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John Osaki's Blog
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 May 19-26, 2012 Plan your arrival for May 18, 2012 Plan your departure for May 27, 2012  Printable version of itinerary Western Ireland Slide Show  |
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 Discover
the beauty of western Ireland on foot as the Irish spring turns to
summer. Journey through the lake and woodland landscape of the Killarney
National Park, and sample the trails of the MacGillicuddy’s Reeks, a
mountain range that contains Ireland’s tallest peak, Carrauntuohill.
Continue your Irish adventure on the Dingle Peninsula where stone walls traverse rolling farmland creating
the quintessential Irish landscape of patchworked fields. Hike through
heather-covered moors, across windswept ridges, past standing stones and
ancient monuments, and along the shores of lakes nestled in
glacially-scoured cirques. Short boat journeys to offshore islands add another dimension to your travels. After a day outdoors, cozy pubs provide an opportunity to fall into the lively musical
rhythms of Ireland! |
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Auger Lake,
Gap of Dunloe |
Day 1 Overnight in Killarney Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Hike through the glacially-carved Gap of Dunloe, a steep-walled valley that slices into the mountain range known as the MacGillicuddy's Reeks. The way ascends past Black, Cushnavally, and Auger Lakes strung out along the valley floor like a string of beads. From the high point at Head of Gap the route descends to the Upper Killarney Lake (Loch Uachtarach). |
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The Old Weir Bridge |
From there, a small boat will carry you in leisurely fashion across the Lakes of Killarney through the romantic landscapes of the Killarney National Park. Your boat will negotiate a narrow channel that passes under the Old Weir Bridge in a setting oozing with romance! You'll continue across the Muckross Lake (Loch Mhucrois), passing under the Gothic Brickeen (Bricin) Bridge to enter Lough Leane. Disembark at Ross Castle, one of the finest restored 14th century castles in Ireland. From Ross Castle, a short shuttle ride returns you to your hotel. |
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Carrauntuohill |
Day 2 Overnight in Killarney Breakfast & lunch included Following a track along the Gaddagh River, hike into Hag's Glen, a glacially-scoured basin sheltering two mountain lakes--Lough Callee and Lough Gouragh--deep in the MacGillicuddy's Reeks (Na Cruacha Dubha). Beyond the lakes, hardy hikers can undertake the rugged ascent to the summit of Ireland's highest peak, Carrauntuohill (called Corrán Tuathail in Gaelic, meaning "inverted sickle"). |
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Along the Old Kenmare Road |
Day 3 Overnight in Killarney Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Hike along the trace of the Old Kenmare Road which once connected the town of Kenmare on the south side of the Iveragh Peninsula with Killarney. Today the old track is the realm of hikers. Cross the well-named Windy Gap and traverse grassy highlands where you can still find the remains of abandoned homesteads. Oak woodlands shade the trail as it ascends the slopes of Cromaglan Mountain to a broad saddle where a narrow boardwalk provides passage through the boglands and into the luminous greenery of tree-shaded Esknamucky Glen. |
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View from Torc Mountain |
A detour up steep heather-covered mountainsides will bring you to the broad summit of Torc Mountain which offers spellbinding views over the lakes of Killarney. The final portion of the hike descends through woods and rhododendron thickets to the lovely cascade of Torc Waterfall. | ||
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Skellig Michael |
Day 4 Overnight in Dingle Breakfast, lunch & dinner included If weather permits, venture to the island of Skellig Michael, a rocky, sheer-walled pinnacle that rises out of the North Atlantic’s chilly waters 8 miles off the Irish mainland. From Killarney, travel by road along the Ring of Kerry to the harbor at Portmagee at the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula. Board a small boat at Portmagee and cruise by the island of Little Skellig with its 27,000 pairs of nesting gannets en route to Skellig Michael's rockbound harbor. Follow an easily graded lightkeeper's path to the base of an ancient stone staircase. Ascend the nearly 600 steps to the monastic complex that crowns the island's summit 700 feet above the waves. Skellig Michael was named a World Heritage Site in 1996. Here, you can contemplate the life of monks who inhabited this far-flung outpost for 600 years beginning in about 650 A.D. Spend about two and a half hours on Skellig Michael before beginning the return trip to Portmagee from where you'll travel by vehicle to the town of Dingle on its namesake peninsula. |
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From Mount Eagle |
