Day 6 - Three climbs in one day!

Wow!  Can you believe it is day six over and done with all ready?  One day to go.  What are we all going to do next week?  I bet there are a lot of sore and tired bodies out there tonight!

Today was another first for me!  I climbed three times today.  At the outset of this challenge whenever it was Pat sent out the registration pack and sponsorship cards I made the decision that I would do one extra climb for every €200 over €1000 I raised.  I did this to encourage the more evil friends and family to cough up some real cash!!  In the last few days I have had an influx of donations and the total was pushed to the €2400 mark (thanks for that Paddy!!!)  I discovered this on the summit of my second climb and as I could only do one on Sunday I had to decide if I was able for a third.  I figured I would be as I had no pain and energy levels were good.  I was also overwhelmed by all the support and encouragement on line and on the mountain that I did not want to go back on my word.  Because of the fact there were three climbs today and I am shattered physically and mentally I can’t remember which story relates to which climb so this blog entry will be a general overview of the day!

This morning for me started at 6.30am.  Very foggy and frosty out.  Is it going to be a cold one?  Will I bring the rain gear?  Blimey if that fog doesn’t lift the visibility on the mountain will be poor.  Anyone else start their mornings with all these thoughts?  Driving through the fog all the way over to Westport and at the top of Sheeaun its completely gone!!  Beauty of a day!  Clare Island in all its glory sitting out in Clew Bay and the Reek with its sprinkling of icing sugar towering over the town.  As it was an early start I couldn’t get a coffee for PK as shops weren’t open yet.  One of the rituals of the week had been bringing the hard working Pat Keriens his morning coffee.  Dermot and Karen were ready and waiting for me when I arrived and as there had been talk of a third climb the deal was there was not diversions and no playing in the snow on the first climb!!  Never works like that!!  On the way up on this fantabulous morning we looked back once we got to the ridge and saw a beautiful scene of low cloud lying over clew bay back towards Westport.  We had to stop to get a photo of this and in order to get the best shot we ended going off track again!!  The photos this little diversion yielded were worth the delay that resulted.  I hope you agree!

Are we still in Mayo?

We even found a pyramid!! 

 

This is us!!

Eventually we got back on track had our photo taken with Ian Mc Keever and off to the summit. There was another distraction in store today.  Fr. John Kenny, a regular on the mountain, had on his last trip had hidden chocolate on the summit for Matt 365 Loughrey.  The challenge was extended to me yesterday so this morning I described a picture clue of the location and Dermot Henry knew exactly where it was!!  If he was correct its location yesterday was covered in a deep blanket of snow.  I was not willing to dig for it if that was the case today!!  As it happened  it wasn't!  Dermot and Karen like two kids at Christmas shot off to the location and bingo!  We had the treasure.  Like the parent in the trio I had to make the bold kids put the chocolate back!!  I divided out some of it and we replaced the rest for Matt to find for himself.  Thanks for the treat and the fun JK!!

Recharge with the ever welcome soup and sandwich's and the now comfortable conversation with every climber coming and going i felt we were getting too comfortable so up we get again.  Karen can only do the one climb today so Dermot and I register for climb 2 and are met with the usual "you're not going up again?", "Ye must be mad"  Dermot set a good pace which I was happy with as if three climbs were to happen it had to be a pacey climb.  Ordinary enough climb this one but good deep conversation all the way up.  Its is not the easiest of things to do.  Deep conversation and breath sapping climbing!!  Any a lot of the worlds issues were put right over the last few days.  I was telling Dermot that the wooden gate at the start of the ascent is very symbolic to me.  At that point I leave the "real world" behind and clear my mind for my time on the mountain and when I get back to the gate I re-enter the "real world".  Some-day's I hate that gate.  Anyone else have this view of the gate or is it just a gate?


The portal!

This week has been all about people for me.  I have had great reaction to the blog form climbers on the mountain.  "Are you Greg?",  "like you're blog", etc.  Sometimes I think to ask their names other times I just chat and forget to ask but you all know who you are!

These two ladies arrived on the summit at the same time as us on climb 1 and they had decided that they were going to attempt two climbs today and were asking what it was like and is it hard.  Fair play to them they did it and at an impressive pace too!  I know they are blog readers but I never got the names!

This is Cyril who I mentioned in yeaterdays blog entry.  I thought it only right to get a snap of him as we meet everyday.

Johnny Oosten who most of you know spends so much time out on the mountain meeting as many of you as possible during the week.  Today he escorted Mary from Cavan to the summit and down again which I find an admirable  quality in Johnny.  Keeping people motivated and encouraging them to reach the summit.  Here is a shot from yesterday of Johnny with Paddy McGuinness.

This is Patrick and his buddy Stephen.  I have been meeting Patrick every day since the weekend and he is always this happy!!  The smile is not just for the photograph.  Seems to be really enjoying the week and always has a new climber with him.  Looking forward to seeing the video diary of the week he is putting together!

We met a group of lads on the summit having a great old time in the snow doing backflips and handstands.  Didn't get this guys name but liked the photo!

So Climb 3 start as a solo and no music with me!!  Could be a long one.  I was surprised at how much pace I seemed to have in my legs.  I caught up with Ian Mc Keever on the start of his 4th climb of the day.  He has now as I type this completed 30 climbs in 6 days.  Climbed with him to the summit and part of the way down.  I showed him a quicker route down from the cone which he seemed happy with.  He is in pain on the way down so he is slow enough on the descents.  His speed on the inclines is impressive.  He left me looking stationary at times but thankfully I was always able to catch up.  Good company and I wish him all the best for his final five climbs tomorrow.  A massive achievement.   I said goodbye to him on the ridge as the pace was too slow for me and I wanted to get down.  Met a lot of dogs this week but my favorite this afternoon.  A fabulous Huskie pup.  Stopped for a chat!  Then I met Tiny again.  Tiny is an eleven month St Bernard.  No whiskey around her neck so I didn't chat to her for too long!!


So my day start at 8am and ended at 4.30.  I am happy enough with that.  Celebrated alone in the canteen with a cup of coffee and sambos :-(  I had a nice surprise a little later when an old school friend, Jeff, who is home from the States popped into the registration cabin.  "I thought I might find you here".  I used to have a right good laugh with Jeff in school!  Good to see you today!  Hope you enjoyed your walk and I am not that big a sinner!!


Nearly time for day 7!  Having and early first climb and then my wife is joining me for my 14th climb of the week.  I am looking forward to that one the most!  


I will leave you with some more photos of today and hope to see you all at a sunshine soaked Croagh Patrick for St Patricks Day! P.S.  If anyone is passing through Westport on the way to Base camp at 9ish could you stop off at Hobans Centra and grab Pat a coffee, milk no sugar, and tell him I sent it!!!  Thank you!


Slan


Greg