Leg 31, a wet and windy start to today’s 30k hike over the two high obstacles of Benbradagh and Donalds Hill that lie between Dungivin and Cam forest. By mid-afternoon the rain did fade and eventually vanish but the high ground remained wind lashed all day, and the summit of Donalds Hill was only achieved in the teeth of a walker toppling wind.
These Sperrin upper lands are bleak and even in sunshine retain their dark character, The plateau atop Benbradagh carries the remnant of a desolate old army camp. The concrete bas relief of huts, barracks, watchtowers, and storage sheds already being recolonise by the encroaching bog. The fact that the site location is not shown on local maps gives its discovery and extra dimension of surprise – our very own area 21. I’m confident that a posting to this place will have broken the heart and spirit of many a squaddie.
Elevation apart the high point of the day was a lunch provided by friends from the Huntington’s Association. We arrived at the car park of the Legavannon Pot to be met by Trina with 3 children, no food, but carrying news that food was on its way. Within minutes Paula and Cahil arrived in a fast car nursing a saucepan of very welcome hot vegetable soup and a boot full of necessary supplies; rolls, tea, biscuits, sausage rolls, and a full bottle of vodka. We sat in the car out of the wind and were passed the supplies in random order – soup, tea, biscuits, fresh water, more tea, a sausage roll, wheaten bread, top-up of soup. The children, showing initiative beyond their tender years took advantage of the confusion and the presence of strangers to harvest whole handfuls of the biscuits every time the packets came within their orbit of reach or influence. Paula apologised that parent taxiing commitments prevented her from joining us on the walk today but I suspect that dealing with a car full of sugar fuelled children will bring that regret into ever sharper focus.
We entered the county of Derry not long after leaving Moneyneany yesterday and since that point it has been very noticeable that the Ulster Way markers have practically vanished. Throughout today I spotted only 3 Ulster Way signposts, one of which was pointing the wrong way. I begin to wonder if the entire population of Dungivin town is actually made up of a backlog of Ulster Way walkers just milling around unable to make progress for want of an appropriately placed blue sign with a yellow arrow.
With weather less crap than predicted and a hot lunch today’s was a good walk. I also had a small moment of personal insight when I passed one of the area’s remote houses. The property was like my own in Glenariff in that it was serviced by both satellite broadband and a wood fire. I wonder if I may have stumbled upon a reason for my occasional need to call the satellite service provider to complain about signal interference when there is not a cloud in the sky…
Comments are closed.