Niall Gibney is always on the lookout for a mountain that needs tamed and has practically worn out the Mournes with his efforts. Having completed the Denis Rankin Round – both clockwise and anti clockwise he decided to go further afield with the intention of having a crack at the Wicklow Round. Irish ultra-runner Joe Lalor is credited with the creation of the Round in 2008 and his long-distance route follows a prescribed circuit of 26 mountains  and includes almost 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) of elevation so it is not for the faint hearted or ill prepared. While there is some flexibility on route choice between peaks, the climbs must be completed in a fixed order and a strict 24 hour deadline is imposed. If runners fail to complete in that time limit their efforts are not recorded as a valid Round. The important difference between this round and others is that GPS devices are forbidden and participants have to relay on map and compass for navigation. Pacers or support runners are also not permitted. Niall made comment that this was much to the delight of Gavin “the last leg” Hynds as he did not have to interrupt his busy triathlon training regime to give Niall back up! 

Niall’s preparation spanned many months with lots of long mountain runs in the Mournes. As a result of a Wicklow recce last August he chose May for his attempt as he learnt that from mid July the bracken, heather and gorse grows uncontrollably obscuring many paths making it at first difficult and then nigh impossible as the year goes on. Accompanied by trusty side kick and one woman support crew aka his wife Helen, he arrived on Saturday ready for a 3am start the next day. This start time was strategic as the first climb was along a well established track with the descent on an access road and a couple of tarmac miles beyond that. He reckoned this would be manageable in the dark and that by the time he reached the next trickier section that it would be almost daylight. He also calculated that if all went to plan then it would still be light for his descent off Tonduff North (3rd last peak) which would be a challenge even on a clear day.

Unfortunately his plans were knocked off kilter by the weather. He arrived at the foot of Kippure to mist and rain. Low visibility hampered his progression through the first few legs. Time was lost having to check map and compass and a few navigational errors did not help. To counteract the constant soaking he tried a clothes change at Lugnaquilla only to discover that his numb fingers were a big hindrance. Unsurprisingly he was not in great form when he first stopped at Glenmalure nine and a half hours in. Helen was on hand with sympathy and motivation in the form of hot coffee, pot noodle and a full change of clothes. Two big climbs followed but on more obvious paths allowing him to reach the next stop in better shape. More coffee and another pot noodle and he pressed on with determination. The rain stopped at last and visibility improved giving some great views of Lough Dan and Lough Tay. The resourceful Helen somehow sourced a curry chip which was washed down with energy boosting coke sending him into the last section in a buoyant mood. He found a great line up Tonduff but then a compass error sent him way off course. Miraculously he found himself on the right road despite this and realised that he was nearly home. The last section was familiar from his previous recce and even in the dark he yomped confidently to the finish.

At 1.50 am on Monday morning 22 hours 50 minutes and 15 seconds after he began, Niall reached the final point with 70 minutes of leeway before the cutoff. His tracker recorded 70.5 miles and 18,500 feet of climbing. He was elated to have made it and Helen was relieved to stand down from her duties. A mammoth effort from them both. As Niall said, “She was in the right places at the right time which is no easy feat as a lot of the support points are well off the beaten track and also you cannot get anywhere very fast in Wicklow”. There are fewer than 50 recorded rounds so getting added to that list is a major achievement. The record stands at 15 hours and 4 seconds  but only 8 people have gone quicker than 20 hours so Niall’s time is also impressive. Each time he finishes one of these safely there is a collective sigh of relief but it also begs the question – what next? We look forward to hearing the answer to that.