Article and photos by Amanda Wren Wagstaff, Fulbright Scholar in Ireland 2015-16

The Wicklow Way, Co. Wicklow, Ireland: This was a two day trip over a small portion of the Wicklow Way, specifically Oldbridge to Glendalough to Glenmalure. A map of the entire 127km trail can be found here: http://www.wicklowway.com./ This website also offers useful information about accommodation, profiles of the villages along the route, trail services (such as baggage transfers,) and walking tips.

Getting to the Wicklow Way:

• If you are hiking the entire trail, you can take the No. 16 bus in Dublin to get the the Marley Park trailhead, or you can take Bus Eireann to Clonegal to start on the southern-most trailhead. More specific information is available on the website above. Or, you can also start your hike somewhere in the middle (as we did.)
• St. Kevin’s Bus: The best way to travel from Dublin to villages along the Wicklow Way is the St. Kevin’s Bus Service, which travels from Dawson St. in city center to the monastic site at Glendalough. A return ticket from Dublin to Glendalough is 20 Euros, (a little cheaper if you are stopping at one of the villages prior to the monastic site.) Summer and Winter Timetables and other information about St. Kevin’s Bus can be found here: http://www.glendaloughbus.com/ We took the bus from Dublin to Roundwood, a tiny village with a great pub right across the street from the bus stop.
• Glendalough Cabs: It’s also useful to have the number for Glendalough Cabs with you during your trip, in case you need a quick ride from one village to another. You my also want to schedule a pick up ahead of time. 087 972 9452

Accomodation:

• The first night, we stayed at the B&B Lough Dan House, in Oldbridge, just a short distance from the village of Roundwood. The owners of Lough Dan House are great and they are used to catering to walkers. They have a van that they use to pick up and drop off their guests. They picked us up in Roundwood after we arrived on the St. Kevin’s Bus. http://loughdanhouse.com/bedandbreakfast/
• We spent our second night in Glendalough (after hiking there from Oldbridge.) We stayed at the Glendalough Hotel http://www.glendaloughhotel.com/. It’s VERY comfortable, has a nice pub as well as a more formal restaurant, and is located a stone’s throw from the Glendalough Visitor Center and monastic site. If you are looking for more inexpensive accommodation near Glendalough, there is also a hostel: http://anoige.ie/hostels/our-hostel-guide/glendalough-international-hostel/
• After a wild adventure ‘trying’ to hike from Glendalough to Glenmalure (that adventure story is below) we spent our final night in the Coolalingo B&B. (They don’t have their own website, but a quick google search will lead you to their booking sites.) This B&B was also cozy and comfortable, and the breakfast spread was phenomenal. There is also the Glenmalure Lodge: http://www.glenmalurelodge.ie/. It was completely booked while when we were there, but we were able to enjoy a few pints and a nice dinner there after our hiking adventure.

Tips:

• Watch the weather forecast and be prepared for it. I’ve learned that Irish weather is a very notable part of the experience of Ireland, for better or worse. Take rain gear, proper shoes, and spare clothes; you may even want to take an extra pair of shoe. Also, be prepared to have to change your plans last minute if the weather changes suddenly. You may need to take a cab or chose an alternate route.
• Figure out your transportation ahead of time, and keep the Glendalough Cab number with you just in case. Also keep the numbers for the B&Bs. They may be able to offer some advice or give you a ride in a pinch.

 Trip Description:

Our hike on the Wicklow Way was beautiful, invigorating, challenging, amazing, and a tiny bit terrifying. (Yes, all of those things.) We had gorgeous weather on our hike from Oldbridge to Glendalough. We started out walking on the road, from the Lough Dan B&B until the Wicklow Way split off into the countryside. From there, we walked through some farm land, ‘Coillte’ (Irish Forestry Service) land, and the Wicklow National Park. The entire hike was about 12 km of rambling and moderate hill walking. The trail is well marked with both road signs and wooden posts with a ‘yellow hiking man.’ Once we arrived at Glendalough, we checked into the hotel, dropped off our heavy packs, and went back out to explore the monastic site, trails, and visitor center. The monastic site, founded by St. Kevin in the 6^th century, is incredible. You could spend an entire day winding through the old stone ruins and walking along the extensive trail system there. Info about the Glendalough trails can be found here: http://www.wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie/walkingtrails.html

We weren’t quite so lucky with the weather the next day. Over night, Storm Desmond made his way across Ireland to Co. Wicklow. The rain was steady and the wind was tempestuous. Over breakfast, we decided that we would give it a try and turn back if the weather got too dangerous. The Wicklow Way from Glendalough to Glenmalure is mostly steep forested hills, with a short section of exposed bog near the top of the ridge. There is a system of railroad ties that guide you across this boggy part. We did pretty well until we reached this bog section. The trees had served as a partial windbreak all the way up, but the bog area was too exposed. I swear they must have been hurricane-force winds. We started walking across the ties, but the wind blew us right off. We turned back and decided to rest a while in a small grove of pines to drink some tea, eat a snack, and assess the situation. The grove turned out to be a poor shelter in that weather. The wind was blowing the trees so hard, that the roots and surrounding ground were rising and falling with each gust. The entire forest floor was pulsing – I’ve never seen anything like it. It was amazing and terrifying. We decided to turn back, which was unfortunate, since we’d hiked more than halfway, but at least the return journey was all downhill AND we knew there’d be good food in Glendalough when we arrived.

We were completely soaked through when we got back, even with all our rain gear. I decided during the hike that I was going to eat a big ole burger with a beer when I got back. The best burger I’ve had in Ireland so far (though I think the circumstances biased my judgment.)

Still determined to get to Glenmalure, we hitched a ride with John from Glendalough Cabs.

We were a little bummed that we hadn’t been able to finish our hike, but we were also exhausted, cold, and wet. We recuperated at the Coolalingo B&B in the afternoon, and then to our surprise, we were able to join in a local celebration of a book launch at the Glenmalure Lodge. The restaurant was crowded with locals of all ages. We were able to have some nice conversations over beer with a few of them, and we caught up with some crazy Irishmen we’d met on the trail earlier in the day. They DID finish the hike over the hurricane bog (in jeans and trainers.) We enjoying ‘slagging’ each other over that and trading stories about America.

Needless to say, I had a very good night’s sleep after all that. In the morning, we had an amazing breakfast at the B&B, and then John from Glendalough Cabs, picked us up to take us back to Glendalough to catch the St. Kevin’s bus to Dublin.

I really enjoyed the Wicklow Way, even with Storm Desmond, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in long-distance walking. I’m hoping to return soon myself!