Cardiac Hill lives up to its folk name.
But frequent stops are trebly justified … the ever widening views, wonders of nature like the Douglas Firs that are very significantly higher than anything else, the grove of eucalyptus and the mosses.
Finishing the hill and turning left/north along a level path. After a little while there are more steps – now wide and more regular, the going is easier.
A little way along the northern route, across the northern face of Torc mountain, a panorama of the entire perimeter of the Middle and Lower Lakes showing Muckross House east of the Middle Lake and the Tomies/Purple/Glena mountain ridge falling preciptuously on the western edge of both lakes.
Across the mountain the changing vistas of both lakes and the mountains. Much of this unique viewing was opened up in recent years with the clearing of dense thickets of rhododendron.
A dry stone beehive hut has a well in front. This was not the home of an early mendicant monk. It was built to shelter workers who opened up this trail about 50 years ago.
Coming off the mountain the path widens to a dirt road through conifer woodland. Going left at a T junction. A little way along we chose to go right, shortly crossing the well named Owengarriff (abhann garbh/rough river) with its tumbling cascades. After crossing the bridge take an immediate left.
Now along by a deep ravine cut by the passage of ice between two million and 14,000 years ago and the rushing waters of the Owengarriff since then. The way is pleasantly shaded by oak, arbutus and holly. The path falls, with occasional glimpses of lake and mountain, down steps to Torc waterfall.
From first light to dusk there is a constant flow of people coming to Torc Waterfall. It is said that one of the Herbert landlords here unsuccessfully attempted to divert the waterfall to get at the treasure that legend says is hidden in a chamber behind the falls.
The final leg is parallel and above the public road (the N71) with the mountain ridge to the right of straight ahead. The dirt road has been cut through dense rhododendron with regular views of the Middle Lake and the Lower Lake in the background.
The circular route ends, after two and a half hours, at the car lay bye at the back entrance to Dinis.
—————-
For several weeks now hedgerows have been bursting with masses of the tiny white flower on the blackthorn, that shines out against the darker wood of the leafless shrub tree.
At the moment the luxuriantly yellow flower on the spring furze is at its abundant best.
Last Sunday morning from the Governor’s Rock Headland on Ross Island before 7 the huge body of Lough Leane water was mirror still. In those minutes around sunrise the grey blue monotone landscape looked like a scrubbed clean new world.
Less than half an hour later the brightly coloured boats on the water in front of Ross Castle were a distraction from the background emerging green of the foliage and the blue in the sunlight sky.
We were on Ross Island in preparation for a dawn chorus walk that will broadcast on Radio Kerry from 9am to11am on Saturday, April 29.
– Frank Lewis
for more information or to book a stay at our self-catering holiday accommodation, Gallan Eile …
No Comments