Kerry Way 8 Day Walk

Day 1: Evening Arrival:

We will meet up in the evening, here at The Mountain Lodge or at your Hotel.

This is so you get to meet the rest of your teammates for the week ahead. No doubt you will all know a lot more about each other at the end of the week.

Day 2: Glencar to Glenbeigh 18km. (Total ascent 200m): Start time 09:30 to 10:00

Start of Trek

This is a moderate to strenuous 4 to 5 hours (18 km) walking route to Glenbeigh along quiet back roads and beautiful forest tracks with amazing scenery at every turn. Soaring peaks to woodland tracks, to pristine lakes, undulating hills, forests and around the slopes of Seefin mountain (493m). This is the easiest of our treks over the next 5 days.

Day 3: Glenbeigh to Cahersiveen 28km. (Total ascent 400m)

This is a strenuous 7 to 10-hour (28 km) walking route along quiet back roads and gentle ascents with stunning views of Dingle Bay and Peninsula from mountain stage on the slopes of Drung Hill (640m), through woodland and finishing on quiet country roads to Cahersiveen. A truly spectacular sights when the sea fog is not upon the hills.

Day 4: Cahersiveen to Waterville 33km. (Total ascent 760m)

This is a strenuous 8 to 10-hour walking route along the scenic and undulating mountain ridges with stunning views east to the mountains of Been Hill (651m), Mullaghnarakill (665m) and Teermoyle Mountain (760m), northwest to Knocknatobar Mountain (690m) and west to the end of the Iveragh peninsula to Valentia Island, Beentee Mountain (376m) and Dolus Head.  The majority of this walk is on mountain ridges with some walking on quiet county roads.  This is a very long, rugged and remote day with two first-class ridge walks and wonderful views.

Day 5: Waterville to Catherdaniel

(option1 – 13km Total ascent 330m)

(option 2:  29km Total ascent 740m)

There are two options for this stage. An inland (28km) or coastal route (13km). The coastal route option is a moderate 4-hour walk with one steady climb and the remainder over gentle undulations along the coast.

We may take a longer route today but I’m holding this in reserve as we will have had a few very hard days before arriving in Waterville.

Both options follow quiet back roads, coastal paths and woodland tracks, passing a number of ancient stone forts, the most famous of which is the impressive Loher Stone Fort. Loher (Irish: An Lóthar) fort was built by a local Chieftan in the early 9th century has dry stone walls up to 3m high in places.

This route also provides stunning views of Hogs Head, Ballinskelligs Bay, Bolus Head, the Skelligs, Derrynane Bay and Lamb’s head and passes through the stunning Derrynane National Park.

Accommodation: B&B, evening meal and lunch packs. This B&B is in a remote location and we may hire a taxi for the evening meal and back to start the trek the following morning.

Day 6: Catherdaniel to Sneem 18km. (Total ascent 400m)

This is a strenuous 5 to 6 hour (18 km) walking route to Sneem with a steady climb, gradual descents and some steep crossings of mountain spurs. This stage again follows quiet back roads, coastal paths and woodland tracks passing a number of ancient stone forts, the most famous of which is the impressive Staigue Fort. The route also provides stunning views of the coastline, Kenmare Bay and on into the distant valleys. This will be a roller coaster of a day with amazing sea and mountain views.

Day 7: Sneem to Kenmare 31km. (Total ascent 500m)

Part 1 of this section is an easy walk from Sneem to Tahilla onto Blackwater Bridge to Templenoe, along a (7 km) coastal and woodland trail with views back across Coongar Harbour and Drongawn Lough. The Kerry Way at times briefly stays on the road following the Blackwater River before again moving onto wooded paths passing Dromore Castle built in the 1830′s and Cappanacush Castle from the 13th century.

The route ends by following a short section of the main Ring of Kerry road to Templenoe, home of Pat Spillane’s Pub, owned by one of Ireland’s most renowned Gaelic Football players and then we continue onto Kenmare along mostly country tracks with great views of Kenmare Bay.

Today is a long strenuous day with a coastal flavour and leafy woodland interludes.

Day 8: Kenmare to Kate Kearneys Cottage 33km (total ascent 500m)

A 33km trek back to the Black Valley and into the Gap of Dunloe to our cars.

Alternative for day 7:

We can hire a taxi to go to the Gap of Dunloe.

Dark Sky Reserve:

As we are entering  South West Kerry we are also entering the Dark Sky Reserve. which means this area is absolutely fantastic for looking up at the night’s sky. With little light pollution at night from towns, it is a great opportunity to see the nights sky in all its glory.