THE JOYS OF WINTER WALKING
Winter can be the best time to step outdoors into nature — the countryside is empty, the light is beautiful, there is always the chance of snow and, if you’re lucky, the ground is firm and crisp.
Yes, you might have to choose your days with an eye to the weather, but wrap up well, pack a Thermos and you’ll find a long hike is the best antidote to the worst of the winter grims — and you’ll feel invigorated afterwards.
To lure you into the wild, we asked four of the country’s wellknown walks authors — Helen Fairbairn, Adrian Hendroff, John G O’Dwyer and David Flanagan — to choose their favourite winter routes from all over Ireland.
The result is a huge variety of terrains and levels of walks that includes everything from peaceful forest strolls to the chilly heights of Lugnaquilla, from shorelines to the Burren moonscapes. Some routes are ideal for families with small children, others are suited only to experienced mountaineers who have map and compass skills. We’ve included the length of each walk, its start and end point, and how to get there, as well as — and this is often the clincher when persuading kids into their hiking boots — where to refuel afterwards.
Most of our writers prefer to walk in winter. “Nothing in summer can compare with the atmosphere that exists in winter. That’s why my favourite time for going out walking is a nice, crisp day in winter around Christmas time,” says veteran hillwalker and writer John G O’Dwyer.
“The first time I went up Carrauntoohil,” he says, “it was a beautiful, scorching summer day, probably 25 or 27 degrees, and it was murder in those kind of conditions. A crisp, cold day is a lot better for walking and there’s something very bracing about going out well wrapped up against the cold when there’s frost and snow on the ground.”
Mountain climber, guide and walks writer Adrian Hendroff agrees: “Winter is the best season of the year. It definitely gives a bit of an Alpine feeling to the hills — they don’t look as bare as in the summer, and it makes Carrauntoohil look almost like K2. Walking then is so much more intense and so much more beautiful at the same time.”
As a photographer Adrian is well used to rising before sunset and heading for the hills, or staying out after dark to get the right light. “The sunsets are best at this time of year. You get these really strong colours in the sky, deep pinks and deep orange. Sunrises are good as well, with nice lingering icy mists over the hills. It’s wonderful to be out.”