Last weekend I had planned to go camping with a friend from work. Between me catching a cold and a short-lived weather warning, our plans fell by the wayside. After feeling better and seeing the forecast markedly improve for this week, I hatched a plan – book Tuesday off and a half day (working PM) on Wednesday, and get some time in the hills!
I mentioned to any of my hiking friends that I was going on the off chance that they were free, but the plan was to go solo if no one else was available. It turned out to be solo!
I called down to Eamonn’s house in Dundrum for a chat on the way down, before heading on to Newcastle and parking up at Donard Park. Already during the walk up through the wood, the good weather was making itself known.
I stuck to base layer only for this part of the walk, as the mild temperature and lack of breeze in the wood can make for a clammy experience if you’re layered up.
I was in no particular hurry, as I knew I was only headed for Commedagh and had all day to get there. I spent a fair amount of time setting up the tripod, walking past the camera, walking back. It’s a little hasslesome, but it was worth getting video footage on such a nice day.
One of the pleasures of a midweek camp is how quiet everything can be. Even the Glen River Trail, which on a busy weekend can resemble Belfast’s Royal Avenue – was very quiet indeed. It was warm while in the sun, but there was a hint of autumn’s chill to the air, particularly any time you caught the breeze.
I had packed quite heavily for this trip. Often when you’re headed with others, you can split the load. One person brings the water boiling stove, the other brings the cooking stove and frying pan, for example. I opted to go for comfort this time around, fast and light would make more sense if I actually intended to cover any distance. The load was comfortable in the Osprey Xenith – a 90L behemoth of a pack that I’m still mystified as to why Osprey stopped selling. I like to really draw in the hip belt, and the extra padding makes it possible to do this comfortably with the Xenith.
The climb up towards the saddle was a good push, the extra weight in my pack certainly made me work for it. I stopped when I reached the saddle to have a drink of water and a handful of sweets. A passing walker from Donegal stopped for a chat, asking if she should go for Donard or Commedagh. I recommended Commedagh, for the better view and the handy water pipe down the other side.
I stopped to admire the view a couple of times and get some video and photos. I’ve snapped some of these views hundreds of times, but they never cease to inspire awe.
After reaching the summit, I headed down the other side to the pipe and filled my water carrier, then strapped it to my pack. The extra weight was noticeable on the way back up to the summit, but it’s very little distance thankfully! Small blessings that I didn’t have to carry all that up from the river.
Next item on the agenda was to put up the tent. Comfort was the theme for this one, so I brought the Terra Nova Voyager Lite. It’s spacious and handles the wind very well.
I pitched with the porch of the tent facing Binnian. On such a beautiful day it was an incredible view. Looking out from the tent, I could clearly see Binnian Summit all the way round to Buzzard’s Roost. I wondered if anyone was up walking along Binnian right now, enjoying a similarly fantastic view of Donard and Commedagh?
I cool down quickly these days once I stop moving, as I’ve recently lost a fair amount of weight. The next thing on the agenda was to layer up and get the shelter sorted. Out came the down jacket, and I got the sleeping mat / sleeping bag / pillow etc set up ready for later on.
It was chilly on the summit with the breeze, but with the down jacket on this was no longer an issue. Sitting on the sleeping mat, facing out towards Binnian, I got out the Omnifuel and fried up a steak I bought earlier in Ballynahinch. Then out came the Primus Ulti – a recent addition that I’ll be reviewing in due course. It’s a water boiler with a catalytic burner – think of an MSR Reactor, but with a remote burner rather than one that sits atop the gas canister. This certainly makes it a little less unnerving to use in a tent porch!
I must have made about four cups of tea. Why not? Water wasn’t exactly in short supply and I had very little to drink on the way up. I used some of the leftover water to rinse the grease from the plate and pan – lest the scent draw in a hungry fox eager for some dietary fat. A friend has seen their tent torn for precisely that reason, not something I’d be keen on experiencing with the Voyager.
The sun was starting to get low at this stage, so I walked around getting photos of the tent and the view from various different vantage points on the summit. There were a few spells where it was still enough to safely send up the drone. I haven’t seen the footage yet, but I’ll include it in the trip video if it turns out to be decent quality.
I spent the remainder of the evening inside the tent. I had brought a kindle, so it gave me the chance to get a few chapters in. At this stage it was very serene with very little wind, which made for a pleasant night’s sleep.
In the morning, I found myself cloaked in mist. “Standard morning weather on Commedagh”, I thought. I made a quick cup of coffee in the porch and wolfed down a flapjack, before packing away my gear inside the tent and preparing for the fun of taking down the tent. It was blowing an absolute hooley outside!
I took off the down jacket, knowing it would be far too warm once I got moving, and swapped it out for a lightweight down vest. On went the hardshell over the top, and I started taking down the tent. I stopped to take a few photos and do a couple of walk-bys for the video, but I kept these few in number. I was eager to get down a little further to get some heat back into me.
The cloud was continuously rolling over Commedagh and Donard. Occasionally it would clear though, and I would be rewarded with the beautiful view of Annalong Valley.
I wasted little time getting down to the saddle, making sure to stop for one last shot of the view from the stile.
At this stage I was encountering a fair few morning walkers, all with that familiar grin of someone who is spending a day in the hills rather than in work. The volume of walkers declines pretty sharply once autumn sets in, so it was nice to see people out and about.
At the saddle I stopped to take off the down jacket, it was now far too warm for it, but the hardshell coat went back on again for now, at least until I reached the tree line. My legs felt loose and warm, and the pack felt more or less weightless at this stage. I do like that point during a trip, where after wearing the pack for a while it becomes the norm – you don’t really think about it much. After dropping down a little further, off came the pack from my back so I could pack away the hardshell – it was no longer needed and I was starting to build up too much heat.
On this trip I was wearing a full base layer (boxers and t shirt) that I had bought from Keela. They’re an 80/20 merino blend, making them odour resistant and imparting good wicking properties. I was gratified to see that even after all the walking with a pack and layers, I wasn’t really holding onto much sweat. It was also nice not to have that nasty whiff that comes from wearing synthetic/polyester for two days. I’ve used Merino before from other brands, but it was always 100% merino rather than a blend. This always lead to the garments wearing out too quickly for my taste given the price, a reason why I had abandoned their use for quite some time. I’m hopeful that the 80/20 blend from Keela will be hardier. Time will tell!
Not far from the tree line I met a walker who was out walking four lovely Collies. They were very friendly and eager for attention. It would have been rude not to stop for a few pats!
Before long I found myself back at the bottom of Donard Wood, where it was a different day altogether, every mild – warm even!
I stopped into Nikki’s kitchen cafe for a small breakfast and a cup of filter coffee, then got into the car for the trip back to Belfast. Feeling invigorated and refreshed, it was nice to be alone with my thoughts for a while. Sometimes the best trips are solo trips!
