Life is not a race, but

The Ring of Kerry is 214 kms of spectacular walking. The Middle Aged Walking Club gathered in Kenmare to take on the Ring and from there we walked (almost together) for 8 days. Along the way we stayed in a mixture of B&B's, guesthouses and hotels, taking a packed lunch each day to get us from cooked breakfasts to our next ritual dinner gathering. We had good maps, great directions and the way marking was first class.

To get spectacular views one has to do a fair bit of climbing and during the early days, we enjoyed the chance to eagerly fill lungs with fresh air. And it did not take long to get used to the softer walking along slightly waterlogged tracks dotted with a range of tactically placed rocks. I lost count of the number of stiles we crossed; over 40 one day. For the more draught horse end of the group, these stiles reduce optimum performance as the more sneaky (and some would say better trained) end of the group, often used these stiles to put just a little more distance between walkers. All the while we were all getting fitter and faster.

The weather was with us most of the way with several really fine days. At the other end of the scale we were in at least “force 9” conditions between Cahersiveen and Waterville. A couple in the group almost became kites and everyone struggled to maintain balance and warmth, especially over the last 3-4kms before descending into Waterville. Intermittent showers kept us alert.

Competent walkers need good sustenance and we managed to enjoy excellent Irish hospitality and fare each evening along the way. The end of day normally included a refreshing ale or two and everywhere we encountered friendly people eager to help us in any way. Fish great: duck even better and lamb super. Several wine lists took a battering.

This was not a race. Life is not a race but. In this group of caring sensitive types, competitive instincts were buried, at least for several days. Inevitably some loose talk emerged and whilst the more refined end of the group ignored the urge to compete, a couple of dark horses emerged during the last, particularly long day over undulating terrain back into Kenmare, to claim a victory of sorts over us lesser mortals. The lead culprit, our token Kiwi, enjoyed looking down over the beaten ones from the crest of the last hill, before turning away to flash down the final slopes and across the finish line.

Walking is a great way to relax whilst refreshing aging bodies and minds. We enjoyed meeting collectively to explore this fantastic part of the world and we are looking forward to the next reunion and potential to take on further challenges.