Chan Weng Kit's Blogspot: DAY 324/325

Jul 22 & 23

1) This weekend, we had one goal in mind: climb Mt. Brandon. The ninth highest peak in Ireland (953m), Mt. Brandon is located in County Kerry, in the middle of a high ridge (sometimes called the Brandon Group) which runs north-south for 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) across the peninsula. So after the debate on Friday afternoon, I joined the RCSI Climbing and Mountaineering Club for the bus ride to Co. Kerry. We got there later than expected due to an unforeseen road closure. By the time we reached, it was past midnight and raining too, so a good night's sleep was all that I wanted.

2) Morning came soon enough, and we went downstairs for breakfast. Our lovely hostess, Mary, helped prepare coffee/ tea for the guests, while we had an assortment of cereals and toast for breakfast. Afterwards, we packed our lunch with us, before embarking on the 8.5km scenic route up the mountain. It was a leisurely walk to the car park near the Faha Grotto, after which the surface became less even and more muddy.

3) After a gradual gain in height, we had to continue along a winding path of the ridges, all the while soaking in the stunning glaciated valley full of lakes, waterfalls and impressive towering known as the Paternoster or Coumaknock Loughs. Once out of the valley, it was a steep, final push up to the Col, where a sign that read "Descent" indicated a huge milestone for us. From then on, we continued with a relatively easy (key word being relatively) walk to the summit, where a large cross stood, marking the end of the pilgrimage route called Cosán na Naomh ("The Saints Road").

4) Following a fine lunch at the peak, we began our descent. By now, the initially foggy weather had cleared, and the Sun shone magnificently, leading to some breathtaking photos. We completed our hike by around 4pm, after which we returned to our hostel. Not content with that fine achievement, some of us headed off to Cappagh Beach, around 2.2km from our hostel. While some of us had a game of beach football, others took a dip in the icy cold water, and I - I just buried my feet in sand XD

5) The evening was a fine feast, consisting of burritos with all the fixings - rice, beans, meat and cheese, coordinated by Head Chef Nick. Massive shoutout to everyone who had a hand in prepping and cooking the ingredients; twas as good a meal as ever I've had. After dinner, some of us played card games while the rest (myself included) retired for the night. It had been an awesome journey, and words can't put it to justice, so hopefully the pictures below can.

6) This morning, we woke up for breakfast as usual. After a bit of dilly-dallying, we took the bus back to Dublin, stopping at the famous "Barack Obama Plaza" at Co. Offaly for lunch. The rain and overall gloomy weather made me glad that we didn't trek up the mountain today. Anyway, we reached The Swan Pub, Dublin at around 5.00pm. That has been my weekend trip, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. In case you didn't get my earlier hints, do scroll all the way down for some really wonderful pictures of the whole trip, brought to you by my trusty Samsung. Thanks very much for visiting, and have a great day. Cheers!