Durante i miei due mesi in Irlanda ho visitato tutti i posti accessibili con poca fatica. Gli altri richiedevano più tempo per progettare trasporto ed alloggio. E quando ho deciso di andare a Kerry. un percorso li durava 5h30min(con scalo) e dovevo tornare a casa lunedì mattina, perché non c'era nessun pullman adeguato domenica sera. Ma dovevo andarci perché c'erano i cosiddetti 'The Munros' – il termine 'munro' viene importato da Scozia e indica una vetta che ha più che 3000ft(900m) d'altezza. Ci sono soltanto 12 tale cime in Irlanda e ne volevo fare tutte. Ne ho già fatta una – 'The Lug' in Wicklow. Ma quasi tutte si trovano a Kerry sulla penisola Iveragh – ci sono 9 da 12. Un altra è vicino a Dingle, e l'ultima in montagna Galtee. Il primo giorno sono andato in montagna, ma il secondo giorno giravo in bici.
During my first two months in Ireland I've visited all easily accessible places. My next trips required significantly more planning because transfers and lodgings got complicated - but that's what Fridays at work are for :). Everything depended on weather conditions, as usual. I had three must-see places in mind - two in County Kerry and one in County Tipperary. They were selected carefully :) and had one thing in common - the so-called 'Munros'. The term 'munro' is an import from Scotland and indicates a mountain that is more than 3000ft (900m) in height. There are just 12 munro peaks in Ireland. I've already completed one - The 'Lug' in Wicklow. Most of the remaining 11 are located on the Iveragh Penisula - The Macgillicuddy's Reeks contain nine of the 12. Another is on the Dingle Penisula and the last one in the Galtee Mountains. The plan was to complete all of them.
Weather forecasts were fine for Kerry, so I decided to go to the Iveragh Penisula and to reach nine of Ireland's 12 Munros in a single outing. I just needed to plan my journey. It took about 5h30min to get from Athlone to Killarney(a small city...hmm...they are all small in Ireland :)...near The Macgillicuddy's Reeks). There were no night buses, so keeping in mind that the route I planned would take me about 10 hours, the only option was to get there on Friday evening. Fortunately there was a bus that departed at 5:15pm. Though it wasn't direct and there was a change in Limerick - good enough. Return journey was a little bit more tricky. The only, almost direct :) via Limerick, bus from Killarney was on Sunday at 2pm - too early. But who said I had to be back in Athlone on Sunday evening - At 6pm there was a bus to Galway, so I opted to spend one night there and the very next day I could go directly to work(Athlone-Galway connection was very good and frequent). With lodgings there were no problems at all - I called one hostel - Neptune's - in Killarney...name...surename..."to możemy porozmawiać po polsku" - again :) - a girl from the reception was from Tychy. So that one was for the first night. Then I booked another in The Black Valley. I didn't book anything in Galway because there were many places - I just wrote down some direction hints.
On Friday I finished my work earlier and got on the bus to Killarney, where I arrived at 10:30pm. For my big surprise it wasn't a hole :) - it was a nice and lively place with lots of pubs. When I was passing by a bike hire I was enlighten :) - yes, that was it. I had still one unresolved issue - how I could get to the route? it was about 18km from Killarney and I had already known from my previous trip that I couldn't count on hitching - it wasn't very popular in Ireland. I didn't want to walk this distance that time either. But the possibility of hiring a bike resolved my problems. 18km on a bike it's nothing :). When I got to the hostel and asked for some tips a guy at the reception desk also advised me to hire a bike - moreover, being their guest I was offered a discount :). I spent the night in a dorm packed with Germans :).
I hired a bike in the morning and left Killarney at 9am. 18km would be nothing if it wasn't uphill and against the wind :), but still I managed to make it in about one hour. The weather was not that good as it was supposed to be. In the morning it was raining. Later there were many sunny spells, but cloudy periods also, with some scattered light showers. Unfortunately mountains' peaks were almost always in clouds. Although there were traditionally no marked trails, this region was one of the most popular in Ireland, so I could find worn out paths easily. Navigation, even in the clouds, wasn't difficult because most time I followed narrow ridges(even in my guide it was written that this route was dangerous and for experienced and fit walkers only...uhm...that's me :)). I was making an extended version of the Reeks Ridge route - in fact I extended this extended version further :), because with the original route I would have reached 8 of 9 Munros and I wanted to complete all 9. The one that the original route missed I made with a company of some Irishmen from Cork. They were equipped well and had an altimeter, so they confirmed that we reached Caher(1001m). Eventually I climbed on the highest peak in Ireland - Carrauntoohil - 1039 meters. Because of the clouds I couldn't see anything but a large metal cross which was on the peak. What a achievement! :) I was so proud ;P that I made it, that I called my parents to tell them I was staying on the roof of Ireland :). The descent was boring - I hate descending! :) Then I got on my bike and went to the Black Valley(I almost crashed a car because I forgot to ride on the left :)). The hostel there was almost empty - I had a eight-bed dorm for myself and there were just four other tourists...this time no Poles :).
Initially I had planned another trekking route for the second day, but because of the weather I changed my mind - there was no point wandering in clouds again. But I had the bike. I looked on a map and invented a nice circuit- just 70km, so I could relax :). I started at 8:30am and in the very beginning I got totally soaked - there was a short, but quite heavy, shower in the morning and in Irish mountains there were no trees :). Then I had another attraction - hiking in Ireland just with a backpack was too easy :) - I needed a bike to carry to get thrilled:) - When I was planning the route I noticed that there was a 2km gap between the roads, but there was a way-marked trail - The Kerry Way - and the elevation wasn't discouraging - just 200 meters. I expected a worn out path where I could ride my bike. But it turned out to be a real hiking trail with boulders, fences, streams, steep ascents and descents. I was unable to ride and often had to carry the bike - I must admit that it was devastating :), but there were just 2km, so not a big deal at all. Not long after that I met a cyclist. We talked for a while...bla, bla, bla...where're you from? Poland?...to trzeba było mówić :) - again :) - Irishmen must have gone on holidays somewhere abroad and only Poles remained. Anyway, accidentally they(there were two of them - Paweł and Daniel) were making the same route I was, so I joined them(or they joined me :)). At 6pm I had a bus to Galway where I spent a night in a hostel and on Monday morning, at 6:30am I left to Athlone. Eventually I could have a rest at work :)
Kerry offers the highest peaks in Ireland, tremendous views and the finest walks - that's what I've heard :). Ok, with the heights I cannot argue - they are the highest :), but is it a beautiful, scenic region? Unfortunately I can't tell - I couldn't see much :). Generally the weather wasn't that bad - during my cycle tour it was just fine, with some light showers from time to time. But all major peaks were in clouds, so the visibility out there was very limited and obviously I didn't have any magnificent panoramic views. I should come back there on a sunny day. But the trip was successful - I've got only 2 munro peaks left.Show photo gallery
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