Thanks to everybody who chased me during my trip to West Cork in EI/IS last week. Weather was excellent during the trip apart from Day 2, Sunday 15th, I was active every day and managed 13 summits over the week, 7 of which were first activations. All activations were hf, 40/30/20 ssb/cw, kx2 and trapped efhw.
Below are some photos from the trip.
Day 1 - Saturday 14/09 Caherbarnagh EI/IS-025 (1st activation)
Activation en-route to West Cork. I’ve been planning this one for some time. The mountain is reached via the Duhallow Way trail, but there have been local access issues regarding the trail. Although there is lots of new signage and all is supposed to be resolved, there are still several electric fences to be negotiated while crossing farmland.
Day 2 - Sunday 15/09 Doughill EI/IS-064 (1st activation), EI/IS-063 Douce (1st activation)
A Misty start which turned to a steady drizzle, despite a good forecast. Very rough going, with several fences to cross, I managed to rip my rain trousers on some barbed wire.
Doughill EI/IS-064
Douce EI/IS-063
Day 3 - Monday 16/09 EI/IS-058 Mullaghmesha (1st activation), EI/IS-051 Nowen Hill (1st activation), Seefin EI/IS-092
IS-058 Mullaghmesha is accessed via a local walking trail which goes right to the summit. IS-051 Nowen Hill is nearby and is accessed via forestry tracks. There are communications masts at the summit. I later travelled out to the Sheep’s Head and activated IS-092 Seefin.
Mullaghmesha EI/IS-058
Nowen Hill EI/IS-051
Seefin EI/IS-092
Day 4 - Tuesday 17/09 EI/IS-039 Knocknamanagh (1st activation), EI/IS-042 Carran
Very warm day, long hike. Temperature 25C with no wind… Parked at the high point on the road between Kilgarvan and Bantry at 51.83822N, -9.39918W, which is the access point for Carran IS-042. First hiked Knocknamanagh IS-039 and Carran on the return. Midge were hungry on Carran.
Knocknamanagh EI/IS-039
Carran EI/IS-042
Day 5 - Wednesday 18/09 EI/IS-020 Knockboy
Very warm day - I cycled from Ballylickey to Priest’s Leap, access point for Knockboy, high point for County Cork (another one knocked off the list). The 10k cycle up to Priest’s Leap was the hard part of the activation - it’s an easy hike up to Knockboy from there. I had planned to activate Shehy More EI/IS-049 later that day, but after cycling 5k to the access point, I was met by some pretty firm ‘No Entry - Farm’ signs.
Priest’s Leap - Access for Knockboy EI/IS-020
Day 6 - Thursday 19/09 EI/IS-045 Peakeen, EI/IS-054 Knockanaguish
Two 4-pointer summits accessed from the Kerry Way hiking trail just north of Kenmare. The trail goes over the shoulder between the two summits. Of the two, Peakeen IS-045 is by far the easier to summit. Knockanaguish IS-054 is steep sided, over very rough ground, requiring more care.
Peakeen EI/IS-045
Knockanaguish EI/IS-054
Day 7 - Friday 20/19/09 EI/IS-098 Carrigfadda, EI/IS-102 Cashloura (1st activation)
Very windy day, so more modest summits attempted. Carrigfadda is on a local community walking trail. The forestry on the hill has now mostly been clear-felled and so isn’t the most attractive. Because of the strong wind I activated from the shelter of some of the remaining trees near the summit. There is very poor phone coverage. Cashloura IS-102 is another forestry estate.Very exposed at the summit in the wind - this was a quick activation.
Carrigfadda EI/IS-098
73 John EI3KA
. 40 mtrs CW must be no problem I believe. Ireland is vy nice for SOTA. I love it.
