Skellig Adventure..................not a paddle blogg!
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After the excitement of our Liffey Adventure ( http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/for...ffey-Adventure ) I had planned a little diversion.
If you are a Star Wars fan you will remember this scene from the end of "The Force Awakens".......when Rey goes in search of Luke Skywalker
Anyway, it turns out he lives just around the corner, galacticly speaking, on a small Island off the Southwest Coast of coast of County Kerry. And by round the corner, I mean a five hour road trip from Dublin to Portmagee. So, we decided we would pay Luke a visit.
The travel down to Kerry was the only full day of bad weather we experienced over the entire holiday......and today it didn't matter.
As we got into Kerry the showers eased off and the last 40 or so miles were through dramatic countryside and along a section of the "Ring of Kerry" tourist trail. We had some great food in the Ring of Kerry Hotel......and the odd drink.
The next morning, we awoke to a drizzely misty sort of day, soft irish rain.....the kind that leaves you soaked in minutes.
I was fearful our journey would be in vane.
The Skellig Islands group has World Heritage status, in order to preserve them, only 120 people are allowed to land on the island on any one day. This is strictly enforced and a small fleet of licenced boats are the only vessels allowed to service the islands.
As a consequence of the Star Wars films these trips are now booked up months in advance. I was fearful because the conditions of booking made it clear the trip could be cancelled in the event of bad weather. And there was no possibility of going on a later trip because they are always booked up! A booking in September made this a bit of a lottery.
We drove the few miles to Portmagee only to be told .....the conditions were too rough to land, there might be a chance later on, come back in two hours.
I was gutted.........
We spent the next couple of hours exploring the one shop, and one cafe that makes up Portmagee. Oh, and three pubs......that we thought best to keep Ben out of!
Portmagee
[IMG]IMG_0818[/IMG]
The cafe at Portmagee
[IMG]IMG_0820 [/IMG]
We did find Portmagee's claim to fame....... The best toilet in Ireland!
[IMG]DSC_0154 [/IMG]
As we waited a whisper went out........the weather was improving..........might we be rewarded after-all ?
Yay! The trip was on!
Our mighty ship!
[IMG]70940192_2827797780621129_7368723493933809664_n [/IMG]
We all boarded......12 of us and donned our PFD's ........the beatific smile on Jon's face would soon be wiped away.
[IMG]70889214_1065652103639473_1976669598887444480_n [/IMG]
This trip was supposed to be a treat for us all for completing the Liffey Descent but what I had forgotten in my geekitude was that Jon is prone to motion sickness, bad enough that he takes a pill even before a ferry trip. This trip tested the effects of that medication to the max.
Bearing in mind two hours back the weather had been to bad to proceed.......... well the hour long trip out to the Skelligs was exciting to say the least.
Once out of the port, the boat seemed to shrink in size as the Atlantic Ocean grew.
There was a three to four meter swell occurring which would be ok but the sea was in a very confused state and our small boat leapt from wave to wave like a hooked salmon.
Leaving port
[IMG]IMG_0822 [/IMG]
It's safe to say Jon did not enjoy the ride........at all
after about 40 minutes in the washing machine an apparition began to appear out of the sea fog .......Little Skellig
[IMG][/IMG]
Like something out of The Land That Time Forgot, it gradually revealed itself out of the mists
[IMG]IMG_0832 [/IMG]
[IMG]70896613_2371944739738408_2862060356585390080_n by Mr B Cunney, on Flickr[/IMG]
More about little Skellig later.
We were now rapidly approaching Luke's pad.......Skellig Michael ....Sceilig Mhichil in the irish.
Now it was my time to worry, my legs were crippled from the race and the landing was not an easy one.
The small flotilla of boats took turns in landing their passengers. The landing point was a small set of stairs up a wall in a nook in the cliffs barely bigger than the boats.
[IMG]landing[/IMG]
[IMG]landing3 [/IMG]
The steps were very narrow and soaked by the sea, but clinging to the handrail for dear life we all time the leap correctly and in the end was more of a step off for most.
The first part of the accent is relatively gentle.....up a ramp for the first couple of hundred yards.
[IMG]IMG_0856[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0861[/IMG]
But then come the stairs! 600 of them.........straight up!
[IMG]71013048_444039669535988_4024942818064596992_n [/IMG]
None of us were in perfect condition for this, my legs were knackered, Jon was seasick and Ben Guinnessed from the night before.
After a safety briefing from the guides we began our climb.
Did I mention they were steep?
[IMG]70797837_918553301849400_1557954104783798272_n by[/IMG]
I needed three rests before the top
John only stopped to wait for me
[IMG]70869966_393513717986177_5932889169234755584_n [/IMG]
on and on they went climbing into the mists
[IMG]70553445_568725430535500_8442342499049013248_n [/IMG]
Eventually we reached Luke's crib.........the beehive huts.........me considerably behind the other two.
