Day: |
049 |
Date: |
Thursday, 12 May 2016 |
Start: |
Fanore |
Finish: |
Carran |
Daily
Kilometres: |
35 |
Total
Kilometres: |
1323 |
Weather: |
Cool, breezy, hazy and overcast in the
morning with some light drizzle, and mostly mild and sunny in the
afternoon |
Accommodation: |
Clare's Rock Hostel |
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Tuna, sweetcorn & tomato
roll Lunch: Tuna, sweetcorn & tomato roll, muesli bars and
chocolate Dinner: Chicken casserole pie & vegetables, apple
pie & ice-cream |
Aches: |
None really |
Highlight: |
The morning walk around Black Head, high on
the white limestone rock slopes and overlooking Galway Bay. |
Lowlight: |
None really |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
Here |
Journal: |
I left the B&B around 8:30am and walked
back past the village shop in case it was open, but sadly it wasn't.
My snack bag is looking a little empty and I won't see another shop
until tomorrow night.
I headed north along the Burren Way as
it slowly climbed the western slopes of the bare limestone
stratified Aghaglinny Mountain on a grassy old farm road. It
was new and interesting terrain, especially higher up where it was
pretty much all bare white rock. The Burren Way then continued
to follow the old farm road as it contoured around the slopes of
Black Head, overlooking the tourist road and Galway Bay far below.
Despite the lingering haze, it was an awesome view and some lovely
trail.
Round Black Head, the Burren Way gradually descended
and then joined a less exciting narrow, rocky and muddy trail
following a stone fence for several kilometres. It was slow
going and hard work and I wasn't sorry when my route turned onto
another old farm road for the climb over Poulenagh Hill and down
into a rural valley surrounded by the low limestone mountains of The
Burren.
At the end of the valley the trail climbed back up
onto the limestone plateau and then across peat bog moorland.
Along the way I encountered two groups of tourist trail riders,
looking a little nervous on their horses which in turn looked a
little nervous about me. On both occasions I stopped while
they passed, not wanting to cause any dramas. I was obviously
a bit of a tourist attraction as well, being the subject of a number
of pictures and GoPro footage as they went past. Maybe they
were thinking "leprechaun".
Five kilometres further on,
having passed through the mandatory pine plantation, I rejoined back
roads for the last 13km to Carran. Although my feet were
tired, and it was a long day, the walk wasn't too bad, mostly
staying high on the farmed limestone plateau, but occasionally
descending into a valley then climbing out again. Along the
way I encountered a bicycle touring group that provided some
additional interest. Firstly, I saw the tour leader, riding on
his own and leaving chalk marks on the road at junctions to tell the
tourists which way to ride. Then, in dribs and drabs, spread over a
few kilometres, came the ten or so tourists riding their rented
bikes. The first few looked enthusiastic, but the slower
riders not quite so. The last few, who were not young, or fit,
looked like they wished they had chosen to do the trail ride
instead.
On my last break for the day I had a long chat with
a farmer who stopped on his tractor, before setting out on the last
hour of walking in the late afternoon sunshine. I reached the
hostel, where I had booked a room, soon after 6:00pm. After a
quick shower I walked up to the nearby pub and had a nice dinner.
The pub and hostel are pretty much all there is of the remote
village of Carran, and neither has many patrons tonight. It's
a self-serve breakfast of cereal and toast in the morning, but
that's fine, and I'll fill myself up with both to compensate for the
nearly empty snack bag that has to see me through tomorrow's walk.
I've also boiled some water for drinking having been told it's not
safe to drink untreated at the hostel. |
|
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)
|