Day 37, Rotterdam – Schiedam

Weather: 🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️ Lunch: 🥪🥪🥪🥪🥪(5 out of 5, a good Dutch lunch with Croquettes)Track: 🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱 (3 out of 5, interesting hike through the port area of Rotterdam, and the really Dutch landscape)Home stay: 🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌 (5 out of 5, at Joost and…

Day 36, Brough – Hull 🛳️ Rotterdam

Weather: 🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️Picnic: 🥪🥪🥪🥪(4 out of 5, a good breakfast at a bakery, and we brought scones along for lunch) Track: 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 (3 out of 5, no grassy dykes, interesting hike into the port area of Hull)Milestone: England ✅ Boat: 🛳️🛳️🛳️🛳️…

Day 35, Barmby upon Marsh – Brough

Weather: ☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️Food: 🥪🥪🥪🥪(4 out of 5, a 5 out of 5 2nd breakfast and later a uninspiring wrap, therefore averaging 4 out of 5) Track: 🇬🇧🇬🇧 (2 out of 5, ok trail, but just too many grassy dykes today)AirBNB: 🛌🛌🛌…

Day 32, Barnsley – Doncaster

Weather: ☁️🌤️🌧️🌤️🌧️☁️ Food: 🥪🥪🥪(3 out of 5, surprise cafe at for 2nd breakfast and a dry (and therefore short) picnic with wraps on a dyke!) Track: 🇬🇧🇬🇧 (2 out of 5, nice trail, well signposted and well maintained, but not…

Zeroday 7, Barnsley

We slept in today, and went for breakfast at the Barnsley Markets. Mark was hungry, so we needed to get a pre-breakfast before I could talk to him again 😅. We did our shopping, repairs and laundry. Luckily, our appartment…

Day 30, Denton (Manchester) – Woodhead Station

Weather: ☁️☁️🌧️🌧️☁️ Food: 🥪🥪🥪🥪(4 out of 5, surprise 2nd breakfast and indoor lunch on track today, while we thought there would be no cafe’s today!)Track: 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 (3 out of 5, nice trail along the river and through some towns. Great…

Day 31, 750 km Woodhead Station – Barnsley

Weather: ☁️☁️🌤️🌤️☁️ Food: 🥪🥪🥪🥪(4 out of 5, surprise cafe at our 750km point for 2nd breakfast and a good place for lunch in Penistone!)Track: 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 (4 out of 5, beautiful trail through the Pennines, into a railway trail, along some…

Day 28, Widnes – Carrington (Manchester)

Weather: 🌤️☀️🌤️☀️🌤️Picnic: 🥪🥪🥪(3 out of 5, first picnic with fresh food, nice company, but need to work on our location!)Track: 🇬🇧🇬🇧 (2 out of 5, sometimes confusingly signposted trail with a lot of straight old railway line along spring forest…

Day 27, Liverpool – Widnes

Weather: 🌤️☀️🌤️☀️🌤️Breakfast: 🥪🥪🥪🥪🥪 (5 out of 5, french toast and eggs Benedict heaven!)Track: 🇬🇧🇬🇧 (2 out of 5, not to well signposted out of the city, and overall not the most inspiring trail. some parts were really nice though!)Campsite: ⛺⛺⛺…

Zeroday 6, Liverpool

We slept in today, and tidied up our gear explosion in the room before going out…😅 We have a great breakfast at Moose café, where Mark has such a hard time choosing that he has the waitress pick her favorite…

Zeroday 5, Dublin – Liverpool

3 Special mentions: – The train manager on the Holyhead – Chester train, for his understanding and kindness. – Dan, the priest we met at the Liverpool train station, who gave us a welcoming feeling in England!– Our hiking barista…

Day 26, Dublin Mountain – Dublin

Weather: ☁️🌧️🌈🌤️🌈🌧️🌈🌤️ 2nd & 3rd breakfast: 🥪🥪🥪🥪🥪 (5 out of 5, coffee and sausage roll/ croissant first and at second stop a salmon bagel!) Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️ (4 out of 5, enjoyable walk along the river into the city, so much…

Day 25, Powerscourt waterfall – Dublin

Weather: ☀️🌤️🌤️☁️🌧️Picnic: 🌯🌯🌯 (3 out of 5, nice grassy spot with sunshine to dry out the tent, still no special treats..)Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ (5 out of 5, cool and pretty, enjoyable walk, well maintained tracks, surprisingly ‘wild’ next to the city)Memorable:…

Day 24, Glendalough – Powerscourt waterfall

Weather: ☁️🌤️☁️🌧️🌈 🌤️Picnic: 🌯🌯🌯 (3 out of 5, nice grassy, sheltered spot with some sunshine, no special treats though..)Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ (5 out of 5, cool and pretty, well maintained tracks, amazing views, great summary of our hike in Ireland in…

