We never planned on driving through tiny Irish back roads in the snow. The original plan involved a road that was clear, gritted and sheep-free. But when a meeting gets cancelled and there is an option to take the scenic route, who can say no?
A series of “just in case” items I packed that morning helped me take what have quickly become some of my favourite landscapes. The drone (and more importantly, the charger) I packed because “I might use it in the woods”. The wellies I packed for the same reason. And the extra warm jacket that would spend a lot of the day sitting in the back seat, unused.
Beyond Oughterard, the roads became worse. The day-old snow was packed hard as ice on the verges of the road and in two lines in the middle of each lane. Occasional loud scrapes told us when the icy snow met the undercarriage of the car. We passed pull in places covered in an untouched white blanket and it was impossible to tell the conditions of the ground underneath. So we kept driving.
Our first stop was the garage at Maam Cross. The ground was unsalted and black ice was everywhere. I was eager to get the drone in the air. A van pulled in after us and made the mistake of stopping on a slight incline. Wheels skidded for a few moments before regaining traction and continuing to a parking spot. I launched the drone and had my first view of the landscape in the snow.
We discussed the route. Our final destination was Westport and we had three main options: Maam Valley, Inagh Valley or all the way around via Clifden on a main road we knew the conditions of. In the end, we settled for attempting the Inagh Valley and turning back if necessary. Such a good decision.
Snow crunched underfoot as I climbed down the slope, balancing between rocks and and clumps of grass breaking through the snow. My hands were numb from the cold as I balanced the camera on a rock and lined up my composition. Gloves had slipped my mind when packing. Snap. I checked the back of the camera and, satisfied with what I’d taken, began the cold clamber back up to the road.
The sun slowly disappeared as a soft haze settled in the sky. I was struck by how similar some of the landscape was to northern Canada or the Arctic, but such a rare sight here. Luckily the road through the Inagh Valley was better driving and we had the chance to pull in a few times, each time crossing our fingers that we would be able to leave again. I was glad the sun had disappeared, it made the snow much easier to photograph without a strong glare.
Needless to say, we arrived safely to Westport several cold, scenic hours later, the roads improving once we left the mountains behind.
