Mayo knees

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] writes

Quoted message said:

One shepherd was a real WOMBL* inviting me into his home for
tea and even offering his settee for the night - whilst elsewhere you
get signs saying 'No hillwalkers welcome'.

* Welcome on my beautiful land

The WOMBL sounds like a star!

--

Dominic Sexton

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just returned from a wet week in County Mayo bagging Irish Hewitts -
or Hitts - now reached a nice tidy sum of 100, only 111 to go.Shame
about the weather because what I did see looked very good - especially
Achill island. Had one fine day and of course it would be the day I
had chosen to do Croagh Patrick so was accompanied by dozens of
penitent pilgrims - all the other days I saw no-one and indeed many of
the hills had no real evidence that many others had been there before
me. BTW if St Patrick fasted for forty days why would he need toilets
at the summit and half way up?

Managed to get benighted on Corranibinia - was wet, chilly and
miserable I can tell you. However, I suppose it made it into a bit of
an adventure. The Nephin Beg ridge is one hell of a long walk and
cycle return.

Once again struck by the range of responses you get in Ireland to
walkers. One shepherd was a real WOMBL* inviting me into his home for
tea and even offering his settee for the night - whilst elsewhere you
get signs saying 'No hillwalkers welcome'.

* Welcome on my beautiful land

Sounds like you had an interesting if not atypical time with the weather!
And yes these are lonely hills.
Not quite sure what you mean by the Nephin Beg ridge because there's at
least two that would be considered longish.
Certainly the knife edge ridge from Corranabinnia to Corranabinnia SW is
exciting stuff and I certainly would not want to be out there at night
unless well prepared.
At the SW end of that ridge is Claggan Mountain NE from which there are
stunning sea and mountain views including the drowned drumlins of Clew Bay
and further along the Achill/ Corraun peninsula.
That summit also had the distinction of being the last member of the 500m
tops to be described in MountainViews, see
http://www.mountainviews.ie/mv/index.php?mtnindex=452

Incidentally the lists in MountainViews were reorganised earlier this year.
There's now a 400m, 500, 600, Highest 100, Nearest 100 Local (to the user),
and 100 Highest Rated (user polled)

Corranabinnia SW comes second by user vote, Corranabinnia itself 73rd.
While Croagh Patrick is famous for its looks at a distance it comes only
218th in the user rating for the 277 600m summits, let down by the lack of
a sense of wilderness and the damaged environment.

Simon Stewart
www.simonstewart.ie

In message <[email hidden]>, Dominic Sexton
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] writes

Quoted message said:

One shepherd was a real WOMBL* inviting me into his home for
tea and even offering his settee for the night - whilst elsewhere you
get signs saying 'No hillwalkers welcome'.

* Welcome on my beautiful land

The WOMBL sounds like a star!

He was - he must have been at least 75 and although a bit doddery I
still saw him out rounding up his sheep. He could not get over the idea
that his mountain was mentioned in a book available in England The
poteen was a bit too much for me though.

--
Martin Richardson
670/1554 Marilyns - aiming for 777 71/118 New Donalds - only 40% to go
88/211 Irish Hewitts - 123, it's easy 42/220 Corbetts - only 81% to go

In message <[email hidden]>, Simon Stewart
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just returned from a wet week in County Mayo bagging Irish Hewitts -
or Hitts - now reached a nice tidy sum of 100, only 111 to go.Shame
about the weather because what I did see looked very good - especially
Achill island. Had one fine day and of course it would be the day I
had chosen to do Croagh Patrick so was accompanied by dozens of
penitent pilgrims - all the other days I saw no-one and indeed many of
the hills had no real evidence that many others had been there before
me. BTW if St Patrick fasted for forty days why would he need toilets
at the summit and half way up?

Managed to get benighted on Corranibinia - was wet, chilly and
miserable I can tell you. However, I suppose it made it into a bit of
an adventure. The Nephin Beg ridge is one hell of a long walk and
cycle return.

Once again struck by the range of responses you get in Ireland to
walkers. One shepherd was a real WOMBL* inviting me into his home for
tea and even offering his settee for the night - whilst elsewhere you
get signs saying 'No hillwalkers welcome'.

* Welcome on my beautiful land

Sounds like you had an interesting if not atypical time with the weather!
And yes these are lonely hills.
Not quite sure what you mean by the Nephin Beg ridge because there's at
least two that would be considered longish.

I mean from Bangor to the Glendahurk bridge.

Quoted message said:

Certainly the knife edge ridge from Corranabinnia to Corranabinnia SW is
exciting stuff and I certainly would not want to be out there at night
unless well prepared.

And that is precisely why I decided to sit it out until dawn - in the
rain.

--
Martin Richardson
670/1554 Marilyns - aiming for 777 71/118 New Donalds - only 40% to go
100/211 Irish Hewitts - 111 hitts left 42/220 Corbetts - only 81% to go