Day 23, Mucklagh hut – Glendalough

Weather: 🌫️ ☁️☁️🌤️☁️Lunch: 🍳🍳🥯🥯2nd breakfast + elevensies in Glenmalure lodgeTrack: ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ (5 out of 5, nice tracks, amazing views, lovely forest, a lake and an old monastery!)Irish wisdom of the day: Coffee is good, coffee and whiskey is betterDiner: 🍲🍲🍲🍲🍲…

Day 22, Tinahely – Mucklagh hut

Weather: 🌤️🌤️☁️☁️☁️Picnic: 🌯🌯🌯 (3 out of 5, reasonable spot, slightly sunny, lunch with wraps and bananas!)Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️ (4 out of 5, nice tracks and roads, beautiful views, lovely forest and a hut at the end!)Reward of the day: 🍺🔥 finding…

Zeroday 4, Tinahely

We slept really well, and no alarm at 6 every once in a while is quite nice too! We got ourselves a healthy breakfast from the supermarket, got to do some chores and resupply and went for a late lunch.…

Day 21, 500 km Clonegall – Tinahely

Weather: 🌤️🌤️🌬️🌤️🌤️Picnic: 🌯🌯 (2 out of 5, reasonable spot to dry out the tent, lunch with leftover wraps and hardkeks)Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️ (4 out of 5, nice tracks and roads, beautiful views and a surprise pub!)Milestone: 500 km!Hidden gem: the Dying…

Day 20, Leinster hill – Clonegall

Weather: ☁️🌤️🌤️🌧️🌤️Picnic-moment: we found a bench for picnic, but there was also a sign saying: ‘Food’ towards the pub 🤔😋Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️(4 out of 5, nice tracks and roads, beautiful views and nice villages)Letdown of the day: the 9 stone row…

Day 19, Brandon hill – Leinster hill

Weather: ☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️Picnic: none, 2nd breakfast + lunch in towns along the way!)Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️(4 out of 5, diverse tracks and roads. The part along the river with de locks was especially nice!)Campsite: ⛺⛺ (2 out of 5 sort of flat and…

Day 18, Lukewell – Brandon hill

Weather: 🌤️🌧️🌤️🌧️🌤️🌧️Picnic: 🌯🌯 (2 out of 5, ok and dry, until the hail started falling..)2nd lunch: 🥪🥪🥪🥪 4 out of 5 sandwiches; good bacon and brie toasti at Woodstock arms bar, in InistiogeTrack: ☘️☘️☘️(3 out of 5, nice trails, a…

Day 17, Carrick-on-suir – Lukewell

Weather: ☁️☁️🌧️☁️🌧️🌬️☁️Picnic: none, unexpected indoor lunch in Mullinavat while waiting for the rain to stop)Track: ☘️☘️(2 out of 5, 30 km all tarmac roads. Not that interesting)Campsite 1st attempt:⛺🌬️ (none out of 5, bumpy, too small and almost got blown…

Day 16, Clonmel – Carrick-on-Suir

Weather: ☁️☁️🌤️🌤️🌤️Picnic: 🌯🌯🌯🛋️🥤, (4 out of 5 wraps, with a good bench, riverviews and a drink from the shop nearby!)Track: ☘️☘️☘️(3 out of 5, nice walk along the river)Campsite: ⛺⛺⛺🏰 (3 out of 5, flat, dry and overlooking a castle!…

Zeroday 3, Clonmel

So we slept in today! And had a no-oats breakfast! Although I’m now getting tired of the noodles more than of the oats this time… We went for a resupply at the big Tesco’s outside of the city, where they…

Day 15, Knockperry – Clonmel

Weather: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ Picnic: none, but good lunch at the bike cafe in Clonmel! Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️(5 out of 5, beautiful and diverse scenery, good roads and tracks through the countryside and forest!) Hotel: 🏨🛌🛌🛌🛌 (4 out of 5, good beds great…

Day 14, Knocknalougha mountain – Knockperry

Weather: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ Picnic: 🌯🌯🌯🏛️ (3 out of 5, in the sunshine, sitting at the Liam Lynch memorial) Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️(5 out of 5, beautiful and diverse scenery, good track and trail, lovely grassy lanes through the countryside!) Fun fact: were in…

Day 13, Skeheen mountain – Knocknalougha mountain

Weather: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ Picnic: 🌯🌯🌯🧱😴 (3 out of 5, in the sunshine, sitting on a brick wall and even time for a nap!) Track: ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️(5 out of 5, beautiful and diverse scenery, lovely waterfall trail, great countryside and tough but rewarding…

Day 12, Fermoy – Skeheen mountain

Weather: ☁️🌤️☁️🌤️🌤️Picnic: none, but great lunch at Hanna’s cafe in Fermoy (2 out of 5, nothing special but on a bench!)Track: 👟👟👟🌳🌲🌳 (hikable on the road and then lovely forest tracks!Happy moment of the day: Mark has new shoes!Sad moment…

