Over the last 12 months I’ve had a number of failures in terms of reaching goals I’ve set myself. Each time I’ve set myself a challenging target, worked hard for a period of time, had some kind of knockback and given up. This last few months I’ve given up on a number of things and it had become worrying to me that giving up and admitting failure was becoming too easy. Not that giving up is always bad but it was having a significantly negative effect on me mentally that I wasn’t happy about. My badly organised trip to the Mournes is a perfect example of that trend and the negative effect it had on me.
Then I had a lightbulb moment last week when listening to a podcast and coming across the 25% Rule for the first time….
The bigger our goal is the harder it is for our brain to get on board with doing it. So, the 25% rule is take anything that you want to accomplish, cut it in half and then cut it in half again. This should be your first goal at a minimum, you can even cut it in half again.
For example if I want to ride a 200km Audax event then my goal is not to ride 200km, not even to ride 100km but is to ride 50km. Once I have that done then I can set a new goal. My approach last year was to target a 600km Audax event! Any wonder I failed, any wonder I gave up in April, tanked my motivation and haven’t ridden a bike again until recently!
Last year was the culmination of a number of years of spiralling goal failures that totally destroyed my enjoyment of cycling. Each time I would set a big goal, run out of steam during the process, give up and leave myself totally demotivated. Eventually I would get myself remotivated and set a new goal. Learning nothing from my previous failure this would be an even bigger goal, I would “fail” even earlier and leave myself feeling even more shit than before, take a longer break from cycling and eventually I end up not cycling for almost a full year.
I’ve done this with multiple things, cycling and weight loss being the two most obvious and closely linked but I’ve done it again this year with hiking. Earlier this year I decided that I wanted to do some multi-day hiking. Two YouTube friends (Andrew and Ian) did two big adventures last year that were pretty inspiring. Andrew hiked a large section of the GR221 in Mallorca while Ian hiked The Fisherman’s Trail in Portugal.
Both trips inspired me to do some multi-day hiking myself. Some kind of divine intervention must have occurred as it did dawn on me that heading to a foreign country with little to no backpacking experience was probably not the best idea so I came up with a plan to do something similar in Ireland before committing to a foreign trip. I decided that The International Appalachian Trail was a good idea. I have walked some sections of this during other hikes, have wanted to walk more for a while now and it’s easy to access as it’s all within Ulster. I decided on a 3-Day trip (Dungiven to Castlerock) and a 5-Day trip (Portstewart to Waterfoot)
I scheduled the first trip for the end of March and the second for the end of May so the first one is already done. It was a bit of a disaster! My plan was 18km Day 1, 30km Day 2 and 14km Day 3 for a total of 62km. This was nuts! The only day that made sense was Day 3 and there was no way I was going to be able to walk 30km on Day 2 with a full camping setup especially after 18km on Day 1. I made a video of my experience that I’ll link to below but SPOILER ALERT – I gave up on Day 2!
Coming home from that trip I felt crap. I was pretty much for giving up on backpacking altogether and I was in a real funk for a week or two. Listening to that podcast though made me recognise the traps that I was falling into. I was in a mindset that only big, challenging goals were worth working towards yet not recognising the steps along the way that are needed to achieve these goals. I was doing exactly what the podcast guest described and predictably failing. As I said at the top this was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me.
What am I doing differently now? First of all I have totally revised my plans for the IAT in May. Instead of a 5-Day 95km trip I’m now planning a 3-Day 45km trip taking a much more achievable 15km per day average. Instead of walking from Portstewart to Waterfoot I’m only going to do the Moyle Way section from Ballycastle to Waterfoot. I’ve walked this distance in training and I know I can do it.
I’ve also got myself back on the bike! Nothing spectacular but I have a pretty low base that I’m re-starting from. Virtually all my cycling fitness has evaporated and it will take some time to get it back. Instead of setting myself big targets I’m being conservative. My first goal is just to get out regularly. I have a simple 20km loop close to home and my plan is to ride that twice a week (hopefully 3) until I get some kind of legs back again. If I can get myself built up to a 50km ride by the end of the summer then I’ll be very happy but I’m not putting myself under any pressure. It’s time to go back to where I started and maybe remember why I enjoyed cycling again!
I have had this idea in my head the last couple of years that I don’t have time to devote to cycling and hiking, that if I’m going to be really good at either one then I won’t be able to do the other. I’ve now realised that I don’t need to climb Everest or ride 600km in a weekend and that I can enjoy both by relaxing, enjoying the process and mixing them up as much as I can.
Now all I need is a decent Summer to get weather that will make it all more enjoyable…
On Sunday I went on a road trip to the Mourne Mountains and ended up getting my arse handed to me! This was my third visit. My first two were in September 2022 and May 2023 (video link). Both of these trips were near perfect and I really enjoyed them. I was hoping for a perfect hat-trick but this time I was denied. I guess I was due….
A big part of the problem was myself and my planning. I was determined that it had to be this weekend to fit in with my work schedule and my plans for next weekend. The weather was always going to be iffy (drizzle and showers in the afternoon with a risk of low cloud) but with fairly mild temperatures and not much wind I figured it would be OK.
My plan was to wild camp on Slieve Bearnagh and with a good Monday morning forecast I was hoping for a good hike and a chance to practice my camping strategy before next week. Maybe even a lovely sunrise…
Piss Poor Planning Promotes Piss Poor Performance
My route planning was the biggest problem. I’d copied the route from Paddy Dillon’s book Exploring The North of Ireland and converted it to a digital version on Outdoor Active. Paddy’s book works in both KM and miles and somehow I’d gotten it into my head that the total route was 10km. It was 10miles or 16km!
My plan was to start late, around noon, allow a conservative 4hrs to summit Bearnagh and have an hour or two to find a good camping spot and get set up well before dark.
Instead of Bearnagh being 8km into the walk it was 8 miles and with an awful lot of up before that. I only realised this distance error when I was 1.5 hours into my hike.
elevation profile
The terrain also wasn’t what I expected and I made a bad choice of footwear. On my previous trips I’d worn my usual leather boots and gaiters but I was amazed by the lovely gravelly tracks and absence of bog that I’m accustomed to in Donegal. I expected the same again and went for the lighter option of my Topo Athletic Terraventure boots. What I didn’t allow for was the difference between walking in March versus May and September and the deluge of rain we have suffered for the last 8-10 months. The tracks and paths were swimming with runoff and the ground was soggy and boggy. The boots coped fine with both but the bottoms of my trousers were soon soaked which inevitably led to wet socks and wet feet.
The route follows The Mourne Way from Meelmore Lodge around Fofanny Dam Reservoir and after a short stretch of road joins The Ott Track and into the higher ground. The waymarked path is supposed to follow a raised bank along the edge of the reservoir but it was closed due to a problem at the Southern end. However, there was no marked diversion. A vague path was visible through the long grass to the opposite East side of the channel that the track should follow. This turned out to be horrible ground. It was wet and boggy with long grass and hidden holes. At the end of this section I was then on the wrong side of two fairly substantial streams that I had to negotiate before scrambling over a wall back into the forest and on to the official path. By now my lower legs were soaked and one boot had been submerged in a hidden bog hole leaving me very disheartened and feeling sorry for myself. To add insult to injury I’d been walking in steady, heavy drizzle pretty much from the start of the walk.
Leaving the road and heading along the Ott Track I started to climb up into the cloud and it was at this stage I realised my mistake about how long the route actually was.
enjoying the wonderful views, check out my glasses! heading into the clouds
The track in the photo above peters out and a series of rocky then boggy then rocky once again sections brought me to the Mourne Wall which was to be my constant companion for the rest of the day. Over the stile I met a young couple with a small toddler (not much more than a year old I’d say?) that the fella had been carrying in one of those back pack carriers. It must have seemed like a good idea at some stage but they looked fairly miserable when I met them!
