Tomies Mountain & the Gap of Dunloe
Tuesday 13th September
The weather was the biggest factor today, but you couldn't say that it was really bad, it was just windy! Parking up at Kate Kearney's Cottage again I went back down the road over the bridge, up a track on the right into a field with horses in it, and up onto the open hillside. I now had a tough trek through heather, bracken and gorse bushes on ever steepening pathless terrain onto the hill above the Tomies Rock.
It was a long hard slog that never seemed to end, but eventually I reached the summit cairn only to find the wind had markedly picked up. Trying to cross to the foot of Tomies Mountain I found that I could barely stand up let alone walk up the path. In an attempt to shelter from the wind I moved around to the lee of the mountain climbing up its northern face to the summit. Any further progress south to the Purple Mountain proved to be impossible. The wind was so strong I couldn't move from the cairn; any attempt to head into the win was an exercise in sheer futility. I quickly realised that I would have to abandon the walk and return to the car by the way I had come. Descending again, now with the wind behind me I headed back down the steep hill from the Tomies Mountain all the way back to Kate Kearney's Cottage.
After lunch in the car I headed up the Gap of Dunloe on the road, walking through the stunning scenery and against the strong wind. My main thought as I made my way up the hill was that it was a shame that a road had been built through such stunning scenery. Now any idiot in a car can drive up there. 
There is a sign near Kate Kearney's Cottage asking people not to drive up, but from what I saw a lot people just don't take any notice. Typical. Despite the cars, it was still a spectacular walk. Once at the top I turned around and walked all the way back down. As I was driving to the Climber's Inn the heaven's opened. I don't mind it raining now, but I hope the weather is clear tomorrow. I want to go up Carrauntoohil!
The weather was the biggest factor today, but you couldn't say that it was really bad, it was just windy! Parking up at Kate Kearney's Cottage again I went back down the road over the bridge, up a track on the right into a field with horses in it, and up onto the open hillside. I now had a tough trek through heather, bracken and gorse bushes on ever steepening pathless terrain onto the hill above the Tomies Rock.
It was a long hard slog that never seemed to end, but eventually I reached the summit cairn only to find the wind had markedly picked up. Trying to cross to the foot of Tomies Mountain I found that I could barely stand up let alone walk up the path. In an attempt to shelter from the wind I moved around to the lee of the mountain climbing up its northern face to the summit. Any further progress south to the Purple Mountain proved to be impossible. The wind was so strong I couldn't move from the cairn; any attempt to head into the win was an exercise in sheer futility. I quickly realised that I would have to abandon the walk and return to the car by the way I had come. Descending again, now with the wind behind me I headed back down the steep hill from the Tomies Mountain all the way back to Kate Kearney's Cottage.
After lunch in the car I headed up the Gap of Dunloe on the road, walking through the stunning scenery and against the strong wind. My main thought as I made my way up the hill was that it was a shame that a road had been built through such stunning scenery. Now any idiot in a car can drive up there. 
There is a sign near Kate Kearney's Cottage asking people not to drive up, but from what I saw a lot people just don't take any notice. Typical. Despite the cars, it was still a spectacular walk. Once at the top I turned around and walked all the way back down. As I was driving to the Climber's Inn the heaven's opened. I don't mind it raining now, but I hope the weather is clear tomorrow. I want to go up Carrauntoohil!
posted by David Keates at 11:07 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home