Dublin Spring Seminar 2014 - 3B

Kerry Day 2 The Hike

 

Today we all went on a hiking journey through the mountains. We experienced all different types if weather and terrain. The views seen were truely breathtaking, and through the hard work of the hike, it was well worth it to see what we saw. The experience was like no other, and truely amazing.

The hike began with an uphill climb through a road into the mountain range. Throughout this leg of the hike, we were able to see plenty of farm animals roaming through the nature surrounding them. The most common was sheep. We were taught how the farmers mark the sheep as their own with spray paint, while also seeing views of the towns below us. Although there was a bit of rain, it came and went in short spurts, allowing the hike to still be enjoyable. 

Next we began to climb the steepest part of the hike, heading to the highest point of our travels. We learned important skills about walking up hill, such as leaning in the proper direction. Apon arrival to the top of the mountain, the view was breathtaking.  You could see for miles below, and the land was a bright green (a nice change from the grayer color of a Massachusetts winter). We then decended from the mountain top. This was most likely the most unenjoyable part of our hike. Not only were the downhill slopes extremely steep and treacherous, but it was also raining and hailing at the same time.  This combination made for an extreme challenge, but we eventually made it through the harsh conditions all in one piece.

Our final portion of the hike brought us through two different environment. The first reminded many of the African jungle. Seeming very desolate, there was not much to see in this area, but more to learn. We learned why the land looked the way it looks, about the original form of taxation in southern Ireland, and about the types of animals that could be found in this area. Finally, we went through an area resembling a rain forest (without the extreme humidity). The entire place was covered in green, and there was a wonderful river running right next to our path. We eventually came out to the fantastic Torc waterfall. It was a beautiful sight to see. This ended our wilderness adventure. Although some parts of this hike were a real challenge, the experience was well worth it. We all learned and saw many wonderful things that can only be discovered in southern Ireland