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| Click on the image for our track in Google Maps |
Well, I kind of hinted that it would be our next destination last Sunday, since we seemed to be so kindly invited there. So here we are...
Now, those who know me also know that I am extraordinarily reluctant to accept any kind of invitation... ever. But considering that the weather is up for it, making it all the more difficult to turn down such a gracious request, today we are indeed heading towards Lough Altan.
Our drive on the R251 towards Dunlewy is its usual treat, even before we set on foot. We therefore have a blast zipping through the vast expanses that surround Glenveagh, with ample occasion to admire the contrasting panorama of the nearby hills and mountains, bathed in the ever changing light, as well as the inviting swathes of rocks and ponds that are passing us, left and right.
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| Errigal (left) and Mackoght (right, truncated) as we start our Sunday climb |
It isn't long however before we arrive at our usual parking spot, about 1 km before the much larger, but way-too-crowded-for-our-taste large car park that exists at the foot of Errigal. It'll indeed be a cold day in hell before you see me park with the mob I tell ya! Besides, for what we have in mind, this is the much better place to abandon the car and there is ample space for us, with just one other vehicle in the pathway already – which is still too much of a crowd as far as we are concerned, but hey...
With the idea of creating a loop that encompasses the 2 nearby peaks, we quickly part with the soggy track and cut almost due west towards the ridge that lies between Errigal and Mackoght. Lots of vegetation and small streams to cross but nothing too dramatic. If anything, we are probably getting a better deal than what we'd have, had we been following the wide but usually very damp main path. Plus we are starting to get rewarding sights of Poisoned Glen already (which I'll take you to some other, dryer day) and get to discover that, even as the temperatures are relatively mild, some remnants of snow are still clinging onto Slieve Snaght, on our south:
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| The Poisoned Glen (gap on the left) and a still snowy Slieve Snaght |
Pressing on towards the ridge, we are also starting to get notoriously towered by the shadow of Errigal, which makes for another great sight but which, unsurprisingly, has way too many people on its top. I can literally count no less than 20 people there!
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| Each vertical blur you can see in this picture is a person standing on the top of Mount Errigal |
This is why I don't climb Errigal that often. For one thing, it's too popular and if that wasn't clear enough by now, I am exceedingly adverse to crowds. Plus, it's also kind of boring on the summit, because there simply is no space to accommodate further exploratory moods. Sure, you do get great vistas of the region, especially of Bloody Foreland its many coastal islands, but you more or less get the same views from less crowded places anyway. That's not to say I'm not going to share an Errigal climb with you at some stage (most likely from the north, since I haven't done that one yet) but you may understand why I'm in no real rush to do so. Instead, I am much more inclined to take a hike on Errigal's eastern siblings, as we're going to do today, even if that means we have to contend with peaking 200m lower at best...
Decidedly off the beaten track then, and whilst we are still approaching the ridge, we suddenly find ourselves disturbing a herd of about 10-12 deer, that probably thought they had put enough of a distance between themselves and the Sunday climbers of Mnt Errigal, to enjoy the ability to graze in peace... Sorry to have an unruly wanderer like myself burst your quiet afternoon bubble, my frightened friends! Off they flee, as soon as they spot the lone hiker that we are, and quickly vanish past the ridge as they zoom towards the more secluded valley behind it.
For one thing, this further confirms my long standing theory that you are a lot more likely to spot deer outside of Glenveagh's deer fence, than inside...
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| Last specimens of a deer herd, most of which has already fled beyond the ridge |
But it does appears that today is truly "wildlife day" because, soon afterwards, it's a hare that runs before us, as we start our turn northeast to make our way towards the rocky top of Mackoght. Not a rare sight in these parts of course. However, this one was also kind enough to pause for a while, so that we got its portrait taken. See if you can spot it in the following picture:
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| "Show me the bunny!" |
And just like the deer, our (early) Easter bunny pal is soon gone (without even bothering to offer us some chocolate eggs - How rude!)... But we're still not done with meeting our cornucopia of wildlife today: As we are reaching the top it is now a lone yet friendly crow that lands, seemingly wanting nothing more than to enjoy the views as much as was we do... whilst also keeping a watchful eye on potential trespassers.
I swear, those guys must have heard that I was set on trying to escape the crowds today, and ganged up to teach me a lesson on irony! Oh well, not that I mind that much...
