Here is the mountain as you drive up on it
12:40 pm So now I am at the base of the mountain. I’m a little curious as to what I’ve got myself into, so I slip into the visitor center to catch some info. Well, there are people everywhere. They are all cold, wet, flithy and exhausted. I figure, ha, I’m in pretty good shape. This can’t be that hard, after all it is just walking. Anyway, most people are using the hot showers in the locker rooms or drinking hot chocolate. Yes, hot chocolate in July. It’s a different universe.
So now to begin the climb. The sign at the base says to allow at least two hours, usually more like between two and three. I figure with my raw athleticism I will do it in an hour and a half. The first thirty minutes go fairly uneventfully. I have the adrenaline that comes with the excitement of a new experience. The trail is just a collection of large rocks. It’s still fairly dry so it is an easy walk without a ton of inclination. You can see the trail stretch ahead and doesn’t look all that far up, but looks are very deceiving. The sun was out and it was enough of a work out to shed the jacket. But within thirty minutes gale force winds forces me to rejacket.
There is 'ol St. Pat (legend has it spent 40 days on this rock)
1:10 pm At the thirty minute mark the climb starts to be a little steeper. There aren’t that many people heading up, but there are a ton coming down. I mean like a constant line of people two or three abreast. It’s amazing how many people think this is a good idea. I’d say about one out of every two hundred is doing it barefoot. One guy was in dress slacks and no shoes and easily 65 years old.
As I get a little higher I feel winds I have never felt before. They literally move you. I am leaning forward just to stay upright. This adds a certain level of intrigue to the event since at any time a few feet to your side is a steep fall to a most painful rocky death. Now a bit of rain. As Forrest Gump says, “It was sideways, stinging rain.”
1:35 After about an hour I’m almost trying to walk backwards, because the view of the ocean from this mountain is amazing. One of the best views I’ve seen in a country full of breathtaking scenery. The bright green land hitting the blue ocean dotted with other small islands of more bright green land. Also, now a helicopter is landing to help evacuate an injured climber. It’s funny to see the hair on the sheep get blown by the chopper as they stare in confusion at this random intruder.
2:00 pm At the hour and a half mark I am realizing my athletic limitations. It will take at least the two hours as they claim. Now the ascent begins to be brutally steep. Each step is tiresome. I find it better if I burst up the mountain for like a minute and then rest for a minute.
2:25 pm At the two hour mark, it is so beautiful. I am only 100 yards away, but 100 yards straight up. This last part is slippery soft rock that seems like limestone. This is a bizarre part of the climp. Imagine climping on loose gravel, but each piece of gravel is like the size of a softball. It’s hard to describe but each step is an accension and a slip back down at the same time. As you can imagine it is slow going. I’m very impressed that many senior citizens can make this part of the trek.
2:30 pm Finally, I get to the top. WORTH IT! TOTALLY WORTH IT!! The skies have cleared and I am looking at one of the most breathtaking views. You have the ocean on one side and now we are along a ridgeline overlooking some other mountains and green farmland. I use the facilities and enjoy the view for another two or three minutes and it vanishes behind the quick moving fog. You can’t see ten feet in front of your face. They have a mass every thirty minutes and I made it for the last one of the day. The priest gets to say mass inside a small glass enclosure, but us poor souls stand in the rain. After mass, I then notice a monument marking where they think St. Patrick slept on his concrete bed. Hope he had a rain coat. I have packed two pb and js and two waters and some carrots and some chips. I am starving and need some rejuvenation before I had down. You haven’t lived until you eat PB and J from a mile up.
3:00 pm Going down, the first 100 yards were a ton of fun. It was wet, steep and a ton of fun. The rocks were so loose and slick it was a lot like skiing and most of you know how good I am at that. The descent was long and exhausting. I’ve never climbed a mountain before and now I know why. The desent is just as tiring as the ascent, because you are constantly trying to keep yourself from involuntarily running down the mountain. At many points I am so tired I want to just fall over. But I make it to the bottom. Now as weird as it sounds the adventure begins.
4:30 pm I can’t find a cab to get back to Westport. Luckily, I find a woman and her mom who pick me and take me into town. So now I’m at the bus stop. I am starting to panic, because I didn’t notice that the only day there isn’t a 5:00 bus to where I want to go is Sunday. I’m joined at the bus stop by some gross teens repulsively making out. When I ask them, “Do you know when the next bus rolls through?” They reply in a very impatient and angry voice, “FRENCH!”. That’s all he says. You’d think he would learn the term, “Me no English”, but I guess just saying FRENCH! is easier. So, now I have a true adventure, since I have to ride to Castlebar to then take a LATE bus home.
6:00 pm In castlebar, I realize the next bus to Ballina won’t be until 11 pm. So with five hours to kill, I eat and drink at a pub and one of the bartenders has a friend who works for Jetblue (the continuing sponser of this trip). Keep in mind I am filthy. My shoes, pants are covered in mud. I spend twenty minutes in the bathroom trying to at least be somewhat presentable. In there I have a long chat with a local. Very weird since A. it started in the bathroom B. I look ridiculous and C. He had had enough whiskey to kill most non Irish folk. It is funny how everyone who sees that I climbed the Reek assumes I flew all the way over to Ireland just to do it. While it was a great experience, I don’t think it would be enough to warrent me crossing the pond.
8:00 pm At another pub I meet my first version of Irish ditzes. These girls were hilarious. They were both veteranarians and one convinced me at one time they had actually put braces on a hamster. The other one actually claimed to have slept with Hugh Heffner. I immediately kept my distance as I didn’t want her Herpes jumping onto me.
11:00 pm Finally I made it the bus stop and was in my warm house and finally showered by 12:30. What a day.
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