And then Lugnaquilla

Whole track 42 miles

Hiking part: 6.8 miles there and back

I passed the access point (trail head) on my way back from Keadeen and, after checking the map, this sparked enough interest to do it.  My cycle route was similar, and I parked the bike at Ballinabarney Gap and set off. It was Sunday afternoon and I met several other hikers including a couple possibly older that 1, which was kind of encouraging.

Kelsha Bridge over Slaney

A cool place to swim (literally)

On the way there, and again on the way home, I stopped for a swim in the Slaney River.  Why not, I asked myself? After all I'm here to enjoy myself.

My photos follow, or if you prefer a Google Album go here.

The access point / trail head

Looking back climbing Ballineddan 704m

The goal before me 

Slievemaan summit 811m

Looking back to Keadeen

Lugnaquilla, two hikers coming over the crest

From the summit

Others were there

Mostly kitted up

Turlough Hill somewhere in the distance

A thingy to tell what you're looking at

The military warning sign

Returning

Goodbye Lugnaquilla

Hackpen Hill and wild swimming

My goal: to top my other recent Willand runs, scale Hackpen Hill and return via Culm valley for its beauty and a wild swim.

Hackpen Hill and its footpaths to Culmstock (top left)

My track: 14.2 miles, elevation gain 533m, average moving 5.46mph

Hackpen Hill was a bit disappointing but the descent and over-fields footpaths to Culmstock satisfied. I love running bare foot through grassy fields. Warm rain would have heightened the experience but you can't have everything.

The River Culm is the longest tributary to the River Exe and is responsible for place names Uffculme, Culmstock, Cullompton, Culm Davy and such like. And it flows past Willand hence my attraction.

River Culm catchment - I swam somewhere inside the yellow circle

As usual, my pictures are in reverse chronological order and can be clicked to enlarge.

My wild swimming hole (exact location secret)

Why is it called (naked) wild swimming? It makes swimming pools sound like the norm which I strongly contest because surely swimming in lakes, rivers and the sea came first. And anyway I hate swimming pools.  Kate Rew, who hails from the River Culm area, author of Wild Swim, would be proud of me.

Hunkin Wood thingummy

and the poem thereon by Elizabeth Rapp

Water meadow between Uffculme and Culmstock

River Culm at Culmstock

Culmstock parish church

Wondrous grassy footpath to Culmstock

The footpath took me past this neat thatched cottage

Footpath and style to next field

More footpath with Culmstock in the distance

Steep descent from Hackpen Hill

View from Hackpen Hill summit

Early morning milking procession

Was it all a dream?

I run habitually three or four times a week and only comment here if the run is exceptionable: that usually means of significantly more than usual length. But this morning the length was moderate.

When the water level is low as it is at the moment due to the drought, the lake shore here boasts a Very Muddy Place . As intimated elsewhere I like to mess in mud and when done I bathe and wash it all off again. I then ran partly along the shore, partly by road to the Place where I can swim, the location of which must remain strictly secret otherwise it wouldn't be. And then back home.

So what's the deal?  What was exceptional was that, this morning, I was able to run at top speed virtually the whole course. How so? Perhaps because I took a dip early on: nothing like a dip to kick start the body. Perhaps because it had rained lightly during the night which makes hard surfaces softer to run barefoot on, and soft sand more compacted and thus easier to run on. Perhaps just because. But for whatever reason it was wonderful, so much so that I had to pinch myself to prove that I wasn't dreaming.

Or perhaps I was dreaming...

Switzerland run #3

I travelled anticlockwise, total 12.1 miles

My third barefoot run was on Monday morning, after purchasing stocks of Swiss chocolate at Denners and figuring out how to store my homeward boarding passes on my phone-less Smart. The primary goal was to investigate the wooded hills overlooking Zürich. The first hill I aimed for is apparently called Käferberg at 571m. The lake is 406m above sea level so not much of a hill, but worth exploring all the same.

Whilst seeking an entrance to the network of wanderwegs covering the hills I found myself at a dead end facing a boar. I hastily retraced my steps.

A boring photo

From near the Käferberg summit looking NW

Lake Zurich in the distance

A mill on the Limmat

Hill'ed out, the next place of interest was the river. Whereas others may go to cities to ogle at buildings or spend money in shops and restaurants. I wanted to explore the Werdinsel island between the mill race in my photo and the Limmat proper, but there was no bridge on this side and by the time I had ran further to find the first bridge I was tired enough to give it a miss. Having checked it out since, I wish I had, because the island includes the Flussbad Au-Höngg a public swimming area apparently renowned for naked swimming.  Not that I would particularly want to swim naked in company.

Crossing the Limmat by footbridge

Handy boardwalk avoided the sharp stony footpaths

Bridge over Limmat to Werdinsel island

Whilst I agree that Switzerland is tops when it comes to public transport and its amazing network of signposted wanderwegs, I have this much against them - many of the paths are dressed with sharp stones that do not make my feet happy.

River'ed out the next point of interest was the railway. My route had been vaguely planned to cross over the railway rather than under it as in the outward journey, and I was not disappointed. According to Wikipedia Switzerland not only has the world's most dense railway network but it is also world leader of kilometres travelled per inhabitant and year. The gauge is standard.

Looking towards Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich HB)

Ditto, a bit further across the bridge

Ditto, even further across the bridge

And a map of what we are looking at...

Not the double slip in the second photo and, generally, the gentle radius on all the points - as precise as a Swiss watch!

Kate's apartment - imagine Swiss cheese on the table

On returning to the apartment Kate was there waiting for me having managed to skip work somehow. So after refuelling with Swizz cheese and bread we walked together to the lake. But pictures from that walk will have to wait for another post.