The Irish Tick List

Back here at The Cottage, feeling exhausted and dazed from a summer of adventure travels, it's been nice to sit back and have a look through some of the highlights and achievements from our time spent in Ireland this summer. Sifting and sorting through the photos is always a good way to stave off the inevitable 'expedition blues' that try to creep in after any such extended trip away. If you're thinking of travelling on the west coast of Ireland, this should whet your appetite..

 Swims:

• Bray Promenade
• Glendalough, Wicklow, at Sunset
• Wine Strand, Dingle
• Laogh Leane
• Clare Island (x2)
• Silver Strand, Galway 
• Barna Beachfront, Galway (x2)

Climbs:

Glendalough Main Cliff:

 - Prelude / Nighmare, Vs (4b,4a,4c)**

- Crack in the Garden of Eden, HVS (5a)***

Dunshean Head Climb:

- Banana Split, VS (4c)*** (probably 4b!)

- Openers, S (4a)*

- Thievery, HS (4b)**

- Panache, HS (4b)***

- Deliverance, VS (4c)*** - amazing!

Carrauntoohil East Face: 

- Howling Ridge (V.Diff)***

The Burren:

- Genesis, HS (4b)*

Barna Bouldering

Hikes:

• Glenmalure (searching for a way onto Great Gully Ridge!)
• Mount Brandon (953m)
• Carrauntoohil (1038m)
• Strickeen Mountain (440m)
• Gap of Dunloe
• Cliffs of Moher
• Crough Patrick 
• Clare Island

Surfing:

• Inchydoney, Cork
• Long Strand, Cork
• Hidden Beach (near Wine Strand), Dingle (x2)
• Brandon Bay (west beach)
• Inch Beach

Snorkelling:

• Lough Hyne, Cork (didn't see much!)
• Coral Beach, Galway (saw 'the shark!')

Sea Kayaking:

• Roundstones Bay

Following a month of travel, followed by a whirlwind family tour, at the moment, we've both been too exhausted to even consider doing anything other than hang out at The Cottage and rest, so it's made for a nice return to life here. While sorting, cleaning and packing away from the summer travels, its been good to relive and remember some of the highlights of a life on the road and some quality van living...

 

Meeting of the Martins

We managed a couple of nights at The Cottage before moving on again... 

There was just about enough time to unpack, wash clothes, clean the van and generally catch up on some sleep before setting off to Fort Martin for a family gathering. Managed to trim the side lawn, but the front 'meadow' was too daunting to take on without sufficient prior rest!

It was a beautiful home coming, even if it was a short lived one.

On Saturday morning, we were on the road just after 5am, to avoid any Bank Holiday traffic.

Which did give us a nice sun rise and empty roads for our efforts.

The Bank Holiday weekend passed in a blur of eating, drinking, archery, football and general family merriment as arms of the Martin clan descended on Fort Martin for a long overdue catch up with some of these characters. Lovely stuff.

A Day in Bray

Took our final swim in the sea at the promenade in Bray on a beautiful still, warm morning.

It was great to be able to finish the summers travels with Barney and Sinead, with whom we'd started off with a month ago. A final celebratory ice cream in the sunshine and we were ready to be on the move again. Tired and happy.

The ferry crossing was on a much smaller boat this time, but there was plenty of space onboard.

Three and a half hours later, the port of Holyhead came into view and we were back on familiar terrain. There was a haze over the mountains as we arrived back at The Cottage feeling completely zonked... Ireland had been good to us....what an adventure...it was nice to be home.

Rock Climbing at Glendalough

The lake at Glendalough was looking incredible when we woke up and crawled out of the van. It was going to be a stunner of a day. This is another climbing area that my university friend, Daragh, had told me about years ago. I've been bouldering and hiking here on two previous occasions, but never managed to get to climb some of the classic routes. Today was our day and conditions could not have been better for our first routes here and final Irish climbs for the summer. 

No one gets up early in Ireland, so we enjoyed the walk up though the woods, feeling like we were in a pristine wilderness.

This time, we left the gentle tourist path and had a vauge path that took up steeply up to the base of the imposing granite tower. As we reached the base of the rock, I stripped off to my pants to cool down. Surveying the view back to the lake, we saw Barney making his way up to us at Olympic speed. He was up with us in no time, so we climbed as a sociable team of three. Naturally, we had the crag to ourselves.

Clare led the first pitch up the slaby base of the crag.

And we followed up to join her on a hanging stance.

Barney was up next and we joined him at the 'Nightmare Ledge', where there was just enough room for the three of us to sit. 

I was sent up the final corners, with encouragement from those left on the ledge.

This is us hanging off the 'nightmare ledge' - it felt like a minature Yosemite!

Clare joined me at the top, followed shortly after by Barney.

After an abseil down from a wire anchor, 'we' decided that 'I' should lead up a route called Cracks of the Garden of Eden. It seemed okay, so I set off feeling good. However, from the ground, I couldn't see the steep top section that seemed to go on forever! I was running sort of gear and had used my last extender by the time I pulled thankfully over the top onto horizontal ground. It had been a testing lead - physically and mentally! We all congratulated ourselves before making a long 50m abseil back to the bags. After that route, we decided to head for home! My arms were spent.

Brews at the van and a bit of a tidy up ensued, then we drove to Bray, near Dublin where we had a really lovely night with Barney, Sam and Sinead, who we'd started the trip with in Barna thirty days ago! A great last night in Ireland!

Glendalough Climbs:

- Prelude / Nighmare, Vs (4b,4a,4c)**

- Crack in the Garden of Eden, HVS (5a)***