| Mileage: | 9 activities, 210.0 km, 4.1 km↑ (DLOG) |
|---|---|
| Description: | My first time in Ireland and on wild moorland. The circular trail is located on the famous Kerry peninsula and begins in the Killarney National Park. Although a fair amount of the Kerry Way followed byways, other sections were pathless and quite remote. Here, paths were deserted, signposts far in between, and mobile reception was scarce. I walked alone and found some parts to be on the limit of what I was comfortable to do. On the other hand, the trail was mindbogglingly beautiful, meditative, and laid the foundations for my love of walking on the British Isles. |
2014-05-20 Killarney - Black Valley
Walking, Solo, 5-8 hours
Quality day
Flagged
23.7 km, 410 m↑, 340 m↓
Light rain - good visibility / Moderate wind (DLOG)
2014-05-21 Black Valley - Lough Acoose
Walking, Solo, 5-8 hours
Quality day
Flagged
18.2 km, 630 m↑, 560 m↓
Overcast / Gentle breeze (DLOG)
| Location and role: | Ireland, Southern Ireland. Long-distance trail “Kerry Way”. Solo walker. |
|---|---|
| Activity and conditions: | Mostly on small paths or pathless. Trail went over a grassy saddle strewn with boulders. Ground was still wet and occasionally slippery. |
| Decisions and experience: | Mistook round yellow lichen for painted signs and ended up under Ireland’s highest mountain. Stopped, relocated using compass and map, enjoyed the scenery, and returned. Also gained experience with „wild“ dogs on a farmyard I had to cross. (I used to be afraid of dogs.) |
2014-05-22 Lough Acoose - Glenbeigh
Lowland Walking, Solo, 5-8 hours
Quality day
Flagged
22.5 km, 280 m↑, 420 m↓
Overcast / Gentle breeze (DLOG)
2014-05-23 Glenbeigh - Caherciveen
Walking, Solo, 8+ hours
Quality day
Flagged
28.8 km, 450 m↑, 440 m↓
Showers - mixed / poor visibility / Gentle breeze (DLOG)
| Location and role: | Ireland, Southern Ireland. Long-distance trail “Kerry Way”. Solo walker. |
|---|---|
| Activity and conditions: | Path went along a mountain face, then over lonely byways, and finally over fields. |
| Decisions and experience: | First time of hiking over fields with livestock. In one of them, a dozen cows came stampeding towards me. Stopping and waving thankfully made them turn away… Another field was so boggy that I sank in up to my knees. Learned to walk on tussocks, while fleeing from threatening black clouds. |
2014-05-24 Caherciveen - Waterville
Walking, Solo, 8+ hours
Quality day
Flagged
30.0 km, 750 m↑, 760 m↓
Heavy rain - poor visibility / Moderate wind (DLOG)
| Location and role: | Ireland, Southern Ireland. Long-distance trail “Kerry Way”. Solo walker. |
|---|---|
| Activity and conditions: | Pathless over hill ridges. First glimpse of moorland. Quite remote without any mobile phone reception. Signposts on moorland were widely separated. Rainy and foggy. |
| Decisions and experience: | Most walkers I met on the trail had taken a rest day. Thus, in case something had happened, I would have had to deal with it on my own. Only met a single person during the day. |
2014-05-25 Waterville - Caherdaniel
Walking, Solo, 3-5 hours
Quality day
Flagged
13.4 km, 230 m↑, 240 m↓
Overcast / Gentle breeze (DLOG)
2014-05-26 Caherdaniel - Sneem
Lowland Walking, Solo, 5-8 hours
Quality day
Flagged
17.2 km, 340 m↑, 370 m↓
Clear - sunny - good visibility / No wind (DLOG)
2014-05-27 Sneem - Kenmare
Lowland Walking, Solo, 8+ hours
Quality day
Flagged
31.1 km, 490 m↑, 490 m↓
Clear - sunny - good visibility / No wind (DLOG)
2014-05-28 Kenmare - Killarney
Walking, Solo, 8+ hours
Quality day
Flagged
25.1 km, 560 m↑, 540 m↓
Clear - sunny - good visibility / No wind (DLOG)
