20160410

Church Mountain barefoot run


The route

Sometimes you have to just do it. I'd been contemplating this route for some while and waiting for decent weather. I knew it would be a long haul but tried not to think about that aspect too much. My outward journey took me to the pass that leads to Donard and goes between Church Mountain and Corriebracks (Kocknaboley on the above map), then straight up to the summit, around the cairn at the top and down to Hollywood Glen. The ascent and descent were fantastic, though a bit breezy at the top. But the long slog back home again was hard work.  The last time I did Church Mountain I was on my bike.

Aerial view of summit

Statistics: 15.98 miles, maximum altitude 551m, average speed moving 5.19 mph, total time 3:20:33, barefoot all the way of course, but I have to confess I didn't run up or down the steep bits! The descent was a bit of a mistake - I had intended to drop down further north which might have cut a mile off the total distance. It was a long time ago since I was last on this side of the mountain - back when my children were still children. And I wasn't running barefoot back then.


Church mountain from the top of the pass

The final ascent and why barefoot is the way to go

View of our lake from near the top

The cairn (or church ruins) at the top

Nice path for barefoot down from summit

The steep descent

Forestry track nearer the bottom

Near Hollywood - St Kevin in the distance

The village of Hollywood

Hollywood woods

Hollywood woods



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