Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Round Ireland - 2016
Overview     Planned Schedule     Map     Diary     Pictures
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)

(Previous Page)

(Next Page)

You can email Dave directly at dave@davebyrnes.com.au or subscribe to his Adventure Blogs here.

You can see Dave's Running Blog here.