It's easy to stay down near the visitor centre at Glendalough, but an undemanding walk will take you on a thrilling route, writes Patricia Leahy
CONTINENTAL VISITORS to Dublin who want a day out in the countryside that is within shouting distance of the capital know the best place to go. Every Saturday and Sunday finds them taking one of the many pleasant walks in the beautiful Glendalough Valley. Perhaps the dramatic landscape of Co Wicklow reminds them of their Italian home in Trentino Alto Adige or the Alpes de Haute Provence in France.
The commanding scenery rising up on all sides from the spiritual focal point of St Kevin's seventh-century monastic site, with its round tower and graveyard, is idyllic. Most who go there stay close to their cars and the amenities around the visitor centre. Those who know better climb up and out of the valley to the peace and quiet of the surrounding mountains.
Several colour-coded walks, each starting from the information office near the Upper Lake, take trekkers away from the hub. By far the most popular is the circular Spink, or pointed hill, and Miner's Road.
There are two ways to get up the Spink. A gentle route that leads from the car park along the gravelled Miner's Road skirts the north side of the Upper Lake at the foot of Camaderry mountain.
After passing through the ruins of the miner's village (where lead was mined in the 1800s), a rocky path starts to climb alongside the Glenealo River, taking you up the valley. After crossing a wooden bridge (a sort of halfway marker), the climb towards the Spink begins in slow earnest as a boardwalk rises through vegetation and heather, replacing the rock path.
But the quickest way to get far above it all is with a good, heart-thumping climb up along the path by the Pollanass Waterfall, above which the path splits. One route takes the road to the right, which rises to an opening in a forest and a boardwalk.
The hardship of climbing 600 stairs is diluted by the deep and silent conifer wood through which the stairs meander. Take your time, breath slowly and enjoy the smells of earth and pine, which close in like a comforting blanket. Emerging from the forest, you'll find yourself on a cliff with a sweeping, breathtaking view out across the valley, and a small platform area at which to sit and take it all in.
Continue along the boardwalk, looking straight down on the two lakes which give Glendalough its name. One could easily while away a pleasant afternoon up on top of the world, looking straight across at the changing light on imposing Camaderry.
Peregrines nest in the cliff below, and, if your eye is quick, sometimes you can follow their flight.
It is necessary to stop when admiring the view, as in many places the boardwalk is as perilously close as a metre or two from the edge. Those with a fear of heights take comfort in the solidity of the path underfoot and the handrails at the right junctures.
The boardwalk remains level for another kilometre, then climbs again. This is knee- trembling territory, but taken slowly, with many stops for admiring the scenery, it's a thrilling experience. Once over the Spink and away from the cliff you start the descent towards the wooden bridge and Miner's Road to complete the circuit back to the car park.Start and finish Upper car park in Glendalough.
Except for small children, suitable for all grades of walkers.
Distance Eight kilometres on easy surfaces of gravel, boardwalk and rock path. Runners suitable on dry days.
Allow three or four hours, depending on fitness.
Ordnance Survey Discovery 56, or maps from the information centre.
Best aspect of walk Views from the boardwalk on top of the cliff.
Youth hostel beside the car park for budget-conscious. For others there are many B&Bs, plus Glendalough Hotel, beside St Kevin's monastic site.
End-of-walk pit stop Glendasan River Restaurant and Glendalough Tavern, at the Glendalough Hotel.