Las doce uvas de la suerte

It's New Year's eve and tonight there is an extra second which I plan to enjoy in bed fast asleep, whilst others here are doing the Spanish thing of eating 12 grapes las doce uvas de la suerte one a second up to the New Year. Or maybe on this occasion they will need 13 grapes.

This afternoon the intrepid barefoot runner went exploring. Always looking for new routes I figured there were several untried tracks at the top of the pass to Donard so, instead of my usual climb of Church Mountain, I turned left. My track is at the end of the photos below. Stats: 16.96 miles, average speed moving 5.4 mph, max altitude 506m.

The ascent to the pass, looking back north towards Hollywood

Having turned left, looking south towards Donard

Having turned left the track skirted around Corriebracks (an allusive summit I tried to reach before but failed) and down to a saddle where I left the track and struck out downhill cross country - mainly long grass and heather so not so bad under foot - until I reached a forestry track which took me to Corragh (pronounced Crock) where I followed the narrow lane back to the Wicklow Gap road.

In places this track was knee deep in peaty mud

Having just joined the Corragh forestry track

Here (on the right) is where the track meets the single-track road

And this is the single track road in Corragh

Note the grassy bit in the middle of the road especially for barefoot runners. If I had my way all roads would be like this.

Eventually I pass through Valleymount and so over the lake

The whole circuit, just short of 17 miles

Detail showing the new territory hitherto unexplored

Unusually I met several walkers. The first was a die hard hiker who was descending from Donard pass as I ascended. The second was a dog walker from Baltinglass who had, sadly, just lost his golden labrador and asked me to look out for it. Look out I did, but to no avail. The last was a dog walker along the Corragh lane, whose dog was very affectionate.