Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Round Ireland - 2016
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Day: 025
Date: Monday, 18 April 2016
Start: Waterville
Finish: Derrymore
Daily Kilometres: 19
Total Kilometres: 724
Weather: Cool and overcast with a few light showers
Accommodation: Failte Farmhouse B&B
Nutrition: Breakfast:  Full Irish Breakfast
Lunch:  Muesli bars and chocolate
Dinner:  Steak, salad and roast vegetables, and chocolate
Aches: None really
Highlight: The morning walk along the ridge of Knag mountain with excellent views in all directions, and it wasn't even that boggy.
Lowlight: None really
Pictures: Here
GPS Track: Here
Journal: I woke with a headache, after staying up late to watch movie on TV that wasn't worth staying up for, and eating too much chocolate.  I've resolved to cut back on the chocolate consumption....a little bit.  Knowing that I had a short day today, I opted for a 9:00am breakfast, and didn't start walking until 10:15am, and then had a brief stop at the store in Waterville to buy some AA batteries for my GPS.  I go through two AA batteries in the GPS every two days, which seems a lot, especially since I haven't needed it to help with navigation yet.  However, it's nice to have it in reserve, and it is good to have it to track each day's progress, instead of using my smartphone, whose battery I want to save for emergencies.

So, it was after 10:30am before I actually left Waterville and began the gentle climb up the spine of Knag mountain across rough moorland.  It was drier underfoot, though still boggy in parts, which made for easier going, but it was still slow on the rough track.  I was in no hurry, so just ambled along, frequently stopping to look at the views which extended in every direction.  There was a low cloud cover, and I could see showers of rain here and there in the distance, but despite this the views were excellent.  In particular, I had helicopter-like views down either side of the ridge to the farms and roads below.

Around 1:00pm I stopped in a sheltered spot just off the ridge to have a break, and while eating a young (compared to me) German woman taking ten days to hike the Kerry Way came from the other direction.  She stopped for a while and we had a good chat.  She wants to do the Pacific Crest Trail, which was the subject of the recent movie/book "Wild" and is also on my list, but is not sure whether she could carry the necessary weights.  I tried to be encouraging.

After the break I descended from the Knag into the River Inny valley and some road walking before climbing steadily, and steeply in parts, to the top of Knockavahaun mountain (371m).  The trail was very rough and quite boggy near the top of the mountain, and it rained for a while, but again the views were great.  Not far past the peak, I reached the side trail that led 2km down off the ridge to the Failte Farmhouse B&B, my destination for the night where I arrived about 4:30pm.  Catherine, the owner, must have seen me coming and was waiting in the yard of the working sheep farm for me to arrive.  A welcoming cup of tea and some biscuits quickly appeared in the living room which had a fire burning in the hearth.

With no town or village nearby, I had requested an evening meal as well, which was very tasty, and with no TV either, had an early night.

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)

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

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