antonalyptic: hiking barefoot

20190618

Mullaghcleevaun new route

There are some forestry tracks on the left just before the final ascent to the Wicklow Gap on the R756 heading Eastwards. The challenge was to make it to Mullaghcleevaun from home in an afternoon on bike and barefoot. Because of the off-paved-road segments I thankfully rode my old bike up to the summit of these forestry tracks (red arrow on map), then headed on foot.

The interesting part of my track

Distance on bike 21 miles roundtrip, elevation gain 498m
Distance on foot 6.6 miles roundtrip, elevation gain 407m

It was hardly running - too much boggy peat for that. Surprisingly I met two hiking parties. The chief guy on the second party stopped to talk with me. I was dressed in running shorts, period. He was dressed in typical hiking gear, boots and walking sticks. He asked me if I was all right. He repeated - was I sure I was all right? I suppose we come for different universes.

On the return journey I mounted my bike and careered down the steep forestry track only to find that its sharp stones had punctured my rear tyre. I had no repair tools so was forced to ride the rest of the way home on the rim. And at that point it started raining... I made it home a little later than planned.

I had a spare inner tube at home, so the bike is now operational again - the rim (being steel) was not badly damaged and I was even able to re-use the outer tyre, though I would not recommend going any great distance on the bike now. Its main use, now I have a decent road bike, is for getting around the farm here. As usual you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

The ridge trail soon after leaving my bike, towards Tonalagee

Same, looking towards where I left the bike

Much of the ridge is peat like this

With wet bits

Mullaghcleevaun summit

Wet on the top too

Lough Cleevaun from high above

A bit to the right and Mullaghcleevaun East Top

20160918

Mullaghcleevaun wild camp barefoot

If time is measured in ticks, I am older. Two weeks ago I had done a barefoot "run" over the nearby mountains Silsean and Moanbane and had complained of waste high heather and shoulder high ferns. During that "run" I had looked longingly at Mullaghcleevaun but time did not permit. Over the next couple of days I extracted several deer ticks and waited to see if there were more or if I had contracted Lyme disease. Thus no more mountain trekking for a while: but two weeks later I appear to still be well and figured this was a long enough embargo so, having carefully consulted the mountain weather forecast I decided at the last moment to do an overnight, but avoiding tall vegetation. Did I enjoy it? I enjoyed the trekking but the camping bit... I think I prefer a house and a warm bed and home cooked food!

I took sandals with me in case of emergency but did not use them. There are many areas where it is hard to avoid sinking ankle deep, sometimes further, in muddy peat. Barefoot is so much simpler in such cases, although I will admit that some of the grass was quite sharp the feel.

The first part of my track followed my route two weeks ago as far as Silsean. Only now I had a back-pack and that steep ascent from Ballyknockan was hard work. Then I skirted around Moanbane, across Billy Byrne's Gap and thus to Mullaghcleevan Lough. Which is as beautiful a place as you might care to imagine.

Saturday going 9.5 miles, elevation gain 782m

I started out after lunch on Saturday and arrived at my destination a bit before 18:00 hours, set camp, went for a quick swim (as one does) in the lough, phoned home to say I was alive, and cooked "dinner" on Chris's camp stove. Bacon, rice and a stock cube washed down with cider, followed by Irish CDM for pudding.

Arrival detail Cleevaun lough

The detail map shows a bit of the return journey, my Android having decided to reboot just 10 minutes after leaving. The night was fitful - in spite of vast numbers of clothing layers I was cold. Having to get up to relieve myself several times was an accomplishment in itself and didn't help. But eventually dawn arrived. I finally woke at 05:50 hours when it was just beginning to get light.

Sunday morning return 4.7 miles

After a cosy lie-in till 06:15, I got extricated myself from the sleeping bag, went out and tried to warm up by running in circles. During this exercise of limited success I discovered there was another tent nearby. Strange, I had not seen or heard anyone else.

In order to get home, have a shower and make myself presentable before our Sunday meeting at 10:00 hours I was obliged to break camp by 07:00 hours, so I quickly fried the remaining bacon and stuffed it into a dry crust of bread I had brought for the purpose (next time I must butter the bread) and forced it down with some water. Now ready to leave I first took some photos and discovered that the "tent" was in fact a rock!

Ali thankfully met me as arranged on the road down to Lacken and we made it to the meeting on time. Hence, in the map, the track petering out. So far I haven't found any ticks.

You can enlarge my pictures by clicking on them.