Day 11, 250 km Killavullen – Fermoy

Weather: ☁️☁️🌧️☁️Picnic: 🌯🌯🌯 (3 out of 5, dry, nice spot along the river)Trail quality: 👟👟👟👟(4 out of 5 for really walkable, because the track and road were good)Best part of the trail: Trail at Fermoy next to the river!Useless part…

Day 10, Bweeng – Killavullen

Weather: ☁️🌧️☁️🌧️☁️Picnic: 🌯🌯 (2 out of 5, nothing special)Traction on track: 👟👟👟👟(4 out of 5 for really walkable, because the track and road were good)Exceptional thing: first day on trail with dry shoes (apart from the rain)Campsite: ⛺⛺ (2 out…

Day 9, Rylane cross – Bweeng

Weather: ☁️🌤️🌧️🌤️☁️Picnic: 🌯🛋️ (2 out of 5, nothing special but on a bench!)Traction on track: 🍌🍌🏊👟👟👟(2 out of 5 bananas for a bit, then 1 out of 5 swimmers because a portion of the trail was very wet! And further…

Day 8, Millstreet – Rylane Cross

Weather: 🌤️🌧️☁️🌤️🌨️🌧️☁️Picnic: 🌯🌯(2 out of 5, nothing special but good to have lunch!)Traction on track: 🏊👟👟👟👟(1 out of 5 swimmers because the trail parts was very wet! And further on 4 out of 5 for really walkable trail, because the…

Day 7, Baile Bhuirne – Millstreet

Weather: 🌧️🌬️🌬️☁️🌬️🌧️🌬️🌬️Picnic: 🌯 (1 out of 5, in a sheltered bit of boggy forest in a windpark)Traction on track: 🍌🏊🏊🏊(1 out of 5 bananas and 3 out of 5 swimmers, because the trail was transformed into river most of the…

Day 6, Ballingeary park – Baile Bhuirne

Weather: 🌧️☁️☁️🌥️☁️Picnic: none, but good (though late) lunch in Baile Bhuirne with fresh bread and goodies!Traction on track: 🍌🍌(2 out of 5 bananas for a bit, then 👟👟👟👟👟 5 out of 5 for speedy walking, because most was paved road)Styles…

Day 4, Sugarloaf mountain – Maunghanasilly stone row

Weather: ☁️☁️🌧️☁️☁️Picnic: none, but great toasti’s at Gigi’s in Glengarrif!Traction on track: 🍌🍌🍌🍌(4 out of 5 bananas for the first 6 km, then 👟👟👟👟👟 5 out of 5 for speedy walking, because all was paved road)Trail depth: deepest step was…

Day 3, Derrymihin East – Sugar Loaf mountain

Weather: ⛅🌥️🌬️☁️☁️Picnic: 🌯🌯(2 out of 5, wraps behind a rock, sheltered from the wind)Traction on track: 🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌(7 out of 5 bananas, we might need a new scale…)Trail depth: deepest step was 30 cm deep in mud. Deepest hikingpole about 50…

Day 2, Allihies – Derrymihin East

Weather: ☀️🌤️☀️🌤️☀️Picnic: 🌯🌯(2 out of 5, wraps in the sun while drying the tent)Traction on track: 🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌(6 out of 5 bananas, slippery as f..k)Gear destroyed: 1 hikingpole, broke after sliding down in the mudCampsite: ⛺⛺⛺⛺⛺ (5 out of 5, sheltered…

day 1, Dursey Island – Allihies

Wind: 🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️ (6 out of 5)Picnic: 🌯🌯(2 out of 5, wraps in a sheltered spot)Traction on track: 🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌(6 out of 5 bananas, slippery as f..k)Transportation: 🥾🚠Name of followed trail: Beara way We woke up because the tent was bending down…

A word of thanks

So here we are a the start of our hike. It took well over a year of planning, reading, thinking, rethinking and saving. First and foremost we would like to thank our friends, parents, family, managers, colleagues and neighbours for…

On the way to Dursey Island

This morning we left Dublin, to go on an Irish public transportation adventure. It started straightforward with the tram to the train station and the train to cork. From there we needed a bus to Castletownbere, but at the busstation…

Dublin

After a short flight we spent 2 days in Dublin to get some things sorted and check the city out. We enjoy 2 days of wonderful weather in Dublin and walk around town. We also visit the leprechaun museum, where…

Preparing and letting go

The last week has been one of preparing for our hikers life, and letting go of our lives as ‘humans’; saying goodbye to colleagues, friends and family. Retuning keys and responsibilities to the places they belong; at work, at the…

Making new gear

When you’ve hiked a few big hikes, you know exactly what you’d want from your gear. Often you can buy it, but sometimes it’s easier to make it to your own liking. Or the only way, because there are very…