The Wicklow Way in winter
The Wicklow Way is Ireland’s most popular marked trail, winding for 100 kilometers through the high heather hills south of Dublin. Its proximity to the city means that, at least at its northern end, it gets its fair share of traffic. That said, as it is Ireland, it’s still very quiet and you can walk for miles without meeting more than a handful of fellow travelers. Last year we walked both ends but for some reason never managed to come up with a plan to make the more remote ‘half point’ south of Glendalough between Aughavannagh and Moyne. Just after Christmas we decided to do something with this mental Bermuda Triangle and got accommodation in the Aughavannagh Valley at the pretty Aughavannagh Cottage, a lovely Irish cottage for rent right in the middle of the mountains.
However, little did we know that last week it would start to snow relentlessly! It doesn’t snow much in Ireland and when it does, it tends not to linger. The Wicklow mountains aren’t particularly high, barely reaching 3,000 feet (1,000 meters), but they hold snow longer and it was certainly an interesting drive. The idea was to take two cars as there were 6 of us, leave one at the cottage in Aughavannagh and then drive back to Laragh near the beautiful Glendalough Valley and set off for the cottage from there. However, as soon as we left Dublin it became clear that the normal route was impassable. We were advised to proceed to Aughrim via Arklow on a lower but pretty road and access the Aughavannagh Valley from the east. We eventually made it, slipping and sliding through a winter wonderland that hadn’t seen much in the way of snowplows or sand spreaders. The sky was blue though and despite the cold it had been many years since we had seen Ireland under a blanket of snow like this and it looked so pretty.
We dump the bags in the cabin that overlooks Lugnaquilla, Wicklow’s highest mountain. It looked like an omen: it emerged from the winter fog, all stony covered with ice, and huge clouds crawled from the barely perceptible summit. After tea and cookies we jump back into the remaining car and head towards Laragh. It took him over an hour and a half to get to the village, by which time it was getting decidedly late. At 3:30pm, with discretion being the better part of value, we decided that raising Spink and Mullacor was a risky strategy. Finally, the snow committee considered that since the mountain road was practically impassable, we would return to Aughavannagh on foot, but on the road. This would normally be the slightly boring option, but since the road was clear of cars and had disappeared under several feet of snow, it was just as enjoyable and didn’t require any map reading or navigation skills.
We set out for Glenmalure, reminiscing about the exploits of Hugh Roe O’Donnell’s escape from Dublin Castle over forty miles away in January 1592. In the dead of winter, they successfully reached Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne’s stronghold at Glenmalure. , where they found refuge, but their companion and escape partner, Art O’Neill, died exposed to the elements in the snow-covered mountains. O’Donnell lost both of his big toes to frostbite. Hugh Roe O’Donnell and his two companions, brothers Art and Henry O’Neill, are the only prisoners to have successfully escaped from Dublin Castle. Looking out over the frozen landscape, we shuddered at the thought of being chased by English redcoats in such arctic conditions.
The walk was beautiful. The snow was like frozen sugar and flew off our boots when we kicked it. There were deer tracks in the ditch, and the silence of the mountains was enhanced by the blanket of muffled white sound that covered the land. When we reached the top of the pass, the Shay Elliot memorial was buried in snow. Elliot was a famous cyclist and the first Irishman to succeed in this arduous sport. He apparently loved these mountains and friends of his raised a monument overlooking one of Wicklow’s steepest climbs in his memory. By now, it was covered in snow.
The views from the top of the pass to Lugnaquilla were incredible. As the sun sank low in the sky we decided to go ahead without visiting the Glenmalure Lodge pub. We traversed the small junction at Drumgoff avoiding a short detour for a pint of Guinness, but it was so cold we were more tempted by the kettle and fire at Aughavannagh, now five miles above Flags Pass. We would return to the pub as soon as possible!
Passing the old English military barracks we began to climb the path between the trees. He was remarkably still. Normally the sound of gushing water fills the forest, but we thought the ground was so frozen that the flow of water to the streams was reduced to a trickle. A deer watched us from a woodland path, watching our progress with an indifferent gaze before suddenly turning and leaping over the ditch, not even a crackle of branches to signal its exit.
As we left the valley, the wind blew up, blowing great plumes of icy snow from the crest of Faneneirin Ridge. The snow crunched under our feet and our breath evaporated in the cold air. The trail hugs the right hand side of this hanging valley and as we went up the Sitka fir grew icier. As we reached the top, the cone of Croaghanmoira (664 metres) and also known as Motty Mountain came into view. Below us stretched Aughavannagh – ‘The last place God made’ according to local bygone days. It was more like a scene from the Great North Woods: miles of snow-capped hills and mountains and not a house in sight. The path had disappeared and the snow had turned into boulder-sized shapes where the wind had carved its own crazy arctic designs. Fortunately, the trees gave some indication of the route and we slid downhill towards our destination. The great wall of the South Lugnaquilla Prison came into view after a few minutes: an ice-shattered rock wall shrouded in cloud. It is not a high mountain (925 metres) nor a particularly difficult climb, but it has nonetheless claimed lives and is mentioned every winter in the dispatches of the Wicklow Mountain Rescue team (in fact, a few days later, two snowboarders were involved in a lengthy mountain rescue involving helicopters and rescue teams from all over Ireland).
As we descended past the pass, we again walked parallel to the Wicklow Way proper as it crossed the road and headed down through the snowy woods. Our pace quickened as we neared our destination, finally reaching Aughavannagh Cottage as darkness descended. We stayed for four days and made several forays into the snow for several beautiful walks. It was very cold every night, but with the grass burning and cards in hand we were well entertained. A snowplow finally made it across the pass and we got the car back up the hill. And yes, we did stop in Glenmalure for a pint on the way home!