Run away! We fled the jubilympic elations, put a pin in the map of Ireland and found the Galtee Mountains - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia mountains. Having visited Ireland before, experienced the exaggerated claims of its various tour info boards, we double checked the height on Googlemaps. A reassuring 919m. A actual munro, if you like that kind of thing.
Campsite Caravan & Camping in Tipperary Ireland at Glen of Aherlow Motor home, Caravan, Tent, Touring, Hillwalking fab for the light traveller - kitchen and lounge and ace showers included in the rather steep 22 euro fee.
Walked out into a sunny valley and up into pine woods. Easy route finding. The galtys remind me of the brecon beacons. Like the letter m viewed from above, actually mn. Tarns cupped in the bottom. Ascent rough, ridge gained. Spotted our nemesis, the walking festival group loitering tiny and colourful by the lake. Clear conditions meant the summit route was obvious, rounded the corner at about 750m and hit peat. Lovely Irish peat. And, Midges. I swear they are the highest Midges in the isles. Any Scots who wish to prove me wrong please do.
They rather distracted us from the view, which was, Er, flat. To the south anyway. To the north were some pretty hills and a nice looking bridleway.
The top - rocky and a metal cross, and the beginnings of what passes for a bank holiday crowd in county tipperary (a few picnicking hikers and a family sweating it up from the other side in jeans and footy shirts) Lake district, in your eye.
On the descent the peat got silly. Wet, deep, unavoidable. Irelands highest inland peak is in need of an erosion-busting path but I don't expect one soon.
My only other comments of interest are that the lakes in the feet of this range all offer good wild camping opportunities but I have no idea how wild camping is in Eire.
And.. there are some nice boulders near lake diheen. For those who do.
