Walking With The Clouds: Ireland
June 12 - 23, 2021
Dublin – Glendalough Valley – Killarney – Muckross Abbey– Kerry Way – Carrauntoohil – Cahersiveen – Portmagee – Skelligs – Galway – Cliffs of Moher
On this trip we'll combine business with pleasure: visit the most beautiful historical sites and nature reserves of Ireland, dive into the culture of this mysterious, reckless and romantic country, and get ready for the summer by making a five-day trekking in the mountains of Kerry.
We will try the famous Galway oysters and thoroughly examine the local variety of beers and whiskey (optional, of course). I'll tell you about the history of Ireland and the key personalities, yet avoid the boredom and focus only on the most interesting events. I will also try to show how history and nature are reflected in Irish poetry and songs. Expect stunning scenery, mountains and ocean, forests and valleys, traditional music and local cuisine. Not forgetting a few surprises from the unpredictable Irish weather!
The route map is here.
Day 1
Arrive at Dublin airport. Meeting with the group, transfer to Dublin and check-in to a hostel. Time to relax. In the evening we'll take a walk in the city center and visit the lively Temple Bar district for dinner.
Day 2
A day in Dublin. We'll walk around town and see the famous "hungry tree", Trinity College and the Old Library, Dublin Castle, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Liffey river and its bridges, the Dublin Needle, Oscar Wilde and Molly Malone statues. It is also possible to visit the Jameson Distillery and museum (upon request).
Dinner in town - steak! This might not be the cheapest part of the menu, but in Ireland you can taste some of the best steaks made of ecologically grown local organic meat!
Day 3
Morning (09:30) ride to the Glendalough Valley in the Wicklow mountains. This place is mainly famous for its early Middle Ages monastery. It was founded in the 6th century and destroyed by British troops in 1398. Among the surviving buildings there is a round tower 30 meters high. Glendalough means "valley of two lakes." And there are actually two lakes. After visiting the monastery we’ll walk to the Upper lake and then climb along a waterfall to the famous Wicklow Way - a path that was used by travelers for centuries. We will follow it back to the bus and then return to Dublin.
Day 4
In the morning (9:00am) we take a bus to Killarney on the other side of the Island. Time to destination - approximately 4,5 hours. Upon arrival we check-in to a hotel.
On foot or by bus we shall reach the Ross Castle (15 century), walk around the Ross peninsula and return to Killarney for dinner. This evening we'll try to go to a traditional pub with live music.
Upon return to hotel we prepare for the 5 days trekking and pack our things. All unnecessary items we'll leave in the hotel storage room.
Day 5
The beginning of our trekking in the Kerry Mountains. Our route follows the Kerry Way - one of the most scenic routes in Ireland. We'll take a detour and follow an alternative path to climb Ireland's highest peak - Mt. Carrauntoohil (1039m, 3408ft). Only the worst weather will stop us, so be prepared to hike in the rain.
In the morning we walk to Killarney. At 11:00 we'll take a local tourist bus to get to the Muckross Abbey. From there we'll continue on foot. On this day we follow country roads, paths and duckboards over the boggy areas. We'll see the Muckross Abbey (15th century), Torc Waterfall, Irish red deer (if we're lucky), several lakes, forests, Kerry mountains and bogs. The route is not hard, but quite long (20 km, 7-8 hours).
Night in a hostel or B&B.
Day 6
The day will be hard, but exciting. At 8:00 we'll be picked-up by a van and taken to the start of the Carrauntoohil (1039m, 3408ft) approach. We'll take the Gap of Dunloe road - one of the most beautiful (and extreme) mountain roads in Ireland.
At 9 am we have to start hiking. Our route to the top is called Brother O'Shea route. After the summit we'll descend to the lake Acoose via Mt. Caher. There will be a path to follow, and only once we'll have to do some easy scrambling. The total distance for this day is about 20 km, 10 hours. A head lamp might be required at nightfall.
Night at a B&B.
Day 7
A relatively short passage to Glenbeigh over forests and hills, distance - 5-6 hours. On the approach we'll see the ocean. Glenbeigh is a tourist town with pubs and restaurants. Time to relax!
Day 8
On this day we reach Kells - a small village on the ocean coast.
If there's enough time, we'll take a detour to visit the ocean. It will probably be too cold to swim, but quite ok to walk barefoot in the Atlantic.
We shall then continue on the Kerry Way over hills and forests along the coast. Kells village is famous for its subtropical garden - yes, we'll walk under palms in Ireland. Distance for this day is 14 km, 5-6 hours. Night in a B&B.
Day 9
Walk from Glenbeigh to Cahersiveen via and old Kerry road. This used to be the highway of its day and horse carriages served as public transport. The route is long, but easy, 8-9 hours. Night at a B&B or hostel.
Day 10
Today we will take a boat around the famous Skellig Islands. On top of the bigger island – Skellig Michael - there is a 6th century monastery. It is here that the final scenes of the recent (2015) Star Wars episode were shot. We will also have a chance to observe numerous sea birds and (if lucky) dolphins.
If the weather is bad, our boat trip will be cancelled. In this case, we’ll visit the Skellig’s Visitor Centre.
After the boat trip we return back to Killarney and take a bus to Galway (via Limerick, about 5 hrs).
Day 11
On this day we take a trip to the famous Cliffs of Moher. We will also see a medieval fortress in Kinvara, drive through the Burren - a unique limestone plateau - and visit the Poulnabrone Dolmen. These are the remains of a portal tomb erected between 4200 – 2900 BC.
After lunch in Doolin we walk along the Cliffs of Moher - over 200 meters high and 8 km long. The views are stunning - Aran islands in the distance, endless sea and numerous birds nesting on the rocks.
Dinner at the Moran’s Oyster Cottage. This tavern was founded in the 18th century and is one of the ten best restaurants in the world where you can taste oysters. And not just any oysters, but the famous Galway oysters! Yet the prices of the meals here are unremarkable and quite democratic.
Day 12
Bus to the airport and departure home*.
*It is possible to stay one more day in Galway and take a trip to Connemara, Cong and Kylemore Abbey.
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