Day: |
054 |
Date: |
Tuesday, 17 May 2016 |
Start: |
Maum |
Finish: |
Leenaun |
Daily
Kilometres: |
31 |
Total
Kilometres: |
1464 |
Weather: |
Light rain, windy and overcast before
mid-morning and in the afternoon. Dry and mostly overcast in
between. |
Accommodation: |
Leenane Hotel |
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Porridge, scrambled eggs &
bacon, toast & jam Lunch: Muesli bars and chocolate
Dinner: Chicken Kiev & vegetables, apple and berry crumle &
ice-cream |
Aches: |
None really |
Highlight: |
Having the company of friends, Neil,
Jeanine and Marcella for most of today's walk after eight weeks of
solo hiking. |
Lowlight: |
Miserable hiking conditions for the last
hour of the day, which also marred what should have been spectacular
views. |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
Here |
Journal: |
Australian friends, Neil, Jeanine and
Marcella arrived at my B&B at 9:00am as scheduled to join me for my
hike today. Neil, a fellow runner from Terrigal Trotters, and I
started walking while Jeanine and Marcella left to spend the morning
elsewhere, intending to join us at 12:30pm, for the last half of the
day's hike.
The first part of our walk involved a back road
in occasional light drizzle while ahead, through the mist and rain,
we could just discern the pass we were headed for, Mam Ean, barely
below the heavy grey clouds. However, as we began climbing
steadily on an old farm road, the rain slowly abated and although
the clouds remained low, visibility steadily improved. Soon we
were in a high valley with no habitation, surrounded on two sides by
grass and gorse covered mountains with some sheer rocky faces, and
of course, the obligatory old stone fences and wandering sheep.
It was spectacular.
By the time we reached the pass, the
weather had improved significantly and we had good views all around.
There was a well-maintained small chapel built into the rock face
with other religious shrines and artifacts nearby. Apparently
it has been a pilgrimage site dating back to the 5th Century and is
associated with St Patrick who reputedly visited the location.
On our descent from the pass we encountered several walkers,
some of whom did not look like regular hikers, and I suspect they
were making their own pilgrimages. Near the car park at the
bottom, there was a priest going through some kind of blessing on
the trail as we passed by.
From there, we roadwalked 5km
along a very quiet road with the valley of the Owentoby River and
several lakes beneath us to the left, and behind them tall mountains
with cloud-shrouded peaks. We met some trout fishermen getting
ready for an afternoon down at the lake and then shortly afterwards
met Jeanine and Marcella at the appointed spot. We were just
ten minutes late.
While we had a snack, we could see rain
further up the valley in the direction we were travelling and before
long, just as we started walking again along the exposed trail, the
drizzle began, accompanied by some gusty winds. Both continued
with varying intensity for the rest of the afternoon.
My
hiking partners were travelling a little faster than my usual pace,
but the convivial company kept me distracted from the extra effort,
and I was pleased that an earlier finish was likely as the weather
deteriorated. The afternoon's walking included some boggy
stretches as well as forestry roads through a commercial pine
plantation. With about 6km to go, Neil left us to run back to
where the car had been left, while Jeanine, Marcella and I continued
on to Leenaun. The last section was on an old farm road with
what should have been great views over Killary Harbour, but the
weather was bad enough to almost totally obscure those views until
the last kilometre or so. By this time the rain was steady and
the wind quite strong and we were all soaked through and ready to
finish.
We reached Leenane Hotel, where I had a booking,
around 4:30pm, and I checked in and went up to my room for a quick
shower and change of clothes while the girls tried to get warm in
the bar with some hot soup whilst trying to avoid dripping
everywhere. I felt guilty returning to the bar snug in my dry
clothes while they were still wet and cold. Fortunately, Neil
arrived before too much longer with some dry clothes and they
quickly changed before heading off to their rented cottage about an
hour away. I had enjoyed the interesting company for the day
and it will seem quiet tomorrow.
Later, I had dinner in the
hotel rather than walk the kilometre into Leenaun village in light
drizzle to see if there were some better options than the pricey
hotel menu. |
|
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)
|