TRAVEL WALK:THE TOWN OF TRALEE is perhaps better known for revelry than for rambling and you would be more likely to be getting into your stride as "the pale moon was rising above the green mountains" than getting your boots on early in the morning and heading for the peaks which dominate the skyline.
But, if you can curtail your carousing, you are guaranteed a walk and a view that will cure any hangover.
The lower slopes of the Slieve Mish are tedious but you can avoid them if you use the dramatic Derrymore Glen, which penetrates deeply into the range, as your route to the ridge.
From the boreen behind the cottage (see panel) the track leads to the edge of the Derrymore River which has cut a deeply incised gorge into the glacial moraine that blocks the outlet of the valley.
An ancient pathway leads up to the shoulder below the steep northern spur of Gearhane (792m). From here you can look down on the torrent as it tumbles down the narrow defile by a series of cascades interspersed with placid pools which look most inviting on a hot day. The thing I like most about this type of valley is that, as you infiltrate more deeply, you are soon completely cut off from any sign of habitation, unlike a ridge walk where human settlement is always visible.
That is not to say that Derrymore has been completely ignored by humans.
Some local farmers recently discovered a quern stone here, indicating ancient settlement. It was also the locale for a unique form of habitation during the War of Independence when a local unit of Volunteers commandeered a carriage from the Dingle Railway and, with the aid of two dray horses and, no doubt, much pushing, shoving and swearing, the liberated coach was installed as a temporary barracks.
The head of the glen is occupied by a series of rock basin lakes, two of which were dammed to provide a continuous flow of water for a 19th century mill down on the coast. Keep to the right of the lakes as you ascend through great blocks of purple conglomerate or “Pudding Stone”.
After the last lake, turn left and wind your way up the outcrops on to the col between Caherconree and Baurtregaum. If you have time, take a detour across to the former in order to get a view down to its famous Promontory Fort.
The summit of Baurtregaum is broad and rounded and also littered with conglomerate, a rock formed in the great deserts of the supercontinent of which this area was once a part.
Now the view is of great bays, breathtaking beaches, patchworks of green pastures and, to the south, the formidable flanks of Munster’s Armorican mountains.
For the descent, head north to spot height 723m and then cut back down into the glen for the easiest exit from this route and you’ll be safely back in Tralee before the sun declines beneath the blue sea.
Baurtregaum, Slieve Mish Mountains, Kerry
Map: OSI Discovery Series. Sheet 71
Start and finish: The start of a trail that leads in to Derrymore Glen. Grid Reference 742 107
How to get there:Take the N 86 west from Tralee. Turn on to a narrow road 8.2 km west of Blennerville Bridge. Grid Ref: 741 111. There is a new stone wall on either side of the turn off and it looks like a house entrance. Keep right as you drive up the road. There is room for approximately eight cars beside the bungalow at the top of the road. Should you meet him, the owner, Martin Griffin, loves to share his knowledge of the history and folklore of the mountains.
Time:Six to seven hours.
Distance: 14km. Total Ascent: 930m Suitability: Route is hard. Map, rain gear and walking boots needed.
Food and accommodation:Tralee, Camp, Castlegregory.