OK, the song has little to do with today's post other than a tenous link to my hill walking yesterday when for a few short hours, as English/Scottish as I am, I was an Irish rover on my first hill walking expedition in County Donegal.
My mate Declan took a day off of work, drove up from Dublin and we headed for Mamore Gap in Donegal from where we struck out in to the Urris Hills. The day was glorious, too hot for walking in truth, a fact that struck home later.
The initial climb out of the Gap was hard work and reminded me of how unfit I am. Declan seemed to find it a bit easier, despite being a big man, but then he is a fair bit younger than me and gets to the gym from time to time. The effort was worth every puff though because when we made the ridge we were like a pair of High Kings, our lands laid out below us, the views impossibly perfect.
After walking the ridge for a couple of hours we scrambled down a scree strewn hillside towards the strand at Crummie's Bay, beneath the old fort at Dunree. We lunched here. It was about 2.30 pm.
After our lunch, which included the now obligatory rich fruit cake with a slice of Wensleydale cheese, we walked across the strand and tried to find a way up to the fort but were thwarted in our none-too-persistent efforts. I started to feel a bit "peely-wally" at this point and additionally my sweat was washing suncream in to my right eye - an increasingly painful experience forcing me to walk with one eye closed.
Turning around we started to retrace our steps but I was finding the climb back up from the beach a real struggle and Dec took charge of the situation. Rightly summizing that I had a touch of heat exhaustion he selflessy doused me in his own precious drinking water and made the decision that we would walk back around on the road to our cars. I'm pretty sure that I would have got us in to difficulties had I kept climbing (and there were several hundred metres of ascent left ahead of us). By now, even the road walking was a struggle for me and Dec went on ahead whilst I flopped beneath the shade of a tree. From somewhere I got a little second wind after this and managed to get a fair way back towards the car park before Dec returned in his car to where I was having a rest in a hedgerow, his air con on full blast - what a top bloke!
Once returned to civilisation I recovered pretty quickly thank goodness, although my eye remained very sore and even this morning still isn't quite settled. Needless to say, I've drunk plenty of fluids and slept like a baby - one with aching legs and a painful eye!
So what do I think of my day? I think that Donegal is a gem of a place for walking. I also think that I need to start taking my fitness seriously again. Most of all I think that I couldn't wish for a better pal than Declan...the REAL Irish Rover.
sula36
wow, looks lovely, and surprisingly empty