[IMG]DSC_0157 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0872 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0873 [/IMG]
This was the site of a former monastery established 1400 years ago, it is astounding the monks could find it never mind live here. But it remained in constant occupation until the 13th century. There are early irish records that show the island was known to the ancient irish as far back as 1400 BC.
You would think a ledge 200m up a pointy rock would be too wind blasted to be hospitable. But it sits in a hollow on the leeward side of the island and on the day we were there it was profoundly peaceful .......but I wouldn't fancy it in mid winter.
The still recovering Jon, may not have enjoyed the ambiance as much.
[IMG]71090715_2680157912211061_6485015414228123648_n [/IMG]
It was so peaceful in fact some people assumed the lotus position for a spot of meditation...........but not me and Ben
Sacrilege....................I follow both religions
[IMG]70340785_2266386953488687_6800026728241561600_n [/IMG]
Wookie Ben
[IMG]IMG_0868 [/IMG]
As it turns out Luke wasn't in.............but he left his card
[IMG]IMG_0876 [/IMG]
We didn't have long on the island, just 2 1/2 hours. I set off back first, my legs were not great and I didn't want to hold up people on the stairs.
Its also a long way down!
[IMG]70880506_506462380131148_6593539234819211264_n by[/IMG]
By now the mists were beginning to recede leaving a stunning day behind..............it would stay this way for the rest of our trip
[IMG]IMG_0884[/IMG]
Do not ignore the sign!
[IMG]IMG_0881 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0888 [/IMG]
[IMG]70956921_617356682126312_683944297455681536_n [/IMG]
Ben and Jon found me at the bottom having a sneaky brew.
[IMG]70780993_433074233982023_962422924592021504_n [/IMG]
So Wookie Ben tried to lob me into the drink
[IMG]71187864_2401217263483909_3931500938342170624_n [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0890 by Mr B Cunney, on Flickr[/IMG]
Waiting to disembark
[IMG]70596956_2603880683003297_2192910323088883712_n (1) [/IMG]
Its much calmer on the return trip and we are taken around Little Skellig
There are lots of Gannets on this particular skellig
[IMG]IMG_0989 [/IMG]
Lots
[IMG]IMG_1019 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0997 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1042 [/IMG]
A pair of Skelligs
[IMG]IMG_1071 [/IMG]
A final goodbye to Michael
[IMG]IMG_0925 [/IMG]
As we left Skellig Michael a lenticular cloud was forming over its peak.
An absolutely mind blowing trip that will live in our minds forever.................oh and sorry Jon!
If you are a Star Wars fan you will remember this scene from the end of "The Force Awakens".......when Rey goes in search of Luke Skywalker
Anyway, it turns out he lives just around the corner, galacticly speaking, on a small Island off the Southwest Coast of coast of County Kerry. And by round the corner, I mean a five hour road trip from Dublin to Portmagee. So, we decided we would pay Luke a visit.
The travel down to Kerry was the only full day of bad weather we experienced over the entire holiday......and today it didn't matter.
As we got into Kerry the showers eased off and the last 40 or so miles were through dramatic countryside and along a section of the "Ring of Kerry" tourist trail. We had some great food in the Ring of Kerry Hotel......and the odd drink.
The next morning, we awoke to a drizzely misty sort of day, soft irish rain.....the kind that leaves you soaked in minutes.
I was fearful our journey would be in vane.
The Skellig Islands group has World Heritage status, in order to preserve them, only 120 people are allowed to land on the island on any one day. This is strictly enforced and a small fleet of licenced boats are the only vessels allowed to service the islands.
As a consequence of the Star Wars films these trips are now booked up months in advance. I was fearful because the conditions of booking made it clear the trip could be cancelled in the event of bad weather. And there was no possibility of going on a later trip because they are always booked up! A booking in September made this a bit of a lottery.
We drove the few miles to Portmagee only to be told .....the conditions were too rough to land, there might be a chance later on, come back in two hours.
I was gutted.........
We spent the next couple of hours exploring the one shop, and one cafe that makes up Portmagee. Oh, and three pubs......that we thought best to keep Ben out of!
Portmagee
[IMG]IMG_0818[/IMG]
The cafe at Portmagee
[IMG]IMG_0820 [/IMG]
We did find Portmagee's claim to fame....... The best toilet in Ireland!
[IMG]DSC_0154 [/IMG]
As we waited a whisper went out........the weather was improving..........might we be rewarded after-all ?
Yay! The trip was on!
Our mighty ship!
[IMG]70940192_2827797780621129_7368723493933809664_n [/IMG]
We all boarded......12 of us and donned our PFD's ........the beatific smile on Jon's face would soon be wiped away.
[IMG]70889214_1065652103639473_1976669598887444480_n [/IMG]
This trip was supposed to be a treat for us all for completing the Liffey Descent but what I had forgotten in my geekitude was that Jon is prone to motion sickness, bad enough that he takes a pill even before a ferry trip. This trip tested the effects of that medication to the max.