The first summit was Slieve Loughshannagh (619m) and was a steady but manageable climb from the stile.
heading into the mist slieve loughshannagh summit cairn
I stopped for a short break just off the summit and I’m pretty sure it was here that my head went. It was back to the heavy drizzle, I couldn’t see a thing, I had 7.5km done, 3 more summits to go, all with steep climbs and the weight of my bag was really starting to make itself felt. I was contemplating descending Slieve Loughshannagh and taking the path that skirts around and avoids Slieve Meelbeg and Meelmore completely to bring me to the base of Slieve Bearnagh. However, at the base I somehow overcame this urge and pushed on.
Slieve Meelbeg (708m) is a damn steep climb from this side and it seemed to take forever to get to the summit. I was counting steps and taking lots of short breaks to ease the burning in my legs and to try and keep my heart rate under some kind of control. My bag felt like a ton weight by now.
Looking at the map it wasn’t exactly clear where the summit was in relation to the Wall but it soon dawned on me that it was on the other side but I wasn’t going to attempt climbing over just to touch the cairn. By clambering up enough to see over the Wall I was automatically higher than the summit anyway 😉
searching for the summit
At the top of Meelbeg I was ready to give up and go home. I was feeling really sorry for myself and had another opt out option at the next col. I’d had enough of the rain and low cloud and was really tired. I was dreading the climb to Meelmore, the drop to the col and the big climb to Bearnagh. I was starting to panic about time and getting set up for camp.
The drop down off Meelbeg was pretty easy and rather than give my mind any more space I simply plowed on, ignoring the other path options and headed up Meelmore. This was a much gentler climb than Meelbeg to the summit at 687m. Once again though I was on the wrong side of the Wall and so focused on the shelter at the corner of the Wall I actually walked past the summit without realising it!
meelmore shelter
On the way up Meelmore the drizzle finally stopped for a while and as I approached the shelter there was a brief lift in the clouds giving me a short tantalising view of the valley below and across to the bulk of Bearnagh. This lifted my spirits considerably and I was getting my head back in the zone, feeling like I could do this after all. A short break here, out of the wind, some food to boost my mood and energy, descend to the col, restock my water and push on to Bearnagh with hopefully enough daylight left to find a decent camp spot.
As I finished my snack the cloud thickened and the rain returned. This time it was light rain rather than drizzle. The descent from Meelbeg is pretty tough. The ground is very steep and incredibly rocky. Large slabs and rocks made for difficult path finding and the hard, uneven surface demanded full attention. This was exhausting both physically and mentally. About halfway down it got quite dark and windy and the rain turned heavy making the already wet rocks even more slippery. By the time I reached the col below Bearnagh I was soaked and done in. Getting battered by the wind I scrambled over the stile in the Wall and found what shelter I could in the lee out of the wind.
Staring across at Bearnagh the route looked like it was almost vertical. The rocky face disappeared into the clouds and I simply gave up! I seriously doubted I could physically make it up to the summit and with the disappearing light and increasing winds I began to panic about finding a camping spot and getting a tent set up for the night. I knew I could divert here and take the path down to meet The Trassey Track and back to my car at Meelmore Lodge. The thought of a wet camp and having to get dressed in the morning in my wet clothes and boots really didn’t sound like fun.
Leaving the Wall I slowly trudged my way down the track. I was totally demoralised, wet and exhausted and dreading the walk back to the car. The path was a mess. It was mostly submerged in 3-5cm of running water as the mountains shed the latest rain and the strong gusts buffeting my back made me unsteady on already tired legs.
As an example of my state of mind I was half an hour down the track when I realised I was carrying about 500ml of water that I no longer needed and that would go a small way towards lightening my load. It took me at least 5 goes to get the slippery empty bottle back into my side pocket. I dropped it every time and I have a clear memory of yelling FUCK! and almost throwing it in the nearby river….
Approximately half an hour further on the weather changed in a matter of minutes. The clouds lifted and the rain stopped. A beautiful setting sun appeared in the distance ahead of me and the mountains suddenly appeared behind me. It sounds nonsense now but it was like the mountains decided that day that I didn’t belong. They chewed me up after Meelbeg and spat me back out and when I was almost away they were like “fuck you, this is what you missed!“
bearnagh snubbing its nose at mepollaphuca gap with bearnagh left and meelbeg right
It took me almost 1.5 hours to walk back to the car. Approximately 4km and mostly downhill. There were two tricky stream crossings just after I left The Trassey Track but at that stage I could see the car and couldn’t care so pretty much just splashed across!
The physical demands of the route, the difficulty of the terrain and weather plus the impact of carrying the additional weight of a camping setup really caught me out. This was supposed to be a final preparation for my multi day trip this weekend and a chance to practice my camping strategy. Instead it really knocked my confidence and created extra concerns. It took me until Wednesday to recover fully with a lot of aches up until lunchtime and it was only yesterday that I felt mentally confident to stop worrying about the upcoming trip and get my head in the right place.
The upcoming trip is Stage 6 of the International Appalachian Trail Ulster-Ireland: Dungiven to Castlerock Incorporating The North Sperrins Way. It’s 62km and I’m aiming for 3 days with wild camping on both nights. The weather on Sunday and Tuesday looks OK but wet on Monday which will be my longest day. However, although the distances are greater there is nothing like the elevation changes of Sunday. I’m staying positive and giving myself lots of time to get to the spots I’ve picked out.
sunday’s hike. click here to view on outdooractive
In 2021 I started the year by climbing Mount Errigal on New Year’s Day to experience the sunrise from the summit. It was an unforgettable experience that I didn’t want to be a one-off. 2022 saw a very stormy start to the year forcing me to give up the idea and last year I was laid low by a horrible cold.
I’ve been watching the weather for the last 10 days with an eagle eye. MountainForecast.com has been up and down but the last few days it steadied out to be mostly dry and promising decent visibility so I was set to go.
To tease further I saw a number of posts online with photos of Errigal with a decent covering of snow. The summit forecast was giving snow showers for at least 24hrs ahead of NYD and with temperatures close to zero and a significant windchill I was expecting a wintery summit.
I arrived at the car park just before 6am and was walking by approximately 620am. The trick was to allow enough time to get to the top without killing myself but not arrive too early and have to suffer the cold for too long.
A van arrived at the car park just after me but the two guys started before me. Another guy arrived after I’d started but he passed me fairly quickly. I could see other cars arriving and lights on the track behind me but with my head start I had the hill all to myself for the full climb.
Since my last visit the path has had extensive work which made for a much more enjoyable hike. The slog across the wet bog has been replaced by a gravel and stone path and the slippery gravel climb of the mountain has been stabilised with a rocky path. I was worried that the mountain experience would have been spoiled but it’s been excellently done and is a much better climb as well as being better for the mountain itself. The descent was especially noticeably more enjoyable compared to the last time.
Having a breather at the circular stone shelter below the last climb to the summit I played around a little with the camera on my new phone. This shot was taken in the dark with only the moon to help!
I sheltered below the summit for about 20min before making the final push, arriving at the first peak just before 8am. The sky was showing the first signs of dawn with a small bank of cloud breaking apart.
After about 15min a group arrived and with limited space I crossed over to the second peak. The guys from the car park were here ahead of me and one kindly took a summit photo for me.
As the sun came up the sky continued to lighten and the landscape below started to appear from the darkness.
A thick band of cloud moved in, threatening to spoil the sunrise but eventually we spotted the orange ball of the sun breaking through.
