The Beast of Ballyhoura
The Beast of Ballyhoura
Gill Watson / 17.08.2007
I had arrived at Blackwater Castle near Castletownroche near Cork to meet my team of Gearoid Towey (Gags), an Olympic Gold medallist rower and World Champion, Brendan O\'Brien top orienteer and Brian(Baptism of Fire) Galvin!
The Irish AR crowd had been coercing me to come over for a few months thus allowing them to claim international status for their race so I thought I would come over for a bit of a \"jolly\" and found myself in a team of superstars and obviously not in for the easy time I had previously hoped for!
After kit sorting and partaking of the limitless hospitality of the Towey household we all went to bed a little unsure of what tomorrow would bring. Orienteering, claypigeon shooting, trekking, a very wet abseil and MTB on the brand new Ballyhoura trails but ... what about the beasts and demons?
BOGS AND SLOGS
We arrived at registration at Ardpatrick where the shorter Ballyhoura Blitz race was starting, met the team, sorted the kit and drove to put our vehicles in a compound. A short coach ride took us to the start at Glengarra woods!
The course started wih an \'O\' section to split us up, but there was a twist, an optional bonus loop up into the Galty mountains worth 5 hours and then an abseil into Anglesboro. After transition one we were on our bikes riding to the shoot and after that following a trail marked with tape, signs and glowsticks - and no map! The final grid reference gave us our next location. More biking followed, then kayaking down a windy meandering river with many treefalls and low branches! Sounded good - no bogey men yet!
SleepMonsters
