Day: |
021 |
Date: |
Thursday, 14 April 2016 |
Start: |
Ardgroom |
Finish: |
Kenmare |
Daily
Kilometres: |
36 |
Total
Kilometres: |
640 |
Weather: |
Cool with sunny periods and occasional rain
in the afternoon |
Accommodation: |
O'Donnabhain's B&B |
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Cereal, scrambled eggs and
smoked salmon, toast and jam Lunch: Muesli bars, Snickers
Bar, chocolate biscuits Dinner: Doner kebab and chips,
chocolate |
Aches: |
Right shoulder quite sore and right knee a
little sore, after yesterday's fall. |
Highlight: |
Though knee and shoulder both sore, it
didn't impact my hiking as I had feared it might. |
Lowlight: |
Long technical slippery descent from
Derrysallagh late in the day. |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
Here |
Journal: |
It felt a bit strange going from my B&B
room into the house for breakfast and meeting my hosts, John and
Mary, for the first time. I had arrived last night when they
were out and let myself into the house and they came home long after
I had gone to bed. Anyway, they were very welcoming and after
an excellent breakfast John drove me back to Ardgroom and the Beara
Way, with a brief stop along the way to show me his mussel
aquaculture business, which was very interesting.
After
buying a drink to carry at the Ardgroom store, I set off at about
9:15am for what I expected would be a long day to Kenmare. By
my calculations it was 34km, but it included cross-country sections
over three mountains en route and I suspected these would be slow
going. As I walked the first quiet road section, I was
debating whether or not to take a day off tomorrow in Kenmare.
I had a few things I needed to do - washing, haircut/shave,
trip-planning - and I also was a little worried about how the knee
and shoulder I injured yesterday would be. The shoulder had
bothered me quite a lot in bed last night, and I suspect I have torn
something. If I do want to stay a second night, I need to call
and change my booking, and If I'm not staying I need to book a room
further on for tomorrow night.
By the time I reached Lauragh,
after the very scenic climb over the shoulder of Keecragh Mountain,
passing two Bronze Age groups of standing stones on the way, I
decided to have tomorrow off and called the B&B who said no problems
with a second night. There was a long road climb after Lauragh
over the shoulder of Knockatee Mountain yielding more stunning
views, and that was followed with the cross-country climb over the
shoulder of Knockagarrane. Although usually demanding and
slow, I enjoy these climbs, because you never know what vista is
going to be revealed at the top, but you know it's going to be good.
In fact, that's really the whole reason for a trip like this.
Every day, you wonder what you are going to see, who you are going
to meet, what you may experience, and what problems you may
encounter. It's such a refreshing change to the usual routine
of life.
From Knockagarrane I descended towards a series of
picturesque loughs (lakes) in the valley, beyond which I could see
my last climb for the day. It was now mid-afternoon, so I
began mentally preparing myself for a late arrival in Kenmare.
From the map, I was guessing (it doesn't have distances marked) that
it would be ninety minutes to two hours from the top of the next
climb to Kenmare. It was a long slog through upland pasture,
during which I had my second break for the day, and I reached the
top at 5:00pm. I was hoping for a 30 minute descent, but it
was treacherously muddy/slippery, and mindful of yesterdays falls, I
took it very carefully. That made it tiring and slow and I
didn't reach the last road section until an hour later.
From
there it was back roads to Kenmare, passing many expensive and
modern houses along the way on their one-acre blocks with views over
Kenmare Bay. I reached the B&B in the very touristy town at
7:30pm, then quickly checked in and showered, before going out to
buy some take-away for dinner. It had been a long day, but a
good one. |
|
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)
|