A Crisp Solitude

Mweelrea (Highest point in Connacht 814m)






A beautiful mountain to climb with stunning views from the top. The mountain is set in one of the most scenic areas in Connemara surrounded by wide open expanses and vast lakes as well as exquisite mountains and valleys. Again I set off for the mountain at half 3 in the morning having prepared well the day before, mapping out a route, making food and getting directions to the mountain. Instead of heading out the the N59 towards Clifden I turned right at Maam cross (coming from Galway) and headed towards Leenaun, I believe this to be the more rugged side of Connemara as you drive directly underneath the monumental mountains on the way towards Mweelrea you cant help but feel small. Upon entering the village of Leenaun I veered right and continued on this road, it was still pitch black at this stage of the day no sign of the sun beginning to rise as of yet. Upon entering a wooded area I then took a left turn and continued on out this road to Mweelrea. An amazing road to drive on, you drive directly next to Killary fjord (only fjord in Ireland) To your left as you drive is a sheer drop into the waters below. The moon danced upon the surface of the fjord as I neared the mountain. Passing on up past Delphi resort I continued on until I reached the two lakes at the foot of the mountain Glenullin Lough and Doo Lough. Parking the car between these two lakes I prepared to set off.

I set off at half 6 in the morning and the sun could be seen at this point peeking over the horizon and spreading across the landscape a sheet of light. I crossed between both lakes on a large strip of land, making my way along the pebble beaches. The weather was beginning to break at this stage and a mighty wind rose up the rain which had been falling gently all morning began to drive down heavier. Although these may seem like adverse conditions for walking they in fact made it a more enjoyable experience. The gusts of wind were sweeping along the surface of the Doo Lough and sending soft rivulets of water drifting along my face as I strolled. I walked along this path until I reached a small sheep pen from here I veered right out along a marshy plain towards a small stream I hoped over the stream and continued on up into the valley entrenched within the mountains. The surface remained very wet and marshy as I continued on upwards. Following five minutes of making my way up through the valley I began to make my way right and found a place to cross over the river which gushed downwards from the mountainside.
                    Having crossed the river I continued on towards the back of the valley, the ground all the way to the back of the valley is only at a slight incline and so is a very easy part of the walk. Once I reached the back of the valley I  stopped for some food beneath the mountains which rose up on each side of me, it is a beautiful place the view of the two huge lakes in the distance in front of the open plains circled by mountains on either side watching the rain fall and the streams make there way down the mountain through gullies and down waterfalls. Once I had finished eating I made for the beginning of the diagonal climb from left to right up the back wall of the valley. The walk became a lot steeper which I preferred I stayed next to a flowing stream at the beginning of the ascent taking drinks as I went.

Trail leading diagonally up the back of the valley

Once I reached a certain point on the mountain I crossed the stream and began making my way diagonally up towards the top of Mweelrea. The weather was starting to clear up as I walked and I was able to stand out on the ledge and take in the view of the surrounding landscape which was serenely beautiful. Numerous paths dotted the mountainside as I climbed and I found myself interchanging between different paths almost as a mental exercise. At this stage the fog began to close in on me and clouded my surroundings, an eerie sensation, I was forced to sit and wait for some time until the fog began to recede. As I walk I saw the drop form the edge of the diagonal slope grow metre by metre each second as I ascended towards a narrow path which all the paths converged into. The rain had softened at this stage and only brief sheets of water remained coming down. I carried on along the narrow path which slinked its way around the edge of the mountainside. When I emerged I could not believe what awaited me, a huge wide open plain which spread out for miles in each direction and made its way along the skyline through the surrounding landscape.

The plains on top stretched out for miles in each direction

I continued directly outwards along these plains heading in a south westerly direction towards the peak of Mweelrea. I found a curve in the plain which made directly for the peak of the mountain and kept along this curve the whole way around, at which point the ground began to rise upwards once again. The ground up here was, as at the lowest point of the mountain, very marshy and wet the lowlands of the highlands if you like. And I could feel the water sloshing around on my feet. There was a beautiful smell and moisture in the air at this height a very fresh feeling which had me feeling refreshed, a stark comparison to the everyday air we breath. I began, having reached the slope atop the slope, to climb upwards a much shorter climb then the first steep section and much easier to ascend. I made directly for the peak of the mountain which I could see in the distance. The wind was whipping along the side of the mountain at a pretty high speed due to the curved shape of this part of the mountain, every so often a sharp gust would swoop through me.
                    I reached the top of the mountain at around 8:40 in the morning and, having placed a rock atop the peak, sat for some food. The views were stunning I could see down into the surrounding valleys and could see the rivers winding through deep green forests and into lakes or out into Killary fjord. The fog came and went in intervals as I sat taking in the landscape. There was a crisp stillness to the world on top of the mountain, not the kind of quiet and stillness felt every so often in ordinary life but a complete stillness and solitude that wrapped you within it and made you feel entirely at peace. a mesmerising quiet which left me siting atop the mountain for an age basking in the tranquility of it all. I then packed up and began to make my way back down the mountain along the route I had come up careful to stay along my previous tracks, having found the diagonal slope I made a rapid descent to the car and was making my way through the sleek winter roads by 12 o clock. An amazing day an amazing experience.

