14th August 2017
The road down to Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains National Park is beautiful. I‘m tired from the drive, but my mind starts to wake up and I get excited. The weather is fantastic and the views are already wonderful. I try to get a few shots, but know we will stop on our way home to catch the evening light for some photos. It‘s busy at the car park, plenty of people made their way to the National Park today, which is no surprise with the weather being so good and still having summer school holidays in Ireland. I hear a lot of english speaking people, some german and languages I don‘t know. The path to the lakes is busy. There is the Lower Lake and Upper Lake, both surrounded by beautiful mountains and hiking tracks. A couple with him being in the wheelchair is crossing our way and they seem to evaluate the further path and how far they‘ll go. I am impressed, sad and happy at the same time.

After walking next to the lakes for a while we follow the pink arrow, which is the Poulanass Route, and get off the busy touristic track. Not too many people seem to head off into the mountains, most of them stay at the very beginning of the park next to the lakes. I‘m glad to be away from the crowd. We follow a track that looks like an old one off the normal path, and are ending up on a little footpath cross-country. We make our way up the mountain next to the water stream and waterfall, walking through the woods until we hit the proper hiking path again. To get back on track we have to climb over a fence. I find a spot to climb down to the water stream and put my hands into the water, which is awesomely cold. I splash some towards my face to cool down my cheeks, they are hot from the steep climb. I love source water from the mountains, it‘s so clean and untouched.

We go further ahead following the pink arrow until we cross the white arrow, which is the Spinc and Glenealo Valley Route. While we know we won‘t be able to do the whole tour, we walk on that path a bit until we decide to turn around. To do the full hike we need more time and energy, which we don‘t have that day. We make our way back down to the lakes, walking on the other side of the stream this time and catch a nice view at the Poulanass Waterfall. When we arrive back at the lakes we find us a peaceful spot at the Upper Lake for a rest while the sun heats our bodies. My legs are tired and I lay down at the stone beach for a bit.

When I close my eyes I can hear the ocean, washing wave after wave to the shore. But it‘s not the ocean, it‘s the irish wind gently moving the lake‘s water into our direction. There is no salt in the air, the sea is far away behind the mountains. My feet are freezing from walking at the lake‘s shore, the water is glass clear and ice cold. The mountains surround us like they want to protect us, and I wonder from what. From time to time they send over a big strong wind, like a wave the sea would send towards the shore to fill the bay. They say hello and the tree‘s leaves sing along. I get the feeling the mountain‘s souls want to remind us where we are and my body shivers.

I see reflections far in the distance running down the mountain walls. Drop after drop they feed the lake, like blood streams are flowing to keep life itself. The heat from the walk is leaving our bodies and the sun starts to hide behind the clouds. I realise that I am still barefoot. It‘s time to go home.