At 9am it looked like that was all we were getting so I started to head back down. Just below the summit the clouds parted and we were treated to the full sunrise after all 😍
Halfway down a shower of rain and hail blew in but combined with the sun to provide us with a magical rainbow to finish the hike.
A magical start to 2024. Happy New Year Everyone 🥳 🥳 🥳
Header image by Aodh Mairtin O Fearraigh and published by “Donegal Has It All“.
So I finally did it! The Bluestack Way in a Day – 52km from Ardara to Donegal Town via Glenties on a mixture of tarmac roads, forest and bog tracks and some open hillside. It’s one of my biggest achievements and also one of the hardest, most physically and mentally demanding things I’ve ever done!
My original date that I decided on way back in May was Sunday 27th August. This gave me 12 weeks to “train” and also gave me a good window of daylight to complete the walk. My aim was to start at 730am, aiming for a 12hr finish but planning for 14hrs if needed. Going from Ardara meant that the last 10km were on tarmac roads and easier and safer to walk in the dark, if necessary, with a headtorch and hi viz jacket.
I also had a mental option to delay by one week to allow for any last minute issues such as injury or weather. In the end up I did delay and the walk ended up happening on Sunday 3rd September. The previous Sunday was a day of heavy rain and I decided the walk was difficult enough without trying to complete it in conditions like that. Plus the long range forecasts were all shouting about a change in the weather to warm and dry with Sunday 3rd looking pretty much perfect.
Sunday 3rd September
The final decision to postpone wasn’t made until Saturday 26th so the week running up to this was my prep week for the event with 2 x 20km walks at the weekend and a few shorter 5km walks mid week before resting a few days. I was also in bed by 930pm each night trying to build my reserves for the weekend. I was mentally focused and ready to go. The deflation of not going on Sunday kind of caught me unawares and left me feeling very unfocused in to Monday, like post-event blues without the event! It was a real effort to build myself back up for the weekend and I ended up going into Sunday feeling less prepared and pretty nervous.
We left home just after 6am for the 1hr drive to Ardara with nerves gradually building in my belly the whole way. Getting out of the car in an eerily quiet and grey Ardara my legs felt quite wobbly and I had a brief moment of panic. A big hug and kiss from Catriona and I told her to head home to give me a chance to settle myself and get started – no way back now! I took a couple of quick and shaky shots of the first sign post of the day, settled my bags, pressed start on my Garmin and took my first of what turned out to be 69,728 steps.
Ardara
I was really looking forward to this first section to Glenties as it was totally unknown to me. I’d watched a couple of videos on YouTube of other people that had walked the Bluestack Way and knew that a lot of it was along the banks of the Owenea River. ToughSoles in particular were big fans of this section and I hoped to enjoy it.
The river was beautiful. After a short section through the town and a gravelled track I wound down to the river. It’s obviously a popular fishing spot with proper bridges and clear tracks on both banks with stiles and boardwalks to help cross fences and boggy sections. Along the way I saw quite a few ducks, most of them flapping away startled by my presence on this early morning. I also heard a few fish rising for early flies and judging by the noise and resulting rings in the water they must have been pretty sizeable. I was hoping to see herons along the river but I suspect they wouldn’t be too popular with the local fishermen and have probably been discouraged from settling in the area.
A lot of the riverside path is bordered on each side by bracken. Enterprising spiders have realised that spinning a huge web across the path will trap insects as they fly between. Unfortunately for them I was having to destroy all their hard work by breaking down their webs to get past. It felt like a cross between Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings as the spiders were huge and obviously (normally!) well fed. Most of them were about the size of a 20c/2p coin and I really didn’t fancy having them crawling on my bare legs, especially pissed off having had their web destroyed!
Eventually it was time to leave the river and skirting the edge of a field I followed the path to the first tarmac since leaving Ardara. A 3.5km straight run brought me to the edge of Glenties and along the main street exiting the town on the back road to Ballybofey beside the Garda station. A surprisingly well maintained and clean public toilet (must be the only remaining Council operated toilet in Donegal!) allowed me the luxury of not having to dig a cat hole in the wilds because no matter how much I enjoy the outdoors nobody likes having a dump outside!
Leaving a very highly decorated Glenties (this was the weekend of the Harvest Festival) I followed the tarmac road for approximately 1.5km before crossing back over the now much narrower Owenea River and back on to gravel tracks. The road out of Glenties was much more pleasant than the way in as it wound through sections of large trees with nice cottages and houses with quirky garden displays. This was my last signs of civilisation until arriving in Donegal Town almost 40km later!
The gravel track climbed steeply away from the river taking me past long abandoned homes and farmyards still locked up and quiet on this Sunday morning. This was a bit of a lung-buster with slippery conditions underfoot and a number of gates and stiles to negotiate but taking breathers and looking back I could see how quickly I was gaining height with great views back over Glenties, back towards Ardara and out towards the coast with Slievetooey looming away off in the distance.
Eventually reaching the top of this low ridge I got my first proper views of the Bluestack range itself. The track ahead ran in an almost straight line for 2-3km with a variety of conditions underfoot from gravelly to squelchy sections of bog, some bare of vegetation for 10-20m at a time while other sections were overgrown with long grass and small bushes. This was my first indication that the terrain was going to be a lot wetter than expected and that I’d made a mistake with my decision to wear trail shoes.
The first section of this bog track was very exposed with a strong Westerly wind, the first and only windy section of the whole day. After approximately 1km I reached a forested section with the trees on my left somehow reducing the force of the wind coming from my right. The breeze was still strong enough to keep me from overheating in what had turned into a very sunny day as well as preventing any midges from coming out to feast.
This boggy track eventually reached a gate and a much better surfaced forest access trail. Coming around the next corner I had a sudden recognition of this spot from walking the 30km Bluestack Challenge Walk in 2012. This was where the Army had set up a tented food station with bacon baps and tea. I could have murdered one of those at this stage today!
Just past this spot the route takes a sharp turn to follow the Owenroe river as it tumbles noisily through the narrow ravine below the track. This is where the alternative “lowland” section also starts. This alternative avoids the higher ground for anyone that doesn’t fancy it or when there is particularly bad weather. I, of course, was taking the high route.
Walking along this track with a mature forest plantation on my right and the river rushing below on my left was really enjoyable. As the path flattened out I had really good views of the craggy summit of Carnaween off to the East. The sun was out and I was feeling good. I was tempted to refill my water from the river but I still had over a litre and didn’t fancy the scramble down and back up from the river. This turned out to be a bad decision as my water choices for the rest of the day were very limited.
Eventually the track petered out and it was time to head on to the open hillside as the route headed up and over the shallow col below Cloghmeen Hill. At slightly over 400m this was the highest elevation of the whole route. At the access gate a picnic bench sat looking very out of place and seemed like it would be completely in the way of any machinery looking access to the moorland above. An abandoned Race Ireland sign from an old event helpfully told me it was 20km but I’m not sure where from. It did coincide with my distance since Ardara but I think it related to the distance from Lough Eske coming towards Glenties based on the orientation of some signs found further along the route.
It was on the climb over this ridge that the wheels came off the wagon for this walk, where my choice of footwear was proven to be a disaster and this was clear within the first few steps. The terrain changed from track to open grazed moorland, so typical of the Bluestacks. It was also incredibly wet! Every step was a squelch, the ground was saturated with thick moss below the layer of grass. Water was squeezing out of the soil and within 10m my shoes and feet were soaking wet. The climb was steep but not incredibly difficult. However, with tired legs after 20km, shoes that now felt like blocks of concrete and heavy ground it was a slog to the top. At the top of this ridge the route bears left with the official summit of Cloghmeen Hill some 50-100m to the right. My original plan was to make a short detour at this point to grab the summit but with serious concerns about my shoes, the boggy approach to the summit and legs drained after the climb up I decided to focus on getting off the hill instead.
