|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ireland is the only country in Europe that does not have legislation guaranteeing the right to roam, access depends on the good will of farmers which some times is not forthcoming. Irish rights of way are generally not registered, any attempts to do so can result in huge legal bills. Local councils lack courage to tackle the issue.
|
|
With the weather forecast of, NW winds force 6, showers, heavy at times with hail and thunder in places, we wondered if we should stay in and watch the rain, sit in the car and watch the rain or walk in the rain.
|
|
We drove down to Muckross house to the south of Killarney and parked up. If we were going to walk in Ireland we concluded that walking in the rain would be the norm and any clear sunny periods would be a bonus. So we donned our wet weather gear and set out at 10.20 for a walk around Muckross Lake.
|
|
Following the minor road to the east of the lake we walked south and within 10 minutes the rain had stopped and the sun was starting to shine. A sign directed us to a short side walk to Torc Waterfall, not spectacular but still worth the effort. Decided to follow the path further up above the fall and the sun disappeared and we were in a hailstorm.
|
Torc Waterfall
|
Returned back to the road and continued along it for 1.5 km as it ran along the south short of the lake before turning off to the right on a single track road to continue following the lake shore towards Dinish Cottage. Just before Dinish Cottage we veered off to the left to the Old Weir Bridge. In beautiful sunshine the spot would have made a good spot for lunch but we were a little early and so we moved on; which was fortunate because within 5 minutes of photographing the bridge in bright sunlight it was again raining! We tried to find a path on the other side of the bridge to take us back to the road but there didnt seem to be one and so we had to retrace our steps
|
|
By Dinish Cottage we again veered off to the left to visit the Meeting of the Waters, again a beautiful spot, this time occupied by other walkers. So we continued around the left hand edge of Dinish Island picking our way through gorse and bog to follow a minor path that finally brought us back to the road which took us to our next destination of Brickeen Bridge where we decided to stop for lunch. However, no sooner had we got our sandwiches our than it was raining again, so we pressed on stopping again for lunch as soon as the sun came out.
|
Old Weir Bridge
|
|
Rather than follow the road back to Muckross House, to make the walk more interesting, we first took the footpath to the north of Doo Lough before regaining the road, turning back right for a short way. From here we then turned left to following the path along the north shore of Muckross Lake around Kilbeg and Dunoag Bays back to Muckross House and there busy restaurant at 2.40pm.
|
|
The walk had turned out far better than we had expected, although the forecast had been everything promised (except for the thunder), we had had more sunshine than showers and the views were beautiful when it wasnt raining.
|
|
Weather forecast Early showers, heavy at times, clearing later. Wind up to gale force moderating later. Visibility good.
|
|
Decided to tackle a high route and chose the Purple Mountain at 832m, to the west of Lough Leane, using a route from Trail magazine June 2001.
|
|
The walk started from Kate Kearneys Cottage, at the bottom of the Gap of Dunloe, a tourist spot with Jaunty Cart drivers vying for customers to take up the road. Starting out at 10am, for the first part we followed the minor road south for 4 miles as made its way steadily up the valley. With lakes, bridges and mountains and bright sunshine (when it wasnt raining) there was plenty to see and photograph.
|
Black Lough
|
By 11.30am we were at the top of the pass and starting to look for a faint path off to the right, this didnt prove easy to find and so we headed up hill following a fence line. Soon we arrived at the stream, with a wall and fence by its side, which we were able to follow up through bog and over rough paths to reach Glas Lough. Although the path was not good it was easy enough to follow and the boggy bits werent deep or difficult to get around.
|
|
From the Lough we continued to the first peak at 793m, with a fearsome wind blowing from the northwest. At times we had to stop and brace ourselves on our walking poles until the wind moderated and we could continue. The second, and highest peak, was not far on and was soon reached, giving excellent views in all directions. Lakes lay to the south and east, the plains of the River Laune to the north, and the hills of Macgilly Cuddys Reeks, with Carrauntoohil the highest mountain in Ireland, to the west.
|
|
The path between the peaks was reasonably easy to follow and we were soon able to reach the final peak of the Purple Mountains. An optional extension to the walk was to continue east to Shehy Mountain, but with flurries of snow blowing at near gale force in our backs, and the chance we would have it in our faces for the return we passed it up.
|
Macgilly Cuddy's Reeks
|
|
The path now had disappeared and so we had to pick our way as best we could, first to Tomies Mountain and then to the peak at 568. From here on the route map didnt quite correspond to the description and so things didnt seem to make much sense, but we had good visibility and were able to work our way down and back to the start at 3.30pm.
|
|
For todays walk we drove out to Rossmackowan, on the south shore of the Beara peninsula. Taking in the views on they way we stopped at Ladies View, name as such because of the pleasure expressed by Queen Victorias Ladies-in-Waiting on their visit in 1861. Our next stop was near the top of Healy Pass to take in views over Glanmore Lake.
|
Ladies View
|
Continuing on we reached the start of our walk and set out at 11.40am in bright sunshine wearing our wet weather gear to follow the route up to the top of Hungry Hill, from Lonely Planet - Walking in Ireland. At 695m Hungry Hill is the highest point on the Beara peninsula.
