Diamond Hill Loop

Very good wide path with steps. Easily doable with jogging shoes

An absolute dream trail. The long round is also worthwhile, but you should have a head for heights. When we got up there was a lot of wind, so I was wondering if it was worth going up there, but definitely yes. The shop at the national park office also has normal prices for excellent cakes for Ireland. And the round is also free of charge, which is not a matter of course in Ireland either. Highly Recommended!

Very nice tour, where the ☀️ finally came out. At that time you are not completely alone, but the mass tourists are already through. You could snap a new, even better photo after every 3rd step. 😉

Connemara National Park in the west of Ireland is one of six national parks in the country. It covers part of the "Twelve Bens" mountain range and offers four hiking trails ranging from 0.5 to 3.7 kilometers in length (Ellis Wood Nature Trail, Sruffaunboy Trail, Lower Diamond Trail and Upper Diamond Trail). Our tour, which starts directly at the visitor center in Letterfrack, is a best-of mix of all these suggested routes. So much for the theory. The absolute visitor magnet of the national park is the 442 meter high Diamond Hill, which of course we also want to climb. Yes, the other hiking trails and shorter loops are also not lacking in great views. But if you somehow have enough time and fitness and of course halfway decent weather, don't miss out on the joy of reaching the summit - it's worth it, I promise! First, however, we'll tackle the cozy and idyllic Mini Nature Trail. The green nature trail loop keeps its promise. Moss-covered stones, gnarled trees, stone steps and a sea of white flowers. It is absolutely magical here, so that we really have the feeling of diving into another world. A small waterfall rounds off the natural experience, and then we can really get going. On the first section of the Lower Diamond Hill Walk, we first pass a white mare with a stumbling foal. Diamond Hill spreads out majestically in front of us and shows us what we still have to do. The initial gravel path is very well developed and easy to walk - here they seem to be prepared for hordes of pilgrims and tourists. The view of the winding bays and islands of Connemara becomes more and more beautiful with every meter of altitude. Because of all the panorama, we hardly notice the strenuous climb at all. This is also due to the varied route, which sometimes goes over stone steps, sometimes over wooden walkways and nature paths. The higher we climb, the gustier the wind blows. A good wind and rainproof jacket is definitely worth its weight in gold! The path forks at a crossroads and we decide to take the long loop and the red Upper Diamond Trail, which can only be walked clockwise. If you're going to do it, do it right! If your legs are heavy at this point, you can also take the shorter option back to the visitor center from here. On the way up, we just keep looking around and can't believe how lucky we are to have a clear view of Tully Mountain and the bay. Slowly, however, a little "liquid sunshine" is joining in, so I'm not quite sure yet. The path now becomes a little more challenging, rockier and a little more scrambling - surefootedness can't hurt here. However, in my opinion, the hike is really doable even for beginners with decent footwear. And then we're standing at the top of the big cairn. Once again, we don't know where to look first. The sea and Tully Mountain? The famous Benedictine monastery Kylemore Abbey with the lake in front of it? Or would you rather see the impressive mountain peaks of the Connemara National Park, which somehow look like a photo wallpaper of the Icelandic highlands to me. Complete sensory overload! Even though we are not completely alone and isolated here, we enjoy our summit experience to the fullest. On the way down, it becomes quite impressive how quickly the Irish weather can change. However, the rain jacket and rain cover for the backpack do a reliable job and cannot spoil our hiking happiness. Between heather, bright yellow broom bushes, moorland and lots of open spaces, we hike downhill to the visitor center - including a wonderful panorama of the Twelve Bens mountain range.  We all agree: "IT was worth it!"

