An Ceann Bliadhna
December 31, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized
“…and the Irish Meteorological Office is warning people not to travel unless absolutely necessary today. There’s snow on the highground, and the roads are lethal icy this morning…”
..but too late. The fat tires of the sports car were already skidding down the narrow road and towards the cliffs of the Gap of Dunloe. Ten o’clock in the morning, but the sun hangs just above the horizon and won’t rise much higher before it disappears into the icy Atlantic again in a few hours. Summiting in Eire at this time of year is a race against weather and clock.
Climbing over a farmer’s gate. An unmarked path through thick heather. The unfamiliar prick of gorse thorns against our legs, and the half-frozen peat bogs which threaten to suck the boots from our feet. Black faced sheep gaze with yellow eyes as we pass. Yuka demands their attention, but they turn and walk away. Above an icy crest, a thin cloud bank furls across the mountain; she sees her first brocken.
The storms race in, dark streaks across the checkerboard fields of the glen below. We’re cast into greyness and the snow races horizontally past, but the storm passes as quickly as it came. Cobalt skies and peaks ragged with cloud again fill our eyes. The loughs shimmer like molten gold in the pale winter sun. We are alone in these mountains in the dying days of the decade.
Failte ar ais, welcome back. The picture windows of the hotel bar look out across the blackness of the lough below. Sleet drips down the windows, beads of moisture drip down the half-finished pint of Guinness.
Is ann an ceann bliadhna a dh’ innseas iasgair a thuiteamas.
It is at the year’s end that the fisher can tell his luck.
It’s been a good year.
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18 Responses to “An Ceann Bliadhna”
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Wow Chris… These images are some of your best yet, which says a lot. Everyone of them just blows me a way! So I cannot really tell, is this in Scotland?
Epic scenery as usual! Izumi and I are looking forward to hearing about more of your trips in 2010.
It looks like this current storm will drop +100cm of new snow in the Yuzawa/Tanigawadake area over New Years. I’m hoping this will open up alot of the routes here soon.
Bliadhna Mhath Ùr! Nuair a thig e! Looking forward to lots more Japanese Alps tales.
Awesome as usual. Especially the second photo.
Oh, and Happy New Year.
Ouch. Homesick, and I’m not even from Eire.
Happy New Year!
Nice landscape work Chris.
When do you think of the text for your posts? While you are out on the mountains are you already thinking what you’ll write in the post?
Do you take notes while out hiking for things you’ll write?
Or is it off the top of your head once you sit in front of your computer?
See, it doesn’t matter where you are in the world, your photography makes everywhere look so damn stunning. Thank you Chris, for a year of stunning imagery and inspiration. Good luck to you in 2010.
happy trails in 2010!
It has certainly been a good year reading your blog and admiring your photography. Look forward to many more instalments in the New Year!
Nice! Reminds me of Lapland in autumn, with the exception that the trees down the valleys are much smaller up there. Happy New Year!
Best wishes for ‘10!! Let it be full of beautiful epic hikes and filled with the best photographs some of us have ever seen!
I look forward to another year of your memorable photos and writing. Safe hiking!
Happy New Year!
Fantastic images, it really looks like Scotland…I’m feeling quite homesick now
Tremendous as always. Thanks for sharing the journey in detail…
Top notch photos.
Hi Clint – this was on the west coast of Ireland, near Killarney. Irish weather is notoriously bad, but we had disgracefully beautiful conditions! I’d gone there expecting the camera to stay in its bag, but instead…
George – happy New Year! I’ve been watching the forecast intently, that’s some snowfall you guys have had. Looking forward to hearing about it!
Alistair – Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit! Let’s hope it’s a good one. By the way, your Gaiku are awesome, I definitely want to see more of those in 2010
Vladimir – Happy new year to you too! Glad you liked the shots.
OMIA – stunning, huh? We spent a few days travelling down from Shannon, and I’m kicking myself for not simply making a beeline to Killarney immediately. Next time…
Tornadoes28 – Happy new year!!
Hi Jason – ah, that depends. Sometimes (usually on solo trips) I think of things to write. Other times nothing happens until I’m going through the photos. And then there are times when it takes a couple of days of constant re-writes, and other times I can bash through in 30 minutes…
Joe – that’s kind of you to say, but sometimes you just get lucky. None of the above were processed, that’s pretty much how they came out of the camera, and it really was that beautiful!
Casey – happy new year! I hope 2010 is a good one for you & your new arrival!
Project Hyakumeizan – it’s been a great year, and thank you for all your support. More mountains, more photos, more stories in 2010!
Mikael – interesting, Lapland is somewhere I’d love to explore as well… All the best for 2010!
David – best wishes for 2010 to you too! I think this year is going to be a good one, just need the weather gods to be kind at at the weekends
Hanameizan – ake-ome, as the kids say! And I’m looking forward to your return (gently) to the hills with Hana in tow.
Heather – happy new year! A little bit of the (almost) homeland for you. Actually, you’re looking at about half of the Irish Monroes in that top picture. There’s only 12 in total in Ireland, but I think you’ll agree they put on a pretty decent showing
Rockie – glad you liked them. Plenty more to come in 2010…
awesome pictures Chris as ever. I think I could print them all out and stick them on my wall!
The Scottish Highlands have some of the most amazing mountains. They are not high, and they often tend to look similar, but nonetheless they have a captivating charm about them.
Someday I will go back. It’s just too bad the Scottish winter days are so short. I remember waking up around 8AM and seeing stars in the sky. I also remember losing the sun behind the mountains around 3PM. But during the precious hours of daylight the sun was always low and the light superb.
Your photos capture the beauty of the landscape well.