The true adventure should have been Dublin, not Killarney. The first time in ten years that I was living abroad. The first time in an English speaking country. The first time as a student, in spite of my age. Meeting people every day… but not her.
I got some of my best friends at the moment, but I didn’t meet a stronger reason to stay there more than three months (after that time I had to go back to Spain).
I began to look for the highest mountains in the map of Ireland, in the far Kerry County, when I understood that my time in Dublin was coming to its end. I disliked the town. I felt guilty with the kind of life that I had chosen, going out at the night three or four times per week, wasting money in beers and taxis and collecting some really disgusting experiences: the most embarrassing one when I had to avoid a fight in my second weekend.
I was in Killarney twice.
The first time I did a very small version of Kerry Way: Killarney-Black Valley-Gap of Dunloe-Killarney.
I didn’t find great green landscapes and only one small wet forest. Close to Killarney, the National Park seems to be a city park (gardens, roads, golf courses), but 10 miles further, the Kerry way becomes a true trekking, with few people doing it.
Gap of Dunloe is interesting, five small lakes between walls of high mountains, but you will walk on a road, with many tourists and even cars, so it’s difficult to enjoy it.
Gap of Dunloe is interesting, five small lakes between walls of high mountains, but you will walk on a road, with many tourists and even cars, so it’s difficult to enjoy it.
I went back to climb the Carrauntoo.
In one of my last nights, Dublin hit me too violently. I was attacked by two young robbers. After that, I don’t know why I was still interested in travelling. Maybe to get a very good last memory (I thought that I wouldn’t come back); maybe to compensate the lack of romantic adventures with an important mountain activity (Carauntoo is unknown in Spain but legendary in Ireland, perhaps for the name of his normal way: ‘the Devil’s Ladder’). Anyway, I went back to climb the Carrauntoo.
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| Carrauntoo |
I did it. I succeeded because the family of the Bed and Breakfast helped me: they drove me early in the morning to the end of the road. I got out the car and got into the heavy rain. Three, four hours walking with rain and rib’s pain, climbing each one of the Devil’s stairs, thinking that maybe my rib could be broken… but I kept going… and I got the summit of Ireland.
