Killarney-Kenmare

fionnsci

Hi there, I would really appreciate it if anyone here was able to help me with these questions.

How long would it take an average walker to walk from Killarney to Kenmare along the Kerry Way/Old Kenmare Road with a rucksack? Is it challenging?

Likewise for Kemare to Black Valley near the Gap of Dunloe.

Thanks in advance,
Fionn.

Wouldn't really go from Killarney town, would be a few miles trek to the starting point at Torc and much of that along a busy road that's part of the Ring of Kerry, so cars and busses flying by. Once you start from Torc (lower carpark), the first twenty mins or so are tough enough, lots of steps as you go up past the waterfall. After that the trek goes around the east side of Torc and levels out into a bog road, lovely there, not that demanding at all, slight ascent and descent as it goes on towards Derrycunnihy Woods. Then it joins the road from Galways Bridge and ascends slightly up towards the saddle between Peakeen and Knockaganuish, and descends back into Kenmare. I would have thought the overall ascent is probably in the order of 400m or so, so not challenging. Would give it 4 hours anyway, and I walk fairly hard, though frankly I usually skip the last mile or 2 into Kenmare because again its on a tarred road.

From Kenmare to the Black Valley is, for the first few miles, the same route as above, the walk back up the Old Road from Kenmare seems more demanding, the ascent is steeper, again you come to the area beneath Peakeen and continue on, but instead of branching off to go over the road to Torc you keep straight on towards Galways bridge, cross the Rong of Kerry road there, and go down through the woods to the Upper Lake. This would be a good 3 hours anyway, perhaps another hour to push on past the Church and the entrance into the real Black Valley, and on up the road to the Head of the Gap.

As I live in the area, my times are very approximate - I would ascend off the routes or dip into them walking in the hills around the area, but it's been a while since I've stuck to the routes themselves.

http://www.kerryway.com/trail-maps/index.php

fionnsci

Thanks a lot, very helpful!