On a wet and grey Saturday morning, Trekking NI congregated at Carlingford town. The grey morning was brightened by the enthusiasm of ten hikers intent on an adventure to the peak of Slieve Foye. We trekked through a colourful and charming Carlingford town following River Lane to ascend towards the foot of Slieve Foye. We took a right hand turn following a trail through Slieve Foye Woods. The sky above featured smooth grey clouds giving the lough a silver appearance. The woods were full of colour with vibrant green grass, rich brown soil at the foot of the tress and beautiful yellow flower shrubs. The trees themselves painted a pretty and fascinating picture. Emerging from the woods we had a morning tea break sitting at a picnic bench and by trees that emitted a pleasant pine fragrance. As we ventured up a steep climb between Slieve Foye and The Eagle Rock there were opportunities to look back at the impressive Carlingford Lough before we disappeared into the low lying cloud. We entered a silent silver realm full of mystique with various features of the landscape slowly appearing in front of us and disappearing as we passed. The way in which the dense cloud slowly teased the the landscape created an excitement of what was coming next. We used the slope of the mountain to shelter us from the wind then ascended further to the plateau of Slieve Foye. Up and down we travelled across the obstacles of the rugged landscape in search of the pinnacle of Slieve Foye. We may not have stood upon the peak, but we were within the vicinity. We began our decent to benefit from the shelter provided by the mountain slope and have some lunch. After lunch, we descended further downward taking a straight path. It was not long before we had come out of the clouds and could see Carlingford Lough and then the town again. We took a moment to appreciate the views before our final descent into the atmospheric town. Even under a grey sky, Carlingford and the Cooleys do not loose their charm. A place that is always worth a visit.
TREKKING NI 