Three go camping up the Mournes
Posted by Christopher Mc on Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Under: Family
Well I love to camp as you know so on Friday morning headed off for the foot of the Mournes. It was mostly good in that I think the boys really enjoyed it, particularly hanging around the camp, cooking outside and staying up late. Michael went round with a large torch shining it in people's tents like a parish priest of old.
Friday night was a horror for me. I decided the self inflating mattress was not inflated enough so blew into it. Unfortunately I overdid it and when I lay down it exploded. The boys thought the tent had been attacked by some teenagers. I had to spend the night on a flat piece of plastic nothing. I was also very, very cold but couldn't and wouldn't get up and put more on because I was cold - a rather stupid vicious circle there and I can see how easily hypothermia happens. In any event, I got next to no sleep. Birds began to sing about four and at about six the early Duke of Edinburgers (the camping ones, not the "visiting old people" ones) began to rise loudly.
Saturday it rained heavily all day but my sister insisted we go up the mountain anyway which we did and of course it turned out to be rather good. We ploughed through rivers and up very dangerous looking boulder strewn ravines emerging at the Hares Gap, shrouded in mist. Everything leaked. The tea bags in my rucksack began to spread over clothes and books and maps like a school history project in which you try to "age" docuements. We got back soaked and frozen and then had to see to the boys and take down a sodden tent, and try to pack all this in the car without getting everything else wet.
And then of course Sunday was lovely and sunny again! Just one of those things.
My friend Pinnie reminded me last time I was there was August 1986 - Hurricane Charley and the weather was worse. Perhaps I'm not supposed to be a natural camper.
Castlewellan Forest park is good for an afternoon - it has a decent maze which we got lost in until I insisted on a systemmatic approach (always going left). There is a bell in the middle which you can ring when you reach it. Only thing that put me off was the name, the "Peace Maze" - does everything have to be about peace?
Friday night was a horror for me. I decided the self inflating mattress was not inflated enough so blew into it. Unfortunately I overdid it and when I lay down it exploded. The boys thought the tent had been attacked by some teenagers. I had to spend the night on a flat piece of plastic nothing. I was also very, very cold but couldn't and wouldn't get up and put more on because I was cold - a rather stupid vicious circle there and I can see how easily hypothermia happens. In any event, I got next to no sleep. Birds began to sing about four and at about six the early Duke of Edinburgers (the camping ones, not the "visiting old people" ones) began to rise loudly.
Saturday it rained heavily all day but my sister insisted we go up the mountain anyway which we did and of course it turned out to be rather good. We ploughed through rivers and up very dangerous looking boulder strewn ravines emerging at the Hares Gap, shrouded in mist. Everything leaked. The tea bags in my rucksack began to spread over clothes and books and maps like a school history project in which you try to "age" docuements. We got back soaked and frozen and then had to see to the boys and take down a sodden tent, and try to pack all this in the car without getting everything else wet.
And then of course Sunday was lovely and sunny again! Just one of those things.
My friend Pinnie reminded me last time I was there was August 1986 - Hurricane Charley and the weather was worse. Perhaps I'm not supposed to be a natural camper.
Castlewellan Forest park is good for an afternoon - it has a decent maze which we got lost in until I insisted on a systemmatic approach (always going left). There is a bell in the middle which you can ring when you reach it. Only thing that put me off was the name, the "Peace Maze" - does everything have to be about peace?
In : Family
Tags: mournes camping
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Catholic, Carmelite, Husband, Father, Reader of all sorts of books, Writer of occasional letters, Viewer of lots of TV and movies, Lover of tea, Hater of coffee. Anything I write is my own opionion and is not intended to represent the views of any organisation with which I have a connection. You can email me at "blog at live.ie" (replace the "at" with @). Don't be shy. To comment, click on the title of post. You have to include a name and email but fake ones work fine. Make sure there's an @ in the email.
