{"id":2409,"date":"2026-07-30T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=2409"},"modified":"2026-07-29T17:08:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:08:01","slug":"steeper-than-the-spinc-but-with-a-fraction-of-the-walkers-the-cummeengeera-horseshoe-in-kerry-is-august%ca%bcs-quiet-classic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/steeper-than-the-spinc-but-with-a-fraction-of-the-walkers-the-cummeengeera-horseshoe-in-kerry-is-august%ca%bcs-quiet-classic\/","title":{"rendered":"Steeper than the Spinc but with a fraction of the walkers the Cummeengeera horseshoe in Kerry is August\u02bcs quiet classic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fog thins over the Caha<\/strong> hills and the air tastes salty<\/strong> from Kenmare Bay. The track is quiet<\/strong>, the kind of rough ribbon that promises solitude<\/strong> more than spectacle. August puts a soft<\/strong> sheen on these ridges, and the light goes silver<\/strong> in the hollows. \u201cYou leave the car and step into silence<\/strong>,\u201d says a local walker<\/strong>. \u201cThen the glen gathers you in<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why this horseshoe stands out<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

This is a steep<\/strong>, old-fashioned loop in west Kerry<\/strong>. The slopes tip up<\/strong> faster than the Wicklow Spinc, but only a handful<\/strong> of feet pass each week. The hills rise clean<\/strong>, with quartzite ribs and heather<\/strong> combs. Views open suddenly<\/strong>, Kenmare Bay flashing like folded tin<\/strong> below.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What sets it apart<\/strong> is texture and tempo<\/strong>. You move from ferny lanes to crag<\/strong> and on to high turf balconies<\/strong>. The wind feels oceanic<\/strong>, tugging your pack<\/strong> and rinsing the mind clear<\/strong>. It\u2019s a \u201cbig little day<\/strong>,\u201d as one veteran hiker<\/strong> put it, \u201cwhere every corner shows more<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Getting there without fuss<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Approach from the Beara<\/strong> side, beyond Lauragh\u2019s shaded roads<\/strong> and stone-walled boreens<\/strong>. The glen lies tucked<\/strong> behind low farms and spruce<\/strong>, with parking in modest pull-ins<\/strong> and respectful verges near the valley<\/strong> mouth. Arrive early, leave no trace<\/strong>, and greet the farming rhythm<\/strong> with quiet manners<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The start feels unassuming<\/strong>: a sheep path skims streams<\/strong>, and foxglove bows over ditches<\/strong>. Soon the ground steepens into runnable<\/strong> grass that shifts to knobbled rock<\/strong>. You gain the rim in a breath<\/strong> and the whole amphitheatre unfurls<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The route at a glance<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Climb the western spur<\/strong> first for warm legs<\/strong> and quick height<\/strong>. The angle bites hard<\/strong>, hands to turf and heather<\/strong> in short bursts<\/strong>. A shoulder grants reprieve<\/strong> and a first long look at water<\/strong>, islands stippling the bay like cracked slate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hold the skyline north<\/strong>, keeping the glen cupped to your right<\/strong>. Small knolls lead to a higher top<\/strong>, where rock shelves step like ancient seats<\/strong>. The walking turns springy<\/strong>, then stony and skittish<\/strong> near the crest blocks<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s not technical<\/strong>,\u201d says a guide I met years back<\/strong>, \u201cbut it rewards patience<\/strong> and straight feet<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The horseshoe\u2019s eastern arm<\/strong> feels wilder and quieter<\/strong> still. A shallow col may hold bog<\/strong> after rain, and the larks ride thermals<\/strong> above pillow-soft moss<\/strong>. Then up again to a last summit<\/strong>, the glen far below packed tight with shadow<\/strong>. Descent follows a green rake<\/strong>, veering toward a reedy stream<\/strong> and faint walls of a ruin<\/strong>. Hoof-prints show lines<\/strong>, and the path unspools to the lane<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Expect roughly six to eight hours<\/strong>, depending on weather<\/strong> and pace, with 900\u20131,100 metres of ascent<\/strong> over 12\u201315 rugged kilometres<\/strong>. Numbers vary with your start<\/strong>, but the shape stays the same: up, around<\/strong>, and home with salt in your hair<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

August moods and small miracles<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

August brings respite<\/strong> from spring squalls<\/strong>, yet wind still tumbles from the sea<\/strong> with ideas of its own<\/strong>. Heather goes fully purple<\/strong>, and the meadowsweet sweetens<\/strong> the approaches like spun honey<\/strong>. You may hear snipe<\/strong> drumming at dusk and watch gannets scythe<\/strong> far off, bright knives on water<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The season is \u201ca hush<\/strong> with colour,\u201d a farmer told me one evening<\/strong>. Cattle drift slow<\/strong> in the lower fields, and foxes look twice<\/strong> before crossing a rinsed road<\/strong>. Heat can haze the views<\/strong>, but a breeze clears the curtain<\/strong> in a single, salt-flecked minute<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Safety and simple strategy<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

This is unwaymarked country<\/strong>, so bring your own sense<\/strong> and the tools to back<\/strong> it. Cloud can pour over the ridge<\/strong> in minutes, and the ground hides ankle-twisting holes<\/strong>. Move deliberately, read the shape<\/strong> of the land, and keep exit options live<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Carry:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • A weatherproof map<\/strong>, reliable compass<\/strong>, spare layers<\/strong>, headtorch and a small, decisive first-aid<\/strong> kit<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Drink from high flows<\/strong> only, filter with care<\/strong>, and treat the valley like a larder<\/strong> that isn\u2019t yours to touch<\/strong>. Gates go back as you found them<\/strong>, and stone walls are to be admired<\/strong>, not climbed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The feel of the place<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    What stays with you is not the single view<\/strong>, but the run of moments<\/strong>. The clink of quartzite<\/strong> under boot. The rush of wind through hairpin grass<\/strong>. The sudden hush when a raven<\/strong> closes its wings and drops<\/strong>. The bay glitters one way<\/strong>, the interior folds another, and you stand between<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    It asks for a bit of effort<\/strong>, a little nerve<\/strong>, and the kindness to let the glen<\/strong> be slow. On a weekday in late summer<\/strong>, you may count your fellow walkers<\/strong> on one hand<\/strong>. You step off the last slope<\/strong>, salt on your lips and a grin you can\u2019t hide<\/strong>. And you think, quietly and with full heart<\/strong>, that some classics prefer to stay quiet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2409"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2431,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2409\/revisions\/2431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}