Monday 5 January 2015

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

Saturday 3 January 2015

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 ;).

Friday 2 January 2015

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