Day 5 Overnight in Dingle Breakfast & lunch included From your base in the town of Dingle (Daingean Uí Chúis), set off on a hike from an Irish clachan (a term used to describe a cluster of houses smaller than a village) on the slopes of Mount Eagle. Ascend a broad trail to Mount Eagle Lake (Loch Shlaibh an Iolair) cupped in a glacial cirque. From the lake, you can choose to continue on a grassy path that switchbacks up toward Mount Eagle's broad summit from where you can enjoy glorious views of offshore islands. A descent via a different route returns you to lower elevations. |
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Hiking on Blasket Island |
Day 6 Overnight in Dingle Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Weather permitting, travel by boat across Blasket Sound to Great Blasket Island (An Blascaod Mór) off the western tip of the Dingle Peninsula. Great Blasket Island supported a small community until 1953 when the last of the islanders moved to the mainland. Several books (originally published in Gaelic) written by island residents about life in the austere but beautiful environment of Great Blasket have become national icons. Great Blasket Island's network of gentle, grassy trails offers expansive views and some of the most memorable trail experiences in Dingle. A trail cushioned by grass, moss, and ferns traces the island's spine and leads to its summit at the grassy peak of Croaghmore, 958 feet above the sea. |
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Your cheerful sensitivity to everyone’s slightest wish is admirable and so was your flexibility to cope with the whims of the Irish weather. --FREYA HERMANN |
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Anascaul Glen
A seafood pub
lunch! |
Day 7 Overnight in Dingle Breakfast & lunch included Traverse the Dingle Peninsula on foot starting on a trail along the shores of Lough Anscaul (Loch an Scáil) and continue up into the peaceful beauty of the flat-floored, steep-walled Anascaul Glen. An old, grassy road (known locally as a bothairin, or "green road") switchbacks up the valley headwall, traverses the spine of the Dingle Peninsula, and descends its northern slope via the magnificent, "U"-shaped Glennahoo River valley. Hike along the beaches of the Magharees Peninsula, a sandy spit that juts into the ocean and separates Brandon Bay from Tralee Bay. Hike along the shores of Tralee Bay, wander through seaside fields, and savor the calm of small fishing villages. |
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Mount Brandon summit |
Day 8 Overnight in Dingle Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Explore the high country along the mountainous spine of the Dingle Peninsula. You can choose a walk through open moorlands and along broad ridges east of spectacular Connor Pass to the open summit of Slievanea (Sliabh Mhaca Ré). Revel in 360 degree views that have been called the finest in Ireland. If weather permits, you can attempt a more difficult hike ascending a glacially-carved valley called the Great Eask past a string of lakes to the summit of Mount Brandon (Cnoc Bréanainn), Ireland’s second tallest peak. From the summit, descend via an ancient pilgrimage route. A farewell dinner caps off your Irish adventure. Your breakfast tomorrow morning is included. |
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The Scots in me also appreciated the great value of the trip! We could never have done this on our own. The careful research, planning, testing and exploring that Amy and John did paid off in an outstanding adventure we thoroughly enjoyed. The hikes [were] well-researched, and your diligent study of the terrain made pushing our limits fun and safe. --BARB STEWART AND KEN JOHNSON |
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Other
Details about this Trip Dates: May 19-26, 2012 Price: $3,895 Single room for entire trip: $375 Lodging: Nine nights in bed and breakfast inns. Note: Lodging on the evening of May 18 is included. Meals: Nine breakfasts, eight lunches, five dinners are included Trip Begins in Killarney, Ireland on the morning of May 19. Transfers to Killarney from arrival airports are not included in the trip price, but we are happy to assist you with these arrangements. Trip Ends in Dingle, Ireland on the evening of May 26. Transfers to departure airports are not included in the trip price, but we are happy to assist you with these arrangements. |
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Printable version of itinerary Western Ireland Slide Show
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Visiting the Killarney
National Park The core of the Killarney National Park, Ireland's oldest, is the 10,700 acre Muckross demesne, or estate, donated to the Irish people in 1932 by Arthur Vincent in memory of his late wife. Here are some of the highlights of the park that you can discover on your own if you plan an extra day in Killarney before the trip begins. |
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Muckross House |
At the heart of the park is the Muckross House, an imposing mansion built between 1839 and 1843 in the Elizabethan Revival style. | ||
Muckross Lake |
Stroll along the shores of Muckross Lake and wander through deep woods of oak and beech accented by the unusual "strawberry tree" (Arbutus unedo). | ||
Reenadinna Woods |
Marvel at the spectacular stand of yew trees in the moss-carpeted Reenadinna Woods, one of Europe's largest yew woodlands. | ||
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