Walk Report. 1st November

"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