Ireland road trip 🇮🇪 Day 7: Summit storms, sunburn and breathtaking views over the mountains of Connemara The last full day in Ireland has already come before we have to make our way from the west coast back to the east coast to Dublin. 🥲 And as if Ireland had guessed it, we are once again treated to the very best weather and a real dream day. We've arrived close to Connemara National Park and we've already got our fill of live music at the pub in Clifden and magnificent sea views on the Sky Road. So now is the last visit to the national park. But it goes to Diamond Hill, the diamond mountain. Interestingly, there are numerous different statements about the height of this mountain, others would rather say hills: from 440 to 498 meters there is a lot. Since most sources tend to 442 meters, that's also what Komoot says, let's assume. It is also known as 'Bengooria' or, in Irish, 'Binn Ghuaire' ('Guaire's peak'). This mountain is a popular excursion destination because it is isolated, has well-developed and marked paths up to the summit and, in good weather, offers breathtaking views in all directions. And since the sky is actually blue today and the sun is shining, a correspondingly large number of people are out and about. Three routes with different degrees of difficulty lead along the mountain or even up. Of course we wanted to go up and that's how the ascent starts. Be careful with the direction: It is a loop hike, so it is advisable to climb up the difficult side. The terrain is much less suitable for the descent on this side, as there are more boulders and crevices to climb over or through. All in all, the path is easy to walk on in good weather, but it certainly looks different in the rain and on slippery stones. We start on a wide footpath, which turns into stone steps and a boardwalk. Somewhat unexpectedly, we are suddenly surrounded by heathland and moorland and when I discover cotton grass on the rock, I am amazed. The ascent is a bit long, but also because you actually have to stop and enjoy the views all the time. We climb further and further until the last piece, which is almost reminiscent of a ridge, finally leads to the summit. And then we have to pause and let this phenomenal 360° panoramic view take effect. To one side, the sea glows in the distance, with the islands of Inishturk, Inishbofin and Inishshark off the coast. Then there are wide green meadows and forest areas. And the Kylemore Lough with the famous Kylemore Abbey, which we marvel at from above before we later make a short detour there on the way back. And then there are the mountains nearby, including the Twelve Bens, a scenic mountain range. At this point, the view merges seamlessly into a rough, lonely mountain world, so that one almost has the feeling of standing between two worlds. Just breathtaking. After what feels like an eternity, in which we inhale as much of this as possible and store it somewhere deep inside, we start the descent on the other side. And boom, another world. If it weren't for the other hikers, you wouldn't hear a sound. No more wind, no birds, no background noise. The silence of the mountains catches us. Funnily enough, the other people keep disappearing as the path curves and curves down. Well constructed stairs make the whole thing easy. Finally we reach the turn-off that we used to go up to and where we encountered sheep that have since moved on. In a beautiful loop, on which really yellow broom awaits us, we return to the starting point at the Connemara National Park Visitor Center, where a little refreshment awaits and we realize that we naturally took a sunburnt souvenir with us. 🤡 To fulfill the last cliché, the Connemara pony with a small foal, which we already saw on the way there, grazes peacefully here. In the national park, some of them still live semi-wild in the peaty swamps and on the slopes. They evolved from the ponies of the Celts, which were brought here in the 4th century BC and later crossed with Andalusian horses. Unfortunately, we didn't spot a wild pony here (obviously), but who knows, maybe next time. 🐎 Because, one thing is clear: I will of course come back. Ireland, that was just the beginning. See you very soon. 🍀💚

It's worth starting early from the National Park Center in Letterfrack, as the car park isn't too big. Relaxed ascent on wide paths (we take the red loop to Diamond Hill), at the top it gets rockier and a bit narrower. Great views back over the Atlantic bays and just before the summit to Kylemore Abbey and the Twelve Bens. The descent then continues on the back of the mountain over an arch through the moor back into the valley. There is a small museum and a restaurant in the visitor center. We then visited Kylemore Abbey with its beautiful gardens and had a picnic by the lake.

We spent the drizzle at Killery Abbey and then climbed Diamond Hill in the sunshine.

A beautiful hike in Coonemara National Park, Ireland. The weather could have been a bit sunnier for my taste, but at least it wasn't raining. However, the view from Diamond Hill was very impressive 🇨🇮🌏🐏🍀