The drop down the other side of the ridge was steeper than the ascent but just as wet and I’m sure it was here that the majority of the damage was done to my feet. With socks and shoes completely sodden my feet were moving far more than usual in my shoes and my weight was focused towards the front of my feet creating friction that wet skin could do without. By the time I reached the bottom, followed the route as it inexplicably weaved through the walls of an abandoned and overgrown homestead and out to the gravel track where it rejoined with the alternative route, I knew I was going to have problems for the rest of the day. I could feel a burning sensation on the pads of both feet, just behind my toes as well as on the heel of my right foot despite having it really well taped specifically to prevent blisters.
My original plan was always to take a longer break at Letterbarrow soccer pitch which was at the 27/28km mark. I’d planned to get my shoes off, retape my feet and put on fresh socks. This was going to be even more crucial now than I had planned.
The Bluestack Way takes what seems like a random loop just a few hundred metres from Letterbarrow pitch. It brings you back to the same road having walked an extra kilometre up and down a fairly steep hillside. The aim is not to piss you off but to bring you past the ancient Disert Graveyard. Again, on any other day I would have been tempted to pay this spot a visit but I pushed on past the entrance, focused on getting to the pitch and getting my shoes off.
The arrow marks the pitch.
The one advantage of the extra walk was that my feet squeezed most of the water out of my shoes leaving them a tiny bit drier and not completely waterlogged. Reaching a picnic bench at the back of the clubhouse it was like heaven to finally sit down on a proper seat and peel off my sodden socks. Leaving my shoes in the strong sunshine I let my feet dry out and breathe in the warm air for 20min while I lay back and rested having eaten most of a flapjack bar to fill my belly. Restarting with fresh tape, blister patches and clean, dry socks my feet, though tender, felt so much better.
I had also hoped for an outside tap at the clubhouse but there was none. Reading the rules for an unsupported FKT attempt I since realised that water can only be taken from natural sources so it’s just as well!
A short section of tarmac route and I was once again diverting on to gravel tracks. The first section was through a farmyard with loads of warning signs on the gate about trespassing and liability etc. It was all a bit intimidating but the waypoint signs gave me the confidence to keep on. A few more gates with similar signs and I was in a short section of cool, shady forestry before popping out on a wide flat bog area with beautiful, expansive views of the high Bluestack range. I could pick out some familiar hills and had a brilliant view of the Sruell Gap and just a peek of The Grey Mare’s Tail waterfall that I saw up close a few months ago.
Sruell Gap in the middle, Croaghgorm on the right Close up, Grey Mare’s Tail Waterfall just about visible on the left
This section of bog is also extensively used for turf harvesting. There were some stacks of bags sitting ready to be taken home with many more bags sitting in rows ready for lifting. There was one group of men busily loading a quad trailer and transferring bags to a tractor trailer for taking home. Harvesting turf is very labour intensive and I often wonder if the payback is worth the effort involved. One thing for sure though is that turf will heat you many times over, not just when you burn it!
A sharp right turn in the middle of the bog brought me back to tarmac and the familiar road that takes you to the start of Sruell Gap. A short walk along this remote single track road and I was sent on to another track and over a concrete slab bridge across the Sruell River as it tumbled down from the gap. Over the bridge and it was back to a low section of trackless grassland. Boggy again but thankfully not a sponge like earlier and I was able to find enough rocky spots and firmish ground to avoid any more water getting in to my shoes. If anyone saw me gingerly stepping across the fields I must have been like a middle aged child trying to avoid the cracks on a pavement!
It was somewhere across this section that I passed the 33km mark and was now officially on the longest walk I’d ever done in a day. My previous record was 33.1km in March 2022
March 2022
Another short section of tarmac brought me to the Eglish River and a very familiar gravel trail that curves around Banagher Hill and along the Eglish Valley with more expansive views of the Bluestack ridge. I’ve been on the lower section of this track a number of times, most recently just 4 weeks ago, so I was really beginning to feel like I was on home ground now. The track ascends gently as it rounds Banagher Hill until eventually you are rewarded with the very welcome view out over beautiful Lough Eske and Donegal Town in the distance. Still 13km to go but I could sense the end.
Lough Eske
For the next 3km it was a steady downhill on gravel which eventually morphed into tarmac, steadily dropping down towards Lough Eske. On the way down I met a lady with her dog She asked if I was walking the Bluestack Way and was very impressed when she asked where I started and I said Ardara. Her jaw nearly hit the floor when I told her I was going the whole way to Donegal Town. She hopes to walk it in two days and was amazed I was doing it in one!
I really needed this boost though. The dampness from my shoes had now penetrated both pairs of dry socks and I was back to walking with wet and increasingly painful feet. The pads of both feet and my right heel were burning, a sure sign that blisters were developing. At this stage it was now a matter of every step was one step closer to the end.
Once down close to Lough Eske I joined the fairly busy scenic road that loops around the West shore but thankfully only for a few hundred metres as lots of people were out for a drive on this lovely Sunday afternoon.
The route leaves the road to descend through the tree-lined narrow road that skirts the edge of Ardamona Nature Reserve and the very edge of the lough before arriving at Harvey’s Point Hotel. Just before the turnoff I was finally able to get access to the small Clady River as it tumbled down the steep hillside from Banagher Lough high up in the mountains above. My water bladder was completely empty and I had no water for almost an hour at this stage. I wasn’t happy with any water sources up to now as the route had come through grassland that was heavily grazed with sheep and nothing was flowing fast enough to give me confidence until now. A couple of shots with my filter gave me almost a litre and enough to keep me going to the end.
Just before Harvey’s Point I passed the significant 42km milestone. In old money this is just over 26 miles and the distance of a marathon. I doubt I’ll ever run a marathon but it felt damn good to have walked one! Still another 10K to go though…
Reaching the hotel entry gates and heading along the road towards the Famine Pot junction I was tormented by cars and a couple of buses. This is a popular hotel and this is the only access road. After the peace and tranquility of the whole day up to now this was a real culture shock and I was very relieved to see the marker post sending me off the road and into the forest that surrounds Lough Eske Castle Hotel right on the lough shore and thankfully away from all the traffic.
This section was absolutely gorgeous but I was really starting to suffer at this stage and couldn’t enjoy it anywhere close to what it deserved. It was a wonderfully cool variety of shaded forest paths and gravelly tracks through the trees and boardwalk right on the very edge of the lake. Swans and ducks were enjoying the water which was visible through small breaks in the tall shoreline foliage. The path meanders through this beautifully tranquil area for approximately 3km but to me it felt like an eternity. In among the trees I lost all sense of progress and every step felt like walking on broken glass. I hit a massive low point through here and for the first time really felt like packing it in. Even eating was a chore with the flapjack bar feeling like sawdust in my mouth and having to be forced down. Looking back I was probably suffering from dehydration and maybe even a touch of heatstroke at this point.
I have a memory of leaning on the rail of a small bridge over a little stream, my forehead resting on the wood, arms dangling loosely and feeling for all the world like I could burst into tears. My feet were in bits and my head was gone. SomehowI managed to drag myself out of this and forced myself to get moving. I had about 7-8km left and couldn’t give up now!
Emerging from the never ending tunnel of trees (usually my favourite environment!) I came back to the road at a junction I’ve driven through maybe a hundred times. It was here that the switch flipped back to positive. Despite having at least another hour to go to reach Donegal Town this was the first point where I thought “I’m gonna do this!“. Every step was horribly painful but every step was closer to the end, I just kept repeating this in my head as I trudged along the narrow little rural road towards town.