“No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied – it speaks in silence to the very core of your being”
(Ansel Adams)

The Floating Sea

BENBAUN (Highest point in the Twelve Bens and Galway, 793m)

A stunning peak and one which I hugely enjoyed traversing at times difficult due in no small part to the fact that I opted to stray away from the beaten path towards the end. Preparation was key, I planned my route to the mountain and up the mountain(Take the N59 out from Galway for around an hour and then take a right onto the R334 at the first crossroads take a left and follow the road until you reach the beginning of a dirt track)  laid out my gear (Under-armour, 2 coats, Thermal T-shirts, Waterproofs and spare clothes) checked the weather forecast (Overcast, chance of heavy showers) and prepared food and drink ( 2 litres of water, 5 sandwiches, 2 Nutri Grain bars). I then set my alarm for half 3 in the morning and hit the hay.
                    I left home at half 4 in the morning, a beautiful time of day, the world is quiet and sleeping even the sun, with only the stars, my thoughts and the purring of the engine for company I sped towards Benbaun. I felt a shift in landscape as I entered the realm of the mountain peaks of the Twelve Bens. Ordinary landscape and surroundings gave way to rolling valleys wide lakes and most of all colossal mountain peaks. I had no choice but to stop the car and take in the mountain range. The moon cast a white dew along the tips of the range and rippled through the lakes beneath everything was silent bar the rare gust of wind. I reached Benbaun at 6 in the morning and set off as the sun was beginning to pierce the horizon.
                    The beginning of this walk is leisurely and simple it is a period on the walk in which to view and admire the climb which is to come. Having walked along the dirt path for a period it came to an end and I had to cross the river which comes flowing down from the mountain. I then continued on along the path, at this point I spotted a small solitary farm house perched on the side of the mountain in a stunning location. I continued on up past the farm house following a route up through masses of sheep after around 5 minutes of walking along this path I came across some atmospheric ruins, beautiful old structures which over time had been eroded, the sun although at this stage having risen was not visible due to the overcast conditions of the day, gentle sheets of rain were drifting down in waves, the kind of light rain that soaks you to the bone, the rain was settling on the grass and the ruins, giving the surroundings a sleek beauty. I continued on my way until I reached a gate, having cleared this gate I veered immediately left and over another gate onto open hillside, with nothing but streams and steep mountainside ahead of me.

                    I crossed a stream up ahead and made my way upwards between two streams. Having walked for a while I turned to survey the scene. Across from me in the valley was a small forest with the river I had crossed earlier flowing through it, the farmhouse was also visible in the distance but only just due to a descending fog which had begun to blanket the lower terrain at this stage I stopped for some food.

   

 I then continued on upwards until I reached a gully which veered off towards the right I followed this upwards while quiet steep and slippery I made quick progress. Once I reached the top of the gully I was greeted by dozens of sheep looking condescendingly at me as if to say "oh first time up here congratulations" .At this stage of the climb vegetation became sparse and was replaced with scree and large boulders and rock formations, I continued on my path up towards the right to my left I could see an easier yet slower path and opted to scramble and at some points climb up the quicker scree slope. Having followed this trail for some time a small zig zag path became visible which I followed on upwards the slope became steeper and steeper as time went by, the fog made it difficult to discern weather or not I was nearing the top, each crest I scrambled over another sprouted upwards. I broke over the final crest to the summit at half 8 that morning, but the surrounding landscape was shrouded in a cape of mist and fog so thick I could only make out the summit of the peak . I made my way to the top and placed a customary rock atop the highest point. Put an extra layer of clothing on and sat down to eat and wait, Much time went by and the fog showed no sign of lifting I made my way closer to the edge of the mountain top to take a look at the valley below, to my disappointment all I saw was the same blanket of white.                                                                            

Misty view of the mountains as the curtain of fog drew back

But then having spent much time atop the mountain feeling the wind and listening, the fog began to lift revealing one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. The surrounding mountain peaks became visible above the sea of white as small whisps of fog flowed in and out of the mountain peaks, a flowing sea perched in the sky. I sat and stared in awe as gradually the sea of fog receded more and more. small hills above the fog grew into large mountains until eventually the valley floor became visible and brought me back to reality. For a small amount if time I felt like I was completely alone living in a world no one else knew, seas of mist surrounded by dozens of peaks as the sheets of rain continued to spiral downwards and the gusts of wind died down. The view following the fog was no less beautiful but it was of no comparison to that which I had felt as the fog died away.

                    Having  soaked the views in I packed up and made for home along the same path I had ascended. The moments on top of that mountain will remain with me forever, not a big mountain by any stretch but one of great beauty which I will never forget.

“This mountain, the arched back of the earth risen before us, it made me feel humble, like a beggar, just lucky to be here at all, even briefly.” 
― Bridget Asher,

Cloud Walking

Immense, Immovable breath-taking. Mountains have, from a very young age, had a huge draw on me. The older I get the more I am coming to realise that mountains are of huge significance in my life. I become lost in them as different emotions grip me, the pain in my legs as I climb, the sense of wonder and impeding danger, the beauty of the summit and the joy of threading above the clouds. They are places of solitude and tranquility were not only the body but also the mind wanders.
                          They are unlike anything else in the entire planet. A sudden glance reveals beauty, a new view or experience release the mind whilst always knowing that a single lapse could spell disaster, life on a needle thread. The mountains are were I want to be, to thread the slopes to touch the clouds to experience their wonder to reach the stars and never come back . To stand on top of a mountain is an amazing experience and each time I climb those memories are forever ingrained in my mind.

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
(Sir Edmund Hillary)