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| A proud crow, probably wondering why a puny biped that cannot fly has come to trouble its domain... |
But let's leave the crow to its crow-business. Instead, since we've reached our first summit, we're not going to pass the opportunity to take a couple of snaps of Tory Island, as it sunbathes in the distance:
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| Tory Island (furthest) - It may seem close at hand in this picture, but it stands about 15 km from the foreground coast... |
And of course, from our first vantage point, we are also starting to get a nice panorama of our ultimate destination: Lough Altan:
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| Lough Altan, with the much smaller Lough Nabehy in the foreground |
Now, I know my camera sucks (and to tell you the truth, I don't care that much about pictures: they distract from the real goal, and no matter how good your equipment, they never do justice to the place anyway), but I hope the contrast of shadow and sunlight in the picture above helps provide some idea of the typical Irish hillwalking weather you tend to get around these parts.
We are still close to the beginning of our journey however, so it's time to head down towards the lakes. As we do so, we quickly find ourselves into loose boulders and scree on the eastern slope, and must take care about not dislodging a rock, as the last thing we'd want is see it picking up some very hazardous speed down the incline...
This is yet another reason why I prefer walking alone: this way, you don't have to worry about what the people you precede, and that are still on higher ground, may inadvertently send flying your way, with potentially very nefarious consequences indeed...
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| Just your typical Irish scree |
Besides that, navigating between the rocky slope and scree is no real trouble. But with such fine weather, we're going to extend our trip a little, and take a detour around Lough Nabehy. Its appearance from the top made it just too inviting for us to pass:
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| Lough Nabehy |
In a future post (that'll be titled "9/9/99"), I may talk to you about the day I unsuccessfully tried to walk around the Killarney Lakes, in Co. Kerry... But that's a story for another time. For now, we'll just follow the tranquil western shore of Nabehy, to greet the handful of barren trees on its shore:
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| A lone barren tree along the shore of Lough Nabehy |
After this is accomplished, we can climb back towards Mount Beaghy, with some more great views of sunny Altan on our left.
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| The shores of Lough Altan |
Halfway towards the top, we pass a tortured rock formation, with some interesting wavy strata. One can only imagine the millions of years of tectonic forces that managed to produce such a pattern:
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| Subduction? Induction? Aqueduction? You tell me... |
Similar compressive forces are also on display on the north face of the summit we've left earlier, which makes us ponder if there isn't more torture going on through these lands than people realise...
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| The tortured sediment deposits of Mackoght |
As we have now reached the summit plateau of Beaghy, we make a small detour to pass by the small lake (well, more of a pond really) and white outcrop that adorn it:
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| The top of Beaghy |
At last, we can climb down towards Altan in earnest. And we finally get our first glimpses of the tower that stands on its southern shore. The long parallel white streaks of surf we observe on the lake also add to our enjoyment through the descent. While it may not be our favourite destination in the world (but if you ever venture to that spot, you'll probably laugh at me for implying that it's "too touristy", even if that's how I truly feel about it), the isolated lake shore is holding its promises again...
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| The isolated southern shore of Lough Altan, with white parallel surf streaks on its surface |
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| Altan Tower |
Arriving at the tower, we find that we have it all to ourselves, which is how it should be. And of course since we're here, we'll take a stroll along the shore that is still bathed in the sunlight. However I must to point out that we are a bit annoyed at having to pick a bit of plastic trash, that some previous visitors left on the shore. When I am telling you that this place is too touristy!
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| Altan shore, with foot tracks from all the "tourists" |
With the sun declining, it is time to head back to the car. For the way back, we'll just use the path from the tower, which will lead us right back where we want to be.
Now, my recollection of this path is that it is always pretty wet (which is why I preferred leaving it for the return trip)... and today is no exception.
But if that helps keep unprepared folks away from the tower and the lake, then I'm not going to complain too much about having to leave my boots to dry, back at home. For now, we'll just take one last snap of the waterfall, as well as the interesting dark rock faces above Croloughan Lough on the other side of the road, and call it a day.
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| The rock faces above Croloughan Lough |
Even as we couldn't shake the feeling of being surrounded by crowds, this turned out to be a fullfilling trip after all...
Suggested Sound Track
While I have no sentimental attachment to this track, it seems that many others do, which is fine in my book. And since this song, that seems chiselled to play with one's emotional strings, allows us to slide into the second part of our title, who am I to complain? I can do mainstream too you know...
Additional Pictures
