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The Black Valley & The Gap of Dunloe
Hey,
I am glad you drop by!
I am Lars, constantly plagued by wanderlust and I do have a preference
for spontaneous individual trips, outdoor adventures and road trips.
...feel free to join me on my endless journey in the moments I like to share within...
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Travel with me on
The Sheep's Head Way
A remote valley near Killarney.
A paradise for hikers and guaranteed net-free zone.
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Black Valley
Immediately at the entrance to the valley over Moll's Gap the exceptionally pristine nature of the Black Valley catches my eye.
Among the locals it is, by the way, also known under the Irish name Cummeenduff.
The valley is very lonesome and there are hardly any traces of civilization.
Even the mobile phone loses reception.
I leave the completely networked world and finally have the chance to reach myself without any distractions.
A landscape in which nothing has changed since time immemorial, I wouldn't have been really surprised if I had suddenly come across a few figures from days gone by.
Legend has it, that the last Viking intruder of Ireland, is buried here somewhere - together with a pile of gold!
Perhaps an explanation for the many rainbows I have seen in the past view days.
While hiking in the valley, one can not only enjoy the diversity of the landscape, one also comes across traces from the last ice age.
Some of them are very impressive and today they are the ones who shape a large part of the character of this landscape.
Now and then civilization does exist even here.
But those who are lucky enough to live here have no neighbors for miles.
And so it is not surprising that the black valley is the last region in Ireland to be connected to the national grid.
Electricity from the socket has only been available here since 1976.
I was very lucky with the weather and it was almost breeze less.
The silence here was unbelievable.
You really don't hear anything, no distant barking of a dog, no airplane in the sky, nothing.
It's so quiet here that at some point you can hear the silence.
Please be aware that the land you are passing through is owned and actively farmed by local farmers. Respect this, close the gates behind you and leave nothing behind.
The beauty of hiking for me is to discover places I would otherwise not have come to, to be alone with me and my thoughts and from time to time have surprising encounters with the animal kingdom.
This experience came as a surprise for both of us. Shortly before I had the camera ready he stood actually on the rock like in all the kitschy oil pictures which one discovers now and then in places which should seem particularly cozy.
Especially in autumn the valley is a festival of colors.
There is a small road, leading from Molls Gap in the south, to the northern end of the valley at the
Gap of Dunloe.
The road leads along many beauties of the nature and it is possible to experience the valley from the car.
At least in autumn this might also be a quite lonely experience. In the warm season it can look completely different.
Gap of Dunloe
Once over the pass, between the highest mountain range of Ireland, the MacGillycuddy Reeks and the Purple Mountain, this wonderful view of the valley opens up. It is as if the road disappears into water. The hills and valley rolling away.
Lake Augher is one of five lakes connected by the river Loe.
Each of them lies on its own plateau.
Old Castle Gmünd
How a randomly chosen location in Austria has managed to leave a lasting impression.
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The River Loe between Coosaun Lough and Black Lake. I am standing here on a very old stone arch bridge - the wishing bridge. It is said that the wishes you have on it are destined to come true.
The Barley Lake
How a harmless trip can suddenly turn into a confrontation with the elements.
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