“Hill Walking” was a new term for us when we moved to Ireland….well, now we get it…..there are mostly hills here and not really many mountains.  And you know how it goes…..”when in Rome”…..so now we go Hill Walking!  Hill walking is a bit different from other hiking we’ve done because there’s rarely a trail.  We have a variety of walking guides and the directions are usually a rough explaination of how to get up a hill and along a rough path to a peak, ridge, viewpoint, etc.  “Cross the pasture” and “keep the stone wall on your right/left” are the most frequent directions and we’re never disappointed by where they take us.

Here are some shots from May on two recent hill walks near Galway.

First off, The Burren.  This area has been inhabited for a longgggg time – at least 4,000-6,000 years!  From a distance, the limestone covered hills have a lovely lavender color and up close are a very cool network of almost flat limestone, various grasses, wildflowers, and countless stone walls.

 

Alright, shifting gears a bit more north to Leenaun….or Leenane as some signs will say.   For this hike, we set off from town and followed a tractor trail just up the road that took us up to a ridge with a beautiful view!  The hills overlook Irelands only fjord, Killary Fjord, and with a bit a luck and good weather, we could see out to the coast near Connemara.

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay tuned for more adventures!