My return to Ireland to complete my 5th Pilgrim route, one of the 5 passported trails of the The Pilgrim Paths of Ireland.
The Tóchar Phádraig is an Irish pilgrimage route that dates back approximately 1500 years.
The route starts at Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo, Ireland, and concludes at the sacred site of Croagh Patrick, the mountain associated with St. Patrick.
The trail spans a distance of 35 kilometers, (22 miles), and follows the path of an ancient chariot road, and traverses over 100 stiles within the picturesque County Mayo. Along its meandering course, it passes through fields, woodland, peatland and road, passing 'fairy hills, and ancient relics. Spectacular views from Clew Bay on the Wild Atlantic Way can be enjoyed, weather permitting, on the ascent off Croagh Patrick.
There is a lot of road walking after the midway point (Aughagower)
Weather was partially cloudy for most of the way, which made walking more pleasurable
Losing visibility as we approach Croagh Patrick
Four of us aimed to summit Croagh Patrick, with the rest of the group walking to the saddle and back down to Murrisk
Sadly I was unable to reach the summit, after 22 miles, my legs gave out. The mist was heavy, we were wet, cold and tired.
Myself and one other made the sensible decision to turn off 800 meters below the summit and make our way off the mountain to Murrisk
A fantastic experience, it's good to be humbled by a mountain
Area :
Croagh Patrick
Croagh Patrick, nicknamed the Reek, is 764 m(2507 ft). It is 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Westport, above the villages of Murrisk and Lecanvey. It is the third highest mountain in County Mayo. It forms the southern part of a U-shaped valley, and is part of a longer east-west ridge; the westernmost peak is Ben Gorm.