Along the way there were three steep little hills, those you would think nothing of regularly, the ones on a bike where you keep the high gear, stand up and push for the top to keep momentum and enjoy the short, fast descent on the other side. Today they were agony, heavy, tired legs on the climb up and burning, blistered feet on the other side. “Every step is another step closer to the end“…..
Suddenly I seemed to be approaching the busy bypass that skirts around the edge of Donegal Town. The volume and speed of traffic had me in a bit of a panic that I wouldn’t be able to cross safely, shuffling along as I was, hardly able to walk never mind run! Then, just before the junction, a small waymarker sent me to the right via a barely visible narrow footpath that went through the hedge, dropped down to a wild and noisy River Eske, past a very impressive and noisy waterfall, passed under the main road and out the other side to a housing estate on the edge of town.
Looking at the map at home I thought that I was to come out in the town via the old railway yard and close to the Diamond. Entering this housing estate I thought I was close to the end. Walking through to the main road I suddenly realised I was wrong, I was on the far eastern edge of town and still had well over a full kilometre to go but “Every step is another step closer to the end“…..
I have to say I absolutely hated this last section. It was totally unexpected, on footpaths beside a busy road and seemed to go on for ever! I was meeting people out for a Sunday evening walk and I must have looked like shit, I certainly felt like I did anyway. It was a real effort to summon enough energy to reply to friendly smiles and hellos and I’m sure they must have thought I was a complete weirdo!
Eventually I reached the Church and could feel the road start to slope down towards the Diamond. Rounding a final corner I could see it ahead and all of a sudden I saw Catriona getting out of the car. Her hand in mine, a quick hug and kiss felt like the best feeling in the world but I couldn’t stop, I was afraid I wouldn’t start again! I switched on the GoPro, and she scooted ahead to film my on the final hundred metres into the Diamond and to the marker commemorative stone at the far side where I slumped down, physically and mentally exhausted and totally unable to film a final piece on camera. But, I’d done it, I’d walked “The Bluestack Way in a Day!” I’d actually bloody done it and despite being wrecked I was overjoyed…..
For anyone that follows me on Strava it probably appears that I’ve fallen off the face of the Earth or have decided to rededicate my life to the couch potato lifestyle. While I’m no athlete I haven’t been completely idle either.
At the beginning of May I came to the realisation that cycling had become something of a chore, it had developed into an activity I was doing for reasons other than enjoyment. It wasn’t that I’d fallen out of love with cycling, it was that I’d rekindled my old love of hillwalking (or hiking if you prefer) and walking in general and I was finding them much more fulfilling than cycling. I’ve spent a lot more time in the hills this year and rediscovered why I enjoyed it so much. For the last 10 years I’ve defined myself as a cyclist so, while I haven’t turned a pedal since the 26th of April, I don’t think I’m finished completely and have no intention of getting rid of my bikes.
Me being me, I felt the need for a challenge to motivate a daily walking habit to build strength and fitness for my weekend trips into the hills. With my 50th birthday this year (now into the final countdown) I also wanted this challenge to be out of the ordinary and something I’d have to push myself to the limit to achieve. I wanted a walking challenge to replicate the challenge of Audax.
While looking for ideas I took my inspiration from two illustrious sources. Fellow blogger Unironedman (Declan) is an avid runner with many long distance challenges under his belt. Last year he organised and completed an FKT (Fastest Known Time) attempt on the 115km long St. Declan’s Way. You can read his description of the “Day on the Way” here and watch his video below.
This year Declan completed a run of the full Wicklow Way (~130km) as a memorial to his recently deceased Dad. You can also read about that epic adventure here.
My second source of inspiration was (is?) Ellie from the excellent Tough Soles. Ellie and her partner Carl have a well established website and YouTube channel that originally started as a challenge to walk every official waymarked trail in Ireland. They completed this a while ago but the channel is still going strong. Ellie is currently climbing every Vandeleur-Lynam peak in Ireland (600m+) on back to back days. More info on their website or follow their channel to see how she gets on.
In July last year Ellie ran the 56km Leitrim Way setting an FKT in the process. She documented that day and you can watch the video below.
Despite flirting with running a few years ago I’m not very good at it and just about managed to get to the 5K distance. Ultra-running is simply not for me. However, ultra-walking (any distance greater than a marathon – 42km) is also a thing and walking I am good at!
My nearest waymarked trail is The Bluestack Way. It runs from Donegal Town through the Bluestack Mountains to Glenties and finishes in Ardara. I’ve walked bits of it to access walks in the Bluestacks and I walked a large chunk of it in 2012 on the 30km Bluestack Challenge. Overall it is 52km although, in typical Irish fashion, it is listed as 65km. This is because there is a lower level alternative route for the more mountainous section, that is recommended in bad weather and they’ve lumped both together to come up with 65km.
At 52km it definitely qualifies as an ultra route and I feel that it is doable in one day. With that in mind I registered the reverse route (Ardara to Donegal Town) on the official FKT website and plan to complete it on Sunday 27th August. I also plan to complete it fully unsupported meaning I have to carry all my own food and water, I can’t have any support en route, can’t buy anything in shops (not that there are many anyway) and can’t cache food or supplies along the way.
I threw together a 12 week “training plan” that essentially consists of daily walking with progressively longer walks at the weekend. Today saw me at the halfway mark and appropriately completing a 26km training walk. Although I’m tired this evening I’m feeling better than I expected.
My only issue is that I’m fighting a recurrence of Plantar Fasciitis in my left foot. This flared up before I started walking regularly again but unsurprisingly the increase hasn’t helped it much. Ice and massage will hopefully keep it at bay and prevent it derailing my challenge.
On Saturday I made the long journey to Tipperary. Leaving Omagh after work at just before 6pm I arrived in Galtymore North Car Park just before 11pm with a longer than expected stop in Lisnaskea to get fish and chips and a short pee and tea break in Portlaoise. The purpose of this journey? To attend a hiking event organised by Martin of Soletrail on Sunday morning in the Galtee Mountains.
SoleTrail is Martin’s YouTube channel and website. I’ve been following his channel for a while now and we have become friendly by commenting on each other’s videos and chatting via Messenger. This was to be our first opportunity to meet.
In addition two other YouTubers were also attending. Gary from Ireland Outdoors is based outside Lisburn in Northern Ireland and has a channel with a similar sized following to myself and Miriam Kennedy from Dublin who has been on YouTube for about the same length of time as Martin. All four of us have been commenting on each other’s videos for a while and were keen to meet up.
My plan was to van camp on Saturday night to avoid having to get up in the middle of the night to drive from home. Martin and Gary also went with the same option and the three of us met in the car park, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere, at 11pm, on a Saturday night! Nothing dodgy about that – right?
It was strange meeting the two lads (even disregarding the setting). It was like meeting old friends that I hadn’t seen for ages. I’m so used to seeing their faces and hearing their voices on YouTube it was like I knew them already. All three of us had the same experience.
Gary had borrowed his Dad’s van that had been converted into a mini camper so the three of us went in there for a drink and a chat. Before we knew it it was almost 2am! The three of us clicked really well and had a great time chatting about this, that and everything. I think if we didn’t have to get up in the morning for the hike we could have sat there all night!
Sunday morning came way too early at 7am and after a couple of snooze presses on the alarm. Dragging myself out into the daylight the other two guys were also just up and soon a selection of stoves were on the go. I was very happy I’d decided to go to the effort of cooking some bacon to make a couple of very welcome bacon baps and tea to get me warmed up and awake.
