Det blev en onsdags-eftermiddags runda i detta Garmin BAS-träningspass på 40-minuter.
Efter dessa 6 km blev jag färdig med The Conqueror utmaningen Giants Causeway och fick mitt diplom.
Jag fick även de två sista vykorten därifrån.
Leaving Bushmills, I entered the Giant’s Causeway Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a specially protected area of natural heritage guarded by the UK government and the National Trust. The area is famous for its basalt rock formations, and all kinds of breathtaking structures can be seen as one braves the blustering winds. Great arches, like the remnants of Gothic cathedrals, sheer cliffs rising over 328ft (100m) above the ocean, and sea caves that echo with the thundering boom of the waves colliding against their walls.
One of the most striking features found here is Dunluce Castle, which sits perched on a jutting headland. This castle’s name means ‘Fort of the Waves’, and it’s clear why; standing on the battlements, you experience the Atlantic crashing onto the basalt cliff below, spraying saltwater over the walls. The castle was first built by Norman invaders in the 13th Century but later became the seat of the Macdonalds, a Scottish clan that once ruled most of this area as the Earls of Antrim.
I enjoyed exploring the cavernous halls and crumbling walls, its ivy-draped towers and defiant battlements. I attempted to find some of the hidden corridors that are said to have been used by the castle’s inhabitants to smuggle in supplies during a siege and marvelled at the gravity-powered plumbing system the Macdonalds enjoyed. Indoor plumbing in a medieval castle, who’d have thought?
Looking at the boughs of Irish oak that lined my path, I noticed a wren, with his little upturned tailwings and needle-beak, flittering from branch to branch. In Ireland, this tiniest of creatures is known as the ‘King among Birds. ’ It’s said that once, the Wren challenged the Eagle to a contest to see who could fly the highest, the winner being awarded the right to call themselves King.
The Eagle accepted immediately, thinking the little wren, with his little wings, had no chance. The Eagle prepared to take off, but just as he did, the Wren hopped on his back. Eagle climbed higher and higher until Ireland was just a speck below them, but eventually, his wings got tired, and he had to dive down back to Earth to rest. As he did so, the Wren jumped from his back, flapped his wings heroically, and flew a little higher than his opponent, and that’s why we call the Wren the King of All Birds!
I gave the Wren a bow and then continued. I climbed to the top of a hill, and then my heart hit my mouth. Laid out below was my destination. The Giant’s Causeway stretched before me, trailing off into the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. I took the scene in and then headed downhill, excited for the final chapter in my Northern Irish adventure.
Giant’s Causeway is truly unique. Over 40,000 pentagonal columns (affectionately called ‘biscuits’ by locals) make up this UNESCO World Heritage Site, each almost too perfect for a natural phenomenon.
The Causeway was formed around 60 million years ago, when the Northern Irish coast was a geological and volcanic hotspot. Lava would erupt from volcanoes and then follow the contours of the land down to the sea, where, upon hitting the cool water, it would quickly solidify and contract, becoming basalt. This contraction led the basalt to crack and, as basalt cracks in a predictable way when cooling, and there was even stress distribution as the lava cooled, it formed honeycomb-like pentagons and long pillars. Then, over the eons, the wind, rain and waves shaped the Causeway, creating the many strange rock formations scattered around.
I began along the Grand Causeway, the largest and most famous section of the site. I crossed these natural stepping stones, following the footsteps of Fionn Mac Cumhaiil, the legendary giant who is said to have built the causeway to challenge Benandonner, his Scottish rival. I marvelled at the basalt columns rising above me, laid out in their satisfying, regular hexagons. I felt the ocean’s salt spray on my face and placed my hand on a smooth column, weathered by centuries of erosion.
Then, I headed to the Lesser Causeway and reached the Wishing Chair. This seat-shaped section of the formation is thought to be the throne of the legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill, who rested here before crossing over to Scotland. Sitting here is meant to be good luck, so I dutifully queued with the other tourists before perching myself on it.
I continued around the site, next arriving at the Organ, so called because the formation’s tall parallel columns resemble the pipes of a church organ. I craned my neck, looking up at them, reaching as they do over 30ft (12m) into the sky, and imagined Fionn Mac Cumhaill sitting down here to play a few chords.
Next, I headed out of the main area of the Causeway to see the chimney stacks. These tall, isolated columns are found at the end of a heather-strewn headland, foregrounding an inspiring view over the sea to the Scottish islands.
Finally, I found the Giant’s Gate, a formation resembling a doorway. Looking through its graceful arch, I found a beautifully framed view of the landscape, the Causeway stretching into the sea. This doorway is said to be the entrance to Fionn Mac Cumhaill’s domain, but I’ve learned from the tale of Ossian what happens when you enter the otherworlds, so I clambered around it.
I’ve had a wonderful day jumping across the basalt columns, exploring the strange shapes and the stranger stories behind them. Now, as the sun starts to fall beneath the horizon, it’s time to rest. I wander to the nearby snack van and order a cone of thick Irish chips (fries to you Americans) sprinkled with salt and drenched in vinegar. Then, I walk up the 162 Shepherd’s Steps to reach a brilliant viewpoint over the Causeway. I breathe in as I watch a group of fulmars wheeling across the sky. I can only feel thankful for the experience of crossing this emerald land, to discover its myths and folklore, as I allow my gaze to follow the Giant’s Causeway as it extends into the Atlantic, merging with the waves.