Dave Byrnes

Round Ireland - 2016

Overview Planned Schedule Map Diary Pictures

Day:	002
Date:	Saturday, 26 March 2016
Start:	Knockree Hostel
Finish:	Laragh
Daily Kilometres:	30
Total Kilometres:	62
Weather:	Rained all morning with high winds at altitude. Occasional rain and hail squalls in afternoon with high winds at altitude.
Accommodation:	Mountain View B&B
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Full Irish Breakfast Lunch: Muesli Bars and Chocolate Dinner: Fish, chips and peas, and chocolate
Aches:	Very tired and stiff all over. Right heel very painful by the end of the day.
Highlight:	Sharing most of the day's hike with Younjung, a 29-y-o Korean student, who asked whether she could accompany me south along the Wicklow Way as I headed out into the miserable weather.
Lowlight:	The horizontal and head-on hail squall as I crossed the last bit of high moorland for the day.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	The hostel was buffeted by strong winds all night and it was raining steadily in the morning. Breakfast wasn't until 8:30am, so it was 9:30am before I left the hostel. As I did, a young American girl I had seen head out while I fnished my breakfast returned soaked through and shivering, having decided not to attempt to get to Dublin on foot. She was ill-equipped for the weather and made a good decision. While talking to her, a young Korean girl who had been sitting near the door asked me whether I was heading south, and if so, whether she could join me. She looked slightly better equipped than the American girl, but I doubted her umbrella would last the distance! Younjung was studying English in Dublin for six months and told me that she also was "retired" from work and just wanted to travel. She had a good sense of humour and the early kilometres at low altitude passed quickly, though the top did blow off her umbrella at one point. Early on we discovered there was a major trail ultra race out-and-back along much of our course for the day and we saw many runners, which also added interest to the day. The rain was continuous and the trail was flooded and muddy. I was glad of my good hiking boots, but Younjung and all the trail runners had very wet feet. The trail climbed higher and higher onto very exposed moorland on the shoulder of Djouce Mountain, and it got very cold with a sub-zero wind-chill. I was cold and worried about Younjung whose gear was not nearly as good as mine. I felt responsible, but no matter how cold she looked, she always smiled and waved she was OK when I checked. The moorland went on and on and we were mostly walking into the teeth of the gale. The runners began coming back and what a cold bedraggled bunch they looked, even with the wind behind them. Long sections of the trail was narrow boardwalk and had to keep getting off to let runners pass. I should say, however, that despite the weather the scenery was magnificent and it was clear enough to see the valleys below and the brooding mountain above. At last the trail descended to some shelter provided by a small group of conifers and we put on some extra clothes and had a bite to eat, but couldn't stop shivering and soon began walking again. We had passed the race turnaround point and saw few hikers thereafter as we descended to more sheltered terrain. Around 3:30pm, Younjung turned off to Roundwood where she had booked accommodation and I continued on along mostly country lanes, apart from one last bit of exposed moorland, before reaching the B&B I had booked at Laragh. Dinner was not provided at the B&B, but the kind hosts took pity on me and produced a meal which was gratefully accepted. It was about 5km into town, where there was a pub, and they offered to drive me there, but I accepted their meal offer instead. I'm feeling very sore and tired tonight and will sleep very well.