Travel&Vacation

The Devil’s Punchbowl certainly lived up to its reputation. Zipped all the way up in my rain jacket, I fought the howling wind and the steep slope to make forward progress along the ridge. To my right, the mountainsides fell sharply down to the lake they enclosed—the punch in the bowl, if you will. But, I couldn’t see the waters through the devilish mist that enshrouded me and my hiking companions.

Up ahead, our guide waited impatiently for us to ascend. Surefooted and sure-sighted, he confidently led us through the haze. Where we saw only a mystifying expanse of peat bogs, he somehow saw a clear trail. When we miraculously arrived back at the beginning of our misty detour, we owed our safe return entirely to him.

I always imagined hikes in Ireland to be easy strolls across rolling green hills. A guided trip was therefore unnecessary for an experienced walker like me. But it only took one week in County Kerry and two hardy Irishmen to convince me that a good guide could make the difference between a hilly meander and a memorable adventure.

A guided hiking tour in Ireland

My boyfriend and I signed on for a seven-night walking tour in Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula and Ring of Kerry. Our 11 fellow hikers were mostly in their 50s and 60s, and most were either experienced hikers or in decent physical shape. The tour schedule included five days devoted to hiking and organized sightseeing and one free day to explore on our own.

I’ve been on unguided hiking vacations before, but this trip owed its success to our two leaders: Tony and Mike. We could have easily hiked the same trails on our own, aided by a good map and a compass. But, the guides transformed routine strolls into explorations of Irish history and culture.

Crinkly-eyed and white hair all askew, Tony explained how the beehive-shaped ruins we saw were a resting place for monks on pilgrimage between the spiritual centers of the Skellig Islands and Brandon Mountain. He told tales of the one-legged old woman who climbed over a mountain every Sunday to hear the news from the town of Annascaul. He demonstrated how peat is harvested and presented us with unusual plants and herbs to taste and smell.

If Tony was ever the polite gentleman, Mike was our hot-headed guide. He was quick to order a pint or tell you a joke, and he had an opinion about everything. He told no-holds-barred stories about Irish politicians, the tourist industry, past hiking trips, and his views on the Catholic Church. You got an earful from Mike on any subject, whether you wanted to or not.

With these two local characters at the helm, our group was privy to an insider’s experience of Ireland. On my own, I might have missed the ancient stone circle on the outskirts of Kenmare or the pub dedicated to Ireland’s own Antarctic explorer, Tom Crean, in Annascaul. I would never have sought out a sheep fair, but watching farmers haggling over ponies and cows in the middle of the street during a rainstorm is an Irish memory I won’t soon forget.

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