We set off early because we had a long day planned; three stops with a bit of driving between each of them. Arderin is on the border between County Offaly and County Laois, and so it counts as the highest peak in both counties.

It was a beautiful misty morning, the sun was still low when Paweł picked me up and the mist was glowing as we headed down backroads towards our first target. As we drove I mentioned that when I was checking out the route I'd spotted that we would be passing near a pyramid, of all things. We decided to take a little detour and check it out.

We parked outside a pretty little church in the village of Kinnitty and wandered into the graveyard, which was still shrouded in the morning mist. We followed the path through a gateway in a wrought iron fence, and the pyramid slowly materialised in front of us as we got closer.

It's a strange sight indeed, not something you expect to find in rural Ireland. Quite imposing, at the top of a hill. Built by Richard Wellesley-Bernard upon his return from Egypt in the 1830s, a replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza, there are six members of the Bernard family interred beneath it. Definitely worth a look if you're ever nearby!

Our first peak of the trip was just a short drive from here.

Peak 1 Summary

Peak: Arderin County: Offaly & Laois Height: 527m Ascent: 101m Distance: 1.9km Time: 51m

We parked up and made the bad decision not to bother with changing into walking boots. I'd read that this was an easy climb, so we didn't think we'd need them. We were wrong!

There wasn't a signpost, just a gap in the border of the carpark which led to a steep dirt track down into a little valley before winding up the far side and out of sight.

Sunday was dry, but it had been wet for a few days before and when we got down to the valley floor it was a muddy mess. There was no proper path, just a well-worn track all the way up the hillside. It was mostly churned up mud, just a few dry spots at the top of any small rises on the way. We walked on the grass and heather at the side of the track wherever possible but in a lot of places it felt like we were walking on a waterbed, very spongey and if you stood still your feet would sink into the ground. My shoes and socks were soaked through in no time.

It wasn't difficult, but it was tiring. In around 30 minutes (and after I slipped over trying to jump over a particularly muddy spot!) we made it to the top where we were rewarded with 360 degree views of the countryside. Forests nearby, mist-filled valleys back the way we'd come, with wind turbines peeking out above a layer of white. There was a wonky cairn to mark the peak, we took a few minutes to catch our breath and enjoy the view before we started back down the way we came.

The way down was easier of course, but we had to go slower than we thought to avoid slipping in the mud again. In summer this would be an easy climb. After a few days of rain, not quite so straightforward.

All in all, a nice short hike, with great views at the top. I liked this one even if I ended up a muddy soggy mess at the end.

Peak 2 Summary

Peak: Cupidstown Hill County: Kildare Height: 379m Ascent: 22m Distance: 1km Time: 13m

This one felt almost like cheating. It was around an hour's drive from Arderin (although we stopped for lunch on the way) and I already knew it was gonna be a quick one thanks to my research.

We parked the car, took a selfie at the signpost and started walking along a gravel logging trail into the woods. A short way in, there was a turn to the left and there was the peak, marked by some communications equipment. The “peak” itself wasn't marked, and it was surrounded by trees, but the view in front was expansive – a wide flat plain with hills dotted in the distance. Kind of pretty but not spectacular.

We were up and back in just over 10 minutes including stopping for photos. I suppose we could have parked further away and walked up the road to the entrance of the woods, but... ain't nobody got time for that. We had another peak to do before it got dark!

Peak 3 Summary

Peak: Kippure County: Dublin Height: 757m Ascent: 235m Distance: 7.2km Time: 1hr 36m

Our last stop of the day was our first actual mountain. Kippure is not the tallest peak in the Wicklow mountains but it's the highest in County Dublin. We'll be back to tackle Lugnaquilla another day!

The drive to the starting point was short, but we took our time and enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we passed through the foothills and along the river Liffey (which is a lot smaller here than in Dublin city!) up to the Sally Gap which runs along the spine of the Wicklow mountains. There is a TV mast at the top of Kippure, and that means... there's an access road all the way there. We had a very pleasant stroll on a cool but sunny autumn afternoon. Yes it was steep at points, but it was a very straightforward walk with some gorgeous scenery. It clouded over as we walked but there were sunny patches which dappled the hillsides and valleys with streamers of sunlight.