After about 45min Miriam arrived and we very quickly found out that she is every bit as nice off screen as on and even better. We had a good chat together as the other walkers started to filter in and eventually we had a group of 15 ready to hit the hill.
All week the weather forecast had fluctuated from steady rain to dry to showers and back to dry but the consistent prediction was for high winds. As we left the car park the sound of the wind in the trees was an ominous warning of what was to come.
Exiting the forest after approximately 1.5km we were in the shelter of the hill and with bright sunshine it was soon quite warm. A pretty fast pace didn’t help me any after the long drive and late bedtime and I was definitely feeling it and glad for the rest stop at the top.
Thankfully both pace and terrain levelled off considerably as we contoured around the side of the hill heading towards Lough Curra. This was a mixed path, sometimes grassy, mostly rocky and alternating from single file to wide enough for 3. Challenging enough terrain to avoid a twisted ankle or stumble but very enjoyable. It also allowed me to chat to the other 3 but still move up and down the group saying hello to the other walkers and chatting to them for a bit. For a group that only came together that morning everyone got on really well.
On the approach to Lough Curra the last 1km was along the path of the small river flowing out of the lough. This was in full flow and tumbling noisily down the gully beside us. At this stage we had also turned into the wind and lost the protection of the hill. At times gusts were enough to stop us in our tracks and almost blow us off our feet.
Approaching Lough Curra we could see low cloud down over the higher ridge and also see spray from the lough being lifted high into the air giving further indications of how stormy it was getting.
Stopping for a break at the side of the lough we watched as gusts of wind periodically carried big clouds of spray off the lake surface and high into the air. Small white capped waves were blowing across the lake and I was fascinated by the surges of water that sent water flowing down the small river we had just ascended, these surges corresponding to fierce gusts of wind.
Across the lough Martin pointed out a large, dark, rocky outcropping which he explained was the location of “Dan Breen’s Cave”. This isn’t marked on the OSI maps but Dan Breen was an Irish revolutionary and leader during the Irish War of Independence. He was on the run after the British put a substantial £10,000 reward on his head and this cave is reputed to be one of the locations he used to hide out. I didn’t get any photos in the cave but Martin has a great video of an earlier hike to Lough Curra and you can see the cave from 5min at the link below
We took a short break at the cave as everyone got a turn to squeeze in the entrance and have a look around. I’d left my light in my bag outside so couldn’t explore much but it definitely wasn’t a place I’d expect was a comfortable spot to stay for a prolonged period of time.
Outside the rain had started to come in and waterproofs were appearing from bags. The decision was made to avoid the original high route, to return to where we had met the shore of the lough and contour around the side of Galtymore via Lough Curra Mound (600m). A wise decision as the rain came in very heavy and the wind going over the Mound was ferocious. It would have been impossible to walk at 900m and dangerous on an exposed ridge.
Dropping off the mound we got a bit of relief from the wind and headed towards a small but steep gully to make our second river crossing of the day. Good guiding found us a safe spot to cross and had everyone across without any mishaps. We were then following a vague trail on the steep side of Galtymore. This was narrow and rocky and took a lot of concentration to avoid slipping but I really enjoyed it. I like this kind of technical and challenging terrain.
Eventually we reached another very small unmarked cave in the hillside and decided to take a break for a very wet lunch. I’m pretty sure my cup of tea was as much rainwater as tea by the time it was finished. The view though, was hard to beat.
This cave sits at the top of another steep gully with a small river that originates on the slopes of Galtymore. This river was to be our guide off the hill.
The descent from the cave was tough going. There was little to no trail to follow and it was a matter of picking the best line we could find. The ground was very loose rock in places covered by grass and incredibly steep and slippery. At times people were sliding down sections on their bums – sometimes unintentionally with Gary and Miriam re-enacting a particularly good “Rock The Boat” at one point with gales of laughter down the hill.
Eventually we reached more even ground and using the river as a guide we picked our way along the edge of the forest and reached the stile that had brought us on to the open hillside a few hours earlier. It was a relief to get back on more solid tracks and out of the wind and rain and enjoy the few kilometres back to the car park finishing with a respectable 10.5km, 490m of climbing and one summit ticked off the list.
The wind and rain made for a shortened day and a tough walk but I had a ball. My aim of the weekend was to meet Martin, Gary and Miriam and the hike was almost incidental. I met a bunch of really nice people and it was all more than worth the effort.
It didn’t end there either. As the others drifted away the 4 of us hung back, made some tea, coffee and hot chocolate and once again ended up in the back of Gary’s camper to hide from the rain, have a good chat and scoff a box of biscuits kindly given to Martin by one of the other hikers.
Just like the night before, time flew by and we ended up chatting for ages. I literally had to tear myself away at 3pm to start the long journey home but before we parted ways we got a couple of photos and made plans for a repeat meet up sometime in the New Year. The journey home flew by as I had lots of great memories and stories to carry me all the way home. A weekend I’ll remember for a long time….
Part II of my daytrip to The Mournes. Part I can be found here.
Leaving my lunch spot was a bit of a wrench. Despite the slightly chilly low breeze I was comfortable in a light shell jacket and the views were fantastic. I could see right down into Hare’s Gap and see people climbing up along the Trassey Track with some just aiming for a picnic at the top of the Gap with others heading on along The Brandy Pad, or turning up to Slieve Bearnagh, or towards me and Slievenaglogh. Watching people climb up towards me I could see that I was in for a steep descent but I’d rather be going down than up!
When I did finally push myself to leave this lovely spot and pack my gear back in the bag I soon dropped down to Hare’s Gap. The path was steep and seems to have suffered badly with erosion over the years. However, grounds work has been done to remedy this with rocks placed on the worst sections. It’s unavoidable that some of these now resemble steps but I was impressed how well the work has been done to blend in with the natural environment.
The Brandy Pad
Hare’s Gap was a busy spot. It marks a crossroads of sorts in The Mournes and the meeting of The Trassey Track and The Brandy Pad at The Mourne Wall. These two paths have their origins as old smuggling routes over The Mournes from the coast. Smugglers used ponies to carry goods across the mountains to avoid revenue and coast guard officers. Today it was walkers with a couple of groups using the Gap as a convenient lunch spot while a couple of families with young kids were having a picnic. It was a nice spot but busy having spent the morning alone and I was happy to move on once I’d had a look around and enjoyed the views down the Trassey Track.
With such a long history it will be no surprise that the Brandy Pad was a very clear and well defined path. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was managed to only a very low level and left as natural as possible. There were a number of small streams flowing down from the hills I’d walked earlier and as I came close to the path up Slieve Beg, I was accompanied by the sound of the river in the low ground below as it rushed its way down to eventually reach Ben Crom Reservoir.
The track feels mostly level but looking forward from Hare’s Gap it was obvious that there is a bit of a climb towards the end as it rises towards the base of Slieve Beg before dropping again slightly. It is in this area that I had my best view of the rocky cliffs below Commedagh known as The Castles.
The track drops down to a small area that has the feel of a gorge about it as a small stream cuts across the path. I barely got my soles wet today but I have a feeling this would be a more impressive crossing after a period of heavy rain.
If you follow The Brandy Pad to its end you will come out on the coast at the gruesomely named Bloody Bridge. However, my path veered to the left heading around the side of Commedagh and making for the col between it and Slieve Donard. This section of path gave me a brief but scenic view down Annalong Valley with a very different feel to the one I’d just climbed out of. Annalong isn’t dammed like its neighbour and the river has been left to wind its way gently down the valley.
