St Kevin's Way barefoot

St Kevin's Way is a way-marked trail that runs from close to where we live to what used to be a Christian settlement in Glendalough. They claim the trail follows the path that St Kevin and his cronies travelled - perhaps some of the pilgrims were unshod. At our end the trail bifurcates one head being Hollywood and the other Valleymount. My running track took me through Valleymount and along the upper St Kevin's Way to Ballinagee bridge (where we have sometimes baptised people) and then back along the lower trail but not all the way to Hollywood.  Even so it was 15.6 miles, avg speed moving 5.5 mph.

My track, barefoot of course

Looking back to our lake

You have to pay to dispose of rubbish in this country: this is cheaper 

In full view too, the location is behind Knockalt

The downhill looking forward to Wicklow Gap

From here you can access the mountains and Art's Cross

That's the path I have just run along

Looking down to Kings River, about here it started raining

The storm passed into the distance where it dumped hail back at home

Mountain barefoot

I've hiked parts of this route before but never tackled the whole as a "run" starting from base. Not that I ran up the mountain - I wish I could!  Something went wacky with the GPS whilst climbing.

Stats: 10.55 miles (19km), 12:46 min/mi (4.7mph) time 2:14:46. Barefoot of course.

I followed the lake-shore for starters: it was sandy until the corner where it looks like I swam (I did not: the tide is out at present). But then it became increasing stony and I whacked my toes several times. I intended to join the road at "Jonathan's bay" but passed it without realising, so followed the next water course which involved several fences and other minor difficulties. Then past the Ballyknockan quarry and straight up to the cairn atop Silsean (698m), one quick loop around the cairn (hardly visible on the map) then down via the back road behind Knockalt.

You can enlarge the images by clicking on them.

The corner I cut

Ballyknockan from the corner, Silsean in the distance

The watercourse I followed

Ballyknockan from the quarry road

Doubtless an essential part of the quarry works

Looking back, a third of the way up

Half way up - can you see the hang glider?

I live somewhere over there

The hang glider is clearly visible at horizon level, centre

The cairn at the top, which I circumnavigated

On the way home

In Valleymount