Craggy hills, cracking climbs and towering tors, these peaks offer all the allure of a foreign destination but you can still use your British pounds, drive on the left and speak the lingo. Ladies and gentlemen…
Meet the
Mournes Words Phoebe Smith Photographs Neil S Price
o
nce upon a time a young girl called Lucy opened a wardrobe door and found herself in a captivating land of majestic mountains and mythical forests. That girl had opened the door to Narnia, but the place that this girl had just found herself in was even more magical. I had arrived at the Mourne Mountains, the real landscape that inspired author CS Lewis to create the classic children’s tale The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and its enchanted world. But unlike Lucy, who’d required a huge dose of magic and a closet to transport her here, all I’d needed was a ferry – and I hadn’t even had to remember my passport. Situated in the south-east corner of Northern Ireland, and less than an hour’s drive from Belfast, this cluster of wild and craggy peaks dominates the landscape from the seaside town of Newcastle to the village of Rostrevor. They offer all the perks of hill-walking in the UK mainland – the same language, currency and right-hand-drive cars – but the mountains here rival anything you’ll find in continental Europe. Their seaside location means post-walk beach lounging, the hills hide 26 climbing crags with over 900 graded routes – and the mountains offer first-class walking that belie their contour height. Like many hill-walkers I’d put off visiting the Mournes before because I’d � SEPTEMBER 2011 Trail 65
northern ireland sep11 pslpswja.indd 65
18/07/2011 14:06