Lough Musky and Galteemore or (Galty More)

Back in Ireland for a few days and I decided to repeat the Galteemore race route again. This time I thought I knew where the start point was but yet again I went wrong trying to get there. Got to Bansha OK but I think I took a left turn afterwards that was a mistake. Yet again more driving around county lands (there are just too many "pokey" little roads in Ireland!), while recognising nothing. Finally I came across a sign for Lough Musky and thinking to myself that is in the foot hills of the Galtees so it will do. So at delayed 6:45 I was off up the forest road on a glorious morning. A 2 km steady climb up the forest road, passing a couple of dead sheep on the way, to the lock and when Galteemore came in sight I realised that I was a bit further away from it than I expected, no harm, I will just get to run along the ridge for further than intended. I broke right off the footpath to the Lock to begin the grassy climb up a spur onto the ridge.

Looking back to Lough Musky

It was not too bad as there were a lot of sheep trods about that, for a change, actually went in the correct direction. Up onto the ridge and a lovely grassy run to Galtee beag. I only had 3 hrs this morning so with the delayed start and extended approach I decided to contour around Galtee Beag and attack Galteemore directly. I must be getting fitter as I did not find the steep climb too bad this time and actually ran quite a bit of it. Got to the summit at 08:45 and needless to say I had it to myself.

Summit Cross on Galteemore

 In-fact beside the race day last year I have never met anybody in about ten visits to the summit. Glorious morning so time for a couple of photos and then keeping well to the right got a lovely descent to the col between Galteemore 'agus' Beag. The short climb to Galtee Beag and then that long steep descent down to the col between Galtee Beag and Cush.

The south face of Galteemore down to the corrie lake.

I was now on about 2:15 and I decided that talking in Cush would add 25 minutes to the run so I veered right around the flank of Cush to head for the gap between two forests. I passed another few sheep on the descent to the river crossing. I was surprised to see so many on a run. Down the gap between the two woods and to pick up an indistinct path for a couple of km back to the forest road leading back to the car. I must have passed at least 15 dead sheep along this couple of kilometres, which must have been over 30 in total. I had heard on Irish radio that the farm animals were suffering very badly and starving to death due to extended winter weather this year. The vast majority of sheep I passed were still relatively fresh so they would have been victims of that late winter. If I saw 30 odd on my 18 km run how many must there be on the entire mountain range that is 20 miles long? Have people experienced the same thing in the lakes or Snowdonia? I got back to the car, a bit after 10am, to meet a couple blokes preparing for their walk. Received a comment about my work being done for the day then back in the car feeling very satisfied about the morning's run.