I must admit, warm and toasty in what I have to say is possibly the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, the thought of another rainy day in the saddle drenched to the skin really did not appeal. Walking to the window of my bedroom, my mind was mentally deciding what to wear and layer so to keep as dry ad possible, but I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled up the blind. Yes, there was a bit of drizzle, but the fog was not as dense and there was a small patch of blue sky with a slight chink of sunshine pushing through. This looked promising.Debbie was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. The mouth-watering smell of the Full Irish wafted throughout the house, the dogs all waited patiently, the aroma of sizzling sausages and crispy bacon lulling them into a hypnotised trance. I ate the hearty breakfast looking out across Dingle Bay and in the short time that it took, I changed my mind multiple times over whether to wear my waterproof trousers or not, perhaps I should wear my two waterproof jackets layered one on top of the other………. such was the constant change in the weather. One minute it looked bright and clear, the next minute the fog descended bringing with it a sprinkling of moisture. By the time we were loading the horses to box to the foot of Mount Brandon (cut out the road work!), the decision was made to go with the waterproof trousers, it was pissing it down!Mount Brandon is the highest mountain in Ireland outside of “The MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and The Sliabh Mish and Mount Brandon form the backbone to the Dingle Peninsula. Views from Mount Brandon on a fine day are said to rival the most beautiful and captivating vistas from anywhere in the word. Gazing into the dense fog that shrouded Mount Brandon in eerie mystery, rain dripping from my helmet, I doubted we would fortunate enough to experience such view. The climb upwards to the Brandon Pass was steady and steep, the horses working intensely hard beneath us, our highest point reached at 1,300ft (396m). Rivulets of rain ran rapidly down the path, the distinct suck and pop of hooves emerging from saturated ground accompanied the staccato of falling rain drops. As we reached the summit of the pass, I gazed to my right and spied a shaft of light emerging from the cloud, hitting the mountain and illuminating all that was around. In the blink of an eye the rain stopped, the fog cleared and the sun emerged as we began our descent through the valley dotted with “paternoster” lakes. A Patternoster lake is one of a series of glacial lakes connected by a single stream or a braided stream system. The reflection of light across the lakes was magical, illuminated in liquid gold. Whilst mist and fog do create stunning, dramatic landscapes that create the atmosphere of remoteness and wildness that is endemic to this area, sun light is what really brings it to life, creating vibrancy and radiance.We pushed pass Cloghane towards Castlegregory for lunch. The hard work of the climb done it was time for the horses (and riders!) to have fun. The beaches of the Maherees are made for horses, unbroken and largely deserted and perfect for long lengthy canters with the occasional gallop thrown in for good measure, horses jogging and jostling and rearing to go. We continued on until we reached what felt like the end of the world, the head of the Maharees isthmus to our lodgings for the night with stunning views over the Maharees Islands, the Seven Hogs. A long and exhilarating day, bursting with adventure, stunning scenery and the finest beach riding in Ireland Dingle Horseriding