The route started off on a metalled road but after a while it became a boreen - an old country lane or narrow track, this one was like any farm track with grass in the middle and ruts either side. Steadily we made our way up hill passing areas where peat had been cut and also one still in use with the blocks laid out to dry.
|
|
Finally we reached the end of the track and Glad Lough at 420m, from now on we would be picking our way over rocks ad through peat bogs with grass sticking up though a layer of 1cm of water. Once we had got used to the idea that the surface was mostly firm enough to walk on we started to make good progress, though being careful not to be too ambitious or to fall over. Neither was it a good idea top jump down into the bog!
|
Peat cutting
|
Red spots
|
Finding our way was also assisted by splodges of red paint, though they were in places somewhat faded and difficult to see. We had to avoid following the red markings on the backs of sheep.
As we neared the top we lost the markings and so finished off by finding our own way to the trig point. To the south of Hungry Hill is a second top at 667m with excellent views over Bantry Bay, we made our way over to this and sat in the lee of a large round enclosed shelter to eat our lunch.
|
Except for one shower the ascent had been in fine weather with quite long periods of sun. For the return down the same route we weren't quite so fortunate and had to endure a period of hail, but by the time we reached the car, at 5.10pm the sun was out again and we were able to get out of our wet outer gear without haste
Before returning we decided to take a drive to the very end of the Beara peninsula to admire the views of the hills and the coast together with the house and bungalows painted in a wide variety of pastel shades, as well as some in more primary colours.
|
Ballydonegan Bay
|
|
For todays walk we set off early to the Dingle peninsula to climb Brandon Mountain, at 952m the highest peak outside the Iveragh peninsula.
|
|
The route we chose was the Saints Way, a pilgrims walk to the top of the holy mountain. Starting from a car park near the end of a track at 170m, we made our way up to the end of the track to find before us white posts about every 20m, there was no chance of loosing our way on this walk!
|
|
The path shown on the map runs virtually straight up the side of the mountain without compromise. The path on the ground did the same until it approach the top when it was a little more forgiving and skirted the peak round to the right as it ascended, before reaching the top.
|
|
Also to mark our way were occasional numbered wooden crosses, it began to appear that they might be the twelve stages of the cross, but having reach number 12 and still not at the top be realised we were mistaken. In fact there were 15, the good news was that towards the top they became more frequent.
|
Brandon Mountain
|
As we started out at 10.05am in the sunshine, the top of Brandon Mountain was covered in cloud but we lived in hope. As we ascended the cloud first came down and then lifted slightly but it never cleared the peak and as we closed on the top we were hit by a hailstorm. Reaching the top at 11.30am, we had planned to carry on round the ridge to Brandon Peak but decided instead to return back the same way that we came. Descending into sunshine again as we came out of the clouds we reached the car at 12.40pm having ascended 780m in 1hr 25min and descended in 1hr 10min
|
|
With the afternoon to spare we decided on a circular walk that took in Mount Eagle a 516m peak at the extreme western end of the peninsula. We parked the car half way along the sands at Ventry Harbour and at 2.40pm set off west back along the minor road that ran down to the car park. Continued for about a mile towards Mount Eagle before turning north and zig-zagging our way to the bottom of the track to the radar ariel.
|
|
After passing the ariel we had the choice of zig-zagging straight up the side of the hill or taking a gentler ascent around the ridge, we chose the former. From the top we then followed the ridge up to the top of Mount Eagle with views over the islands off the end of the peninsular.
|
For our return we first followed the ridge to the southwest to spot height 424m and then on to spot height 232m before taking a more direct route south to meet the boundary wall that is the Dingle. From then on it was a simple matter to follow this and then the way marked tracks back to the road, passing on the way some round stone houses.
From the road the Dingle Way continues roughly east along minor roads and muddy farm track to reach the sand at Ventry Harbour, which we were able to walk along to get back to the start at 7.00pm
|
Blasket Sound
|
|
As the clouds were still on Carrauntoohil we decided to go down to the end of the Inveragh peninsula to Waterville and walk around the lake, following walk 11 from Kerry Walks by Kevin Corcoran. The walk took us up the south side of the Lough then northwards through woodlands before returning down the ridge of Coomduff, a distance of 14 miles that took us 6 = hours.
|
|
Although this was a low-level walk, with all the ups and downs we probably still did the equivalent of a moderate mountain.
