Curraheen Circuit 26/09/2006

Met Bairbre at Curraheen Church at 09.30hrs and headed up the track to the waterworks. We stopped to have a look at what was once a lovely building but is now starting to crumble. It was built in 1879 to supply water to the town of Tralee and continued in use until about 1980. It was fed by the Curraheen river.

We left the waterworks and headed for the hard climb to Knockauncorragh. Mist was now starting to creep in around us and by the time we reached Glenbrack the mist was well down.

At Gormagh the map and compass had to come out to guide us to the start of the climb to Baurtregaum. It was now raining heavily and by the time we reached the top we were soaked. A quick bite to eat and change into dry tops (not that it made much differance as we were as wet in a few minutes) - ten minutes in all. We dialled in forty-four degrees on the compass and started down. Too wet for a photo on top. As we decended the rain stopped and the mist began to clear.

We had one more look at the waterworks and continued to the cars, ariving at 14.30 hrs. For training purposes I took a full rack of gear and felt it very much on the climb to Baurtregaum.

Carrauntoohil 10/09/2006

Five of us gathered at Lisleibane at 08.45 hrs to climb Pipet's Ridge - Andy, Margaret,Barbara, Siobhan, and myself. Andy arrived in a large red Ford Transit van. He was using it to move house. We set off, well laden with gear, for the top of the Heavenly Gates, where we planned to kit out. On arrival we discovered there would be no Pipet's today - high wind and wet rock would make the scramble dangerous.

Carrauntoohil was decided upon and we headed up a rocky and stony climb, eventually reaching a damp and dreary top. A quick meal and we decided to split - Andy and Siobhan descending via O'Sheas and Margaret, Bairbre, and myself by the Zig Zags from Toinne. At this point Andy introduced his walkie-talkies - giving one to us - and we tried them out on the way down, communicating with each other.

I found the climb of Toinne hard with a full rack of gear in the sack. On reaching the Hags Glen we went left and decended by the stream that flows into Loch Gabhrach - a lovely decent - and a little on we met Andy and Siobhan. We reached the cars at 15.00hrs, all happy after a good day.