To tell you all I climbed a MOUNTAIN the other day! Not just any mountain either; it was Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo. I had been told thousands of people climb this mountain every July, some barefoot, as a pilgrimage. St. Patrick was said to have fasted at the top of this mountain for 40 days and then threw a silver bell down the side, banishing the she-demon Corra and eliminating snakes from Ireland. (Thank you Wikipedia) This was a pretty popular mountain so I assumed it would be a leisurely walk up to the top, no big deal.
Boy, was I wrong. It was broken into 3 different parts: A steep part, a flat part, then a really steep rocky part. All three parts were hard. I could never imagine doing it barefoot.
First part
I thought about stopping, but pushed on, knowing it would be worth it in the end. Looking up towards the final stretch, however, with no real path, just tons of lose rock, was daunting.
Hard part
We walked in and out of clouds. It would be sunny and hot, then 10 steps later, cloudy, cold, and rainy. I finally made it but was stuck in a cloud and couldn't see a thing. A little anti-climatic, but still worth it.
Then we started our way down, which was harder than going up. It took me almost as long, trying not to fall on loose rock and tumbling down the mountain side. Boys were literally running past me as I took tiny step after tiny step. Finally, we made it back and enjoyed a nice treat and much needed stretch at the visitor's center.
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