Falling in snow
Luckily hiking gear is not the usual attire of people shopping in the retail park so it was easy to spot the others I would be joining and I wasn't left awkwardly approaching people and asking if they were a peaky climber. After quick introductions we carpooled to just outside Carrick On Suir, the starting point of the hike up Mount Coumshighaun and as we drove I could see the landscape becoming snowier and was grateful for my thermal gear.
I hadn't exactly mentioned to anyone my lack of hiking experience and I think in my slightly worn gear I didn't look like a complete novice but as soon as we begun to walk the path into the woods (before we even started any real hiking) my calves decided to remind me that I had done zero preparation for this walk. On the ascent up the mountain I was struck by how breathtaking the views were, in between thinking oh my God my calves are actually just going to fall off any minute now (spoiler alert, they didn't). I had thought I was reasonably fit and I suppose I am for the most part but I hadn't really factored into the equation that this was a different kind of exercise at an altitude which I had not even warmed up to. In hindsight I do appreciate my own naivety here. The group had climbers at lots of different levels and there were several short breaks on the way up to ensure we all kept together.
One of the more experienced climbers did suggest I stop for a drink at one point because myself and the incline of the mountain were not exactly getting on. I lied and said I was grand but what I really meant is that I sort of need to pee already and I'm afraid to drink more because I couldn't see anywhere vaguely sheltered and I really didn't fancy an audience while I peed. We were aiming for rocks near the top so we could break for lunch and I was hoping that was soon my calves could have an actual break and I do remember the promise that the rest of the walk would be a bit easier which was comforting to hear (even if it didn't quite turn out to be true) and even though it seemed like we had been walking all day, a mere hour after we left the car park , we stopped for lunch.
I was only delighted to have a rest and couldn't wait to get stuck in to all the food I had packed. Unfortunately as we sat down to eat it begun to snow and the snow was accompanied by an icy wind that left most of us reluctant to part with our gloves for very long. This caused us to have a very hurried lunch and begin moving on to the so called easier terrain.
We had more or less reached the peak of the mountain at this point and were able to look down on to lake Coumshighaun. The safest way to get home was to walk along the edge of the mountain until we reached a spot where it was easier to descend. This was all fine except it did involve a bit of climbing actual rock face. There was snow and ice and a steep drop and I had just discovered my boots to not have the greatest grip on icy surfaces. So yes there was more than one part where I am pretty sure I would still be stuck on the mountain if the man leading the hike had not patiently assisted me across to the next foothold. At that point I will admit I was a bit frightened of the height and the possibility of falling and did maybe question my sanity for agreeing to go hike a snow covered mountain when I don't even do hill walking. Fortunately this passed once we got that tricky part over with.
I think my favourite part of the walk is in the photo above when we trekked through soft powdery snow and I actually got to appreciate how amazing it was to be up at the top of Mount Coumshighaun in this weather even if I wasn't actually brave enough to walk right to the edge to take it all in. This was the part of the walk where every few steps you would find yourself going from solid ground to being knee deep in soft snow and find yourself laughing with the surprise of it all. We had over an hour to go at this stage. I wasn't yet feeling the cold and I had accumulated so much snow on my person that I was beginning to resemble a yeti.
It wasn't until we begun descending the mountain that I realised I am actually brilliant at falling. I must be, I managed to do it more than anyone else in the group although I did get some comfort from the fact that I wasn't the only person to be treating the descent like some sort of snowy slip and slide. At first it was funny but after a while it became exasperating. The grass was wet under the snow and my boots had taken on so much snow that I may as well have been coming down in socks. I would only have to think I hope I don't fall and I would find myself landing on my ass yet again. I started trying to make it look as though I was doing it on purpose but I am not sure how convincing I really was. It was the marshy part that ruined me because once the water got into my gloves they were not a whole lot of good to me. I found myself trailing behind the others because I hoped that treading cautiously would lead to less falls but mostly it just gave me an audience. They were kind enough to not laugh too much and I did eventually join the group at the lake.
Lake Coumshighaun is somewhere I came a lot as a child. I have a lot of fond memories there and it used to be much trickier to reach so you could say that I have been going there since before it was hip. It was like a different place coated in snow, I felt like I had stepped into Narnia and it took a moment to realise I wasn't that far from home. By now I was cold and I was starting to feel some melting snow in my boots but I knew we didn't have too much walking left so I didn't grumble and got on with it. I do remember thinking that at least I was done falling but I am glad I didn't say that out loud because as it turns out I couldn't have been more wrong.
I had so many falls left in me. I think it might be possible that I fell more of the remaining journey than I walked. I did eventually get to the car and I stripped off my wet pants in the car park not caring who saw my bare wet legs because the cold had finally set in and I needed dry clothes. I spent the drive back shivering and fantasing about having a heated sleeping bag to get into ( not sure if it actually exists but I would have paid good money for one right then) and after thanking everyone for getting us up and down the mountain safely I ran to my car to put on more layers.
I had to get into bed once home because I just couldn't warm up and I really thought my legs would be in bits the next day. With a good nights sleep and a bit of extra protein I woke up feeling fresh and able for the gym so perhaps I wasn't as unfit as the hike initially made me feel. I might even go on the next hike and hopefully do a lot less falling.
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