Cork: Where outstanding beauty unfolds
THE trailhead is the car park at the start of the steps leading to the summit but I recommend starting at Carrigfada church. from there, one walks west and turns right on a rough lane after 200m. The roadsides are rich in wildflowers, heather and gorse, blackberries and whortleberries.
After 15 minutes, we arrive at the trailhead and an interpretation board. The approx 300 steps to the Marian Cross are immediately ahead. Built with a broad tread and a low rise between them, they are easier climbing than house stairs. One pauses regularly to take in the ‘breathtaking’ horizons.
After ascending alongside a spruce plantation, and passing a seat beneath a solitary Monterey Pine, the path winds through stretches of dark forest. Where, only moments before, there were vistas stretching as far as the eye could see, now we walk between tall, enclosing trees and the sunlight, filtering through, make these sections other-worldly. The ground beneath is blanketed in cushions of emerald-green moss and strange mushrooms grow. Enchanting for children.
Emerging above the tree line, we see the cross silhouetted against the sky as we wind upward toward it. From its base, the view is panoramic. The country is laid out below us, the farms and copses of trees, distant towns and lakes, the sea and islands. It is truly an elevating sight. A ‘compass board’ stands close by, telling us what we can see at all points. The views are lovely at every point of the 360 degree vista. Now, 20 minutes after mounting the steps, we are in another world, in the dimension of the gods or the birds, high in the sky with nothing above us but the stratosphere.
The Stags, directly south, first meet the eye, and then, to the east, the Galley Head with its white lighthouse catching the sun. On the coast is Clonakilty town; beyond, The Seven Heads and The Old Head of Kinsale. Far to the south west, we can see Cape Clear island and the Fastnet Rock. Looking a little northward, Mount Gabriel and Hungry Hill come into view and the Caha Mountains on Beara rise smokey-blue against the sky.
Having ascended from the south, it is only now, on the ridge top, that we can see what lies to the north. Immediate and dramatic in the view, are giant windmills. Nobody we met complained about them. Awesome in their dimensions, but necessary in their function, they do not interfere with the panorama we see.
North west, beyond Mullaghamesa and Nowen Hill, the Shehy Mountains lead the eye towards stretches of water, silvery on the land, Lough Allua and the Gearagh, near Macroom. The Bandon valley is to the north east and, beyond it, Cork city.
The elation that comes with the elevation at Carrigfada’s summit isn’t easy to describe.
Perhaps the air is a tad thinner or perhaps one is simply intoxicated with the grandeur of the world below and the outstanding beauty.
The descent takes us in a wooded loop around the summit, with some very steep downhill paths. We reach the steps, and start down. After the first flight, I veered right to reach the forestry road. It added half a kilometre but was easier on the knees, and the section beneath the bare limestone cliffs was impressive. From the trailhead, it was 15 minutes back to the car.
Walks start Wolfe Tone Square, Bantry. Departure time confirmed on booking.
A & B Walks:€20 or two for €30. C walks: €15 or two for €25. Family €25
June 1: Grade A, Hungry Hill, 14 km, ascent 750m; Jun 2: Sugarloaf, 14 km, ascent 600m.
Jun 1: Grade B, Seefin Walk, Sheep’s Head Way, 10/13 km. Jun 2: Lighthouse Walk, Sheep’s Head, 9 to 12 km.
Jun 1& 2: Grade C, Whiddy Island, 3 to 4 hrs., ferry included; Jun 1&2: Coomkeen, Sheep’s Head, 3, 4 or 6km.
Registration/start: Lisvarrinane Community Centre, before given times below.
Jun 1: Grade (A) Foot Bar to Clydagh Bridge: 9am (B) Black Road to Galtymore: 10.45am (C) Track Loop beside Cush 12.30pm.
Jun 2: (A) Glengarra Wood to Clydagh Bridge: 9am (B) Muskry Loop 10.45am (C) Dolmen Loop, 12 noon.
Jun 3: (A) Galtymore: 10am (B) Lough Curra 10am.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
