Colmcille Climbers

Vandaleur/Lynam

Have a lot to answer for!

They compiled a list of the 2000 foot separate mountains, and subsidiary tops in Ireland. This was not obviously not enough grief for our hillwalking brethren, so another one was made up of 600m humps, called Arderins, with another 30 or so added to the misery.

Anyway, me 'n' guess who have decided to do all the separate mountains on the V/L list, which I thought were to be called 'Murphys' in honour of the first nut to complete them (Stephen Murphy).

Appropriate or what?

A plan was required. We had done most of them, but about 40 had heretofore escaped, so poor old Ireland was again subjected to partition, and the South East identified as being subversively untramped.

On Thursday morning early we left PJs, drove to just South of Kilkenny, and by lunchtime had summitted on Slievenamon. Hopping back in the van, we then drove to the Comeraghs, and climbed Knockanaffrin, a northern outlier, getting down abour seven. We stayed in a lovely campsite at Clogheen called Parson’s Green, and in the morning did Knockalougha, & Knockshanahullion in the Knockmealdowns, and then Knocknafallia at the other end of the range. Saturday we moved to Dungarvan, nice town, and I got to see the Munster match. On Sunday it was business as usual, and we got the other four mountains in the Comeraghs which had, up until now, escaped our attention (Coumfea, Leacanthimney, Seefin and Coumaraglin). The Comeraghs are very dull on top, but the Corries are fantastic. Having cleaned up the South East, I was happy just to bask in the glorious weather, but herself had other ideas.

We walked into Coumshingaun, the finest corrie in Ireland, took some photos and then hit the trail for Wicklow, where we trundled up Keedeen Mountain, overnighting in a pub car park in Glenmalure (Daniel Day Lewis was in the bar,). On Tuesday, we had been up Croaghanmoira and down by 9.30AM, and by lunchtime had done Sugar loaf and Lobawn, and then we went home.

Rock Climbers are softies!