Sitting in a cafe, sipping tea, resting my legs and toes, relaxing a bit…
Decided to write down my reflections on my trek. 🙂
Day hikes:
When considering hiking the Burren Way, my initial excitement turned to mild concern. However, when I broke it down from 70 miles total to five nice day hikes, I felt much more confident. I’ve completed solo day hikes throughout the US and Europe, so doing five consecutive day hikes seemed much more manageable than one massive hike.
Navigation:
I used three tools to navigate the trail. First, I used Hillwalk Tours’ detailed route notes. Next, I set my Fitbit to measure in kilometers rather than miles. This way, if the route notes said turn left in 350 meters, I could quickly gauge the distance by using my Fitbit. Finally, Hillwalk provided the route on the app GAIA, which uses GPS technology to guide the user. Whenever I was a bit confused or unsure, I’d check GAIA to confirm I was on the proper trail.
Varied scenery:
What a vast variety of landscapes I saw! Cliffs, karst limestone, hazel trees, mossy rocks, plateaus, rivers, turloughs, lakes, flowers breaking out of their winter slumber… So much to see! I thought Ireland would be mainly rolling green hills. I saw them, of course, and much much more!
Weather:
As I type this in the cafe connected to my hostel in Salthill, Galway, Storm Kathleen blows frantically while dumping buckets of rain on the already soaked land. I was SO FORTUNATE to have almost perfect weather while trekking. Even with a bit of wind and rain for the first half of yesterday’s hike, for the most part, I had cool yet dry and calm weather.
People:
After the crowds of Belfast and Dublin, I saw so few people on my hike (other than Cliffs of Moher, of course!). The people I did meet along the trails, at my hotels, in the pubs were all wonderful to chat with. Some were tourists, many were locals, all were kind, friendly, and helpful.
Gear:
I’m trying to think if there’s anything I wish I brought that I didn’t bring… Perhaps a better raincoat…? Mine is rain resistant to a point. After a bit, water seeps through. Although I brought a poncho, I found the pockets in my raincoat much more practical. Also, when the weather necessitated it, I could easily enclose my camera in my coat and retrieve it once the shower ended. As for gear I brought that I wish I left at home, I only used one trekking pole, which kept my other hand free to grab my camera, hold the route notes, etc. I didn’t use the compass or binoculars which live in my backpack. I loved having a baseball cap for general conditions and a knit hat and gloves for those cold mornings and late afternoons. And gaiters! OMG! My waterproof hiking boots coupled with gaiters made the mucky mud much easier to traverse!
Photos:
Now, to try to pick out my favorite photo from each day… 🙂 I think the five I selected showcase the variety and beauty, both natural and humanmade, that I experienced on my journey.