|
Lough Currane
|
The views were superb again and for the first part of the walk the going was easy on tarmac and then granite chippings, but the second half was no pleasure at all. Paths were often extremely wet and boggy or overgrown or had been churned up by cattle; gates were usually fragile and held together by string making them difficult to pass through; styles seemed to cater more for Irish giants rather than us mortals. We got the impression that the farmers were trying to discourage walkers.
|
|
All week we have been watching the weather forecast in anticipation and every day we have been disappointed, but today the forecast is cloudy with prolonged sunny periods. We have also been watching the tops of the mountains which until now have always been covered in cloud, but today only the very tops have clouds on them. So today we climb Carrauntoohil.
|
|
As well as Carrauntoohil we intended to do as many of the peaks as possible, so get the most of the day we set early for our starting point at grid ref 837874 on our Irish map 78.
|
|
Having paid the farmer 2 Euro for parking we started off up the well-defined track at 8.45am, heading up to the Macgilly Cuddys Reeks mountains in front of us. To our right a Gaddagh River ran up the same valley and we found ourselves walking along its bank (we should probably have crossed the river at this point). There must be fish in the river as we spotted a pair of Herons flying along it. After a while and follow the wrong tributary we finally reached the twin lakes of Lough Gouragh and Lough Callee.
|
|
Cloud still hung around the top of Carrauntoohil but we still had at least an hour in which it could get better, or worse. Ahead lay one of the more difficult sections, a scramble up The Devils Ladder. For the first section we scrambles over rocks with water running between and over them, but later we worked over to the left to follow the wall up, being careful of loose stones. Except for the final 10m which were mud, and we had to descend slightly to find a better route to the right outside the gully, the climb was very exhilarating.
|
Devils Ladder
|
Top of Carrauntoohil
|
Although the steepest climb was now behind us we still had a long slog up the slope to the top of Carrauntoohil (1039m)and so set off to reach the top and great views all around after 3 hours.
With little wind and a comfortable temperature we spent time taking photos and admiring the views but after 20min with more peaks to do we descended part way back down the slope and then made our way over to Caher (1001m). This was on a spur of the main walk that we were intending and so returned to the top of The Devils Ladder, were we had lunch, to walk along the ridge to the east.
|
|
First came Cnoc na Toinne (845m), then Cnoc an Chuillin ((958m), Maolan Bum (973m) and Cnoc na Piiste (988m). From here the way became more rocky and difficult having to work our way along a narrow ridge to rest The Big Gun (939m). We had hoped to continue on to Crauch Mhsr with its grotto on top, but by now it was raining and the clouds were descending, the ridge was also even more difficult than the previous one and so we decided to leave it for another day. We made our descent through a steep boulder field down to Lough Coimmn and then round its east shore to its outlet. From here we descended down the grass and moss covered slope back to the Gaddagh River and the start.
|
East ridge
|
|
Having travelled over from Kerry we had one day to walk in the Wicklow mountains and so, of course chose the highest available - Lugnaquillia aka Lui - at 3039ft the only 3000 mountain outside the south and southwest.
|
|
Lui sits above the Glen of Imail, an artillery range which restricts access from the west when in use. As this was a bank holiday Sunday there was no such risk but we still checked in at the Army Advice Centre just to make sure and discovered that the 200 Irish Rambler meeting there for their Spring Walking Festival. So we picked up a free army map, parked the car along with all the others and at 10.15am set off on our own on a 4 mile road walk, first west to the village of Knockanarrigan and then south an east to reach the road junction of Ballinfoyle.
|
|
From Ballinfoyle we were then able to head up into the hills by following a track about 100m north of the junction that headed westerly up the hill in the direction of the summit of Ballineddan Mountain (652m), the first summit on our horseshoe that would get us up onto the tops.
|
Lui
|
From here we were able, with a few ups and down, over grass and bog to work our way around to Slievemaan to the bottom of Lui. Finding the ascent path was easy, it was marked by red and white tape on poles to guide the runners on a fell race that was taking place. The runner, or in the case of those slowly passing us, slightly fast walkers, were probably in the veterans section
At1.15pm we were at the top of Lui, along with a few other walkers, to enjoy our lunch and look out over the Wicklow countryside. The hills of Wicklow, with rounded tops are a complete contrast to the jagged peaks of Kerry.
|
|
Our walk continued over the north western spur of Cannow and down to the base of Camenabologue from where we first headed out to an unnamed east top at 663m. This involved working our way through peat bog, but unlike those of such places as Kinder weren't too difficult as in most places the peat was firm enough to walk on when necessary.
|
|
Returning back over the bog we then made our way up to Comenabologue. Foot prints in the peat seemed to be those of deer though we couldn't be sure.
|
|
Our final top was Table Mountain which we reached with ease before returning south to the foot path which headed west to take us over the Artillery Range. As we walked down the forest track near the end of the walk we came upon proof that there were deer in the area when a young deer stood in front of us on the road and watched us for some minutes, as we watched it. After a long day we returned to the start at 6.00pm.
|
Deer
|
|
|
