Glendalough

After leaving Powerscourt, we took part of the old military road through the Sally Gap and Wicklow Gap to the monastic site of Glendalough. The drive took us through some ruggedly beautiful areas, very popular with long-distance walkers and cyclists. Glendalough was the home of St. Kevin, who became a monk and lived life as a virtual hermit in the Valley of the Two Lakes, Glendalough. Other monks joined him, desiring the simple life of devotion that Kevin lived, and a monastic city was built. The ruins are located in an incredibly beautiful, peaceful valley. There are high crosses, the remains of several buildings, and a round tower. After looking around the ruins, we hiked up to the Poulanass Waterfall, which is a nice waterfall coursing through groves of trees. We wanted to hike the Spinc trail, which takes you up to a hill overlooking the valley, the lakes, and the monastic ruins. It's a steep, wet hillside so wooden timbers have been laid in a series of steps to the top. I think I'm in decent shape, but I had to stop 4-5 times on the way up to catch my breath! The view was great and I'm glad I did it, but I honestly don't know if I'd do it again. I'll post pictures so you can see just how high we climbed in a very short distance, 2-3 km I think. We really liked Glendalough and decided it's a place we would come to often if we lived nearby. The setting is so beautiful and peaceful, it's a really special place.