It was Andrew's birthday on Sunday and to celebrate we decided to finish off that awkward middle section of the Moyle Way/Ulster Way that is simply impossible to do unless you make a circular walk out of it and double the distance. The distance we walked in the end was 10 km but it was the hardest 10 km ever. The terrain was almost impossible for me and the heat was beautiful but too much. I had 'Goldilocks syndrome' - nothing is ever just right, hahah...
We arrived at our start point late, at 2.45pm and were off.
* A hike in photos *
From here the terrain required all my attention again as the more tired I get the worse my vision becomes. We didn't have much further to go but the grass was thigh high. Then there was a quick walk along the roadside back to our car.
Hugs
Carrie
We arrived at our start point late, at 2.45pm and were off.
* A hike in photos *
The car park and our start/stop point
Cimbing slowing up into the forest
Looking into the mossy forest
Some of the forest path flowers (Thistles, Forget-me-not, Tormentil)
Andrew forest Bathing (Komorebi)
A tricksy bit of very uneven and boggy ground but beautiful all the same and still on the right path
The joy of the stream in the hot and humid forest
Andrew leading the way - roots and fallen branches are double vision friendly
We followed the stream basically up to this tiny waterfall and slightly beyond
Out the other side and then more climbing up and up the side of Trostan. It's always good to look back and see how far you have come (our car is at the other side of that forest).
Bog cotton in the boggy land that went on for eternity - I fell many times into ditches and holes up to my knee but it did eventually turn into pasture land
The view once we scaled a fence - looking out to Glenariff on the left and Cushendun to the right with the distinctive pokey porcellanite hill top of Tievebulliagh, (important to Neolithic stone axe grinders)
Later we came to the first of many dried up water falls where Andrew filtered some water and I took pictures of ferns
Off again and you can just about make out the rough, level path of an old rail line
A single, friendly sheep in the bog land below us - check out those horns!
From here the terrain required all my attention again as the more tired I get the worse my vision becomes. We didn't have much further to go but the grass was thigh high. Then there was a quick walk along the roadside back to our car.
A Happy Birthday pint and a big feed for my hubby (and me) afterwards xxx
Hugs
Carrie
I bet the shade in the forest was most welcome.
ReplyDeleteoh goodness me, that shade was lifesaving, hahaha xx
DeleteGood post and pictures. Happy hiking! xx
ReplyDeletethank you, more to share - we went on a magical trip to Fermanagh over the past couple of days xx
Delete