A quick 'Up and Down' Djouce

Djouce
Date: May 23rd 2012
Classification: Dillon, Hewitt, Marilyn
Height: 725 metres
County: Wicklow
Distance: 8.31km
Walked Previously


This was my second visit to the summit of Djouce and easily my shortest stay ever on top of a mountain.

With the hill-running bug taking hold, I decided to give the Irish Mountain Running Association's (IMRA) Leinster League a shot. This is a series of hill-races over the summer and Djouce was to be my fourth race in the league and the toughest challenge to date.

As always, the organisation of the race was excellent. A field opposite the race-start doubled up as a temporary car-park and registration area. Registration was quick and efficient and not long after signing up, we made our way over to the starting point at Glasnamullen woods and soon the race director casually announced that the race had begun.

The first couple of kilometres were to lull me into a false sense of security as we ran along a trail up a gradual incline surrounded by trees. This section served to stretch the runners out a bit and I settled into my usual slot somewhere in  the middle of the field.

Runners on the lower slopes of Djouce (Courtesy Angus Tyner)

With summer having finally arrived, I was thankful to be running in the cool shade of the trees. Leaving the woods and emerging onto the open mountainside, the going begun to get tougher as the incline steepened and the ground underfoot became uneven. The pace quickly dropped and most of us settled into a routine of walking the steeper sections and running the rest. With calf-muscles burning, I was delighted to turn a corner onto the Wicklow Way which contours along the upper slopes of Djouce providing some easier ground on which to run as well as amazing views across to the Great Sugarloaf Mountain.

However, it wasn't long until we had to leave the Wicklow Way and tackle the last steep section before the summit of Djouce. After what seemed like an eternity, the cairn finally came into view followed by the summit marshall standing alongside the Trig Point marking the top of Djouce. The marshall advised us all to lift our heads and take in the views but I could only muster a quick glance up and my brain was in no fit state to attempt to make sense of what looked to be a stunning vista.

I had convinced myself on the ascent that once I got to the top, all the hard work was done and the downhill section would look after itself. I really couldn't have been further from the truth.. The descent was ridiculously fast and I soon found myself careering over some very uneven and rocky ground. Each step on the hard ground pounded my tired legs further into submission and I hadn't factored in the high level of concentration required to quickly pick each footstep on this kind of terrain. 

On the Descent (Courtesy Mick Hanney)

On a couple of occasions I stubbed my toe off a rock, a sure sign that my concentration was waning as my body tired. The third such time was to prove unlucky as I tripped over a rock I hadn't seen and was sent flying headlong off the trail. Luckily for me, I landed in a soft bed of heather and was quickly back on my feet albeit with some of the wind knocked out of my sails.

The last couple of kilometres coming off the mountainside and down through the woods were to prove very tough and I was pretty much a busted flush by the time I crossed the finish line. However, all the thoughts I had on the way up, all the times I told myself I'd not be doing this again, my resolution that next week I'd stay home and have a few beers instead.. all of that was forgotten within a few seconds of crossing the finishing line.

The pain and tiredness quickly vanished and what was left were memories of a hugely enjoyable 55 minutes on the mountain where there was nothing else on my mind other than the next step I was going to take and the pure feeling of exhilaration from the crazy descent. This escape from the stress and worries of everyday life combined with the amazing feeling of freedom is pretty much the essence of hill-running for me.

50 Up in South Wicklow

Thursday, 3rd May
Staring and Finishing Point: View on Google Maps
Length: 4.12km

Croaghanmoira
Classification: Dillon, Hewitt, Marilyn
Height: 664 metres
Dillon Count: 50

Having being stuck on 49 Dillons for 8 months, I finally found time to bag number 50 and reach something of a minor milestone. My interest in running, something I initially took up to build up fitness for my Mourne Wall Walk, had led onto an interest in Hill Running. This interest was augmented by a reading of Moire O' Sullivan's excellent book 'Mud, Sweat and Tears'. Having read the book, I set my mind on taking on some of the Irish Mountain Running Association hill races in 2012.

And so, the small amount of spare time I had which previously would have been used for hill-walking, was spent running. However, a trip down the country provided the perfect opportunity to get a walk in and having done a tough hill-race the previous evening, my legs were happy to be able to take things at a slower pace.

I had been interested in Croaghanmoira for some time as I'd read a few reports of people running up the mountain. Tracks left over from it's deforestation provided ideal terrain for this activity and offered the opportunity to quickly bag the mountain without too much of a challenge to my tired legs.

Earlier in the day, I had stopped off at The Great Sugar Loaf, a mountain I had wanted to climb for some time but had never got around to. The drive from The Sugar Loaf down to Croaghanmoira was navigated by a cheap and cheerful app on my iPhone and whilst I highly doubt it was the most efficient route, it took my through some wonderfully scenic parts of County Wicklow culminating in the longest stretch of downhill road I've ever driven on.

From the starting position, Croaghanmoira is a very handy mountain to climb. There are a number of tracks making their way up the mountain. I choose to aim for the corner where the trees meet the clearing and quickly picked up a track which took me to this location. From there, the track swings right keeping along the tree-line. Very soon, the shapely summit of the mountain comes into view and another track leads you directly to the top.


Me at the trig point on the summit of Croaghanmoira

The summit of the mountain is adorned with a trig-point from which some of the first Ordnance Survey measurements were taken. It's easy to see why Croaghanmoira was used for these early measurements as it's relatively isolated position makes for superb views of the surrounding landscape. I was particularly lucky in that I got probably the one good clear evening in a prolonged period of wet and cloudy weather.


Views from the summit


Trig-pillar on the summit

Despite this being a straightforward walk, I still managed to take a wrong turn on the return journey. I had decided to jog back down whilst listening to some music and after a short while found myself on a track surrounded by trees on all sides - I'd become so distracted by the music that I'd managed to miss my turn off one track onto another. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I took another track in the correct direction to complete the walk back to my starting point.

In summary, a handy wee walk and one definitely worth taking on a good clear day to enjoy the exceptional views.


More Photos

Track down the mountain


Trig Pillar