Kiltagh Point 20200920

[Joe McCool]

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For the route out, I bear responsibility!   But, as I had no phone, Joan lead and we had to follow.

Again, this run was special,special, special!   What made it special?   Several things made it special.

Firstly we had the young Marty Conlon along and he behaved himself rather well.

The route is here:

https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MzQxNDE3OQ==

and gpx file attached.

At one point, near Derrytresk, Marty nearly wet himself when Joan turned right up a track.  Gravel at first, it deteriorated (or improved, depending on your point of view) into a grassy pathway, then into heather and eventually just ordinary bog.   But he handled it all with ease and stayed mounted while Joan and I took to Shank's mare.

We had a small detour round Rosemount and another round Brookend before we arrived at Kiltagh Point.  To our astonishment we met a cyclist there!  Unbelieveable!   I would have sworn that no cyclist had passed that way in the past 50 years!

His name was Coleman and he was keen to learn ours.   A retired teacher, he had some land in the area and was concerned to protect the wildlife against shooters.  He told us about the wild fowl, the property and the remains of an ancient house there.

He had no objection to us passing through to the lough shore.  Kiltagh itself was delightful.  100m from the shore a family of Whooper swans gracefully ignored us and an individual cruised over our heads giving such an impression of power and elegance.

The auld primus fired up no problem and we enjoyed tea, ham sandwiches, nuts again and delightful chat.  The really wonderful thing about these runs and their isolation is that we can blether away about people behind their backs and there's no-one to hear.  Marvellous.

Joan again lead the way back through The Diamond and South West towards Drumcairn.  It was outside the forest there that things went a bit astray.  I got bitten by a dog, first time in 20 years - small, black, curly haired mongrel!  Be warned.  Incident reported.

This necessitated a visit to Out Patients in South Tyrone hospital.  Once at Marty's house Geraldine entertained Joan while Marty drove me for the jeggs.   Thanks a lot to both of them.

What also made Sunday special, was my new, old, bike - an original Carlton Flyer.  The frame of this bike is perhaps 60yo and I've had it from I was 16.  I love it to bits.  Notice:

1. the Nervex lugs - things of real beauty
2. the 48 x 36 TA chainset
3. Brooks Professional saddle
   
4. proper touring carrier
5. quick release seat pin
6. Campag gear levers
7. I'll change the brake levers for Campag ones shortly
   

Roll on next weekend :-)

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Thanks.
____________________________
Joe McCool CEng, MIMarEST, SMIEEE
www.tangentengineering.co.uk

(44)7802572441