North Barrule

The first walk of 2011

Monday 3rd January, 2011

After the last walk of the 2010, in Maughold, I asked Trevor and Dorothy where they would like to walk this week and suggested that we should choose an inspiring walk as it would be the first one of 2011.  Without hesitation they replied in unison "North Barrule".

So yesterday morning we drove up to Black Hut, where I dropped my sister-in-law and Tim off to walk along the ridge together some years ago.  I emailed these photos to my sister-in-law hoping they would bring back some happy memories of a warm summer walk when they enjoyed seeing and hearing the skylarks up on the mountain.

There were no skylarks yesterday and the temperature was exactly zero when we left the car.  

We climbed Clagh Ouyr and walked along the ridge as far as the highest point of North Barrule and then retraced our steps back to the car.  It must have been below zero on the tops but there is so much climbing up and down the series of peaks that we kept reasonably warm.

Walking down Clagh Ouyr towards the boardwalk through the boggy bit.  It wasn't as muddy as usual because most of the ground was frozen - a "clean boot" walk. 

The view to the north with Glen Auldyn on the left and the Scottish coast in the distance.  It was another overcast day on the Island but we could see the sun shining on Burrow Head.

The view of Ramsey from the surveyors' pillar on top of North Barrule.  The scene looks rather hazy because I was using the zoom function on my camera and probably should have done something to compensate.  I really must read the instruction book for my camera!

Another zoom photo.  This time Glen Auldyn.

And finally, the view to the east – the patchwork farms of the Maughold peninsula and the distant, nearly visible coast of Cumbria across the Irish Sea. 

During the walk, we discussed a possible theme for the hikes this year and decided to make an attempt to climb all the accessible hills on the Island!  There are a few on private property like Cronk y Voddey and the Bride hills but we should be able to climb all the major hills and most of the others.

    Next week - Snaefell and Beinn-y-Phott . . .  weather permitting.  I don't know how to pronounce Beinn-y-Phott everyone just calls it Pennypot.