County Kerry Day 3 - Lough Inchiquin

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   Today we split up. Mom tackled the shorter walk while Dad and I took on the longer walk. While the shorter walk was certainly shorter I would argue it actually contained the tougher bit of walking which those of us doing the longer walk would do just a little later in the day. Both walks travel through the area of Inchiquin climbing out of the valley where Lough Inchiquin past standing stones at Derrinknow and through a col and down to a crossroads. The longer walk added a second set of hills to climb over adding about 4km and 170 meters of ascent and descent.

   
   

   We started at 09:30 under heavy-ish though not really threatening overcast skies. The air felt cooler than previous days and perhaps it really was. The wind was certainly less strong which was nice. Our modest-sized group, led by Heather, struck out across the sodden, what else, ground gradually gaining elevation as we worked our way through the pastures. While sheep may be grazing these boggy lands the grass here didn’t have that putting green shortness we had seen on the hills the day before. Perhaps the ground here is just too boggy and full of tussocks for that type of foliage to take root. 

   
   
   

   While the ascent was at times a bit steeper than the previous day I wouldn’t call it tough. Footing is what slows you down as you try to avoid the worst of the boggy ground with the hidden dips and lumps. You will fail in that endeavor. Perhaps waterproof shoes and/or gaiters helped prevent water from going over the top of shoes for those who wore them. Not my experience. As we walked we had some intriguing views of the surrounding hills and the waters, from ponds to waterfalls to the bay. 

   
   
   Eventually after taking a nice break for elevenes and taking our time trying, and failing in my case, not to slip and fall, we reached the place where the people doing the shorter walk had started. Those folks had time to walk down the trail past young black bulls (likely near the time they will be slaughtered for their meat) to check out the standing stone circle. We just kept on walking down the country lane passing the Lough. We saw absolutely no sign that anyone ever boats this lake (lough is the Irish spelling for loch). It looks like a nice body of water.  The road would turn away from the lake and begin ascending; steepening as it went up.

   
   

   I wish I had checked the time when we reached the stile that let us onto the path that would then climb and climb a few hundred meters up and through the col I mentioned earlier. This was definitely a steeper climb than any done before. At least the path was not too bad underfoot and the sodden mess that are Irish bogs didn’t bother us that much.   I’d not be surprised to learn it took the better part of an hour to climb up and through the col to our lunch spot.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   While the climb up and over was a challenge it wasn’t stressful. The descent from our lunch spot which was just below the col was a different story. If you have normal vision and are reasonably agile the steepness and lumpiness of the sucking sodden ground probably will not impede you too much. You will slow down but nowhere nearly as much as I did. I am sure that over those first 20-25 minutes, which were likely the steepest,  I was creeping along at well under one mile-per-hour. The path isn’t too hard to follow but the footing is lousy.

   
   

   Down and down we went losing well over 200 meters in elevation over about 1,300 meters of trail (in about 50 minutes). Now and then the ground would treat us to a nice stretch where it actually would bounce back giving us energy instead of doing its best to suck our shoes off. Heavenly bits that never lasted. 

   
   

   
   
   

   During this slog down, the clouds were being pushed out and before I knew it large swathes of sky were wonderfully blue. Our group had by now split into three pieces with Dad, Heather and I trailing well behind, a few people in the middle group who took time to wait for us to catch up there was also a leading twosome plus one a little farther behind well ahead of everyone. The last couple of kilometers continued to descend but the terrain wasn’t anywhere near as steep and so the footing was better. Hardly fast going for me but faster nonetheless.  With the sun beaming down upon us we were able to properly enjoy the early afternoon as we strode to the endpoint where everyone else was waiting at the bus pickup point. 

   
   
   
   Stats:  distance 12.3km, ascent 495m, drscent 580m. About 170m of adcent and descent evenly split over 4km. Remaing ascent over 3-3.5km with bulk in 1.5km. Last descent over two thirds in 1.5km. 

   
   

   Photos

   1. Overview map showing the route for the harder walk which would add about 4km and one mountain to what the shorter (easier) walkers would do. Start in the southwest corner in the parish of Tousist.
   2. At the start of the hike the morning wsa overcast and a bit breezy and cool. While nowhere nearly as windy as the morning of the second walk the air temperature was a bit cooler. Here we are looking back towards the west. Our walk is following a path trending up into the hills.
   3. Just a view from the spot we took a break for elevenses.  I’m not sure if the lake you see is Lough Inchiquin or not. We have climbed over our “mountain” and have a quick descent to a country road to do before joining up with what the people doing the easier walk are doing. The ground is, of course, sodden and lumpy which can slow you down as you watch your footing but it really wasn’t all that bad.
   4. Looking west, back acoross towards Lough Inchquin. We are at about 750 feet elevation ascending to a col which is still about 500 feet above us. 
   5. After many false summit and a few boardwalks (metal actually I think) we have made it to the top. The views aren’t all that great but it is nice to be done with the steady climbing which I think we have been at for about 1.5km. We are a bit over 1,200 feet above sealevel and our lunch spot is just below in a slightly protected bit of hill.
   6. Lunchspot view. It isn’t much but it is what we have.
   7. What a descent. For the past hour I have been creeping down the mountainside. The footing is poor as the ground is not only sodden but lumpy and full of hidden dips. If you have normal vision and are reasonably agile it won’t slow you down nearly as much but you will slow somewhat. I think I was barely moving a mile-per-hour. Standing on this stile looking ahead (Heather and Dad in view) I have travelled perhaps a mile and dropped , I think, 800 feet of elevation most in the first half hour.
   8. The bulls near the stading stones of Derrinknow. The people doing the easier walk came near these young beef bulls when they visited the standing stone circle. Photo by Mom.
   9. At least some of the easier walking group at their lunch spot which looks to be in a different spot from our spot. Photo by Mom.