less exciting narrow, rocky and muddy trail following a stone fence for several kilometres. It was slow going and hard work and I wasn't sorry when my route turned onto another old farm road for the climb over Poulenagh Hill and down into a rural valley surrounded by the low limestone mountains of The Burren. At the end of the valley the trail climbed back up onto the limestone plateau and then across peat bog moorland. Along the way I encountered two groups of tourist trail riders, looking a little nervous on their horses which in turn looked a little nervous about me. On both occasions I stopped while they passed, not wanting to cause any dramas. I was obviously a bit of a tourist attraction as well, being the subject of a number of pictures and GoPro footage as they went past. Maybe they were thinking "leprechaun". Five kilometres further on, having passed through the mandatory pine plantation, I rejoined back roads for the last 13km to Carran. Although my feet were tired, and it was a long day, the walk wasn't too bad, mostly staying high on the farmed limestone plateau, but occasionally descending into a valley then climbing out again. Along the way I encountered a bicycle touring group that provided some additional interest. Firstly, I saw the tour leader, riding on his own and leaving chalk marks on the road at junctions to tell the tourists which way to ride. Then, in dribs and drabs, spread over a few kilometres, came the ten or so tourists riding their rented bikes. The first few looked enthusiastic, but the slower riders not quite so. The last few, who were not young, or fit, looked like they wished they had chosen to do the trail ride instead. On my last break for the day I had a long chat with a farmer who stopped on his tractor, before setting out on the last hour of walking in the late afternoon sunshine. I reached the hostel, where I had booked a room, soon after 6:00pm. After a quick shower I walked up to the nearby pub and had a nice dinner. The pub and hostel are pretty much all there is of the remote village of Carran, and neither has many patrons tonight. It's a self-serve breakfast of cereal and toast in the morning, but that's fine, and I'll fill myself up with both to compensate for the nearly empty snack bag that has to see me through tomorrow's walk. I've also boiled some water for drinking having been told it's not safe to drink untreated at the hostel.