What started out as pretty awful weather for this walk turned out to be an absolute scorcher of a day in absolutely stunning weather. The day had started overcast with very low cloud that gave a fine mist to everywhere. After parking at Breanlee I headed steeply up the hillside on a concrete track and soon I was into the clouds. After a turn to the right the track levelled off and moved across the hillside over varying surfaces and around the hillside to cross a stream and follow it to a dam. With the weather warming as the sun tried to break through the clouds I crossed the dam and started to climb steeply up the hillside through heather and over rocks. Halfway up to the western top of Skregmore I got a shock as I looked to my right and saw a mountain top poking through the clouds. Within minutes more mountains revealed themselves to me as the clouds continued to break with blue sky soon appearing above me.
Eagerly I continued to climb the steep slope, wearing myself out as I rushed up onto the hilltop. Before me was a thermal inversion with dense clouds filling the valleys and clear blue skies overhead. With great enthusiasm I made my way along the ridge towards the central top of Skregmore while gazing out over the clouds and marvelling at the Brocken Spectres that could be seen on the clouds far below. I had always heard about these rainbow-like optical illusions but never before had I seen one for myself. I felt very privileged. After passing over Skregmore I passed Beenkeragh on its north edge and headed across to the minor top of Knockbrinnea. I was following the walk as detailed in Paddy Dillon’s “The Mountains of Ireland” which attempts to visit every mountain and top above two thousand feet in Ireland. The consequence of this was that insignificant tops like Knockbrinnea were being bagged, however this one afforded me with stunning views across Hags Glen and towards MacGillycuddy’s Reeks which were appearing behind the lifting clouds. Most stunning of all was the sight of the cross atop the highest mountain in Ireland, Carrauntoohil, surrounded by a sea of clouds.
After Knockbrinnea had been bagged I headed back across to Beenkeragh, the second highest mountain in Ireland, climbing steeply over the rocks up to the summit. While eating my lunch the clouds continued to lift from the valleys with the views changing with each passing moment. After eating I climbed down from the top and headed across the narrow, exposed ridge to Carrauntoohil. This was an exciting and thrilling crossing, especially as I tried to keep to the top of the ridge as much as possible. The ridge starts quite easily but later gets quite technical with some rather tough scrambling necessary around a small top on the ridge. It was great fun to climb over and I really enjoyed every moment of it. With the views getting better and better as the clouds lifted and crossing exciting, narrow ridges this was quickly becoming a very good mountain walk.
Once the ridge was crossed I headed up to the top of Carrauntoohil, the highest hill in Ireland, where the views were quite simply amazing. Only after I had had enough of the views did I head towards the southern ridge of the Coumloughra Horseshoe, across to Caher. While enjoying the narrow, if simplistic ridge I was frustrated by a mist that was now drifting in off the sea. The mist fortunately didn't last very long, but it had done its worst in obstructing my views while I was on Caher. With no more tops left I resignedly began the long descent down to the bottom of the valley. The mist cleared while I was descending and by the time I was at the valley floor the sun had come back out to reveal impressive views of the whole horseshoe ridge. The last section of the walk involved a boggy crossing back to the dam before I could finally follow the track back to the road. This was a truly great walk, in great weather.
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