Hart Walk '08

The Hart Walk '08.

This year's Hart Walk had only two participants, Peter Gillen (An Óige) and Tom Milligan (Hillwalkers/Ramblers). Being 70 miles long over mountain and road this was not really surprising. There were ten walkers last year, Sandra Brady setting a new woman's record on that occasion. Starting at 8pm across the road from the Terenure tram station, where HC Hart first commenced his walk in 1886, the duo headed off into a pleasant enough evening with only the occasional shower attempting to dampen their spirits.
Peter at the 'rag' tree
Reasonable progress was made along the darkened mountain roads, with only the glaring eyes of the deer along the way to keep them company. Occasionally a shooting star would cause excitement as both Tom and Peter marvelled at the Milky Way in all its glory and commented on the great brightness of the planet Venus. Most surprising of all was the fully laden 'rag' tree they encountered at the edge of a forest as they approached Carrigshouk. Strange indeed! Laragh was reached in a good time where Peter paused to consider how serious the blister now manifesting itself might be (last year he withdrew at Glenmalure due to blisters). He thought that it might be serious enough to cause him to withdraw, but reconsidered and continued on his way to Glenmalure. At Glenmalure, after a fifteen minute break for food and drink, they continued up the zig-zags towards Cloghernagh and Lugnaquilla. There was a good deal of low cloud and low temperatures up there, but they navigated without incident through the heavy rain across the Glen of Imaal.

Peter at this stage was now having problems with painful cramps in his legs which greatly hindered him and forced him to reduce his pace. Tom was not unhappy about this, as he had been wondering if he would be able to keep up with this young man twenty-four years his junior. The rest of the walk continued without incident, apart from Peter's cramps, with excellent weather attending their efforts. Silence eventually held sway between the two walkers on the very long road walk from Ballynultagh to Terenure. They both struggled to summon up their last reserves and concentrated on combatting their great tiredness as they tried to deal with over twenty hours without sleep.

They reached Terenure in 25 hours 21 minutes, not the fastest of times, but fast enough when Peter's afflictions and their very heavy backpacks are taken into consideration. This was the toughest Hart Walk to date as there was no backup whatsoever. This meant that they both had to carry enough food and drink, especially drink, for around twenty-four hours, as there was no opportunity along the way to purchase such items. Tom, being of puny physique, found this especially difficult and returned home with very sore shoulder muscles.

Tom and Peter

We won't talk about the legs. Neither will we tell of the un-parliamentary language which Peter used as he looked back towards the hills as they finished with the mountain section, stepping onto the forest track on the painful descent from Crockanoo to Ballynultagh. Who could blame him! Are they doing it again next year? You must be joking!

Tom Milligan