A New Love

Yesterday, I had quite the adventure. One of my friends suggested trying out the mountaineering club on campus. I found out that they go on a hiking trip every Sunday to different parts of the country. So, after buying some waterproof pants and a rain jacket, I packed a backpack and went with my friend to meet the mountaineering group at the bus stop. I had no idea where I was going or what to expect.

After being on the bus for about 3 hours, we finally reached our destination. Apparently we were near the Ring of Kerry (which is near the southwest coast) and the Purple Mountains of Killarney. The bus stopped at the bottom of a very large mountain. The Irish mountains don’t look quite as intimidating as the Rocky Mountains, which I am used to hiking, so I didn’t think that hiking the Irish hills would be that much of a problem, especially since they said only a reasonable level of fitness was required. I was definitely wrong. First of all, there aren’t any trails to follow; we were relying solely on a map, compass, and an occasional flock of sheep to guide us.

My legs were burning within the first ten minutes of the climb. It didn’t matter how cold it was outside, we were all sweating and shedding layers in no time. The muck and mud was slick and very wet. My tennis shoes are most likely going to take a week to dry. The higher we climbed, the more beautiful the scenery became; it was absolutely amazing and breathtaking (not only because of the harsh conditions). It took us about 3 hours to get to the top of the mountain where we took a break and ate lunch, and then proceeded to make our way down again.

Let me tell ya, I think I would rather walk up the mountain ten times in a row than go down. The steep incline made for a dangerously slick walk down the mountain. I was sure someone was going to break an ankle or just start tumbling down. It took us 3 hours to get down the mountain and back to our bus. I can’t even explain how much my legs hurt by the end of the day. The pain even kept me up half the night. Although the day was rough (10 hours in all), I learned some very valuable lessons:

1.) I’m buying waterproof hiking boots pronto
2.) I should pack at least 10 sandwiches to eat for each hike
3.) An extra belt would be nice (since I’m sure I lost 50 pounds during the hike)
4.) The best way to see Ireland in all its beauty and splendor is to hike its mountains
5.) I absolutely love hiking and will do it until I am no longer able
6.) I no longer need to go to the gym because God’s creation provides the best form of exercise and muscle strengthening that anyone could ever need (goodbye nasty treadmills – hello nature).

I cannot wait until next Sunday to find out what beautiful things I will get to see. I absolutely loved every minute of the day; even if I did think I was going to die a couple of times. It was kind of like being on a runner’s high – after I passed a certain threshold, I was completely hooked.