We woke up to mist and gray skies, not a good portent for the day’s walk. However, the weather forecast expected the clouds to dissipate, so we persevered with our plans to tackle the mountain pass. It was another 8:30 breakfast followed by a ride and luggage handoff, so we didn’t actually start walking until 10:15. By that time, the mountain ridge was slowly becoming visible, and within a half hour there was sunshine breaking through the fog followed by a full rainbow.
Unfortunately, our optimism was unfounded and our luck did not last. Most of our hike up was in a cloud, with tantalizing glimpses of sun and the coastline behind us. At the very top, instead of a gorgeous view of the sea and islands, we saw the inside of a cloud. (We did see the famous “ogham” stone.)
Coming down was more difficult than going up. The fog was so dense we often could not see the next trail marker; this is a problem when you are in a treeless environment near cliffs! The first part of the descent was down a very steep and rocky ravine, interspersed with pockets of sticky mud. When we tried to stop and eat lunch on some flat rocks we were attacked by a cloud of gnat-like midges, so bad that we paused only to only eat a half sandwich. (When I blew my nose later, a couple of midges came out!)
Then it was a long slog down, hunting for the trail in the fog, zigzagging through the water and mud churned up by previous hikers, and trying to keep a positive attitude. We were amazed at how much water there was on the slopes. It was like walking on a sponge or a waterlogged mattress. No matter where you stepped, there was water running, water puddled, or water squeezing out. The whole mountain is a sponge made of peat!
On top of this, my boots were leaking again, (I will be contacting Keen about this when I get home), so my toes were sloshing in water. I also slipped in mud once, resulting in a wet bottom and mud-encased boot; later I slipped again, with a fall forward to a face plant in wet heather! Jack calls this “the most annoying hike” he’s ever taken, and I have to agree.
But we made it down, stopping when we got to a paved road to eat the second half of our sandwiches and appreciate warm milky tea from the thermos. I took that opportunity to sit on a bit of gravel to dry my feet, wring out my socks, wipe the puddles out of my boots, and put on dry socks. This felt good for a few minutes before they became damp again from the boots, but at least the road was dry the rest of the way. In the next village we had the option of walking the last 2 to 5 miles (depending on the route) or calling to get picked up. We called!
Our guest house, O’Connors, is also the village pub and restaurant in Cloghane. We had a corner room with a sea view – such a treat. We ate dinner at the bar in the pub, (seafood chowder and Irish lamb stew) chatting with other hikers and a few locals. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is our last day. We should have made this a longer trip!
(Miles walked – about 9. Elevation gain – about 2200 feet, most of it in a 2.5 mile stretch.
There and Back Again 