Marlay Park to Glendalough in one day?

Grassy Paddock

Hey guys,

Just wondering what your thoughts were on the above? We completed the walk from Marlay Park to Glendalough last summer in three easy days but now the idea has been floated to try and do it in one long hard slog of a day!

What do you think? Is it doable in 12 hours?

The idea gained currency as an alternative to doing the Mournes 50km in a day challenge.

Any suggestions?

mathepac

Where exactly is Marlay Park?

duckysauce

Grassy Paddock wrote: »

Hey guys,

Just wondering what your thoughts were on the above? We completed the walk from Marlay Park to Glendalough last summer in three easy days but now the idea has been floated to try and do it in one long hard slog of a day!

What do you think? Is it doable in 12 hours?

The idea gained currency as an alternative to doing the Mournes 50km in a day challenge.

Any suggestions?

would take 17 hours going by this http://www.wicklowway.com/trail-maps/marlay-park-knockree.php

duckysauce

mathepac wrote: »

Where exactly is Marlay Park?

a park https://www.google.ie/search?q=Marlay+Park&rlz=1C1ASUT_enIE505IE505&oq=Marlay+Park&aqs=chrome..69i57.138977j0j8&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8

Judge

Well only you know your own fitness but if you've been thinking about the Mournes 50k then this about the same distance.

The entire Wicklow Way (130km from Marlay to Clonegal) has been run in just under 12 and a half hours.

For a mere mortal like me, I would estimate 15 hours to go from Marlay to Glendalough, though I suspect my stamina would give out long before then. I did Knockree to Glendalough (30km) in a single day in about 9 hours a few years back and by the end I couldn't have walked another step.

mathepac

duckysauce wrote: »

a park ...

I kinda guessed it was a park, I was just unsure of its location.

Hugh_C

duckysauce wrote: »

would take 17 hours going by this http://www.wicklowway.com/trail-maps/marlay-park-knockree.php

Serious sustained push at 17 hours. Interesting though, maybe for summer

Enduro

Judge wrote: »

Well only you know your own fitness but if you've been thinking about the Mournes 50k then this about the same distance.

The entire Wicklow Way (130km from Marlay to Clonegal) has been run in just under 12 and a half hours.

The split from Marlay to Glendalough was a little under 5 hours, for reference.

jimmer123

I walked from Marley along the Wicklow Way to Curtlestown in around 2hrs....From Curtlestown I walked into Enniskerry Village. Total time was 3hrs

Easily doable in 12hrs if your fit and healthy

SNAKEDOC

What about reversing your direction of travel. Glendalough to Marley park (just inside the boundary of the m50 motorway in South Dublin for those that don't know see I can answer a simple question) I'd imagine it might take a small amount of time of your walk as their are a few tough sections easier traversed in the opposite direction. Just my opinion

mr spuckler

those time estimates from the wicklow way website are very conservative. i think the marlay park to knockree stretch took a little over 5 hours for us last year, with a decent bit of time spent with feet in a river as it was such a nice day!

similarly, knockree to roundwood is estimated at 6.5 hours and took us nowhere near that long...you can't in good conscience walk around the base of djouce so maybe add a half hour to your estimate for that climb

we took a wrong turn on the roundwood to glendalough stretch and probably added an hour as a result! that said i'd say we still did it in less than 4 hours.

so i reckon probably less than 13 hours for us with loads of long breaks and climbing djouce also. i'd definitely be keen on something like this during the summer though! depending on how AON goes that is...

Grassy Paddock

Thanks for that guys, good to see people think it's achievable!

CardinalJ

Unless you have headlamps I'd wait until daylight is a bit longer, or else have headlamps. The wicklow way is well marked, but if you were planning to do that walk you'd want to be happy to give it absolute min 11/12 hours and that would be good going, depending on how fit/fast you are. Section around Roundwood on the road is a bit boring.

That route is a lot of up and downs so would be pretty tiring in one go. Certainly doable, definitely a slog.

Gasherbraun

I did it in about 11.5 hours (training walk for 2013 AON) and it is definitely possible with reasonable fitness. Tough points I found were over Djouce and the slog up the road from Oldbridge over Paddock Hill.

Goes without saying to take enough fluids; if you are not happy drinking stream water fresh water sources are scarce but there is a rusty tap on the side of a barn at Paddock Hill (T158 988) marked as drinking water that looks ancient but I used it and suffered no problems :-) this is a long way into walk though.

I started in dark with intention of getting St Kevin's bus back but found a lift as it happens. Relying on catching the bus from Glendalough may put pressure on if you start losing time on the route so having a lift / car left at visitor centre is best in my opinion.

My other half has walked the route in reverse in one day and she says it seemed harder since the climbs are sharper in particular from Glencree up to the shoulder of Prince William Seat.

Good luck with it.

mr spuckler

i'm beginning to think that i should have done something like this for training for this year's AON!

Gasherbraun

mr spuckler wrote: »

i'm beginning to think that i should have done something like this for training for this year's AON!

Nothing prepares you for the Art...

Not sure if you have done it before but I would say the best bit of advice I was given was pace yourself; the route gets tougher in terms of terrain the further in you go so whilst it is tempting to set a fast pace over the first relatively easy 30km road section you need a lot in the tank for what follows. Toughest parts in my opinion were the climb over the shoulder of mullaghcleevaun from CP1 and the climb out of the Glenreemore Valley to the cross - I have done it up the ramp in 2012 and a long traverse up the south easterly ridge in 2013 and it is all hard. Still when you are past the cross it is relatively flat, albeit difficult ground to cross, and when you hit the Table Track you are down hill and home.

Good luck with it. It is a great event with a unique history.

mr spuckler

not done it before but have heard similar, including at the briefing a few weeks back.

longest hikes i've done previously are 5-6 hours but have done 10-12 hour cycle sportives in the past so hope that the experience of pacing & managing myself on those pays off tomorrow! are you doing it this year?

Gasherbraun

mr spuckler wrote: »

not done it before but have heard similar, including at the briefing a few weeks back.

longest hikes i've done previously are 5-6 hours but have done 10-12 hour cycle sportives in the past so hope that the experience of pacing & managing myself on those pays off tomorrow! are you doing it this year?

The cycling experience should definitely help in terms of stamina. Someone said to me once (think it was Gravale who posts here) that the AON is all about mental attitude but guess that goes for all endurance events. Lot of truth in it though.

I am not on it this year unfortunately. I applied for a place without success but to be honest the arrival of a baby this year means I have not done much hillwalking so probably far too unfit for the AON and thinking about the Mourne 7's in the summer instead. Will probably go the the start though and may go up to the cross on Saturday and take some photos.

One other small tip that I learnt...stick a small piece of foam rubber or even a bin liner in bag for CP1. It is pretty chaotic there (but fun) and if the ground is soaking it is good to have somewhere dry to put your foot rather than hopping around on one foot in the dark trying to change footwear. A wet sock inside a dry boot is best avoided.

GeorgeH

I did Marlay to Laragh in 1 day, was trying to make Glendalough but my pack was too heavy as I wanted to camp out and make Tinahely by end day 2. I'd say Glendalough is ok for 1 day, but start very early and don't carry too much. Fresh water is the biggest problem, started with 5 bottles and was down to last half bottle before I found fresh water! - someone else noted the drinking water tap in the laneway about 5km north of Laragh - it's fine and saved the day for me! I wouldn't be in favour of drinking stream water! too risky!