Just the one Carnethy team at the Mournes this year – everyone else seemed to be in Jura for some event that wasn’t even on the SHR calendar – but what a team! Easily the best dressed team on the hill, Mike Lynch and I were in the ‘B’ Class. It was Mike’s first MM, and his being a self professed navigational novice the nav seemed to be down to me.
A leisurely trip over gave us time to watch the film Everest in Belfast, so we were well prepared for ice storms and oxygen starvation, though the navigation did seem to extend only to following a rope up and down.
Day One took us from Bloody Bridge river west around Slieve Donard, Cove, a tricky ascent up Ben Crom (scrambling required!), a long trudge to Slieve Muck then North a field below Craigdoo, near nowhere really, for overnight camp. We were in 12th place from 27 at this point. Some tricky controls to find, you had to go by the control description rather than the grid reference which was a bit dodgy in places. Some local knowledge would have helped too, some super contouring paths not making it to the map. Irish bog is as wet as Scottish bog (though less midgie, which is good). Mourne Mud is really quite sticky, but there was a useful foot spa at the overnight camp | |
Day Two took us back over Craigdoo, Slievemuck (apt name), then a choice of order for the next three controls where we seemed to make a better choice than most, gaining a bunch of time on many teams. The route took us around Slieve Meelbeg, Slieve Meelmore, through Hares Gap and then a final big climb on Slieve Commedagh before a fast descent to the finish at Tollymore. Remarkably we were 4th on the second day, taking us to 7th overall in the B Class, and third MV. Even more remarkably there were no arguments and Mike is even considering doing another one. |
Joel