Donard
Rounding the shoulder of Commedagh the path rises gently again and back towards The Mourne Wall. The Wall passes over both Donard and Commedagh and drops down into the col between the two. A large stile marked the spot where my path crossed and as I got closer I could hear the steady murmur of voices. Climbing over there were a lot of people around, I only thought Hare’s Gap was busy. There were all sorts here from young kids to senior citizens, all shapes and sizes and everything from trainers and shorts to the likes of myself in full hiking gear. The col is at approximately 550m and the large flat area with the wall to break any breeze is the perfect spot to gather your breath after the climb up from Newcastle before the big push to the top of Donard. For others it was a chance to revel in a climb completed and to rest aching knees having scrambled back down. For me the number of people and the constant murmur of voices was jarring and unwelcome. I should have known better on such a good day and a public holiday.
Standing in the col the top of Donard is visible. The summit cairn is out of sight but close by there is one of the towers that are sprinkled along the length of The Mourne Wall. The top of this was clear to see from below as a slow chain of people dotted the way up the side of the mountain. It’s an intimidating sight with a climb of approximately 300m in just 1km. I somehow managed to coax my tired and achy legs into one last climb to the top of Ulster.
The climb to the top of Donard is a real slog! It’s relentless and with 11.5km in my legs before starting I really felt it. In an ideal world I would have left my bag at the col and retrieved it on the way back down but this wasn’t an option with so many people around. The path is simple to follow and despite the high traffic this mountain gets I was surprised again how low impact the path management is. There are some sections that have been eroded more than others but once again the measures in place blend well with the natural environment.
I had hoped for one long last push to the top of Donard but in the end it was a series of smaller efforts while I paused to allow other walkers to descend – nothing to do with needing a breather myself of course! The one advantage of such a steep climb is that every step gains you quite a bit of height and before too long the summit was coming into view. The weather was a little breezier up top at 849m. A bank of mist was sitting just off the coast and at times clumps were drifting across to Donard before dissipating leaving it cooler than expected. Like the col below, the summit was also busy with everyone, including myself, wanting the all important summit selfie. A Dad was trying to get two little boys to sit still on the cairn for a photo but they were more interested in building a little tower on the top by balancing stones. I couldn’t help but feel that the day would have been more memorable if he had helped them instead of worrying about the Instagram moment! I gave them a bit of space and then had my own 30secs of fame as the highest person on Ulster.
It was only when I looked back at these photos at home that I realised someone had plonked an empty water bottle in the middle of the cairn! I’d already lifted another out of a nook in the wall. It never fails to amaze and annoy me how someone can carry a full bottle all the way up here but suddenly find that it’s too heavy to carry back empty! I was encouraged to hear another man making sure his young kids were being responsible with wrappers and rubbish as they had lunch in the lee of the wall out of the wind.
I spent a few minutes enjoying the views from the wide top of Donard and had a good look at the tower before heading back down. It was pretty cool on top and too busy to make it an enjoyable spot for lunch. I decided to go back to the col and head away from the bulk of the people and find a quieter spot just off the trail with a nice view across the Pot of Pulgarve, down the Glen River and into Newcastle, the last bit of my journey and the reverse of the view I had just a few hours earlier.
While sitting enjoying my lunch a very friendly but completely random American lady came up and asked me if I wanted her to take my photo. I’ve no idea what prompted this offer but I politely declined and she carried on, still smiling. It was nice to see that there are still people around that make an effort to speak to strangers and engage. I was surprised on the climb up and down Donard how few people wanted to make eye contact or even just return a smile or nod but this woman restored my faith.
The Last Stretch
Leaving the col the path drops quite steeply to where it crosses the upper reaches of the Glen River. On the way down there are a number of smaller streams and mini waterfalls burbling beside and across the path. It was nice to cross the river on simple stepping stones as much of the upper reaches of this path are graded and gravelled due to the volume of traffic it gets. I was really surprised by the numbers of people I was still meeting on this path between 3 and 4pm, all heading in the direction of Donard and lots of them seriously under dressed for any change in conditions. For some of them they were looking at a minimum of 2-3 hours just to get back to where I met them which would have been close to sunset at this time of year. The one that most shocked me though was the guy with his arm in plaster to well above his elbow. His arm was in a fixed position with his thumb sticking out straight – bonkers!
Dropping steadily the path eventually meets the edge of the forest and the river really picks up speed and strength in the ravine below and multiple waterfalls catch the eye as you descend. Walking here was relatively easy, allowing me time to reflect on the day. As well as a sense of achievement having completed this mini adventure I was also a bit sad. While the day had been incredibly tough I’d really enjoyed it and I was sad that it was almost over.
For a brief period the path diverts slightly into the trees before bending back to the banks of the river. Coming down here there was a bit of evidence in the forest below the trees of illegal dumping and abandoned rubbish and a couple of old fire rings left by people either camping or drinking in the forest. Sickening to see in such a beautiful spot and disheartening that there hasn’t been more of an attempt to remove it. I’ve just finished listening to an audiobook that features park rangers from american state parks and part of their role is dismantling illegal fire pits and camps and disposing of rubbish. Ideally it wouldn’t be there at all but I wish someone would remove it.
For the final stretch there is a choice of path going either side of the river. I decided to go the opposite side than the one I came up by and took the right bank crossing the river by the bridge. Part way down I was treated to a beautiful waterfall as the river came over the edge of a massive round rockface.
This path definitely hasn’t been graded! It was very rough with large rocks and exposed roots ready to trip a weary and unwary hiker. Thankfully I and the other walkers nearby passed through with no mishaps and before I knew it I was back in Donard Park walking on the edge of the grass to get some respite from the sharp gravelled path for my poor battered feet.
My GPS told the same tale as Paddy Dillon with an 18km trip versus the estimated 16km and I definitely felt it. The original estimation was for 6-7hrs walking but according to Strava my moving time was 5hr33min which I was very pleased to see. I had allowed 8-10hrs and was complete in 8hrs03min which was way better than I expected. In fact I passed the original 16km marker at 7hr33min.
Overall a fantastic walk, one that really challenged me and most likely my hardest hike so far but incredibly rewarding. I can see why so many people return to the Mournes time and again and this definitely won’t be my only visit. Since the day of the hike I already have two other similar routes planned and mapped out!
This is a long walk and I’ve decided to break it up into two posts. The first is below and the second will follow in a day or two.
A few weeks ago I came up with an idea to head to the Mourne Mountains for a day hike. Up until now the closest I’d gotten to this was an aborted plan from at least 5 years ago, to do the same, that was cancelled due to poor weather and never revisited. In fact it may have been this event appearing in my Facebook memories that triggered a renewed interest.
I reached out to a couple of friends for advice and did a bit of research on Mountainviews.ie and came up with a route that was 16km in length and with an intimidating 1200m of elevation gain. By complete coincidence I found out afterwards that this is one of Paddy Dillion’s recommended Mournes routes! It was probably good that I found this out after, rather than before, as the actual distance was 18km which might have put me off!
The route can be viewed on Outdoor Active but essentially takes in 5 summits including Slieve Donard (849m), the highest summit in Ulster, and Slieve Commedagh (767m) the second highest summit in the Mourne Mountains range.
From home to the start of the walk is approximately 2.5hrs driving and the estimated time for the walk was 6-7hrs. Allowing for breaks I estimated 8-10hrs so decided it made more sense to drive up the night before and sleep in the back of the van overnight to get a decent sleep and still get an early start to get home at a decent time. This made even more sense as my original plan for the walk was on a Sunday so I’d be finishing work in Omagh on the Saturday night and already 40min closer to Newcastle. In the end up that date was cancelled due to a bad storm on the Sunday. With the sudden death of Queen Elizabeth I ended up having a two-day weekend due to the Bank Holiday on Monday for her funeral. This worked really well as I was able to organise and pack on Sunday, leave home about 4:30pm and get to the parking spot before dark.
