'People who do this for fun must be idiots!'

This is the bitter exclamation of a TV show contestant. I overheard it while said contestant was scaling a hill in the Brecon Beacons as she raced to avoid elimination. I sit here as the wind howls down our chimney and I'd be inclined to agree: current Real Feel of -4 as we prepare to get a light dusting of snow.

By way of trying to inject humour into one of our recent sojourns in the (very wet) rain I rehashed this quote, wondering if she had a point. Getting wet is part of the experience of hillwalking, especially in Ireland, but failing gear can put a serious dampener (!) on your progress and leaky boots are the worst.

The first quarter of the year is not really conducive to outdoor pursuits and my boots were just not cutting it in anything over 1mm of rain, so the past couple of months have been all about sourcing really decent replacements. After some amount of online research I reckoned on needing a pair of Meindl Burma Pros, or something of similar stature. After some amount of travelling, fitting, waiting, phoning, more waiting and finally purchasing, turns out I was right. Approximately 50km in and I am very close to recommending them. Simple design, sturdy materials, very comfy right out of the box (when paired with a top quality replacement insole).

So....onto the actual walks. In recent weeks the joy of setting off to some unknown (and known) places has offered great therapy when most needed. Here are some of the highlights:

One of our 'go-to' spots, because it is local and has great 360 views taking in the Poulaphouca reservoir, the Seefin / Seefingan / Seechon trio, Mullaghcleevaun, Moanbane and Turlough Hill.

Summit at Black Hill

I'm looking over the reservoir, but you can see Black Hill and a snow-capped Mullaghcleevaun

When venturing further afield we went to Glendalough to tackle Derrybawn and take the ridge across to Braigue Mountain. It was a beautiful day for walking and this was our view at lunchtime:

Upper Lake at Glendalough, shouldered by Camaderry (right, centre) and The Spink (left, foreground)

Getting a new map is something I look forward to with an unnatural enthusiasm. The map opens new possibilities and is like discovering a secret doorway. Out first opportunity to explore new terrain came with a trip to the infrequently visited Keadeen and nearby Carringbrack. I had viewed Keadeen from afar on visits to Lobawn and Pinnacle Mountain. It's a good looking mountain that really stands out in the flat lands near Baltinglass and Rathdangan. In addition to the classical look there are extensive remains of a Passage Grave at the summit:

Passage Grave at Keadeen's peak, with life-size map reader for perspective

 

Fairy Castle

Tibradden Mountain, a feature of The Dublin Mountains Way, is always very rewarding for its great views over the city and beyond. Plus there is a worthy chambered cairn at the peak, along with ancient stone engraving. We passed by there once again on our way to the famous Fairy Castle cairn at Two Rock Mountain.

Cairn at Cullentragh

Ordinarily, a trek in and around Cullentragh and Braigue Mountain would afford some lovely views to Mullacor, Lugnaquilla, Derrybawn and the like. Not on this day, though. This is where 'the idiots' were thwarted and the household's original pair of Meindls died an undignified death - after 1000km of service! All in all I've definitely enjoyed breaking in my new boots, the weekly routine of route planning and the unmistakable taste of coffee from a metal flask. Here's to at least another 950km and the accelerated bagging of more peaks. Rain or Shine.


Massive thanks to Aoife Brennan for the awesome photos!