As we got higher up, there was a fantastic view of Great Sugarloaf, Bray, and the Irish Sea beyond. Apparently you can see Kippure from Wales on a clear day, which means... you should be able to see Wales from Kippure! At one point the road crossed a tiny stream which the map informed me was the Liffey. Small enough to stand with one foot either side!

The road got steeper towards the top, and we were very glad when it doubled back on itself and flattened out at the peak. The fenced-off TV tower takes up a big chunk of the peak but we walked around it to find a trig point and an expansive view of Dublin City. It's quite a long way off so hard to make out many landmarks, but still quite impressive!

The trip back down was made a bit more difficult by my wet socks. I'd changed into my boots, but I didn't have a change of socks with me and my little toes were rubbed raw; it was pretty painful and I'm very glad it was such a simple route. There are two lakes on the slopes of the mountain which we could have trekked across to, but with my already wet feet, we didn't fancy it. We saw them on the way down in the car, but we were ready to head home. A short-ish drive down towards Dublin (with more views of the city on the way) and in no time at all we were on the motorway heading home.

So that's four counties done in a single trip. Not a bad day at all!

Only another 27 to go... You can check our progress and plans in our web tracker.

Tags

#peaks #ireland #hiking #countyhighpoints #offaly #laois #kildare #dublin #leinster #pyramid

Peak Summary

Peak: Moylussa County: Clare Height: 532m Ascent: 459m Distance: 10.1km Time: 2h 45m

Moylussa is a flattened hill overlooking Lough Derg, a large lake on the border between Galway, Clare and Tipperary. From the road, it's a pretty featureless lump looming over the countryside.

The trail starts in the carpark of Ballycuggaran Forest; there is a logging road winding up the hillside and you follow that for a good portion of the route. At the beginning, it's a series of switchbacks through the forest, with steep footpaths cutting between them so you don't have to follow the road back and forth. That took a big chunk off the distance, but when I say steep I mean STEEP! My poor achilles tendons felt the strain immediately. But it was really pretty and tranquil walking through the trees, with trickling streams and glimpses down to the lake from time to time. The map online has some really interesting names for some of these trails!

All too soon you're at the top of the forested section, and you just follow the road for another few kilometres. This was the boring bit. There's a steady incline, it's not difficult, the views a lot of the way are concealed by vegetation... but occasionally it opens up and you get a really gorgeous view of the lake from higher and higher vantage points.

Eventually, there's a sign for Moylussa, and you turn off the road onto a very narrow trail bounded on each side by thick overgrowth, and the “fun” begins.

As we walked up a straight section of trail, I could see what appeared to be a cliff at the end of the tunnel of vegetation. I assumed the trail would turn before the cliff. No such luck; the trail goes up!

Thankfully it wasn't a cliff but an incredibly steep section of trail with a dry streambed running down it, large rocks interspersed with shale. I would imagine there is water trickling down it much of the year. It was tough going, but we made it to the top and carried on... only to find another incline as steep as the first, but taller. This one twisted around and out of sight at the top.

Around the corner was the start of a narrow wooden boardwalk which we followed across the boggy hilltop to a large stone which marks the peak of Moylussa.

The top of the hill is quite flat so the “peak” isn't much higher than the surrounding hillside, and as such the views were not really any better than we had seen on the way up. If anything, they were less dramatic, because we had a stretch of bogland between us and the view. Nevertheless, we stopped to admire them for a while, got our bearings and spotted some landmarks such as the windfarm we can see from the back of our house, and some more interesting peaks we might be visiting over the next few months.

After a while, we headed back along the same route. There is a smaller peak between Moylussa and the lake, Feenlea, which you can take in as part of a loop, but all the guides I read online said the paths are not so well trodden and it can be very boggy and difficult, and since our target was the county peak, we decided to give it a miss.

I enjoyed the trip back more than the way up, because we were walking towards the lake and had the nice views all the way, instead of only when we looked behind us now and then. And it was downhill, of course!

I really liked the forest, and the views from near the top, but it was an underwhelming peak compared to Diamond Hill the other week. I would visit the forest again, but probably not Moylussa.

Tags

#peaks #ireland #clare #munster #hiking #countyhighpoints