Journey to the top of Ireland

A detour into the lost world may not help these weary legs, but chips and coffee might

“I’m just worried because we’re doing this run the day before a Monday,” says Colin, a Donegal Mountain Rescue volunteer and a Monday Musings subscriber. He’s worried because we’ve lost our way among 6ft-high ferns half-way up a mountain. And he doesn’t want me to write about it.

It wouldn’t be so bad, except I’ve just been to see the physio about my bad arm, which he diagnosed as a tear of the subscapularis tendon. “Of course, I know you’re not going to rest it,” he said. “But it really wouldn’t be good if you fell on it again.”

I’m moving gingerly up the steep slopes, through loose rock, brambles, lots of ferns. Trying not to fall. Colin stops, looking pensive. “Maybe we should cut down here,” he says, pointing to what looks like a sheer drop. Then he disappears down it.