Adventure Photo Story: Northern Ireland Mountain Weekend

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Adventure, blogging, Coast, Friends, Hiking, Motivation, Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland, Travel, Walking

Northern Ireland is a spectacular place. Outside of Belfast, there’s lush green countryside, rolling hills and breathtaking coast. The recent visit I did with my friends was to the Mourne Mountains where we took on the highest peak, Slieve Donard, at 850 metres.

On a bright and clear Saturday morning we headed out of Belfast passing through remote villages and deep green countryside. After about an hour’s drive we arrived at the seaside town of Newcastle – not to be confused with the city by the same name in the North-East of England – then began our journey from the car park.

We trekked up a rocky path that cut through open grassland with rich vegetation. A boulder-strewn river wound its way alongside us and provided a natural water slide for a number of day trippers in wetsuits. Soon, we were about halfway up when the path steepened and the mountains grew in stature.

And that meant one thing…

…My fear of heights kicked in!

On previous mountain explorations nerves had always gotten the better of me. But I was determined for this not to be the case this time. My friends took it in turns to drop back and motivate me to keep going as I tailed off the pace.

As we approached the Mourne Wall – which runs the entire length of the range – we noted the jet black surfaces that occasionally appeared in the side of the mountains. The tin huts dotted to the side of the track confirmed this had once been an area for slate mining.

Around a final corner, and then the final ascent to Slieve Donard presented itself: three hundred metres or so of awesome steepness! We met a man who said it would take us no more than thirty minutes. Secretly, I knew that would mean an hour for me.

Previously, I’d have taken on such a feat by stopping every so often, shutting my eyes and re-centering myself before taking on the next stretch. I’d repeat this as often as I needed. This time I had a few new tactics to battle the heights: I’d count fifty steps then stop for a bit; I’d zigzag up the mountainside instead of going straight up as it was less strenuous on my legs; and instead of melting down as before, I’d deliberately soak in the countryside to absorb it’s calming beauty. Plus, I made full use of the wall by holding onto it to help me climb as I went – making use of whatever is available is important to getting the job done. And my mates did a cracking job of keeping me going with banter and words of encouragement.

My mates waited for me thirty metres from the peak, so that we arrived together. The clouds suddenly formed around us like a thousand misty ghosts come to greet us. We took a few photos, then hastened our exit as conditions became more dense.

The descent was the most enjoyable I’ve had on a mountain. The first section required careful navigation down rock steps. At times my mind went into a vortex where the greens and the greys swirled and merged into one. Once this tricky part was completed, we trod a well used path, skipping over streams and through boggy sections. Before entering the forest path that led back into the town, I took in my surroundings: the powder blue sky had now reappeared; the mountains formed a horseshoe valley that towered over us, cascading waterfalls giving this place a more majestic quality; the chattering river snaking its way down the emerald hillsides. And all this abundant beauty overlooking the town and the Irish Sea below.

Heaven is a place on Earth!

And so was this afterwards…

Thanks for dropping by and reading this. Please feel free to leave a comment – they’re always appreciated. I hope you all have a great weekend filled with adventure 😊

Trek To The Most Easterly Point Of The UK

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Adventure, blogging, Blogging community, Britain, Coast, East Anglia, Hiking, Ipswich, Lowestoft, Lowestoft Ness, North Sea, Suffolk, Train, UK, writing

Back at the beginning of October 2019 I spent a few days in the county of Suffolk in England. Situated in the southern portion of the East Anglia region, I knew beforehand that I’d be treated to views of low lying hills, timeless villages and the awesome North Sea.

I’d found a cracking deal on a hotel for £15 (about $18 US Dollars) per night in the county town of Ipswich. The room was compact, clean and cosy. I knew before I booked that the room didn’t have a window, but as I planned to be up and out early and return late each day I knew this would be just fine.

I dumped my bags off and headed straight out to the quayside. On the way I noticed some curiously shaped buildings (like the one above) that seemed to ooze character and history, making me wonder what secrets they held from years gone by.

I found a modern light and airy pub and ordered a pint. On finding a window seat, I watched bullets of rain harmlessly explode against the surface of the River Orwell.

Despite the inclement weather nothing was going to hold me back from my main mission of this trip: visiting Lowestoft Ness, the most Easterly point in the whole of the UK. Soon, I plodded back through the mazy town centre with its delightful Tudor buildings hoping the next day brought better weather.

Still, if the weather tried to defeat me, I knew I was prepared with my oversized rain poncho!

But there was no need for that because the next day brought with it endless blue skies. An extra layer of freedom enveloped me as I spent this Autumn day in t-shirt and shorts.

Ipswich Train Station was busy with commuters when I arrived about 8am. I bought my ticket, then a coffee, dropped my rucksack on the floor and used it as a seat as I watched everybody rushing by.

Soon, and on the train, I was watching the countryside roll by. Sheep grazed lazily on the sloping fields, then we passed through dreamy villages that wouldn’t look out of place on the front of a jigsaw puzzle box. Eventually, the journey took us along the coast and the North Sea ‘waved’ hello (wave, sea – get it?).

About an hour and a half after leaving Ipswich I alighted at Lowestoft train station. Google Maps told me I had to walk for approximately twenty-five minutes to find the most Easterly point. However, what started as a pleasant foot-plod adjacent to the seafront turned into a temporary nightmare as I turned off at the wrong point and ended up in the middle of an industrial estate. Just when I started to become despondent after wandering aimlessly for several moments, I saw a signpost that brought me back on track.

Sighting the beach again, I hastened my step ever closer to my target. A line of hotels towered above me making me wish I’d researched this place more thoroughly to spend a few days here. Yet, such thoughts were put aside when the ground marker for Lowestoft Ness came into view.

I thought that there would’ve been more of a fuss made of this place – maybe even if it was just a cafe there. But then I thought that this lended the point an unassuming charm: it sat here quietly as the majestic North Sea smashed up against the rocks nearby.

I made my way back after that and enjoyed vistas across the sea as I munched on fish and chips. I did manage to find an establishment that was the most easterly cafe in the UK and had a quick coffee there. I relived my childhood in the penny arcade before jumping back on the train to Ipswich.

The other extreme points of the UK all involve more involved planning. Rockhall is the most westerly point in the Atlantic Ocean: it is a lump of rock situated way out to sea off the North-West Irish coast. The Minkies are the southernmost point; based in the Channel Islands, they boast the southernly most building in the form of a toilet (probably a good thing after a long journey). The northernmost point is Outstack, another bump of rock that is part of the Shetland Islands.

I’d love to tick these three places off my list one day, but for now the adventure of reaching the most Easterly point still burns brightly in my soul.