Mourne mountains 🍀 hike - 14.5kms 🚶‍♀️

I woke to an uninterrupted view of the Mourne mountains including Hare's Gap which was the first part of my hike today.  A chat with a hiking couple last night helped me decide on my route.  A little ambitious for a day off, in hindsight 😂

I packed up my tent, made some egg sandwiches and locked my bike to the cafe outdoor eating area fence and off I went.  It was 13 degrees and breezy and so I was wearing thermal tights and singlet under my clothes, hiking pants, a T-shirt, fleece and a jacket and I wasn't hot 😂

The hike to Hare's Gap was impressive with steep rocky mountains ahead and a path of sorts to find my way on stepping stones through the bog and sometimes a path or rocks paved together, then a stream crossing and joining a main path from a carpark. 

I was advised to take the higher route to Hare's path and it was very steep but delivered great views.  I got to the top of Hare's gap with views back to the campground and beyond. 

This is where I first joined the famous Mourne Wall.  The dry stone wall goes for 22 miles across the mountains to protect the Silent Valley reservoir from contamination from animal waste.  Sheep on one side of the wall and the reservoir on the other.  It was started in 1904 and finished in 1922 and it must have been a tremendous undertaking.

I climbed the ladder over the wall

and started the next section of hike and was soon engulfed in a thick fog for the next couple of hours. It was windy and sometimes the fog would lift to reveal and view and then drop down again.

I climbed 4 mountains as well as Hare's Gap.  Sleive Donard, Sleive Commedagh, Sleive Corragh, Slievenaglough.  At the base of Dinard the fog lifted for 5 mins for views to Newcastle beach.  I'm so glad I took a photo as 5 mins later there was zero visibility 😂

Eventually the sun came out and turned through the fog and the views went on for miles.  I followed the wall for about 5kms too.

I arrived back to find my bike and panniers still there and 3 women finishing their scones and coffee and they were waiting to see who came to collect the bike 😂. Lots of questions.

I had a 5km cycle to a lovely little family warm showers tonight.  I'm shattered and should sleep very well!
Fabulous day with sun, wind, rain, fog, sun, fog, sun 😂