Bearing in mind two hours back the weather had been to bad to proceed.......... well the hour long trip out to the Skelligs was exciting to say the least.
Once out of the port, the boat seemed to shrink in size as the Atlantic Ocean grew.
There was a three to four meter swell occurring which would be ok but the sea was in a very confused state and our small boat leapt from wave to wave like a hooked salmon.
Leaving port
[IMG]IMG_0822 [/IMG]
It's safe to say Jon did not enjoy the ride........at all
after about 40 minutes in the washing machine an apparition began to appear out of the sea fog .......Little Skellig
[IMG][/IMG]
Like something out of The Land That Time Forgot, it gradually revealed itself out of the mists
[IMG]IMG_0832 [/IMG]
[IMG]70896613_2371944739738408_2862060356585390080_n by Mr B Cunney, on Flickr[/IMG]
More about little Skellig later.
We were now rapidly approaching Luke's pad.......Skellig Michael ....Sceilig Mhichil in the irish.
Now it was my time to worry, my legs were crippled from the race and the landing was not an easy one.
The small flotilla of boats took turns in landing their passengers. The landing point was a small set of stairs up a wall in a nook in the cliffs barely bigger than the boats.
[IMG]landing[/IMG]
[IMG]landing3 [/IMG]
The steps were very narrow and soaked by the sea, but clinging to the handrail for dear life we all time the leap correctly and in the end was more of a step off for most.
The first part of the accent is relatively gentle.....up a ramp for the first couple of hundred yards.
[IMG]IMG_0856[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0861[/IMG]
But then come the stairs! 600 of them.........straight up!
[IMG]71013048_444039669535988_4024942818064596992_n [/IMG]
None of us were in perfect condition for this, my legs were knackered, Jon was seasick and Ben Guinnessed from the night before.
After a safety briefing from the guides we began our climb.
Did I mention they were steep?
[IMG]70797837_918553301849400_1557954104783798272_n by[/IMG]
I needed three rests before the top
John only stopped to wait for me
[IMG]70869966_393513717986177_5932889169234755584_n [/IMG]
on and on they went climbing into the mists
[IMG]70553445_568725430535500_8442342499049013248_n [/IMG]
Eventually we reached Luke's crib.........the beehive huts.........me considerably behind the other two.
[IMG]DSC_0157 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0872 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0873 [/IMG]
This was the site of a former monastery established 1400 years ago, it is astounding the monks could find it never mind live here. But it remained in constant occupation until the 13th century. There are early irish records that show the island was known to the ancient irish as far back as 1400 BC.
You would think a ledge 200m up a pointy rock would be too wind blasted to be hospitable. But it sits in a hollow on the leeward side of the island and on the day we were there it was profoundly peaceful .......but I wouldn't fancy it in mid winter.
The still recovering Jon, may not have enjoyed the ambiance as much.
[IMG]71090715_2680157912211061_6485015414228123648_n [/IMG]
It was so peaceful in fact some people assumed the lotus position for a spot of meditation...........but not me and Ben
Sacrilege....................I follow both religions
[IMG]70340785_2266386953488687_6800026728241561600_n [/IMG]
Wookie Ben
[IMG]IMG_0868 [/IMG]
As it turns out Luke wasn't in.............but he left his card
[IMG]IMG_0876 [/IMG]
We didn't have long on the island, just 2 1/2 hours. I set off back first, my legs were not great and I didn't want to hold up people on the stairs.
Its also a long way down!
[IMG]70880506_506462380131148_6593539234819211264_n by[/IMG]
By now the mists were beginning to recede leaving a stunning day behind..............it would stay this way for the rest of our trip
[IMG]IMG_0884[/IMG]
Do not ignore the sign!
[IMG]IMG_0881 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0888 [/IMG]
[IMG]70956921_617356682126312_683944297455681536_n [/IMG]
Ben and Jon found me at the bottom having a sneaky brew.
[IMG]70780993_433074233982023_962422924592021504_n [/IMG]
So Wookie Ben tried to lob me into the drink
[IMG]71187864_2401217263483909_3931500938342170624_n [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0890 by Mr B Cunney, on Flickr[/IMG]
Waiting to disembark
[IMG]70596956_2603880683003297_2192910323088883712_n (1) [/IMG]
Its much calmer on the return trip and we are taken around Little Skellig
There are lots of Gannets on this particular skellig
[IMG]IMG_0989 [/IMG]
Lots
[IMG]IMG_1019 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0997 [/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1042 [/IMG]
A pair of Skelligs
[IMG]IMG_1071 [/IMG]
A final goodbye to Michael
[IMG]IMG_0925 [/IMG]
As we left Skellig Michael a lenticular cloud was forming over its peak.
An absolutely mind blowing trip that will live in our minds forever.................oh and sorry Jon!