Valentia Island to Cronins Yard.

After yesterday we needed a better day with no dramas, so it was a pleasure to wake up in such a stunning location without a cloud in the sky. The view from the breakfast table was superb, upwards of a dozen boats were leaving from Portmagee with loads of lucky passengers heading out to The Skellig Islands. These islands look like the top of  Chamonix Aiguilles sticking out the Atlantic and incredibly for many years from about the 7th century Monks lived on Skellig Micheal, the larger of the 2 islands in their beehive huts. Later in about the 12th century Irish Christians occupied the island until it was abandoned due to deteriorating whether patterns. The boats take their passengers out for 7 miles to the Island, land them and then there are 600 stairs to climb to visit the beehive huts. Its a trip we would love to do, but I think the boys are just a bit young for it, its a very exposed place. We walked out to Bray Head and the signal tower, which is possibly about as close as you can get to the Skeligs without getting on a boat. The circular walk is superb, and the weather although still windy was perfect-finally. Back at the van, this good weather and the fact it is set to stick around got us thinking. We were due to return to Scotland on Friday, however, between the tyre issue, the fact we have not quite made it down to the Mizen Head yet (not a major issue), and the fact I still had not managed up a significant hill got us thinking about staying an extra day, so a quick email to Aferry, and for a tenner we were now staying till next Saturday......result and game on with regard to a days walking.
I was keen on Carrauntoohil in the MacGillycuddys Reeks, there are 2 normal starting points, first is Cronin's Yard accessed from Killarney, the other is from a point west of the range. I had no info as to a campsite of parking space at option 2 so figured Cronin's Yard was the best bet (turns out there is a campsite to the west, but no matter). We also wanted to try and complete the Ring of Kerry so I didn't want to head back along the north of the Iveragh Peninsula even though it was quickest. So we headed over the bridge  through Portmagee which is a lovely colourful village, with houses painted in all the colours of a rainbow, not the first we have seen like this. We followed yet another simply stunning stretch of coastal road all the way to Kenmare. Saying it that quickly is an injustice however, the road weaves about all over the place, very steep inclines and declines over passes, around hairpin bends, revealing stunning coastal views,amazing beaches and the next peninsula that we might investigate - HOWEVER - it is also incredibly slow (as it should be, why would you rush it), its often very narrow, very bendy,very steep and also very, very bumpy, and I am now acutely aware of the pitching and rolling the van does on these roads, loading our poor tyres like never before. There is a mountain road that we could have taken, but if we are going to have an issue I would much prefer it to happen somewhere that we would have a fighting chance of being able to get help, so we followed the Ring of Kerry as your never really too far from civilisation. After Kenmare we head north over the Molls Gap pass, and drop down through the Killarney National Park, now its nearly the end of September, and everyone says it's the end of the season and is now quiet, so goodness only know what its like during the summer as it is still hoaching with tourist buses, it's quite a narrow road but nothing gets in the buses road, so I was more than happy to sit being one all the way down with him clearing the way for us, lol.
It felt a wee bit odd being away from the coast after having followed it for so long, but it was a nice change, and I got my first proper peek at the mountains I would hopefully soon be climbing. The hills looked good, but nothing out the ordinary, I have climbed all the best Scottish hills and these just looked similar in the evening light.
It was quite late by the time we got to Cronin's Yard, and it was tea time. Joyce set about cooking our evening meal which was some delicious looking Monkfish that we had bought at the Dingle fish merchants. I had high hopes for this tea. I looked out my walking gear while tea was prepared, then we all sat down to eat. The Monkfish was delicious, but as I cut into it for the 2nd time I revealed what is most likely some sort of parasitic worm. Unfortunately Joyce clocked it, an of course this put her right off eating her chunk of lovely fish.  Now, I am not squeamish about these things but must admit I don't like foreign creatures in my food, the thing was dead obviously but none the less its not pleasant. On dissecting the rest of the meat it was the only one out of the 2 big fillets wee had. Joyce couldn't face eating hers so I got it.
I have seen these worms before in Pollock that I have caught, they must burrow into the flesh and live there. Once you spy them, they can be cut out, I recon this Monkfish one was the same creature, maybe the fishmonger had missed it. There's a bit left, I suspect I will be eating it, lol.
I reccee'd the first 20 minutes of the climb I wanted to do before it got dark, and later on in the evening sorted the van out, emptying the loo and filling up our drinking water bottle. I got chatting to Keith, a lad who works at Cronin's yard and he let me know about different ways up and down Carrauntoohil. The Devils Ladder did not sound appealing as a decent route....I rechecked the forecast and it was perfect, hardly any wind and big bright sunshine's.
The scrabble board came out, we had a beer and a small whisky, my alarm was set for 5.10am. I decided to give the blog a miss, and went to sleep.