Wee Binnians, part two
As mentioned, I am in Warrenpoint, where the Newry River meets Carlingford Lough. To my east is the Kingdom of Mourne, a range of granite mountains, while a stone's throw south is the Republic of Ireland.
I am here to hike and hike I did, beginning Saturday morning. I am here for the Wee Binnians Hiking Festival, an annual September weekend. I did the High Mournes hike, which starts by going up Happy Valley to Slieve Meelbeg, 2300 feet. Happy Valley so called because of the singing of the Cornish miners who came prospecting for silver and lead. This is the view as you start up Meelbeg.
Down to a saddle then up Slieve Meelmore and down into Hare's Gap. The Mourne Wall snaking its way all over the mountains.
In theory I would edit my photos on my phone before uploading – some of them are a bit dark. But I took so many photos, I'm struggling to figure which to edit and which are the edited ones to upload. Tech always my foe.
We hiked around (not over) the very difficult Slieve Bernagh to ascend Slievenaglogh before going down once again and then back up Slieve Commedagh, which is over 2,500 feet.
I'm pretty sure these photos are out of order, if anyone is checking.
Below is Silent Valley, so named because once they dynamited the valley to create the reservoir the birds and their songs deserted the valley. Slieve Bernagh on the right.
Up and down, up and down. We did 15.7 kilometres in seven hours, with maybe 90 minutes of down time? Total ascent of over 3300 feet, which is about twice what I'll do per day in Kilimanjaro, although there I'll be short on oxygen. Did I mention I'm going to Kilimanjaro in December? Hence the need to put in the miles. For me, miles = smiles so not a hardship.
Can't remember if I tried to brighten the one below. It wasn't this dark in real life. The weather was mostly brilliant – wind often at our back and not much rain.
The photo below is from early in the hike so these are all messed up. As someone who is hopelessly linear, this is doing my head in. But I have hopefully conveyed the beauty of the Mournes.
When I say hiking is not a hardship, I should note that I am generally miserable for the last 45 minutes or hour. Legs like jelly, danger of slipping, just trudging until I get to the bus, which never seems to get closer. The price you pay for a day far away from roads and cars and houses.
Aside from being surrounded by spectacular beauty, I also find happiness in meeting other hikers. Always an interesting group. One of my favourite characters from the Wee Binnians Hiking Group is its founder, Veronica. I actually didn't meet her but I saw her at the after-hike dinner. I heard all about her from other members. She's in her 80s and still leads a group of people recovering from various challenges, people who can enjoy the lower Mournes. She started the group in the 1980s to help women be comfortable hiking and to lead hikes. She said she didn't want to follow any man up a mountain. She got funding to make it a cross-community group (Catholic and Protestant) and a cross-border group. What a woman.
Anyway, it is now Sunday. The weather forecast for today was dire – and accurate – so I didn't go back into the Mournes today. Instead, I wrote three blog posts! I'm in a lovely BnB and am enjoying letting the wind and rain lash the place while I am cozy.
14 Sept.