"PURE MAGIC" a Walk in
the Comeragh Mountains.
The fog
was down to the water’s edge in Dungarvan harbour when 6 brave hill walkers
gathered, expecting a foggy walk with no visibility. We drove to the Nire Car
Park and started walking the track towards the Gap in a complete blanket of
fog. As we approached the Gap, the fog started to clear and we could see,
higher up on Carrignagower, that it was blue sky and sunshine peeking out
through the fog. We climbed through the fog and within 5 minutes we broke out
into the bluest sky and sunshine. The clearest day of sunshine so far.
Off in
the distance, we could see nothing but the " Shaving Foam Clouds"all
the way until they were interrupted by the "Knockmealdowns"to the
West, "Galteemore" further West," Silvermines" North
West," Slievenamon" to the North and" Mount Leinster to the
North East. (50 Kms away!!) It was like flying over the Alps in a plane except
we were in the Comeraghs!! We continued onto the Boole Cairn and stopped for
lunch dining in T-Shirts and sunglasses- a warm breeze gently blowing. We then
continued to the top of Coumshingaun. But looking in, we saw nothing but a Coum
full of fog/cloud -Shaving Foam!! From there we crossed the black bog and as we
dropped into the fog, it retreated back down to the falls as the hot sun burnt
off the fog. As we cleared the the black bog, the fog again crept its way back
up the valley, covering the area we had just crossed "PURE MAGIC". We
then dropped back down into the Scilloges, into the fog, with visibility back
down to 5 meters and back to using compass, GPS and maps all the way to the
Nire Car Park.!! ONE MAGICAL
DAY OF HILL WALKING. Donal O'
Mahoney