Vanlife
My initial idea was to try and park up in Newcastle at Donard Park which is where the route starts. However, advice from some friends was not to park in the centre of town and instead to use one of the actual camping spots. The two recommended were Meelmore Lodge and Tollymore Forest. The former came recommended by a number of people but £10 for a simple park up seemed a little bit expensive and reviews on TripAdvisor about a pushy owner, dirty facilities and noisy groups put me off. The latter was £20 for a night and at 20mins away didn’t seem like good value this time. The last recommendation was the one I went with. It was a car park in Kilbroney Forest, on the outskirts of Rostrevor, and only 25 min from Newcastle according to Google. My friend stayed there a couple of times in a car and had no problems so I figured that was good enough for me.
I arrived just before dark and only one other car was there, at the far end of a very large car park totally surrounded by a mature forest plantation and with a nice view out over Rostrevor town. Loads of picnic benches made it an ideal spot for parking and cooking my dinner.
As darkness fell a number of cars came and went and one car stayed around while a few others came to speak with him for a period of time. I have a feeling it may have been the local dealer but they were well away from me and paid me no heed so I ignored them also.
Despite nerves in the days leading up to the weekend I slept well. A noisy car woke me briefly at 1:30am and my bladder again at 3am but I had a good night’s sleep despite parking on a bit of a slope! There is a good surface in the back of the van, plenty of space and my sleeping mat and sleeping bags were plenty warm enough. The alarm woke me at 6am and I decided to head for Newcastle, have breakfast in the car park there and use the toilet facilities before starting my walk.
For some reason Google decided to send me by the coastal road which took almost 45min but I was fed, changed and ready to go by 7:30am. Unfortunately I had to delay my start until 8am for the timer locks on the toilet block to open and allow me in.
On the way over I passed another car park at a place called Bloody Bridge. I was specifically warned against using this place to overnight but passing by there were at least 3 campers there and the toilets seemed to be open at 7am. If I go back again I may consider using this spot as it is much more convenient but not as quiet, being on a busy road. In Donard Park there were also a couple of tents pitched up but I don’t know if this is officially permitted and chargeable as there were no signs either way.
While waiting for the toilets to open a few other vehicles arrived and some people were heading up the trail to the hills already which didn’t help my natural impatience. When I eventually got started the trail headed along the edge of Donard Park (past the aforementioned tents) and straight into the forest. The trail follows the noisy Glen River all the way to the col between Commedagh and Donard and this is a very picturesque scene with multiple waterfalls, narrow ravines and bridges. The trail is heavily travelled with many tree roots visible above ground, polished and hardened by thousands of feet. Exposed rocks combine with the roots to make footing tricky as the trail starts to rise pretty much straight away.
Commedagh
At the first large bridge the main trail crosses and heads up the left side of the river towards Donard but I took the right side into the trees and towards Commedagh and the trail gradually becomes a track. At a tumble down wall in the woods the track bears right and steepens considerably, showing evidence of bicycle tracks from what must be maniac MTB riders descending through the trees. At the edge of the trees an old wall is climbed by a rickety looking stile. Thankfully the gate was gone and I didn’t have to risk my neck climbing over it.
Out of the trees and I was on the side of the hill proper climbing along fairly clear tracks that headed straight up draining energy from my legs, leaving me breathless and my heart rate rocketing. The climb to the fairly flat Shan Slieve at just over 670m was brutal. It was approximately 2km with 400m of climbing and took me the best part of an hour. Climbing up this slope was a real shock. I knew the day was going to be hard but I didn’t really expect it to be that tough and definitely not so soon. I was seriously worried about my fitness and ability to continue the rest of the day. I’d only come 4km and it had taken me almost an hour and a half! Resting at the top and trying to bring my heart rate to something more reasonable it suddenly dawned on me to check the elevation on my GPS. It sounds stupid now but I had forgotten that I was climbing from sea level to that height of 670m and that this first 4km was over 50% of my total elevation gain for the whole day. As my heart rate slowly dropped below the red line and I sat enjoying the view out over Newcastle I began to feel better about the rest of the day.
The approach from the flat top of Shan Slieve to Commedagh was amazing. It’s another 100m of elevation but on a much more gentle incline and along a narrow feeling ridge with views across to Donard on one side and deeper into the Mournes on the other. The ridge curves around gently before rising to the large dome of Commedagh and is known as the Pot of Pulgarve. The Glen River and the trail to Donard is clear to be seen and on such a still day I could hear walkers on this path as they talked to each other over the sound of the rushing river.
As you climb the side of the hill the large cairn (reportedly an ancient burial cairn) slowly appears on the top of Commedagh and I also got my first real view of The Mourne Wall and a clear view of the top of Donard across the col. Time for a proper rest and a chance to soak in the views.
Walking the Wall
I’ve heard a lot about the Mourne Wall and seen plenty of photos of it but I wasn’t prepared for just how amazing it was in real life – it’s huge! I was aware of the length (31km) but wasn’t prepared for just how substantial it is. It’s 1.5m tall and almost 1m wide. It’s constructed from large square cut granite stones, crosses 15 of the highest summits in the area and took approximately 18 years to build from 1923! It’s mind boggling to be truthful.
The wall was now to be my handrail for the rest of my journey as far as Hare’s Gap. As I approached from the cairn on Commedagh there was a large crossing stile but seeing a group of walkers this side of the wall I decided not to cross and followed it along and off the steep side of Commedagh. Along the way I passed some amazing rock features above the Pot of Legawherry and the sun started to appear.
After the steep descent there was a short climb back up along the wall leading towards Slieve Corragh. Trying to locate the summit on the ground from the location on my GPS I realised that I should have crossed the wall back on Commedagh! With my toe wedged in a nook in the wall I was able to peer over and see the summit cairn about 30m away. Thankfully nobody was around to see my undignified scramble up, and over the 1.5m wall. It wasn’t pretty and that granite is unforgiving on bare skin! After all that, the summit cairn was simple. No burial site this time as it was a much smaller collection of stones to mark this 640m summit that seemed small with its bigger neighbours looming all around. The top of Corragh gave me my first views of the mirror calm Ben Crom Reservoir that I’ve seen many a time in a Gerry McVeigh YouTube video as well as a good impression of the rest of the circuit around to my destination above Hare’s Gap. Off in the distance was the hugely impressive and craggy summit tors of Slieve Bearnagh
Leaving Corragh the clear path undulated along the wall before dropping down into a small col. The ground remained dry but significantly eroded in sections with the odd damp spot but nothing like what I’m used to at home. Climbing back out of the col I came to the first of two summits – Slievenaglogh East Top (575m). This is a reasonably undistinguished rock outcrop just beside the wall. Unfortunately it was once again on the other side of the wall! Not being a purist I decided that at less than 10m away and on the same elevation I was close enough as it was obvious that if I crossed the wall I would need to cross back again for the main summit. Mentally I ticked the box and mosied on.
One last small push was to bring me to the top of the main summit of Slievenaglogh at 586m and marked by another substantial cairn where two other walkers were having a lunch break. The summit of Slievenaglogh is covered with extensive rocky areas which give the mountain its Irish name of Sliabh na gCloch ‘mountain of the stones/rocks’. In one of these rocky areas I got enough shelter from the slight breeze that had appeared to set up my stove for tea and a much deserved lunch break at what I figured was almost the halfway point. Sitting looking across at craggy Slieve Bearnagh I couldn’t imagine a better spot.
the idle cyclist 