Barefoot by the Avonmore River / Pieds nus au fil de la rivière Avonmore
Its gentle murmur had lulled us to sleep while camping in a tipi the night before, yet the Avonmore River only came into view as we emerged from the broad-leaf trees lining its banks. Meandering between thick woodlands of evergreens and native trees, the Avonmore looked taken out of a travel brochure for Canada or Norway.
Fast-flowing yet calm and quiet, wild and unspoilt yet accessible, majestic yet gentle, it suddenly appeared in the golden light of the early afternoon – a true hidden gem.
Son doux murmure nous avait bercés lors de notre nuit de bivouac sous un tipi, pourtant la rivière Avonmore restait hors de vue derrière le rideau d’arbres qui la bordent. Serpentant entre des bois épais de conifères et d’essences locales, l’Avonmore semblait tout droit sortie d’une brochure touristique pour le Canada ou la Norvège.
Sauvage et préservée et pourtant facile d’accès, calme et sereine malgré ses flots rapides, tout à la fois majestueuse et humble, elle apparut soudain dans la lumière dorée du début d’après-midi. Un véritable trésor caché.
With autumn leaves rustling underfoot, the November sunshine warming our backs, and a bright blue sky overhead (and my camera at the ready!), we followed the riverside trail to the pebble beach.
Ed of Tipi Adventures often hosts wild picnics and outdoor cookouts here for his guests – there is even an underground oven dug into the soft dirt of the riverbank.
Barefoot
The acorns (and Brian) immediately took off their shoes and walked across the pebbles to dip their feet in the ice-cold water.
The many benefits of walking barefoot are well-documented for children and adults alike. On the unspoilt shore of the Avonmore, letting them explore shoe-free felt like the most natural thing in the world.
While Pebbles threw stone after stone into the sparkling water, Squirrel, then Mermaid, caught up with me upstream. Still barefoot, they clambered over the mossy rocks, into the deep river pools, and halfway across the river. In the round hollow of a rock, Mermaid spotted a ‘swimming pool for fairies’.
Au son des feuilles d’automne crissant sous nos pieds, à la chaleur douce du soleil sur nos dos, sous l’azur éclatant du ciel au-dessus de nos têtes (et avec mon appareil photo sous la main), nous avons emprunté le sentier de la berge jusqu’à la plage de galets.
Ed Ledesma, de Tipi Adventures Ireland, y prépare souvent des pique-niques et festins en plein air pour ses clients. Il y a même un four souterrain creusé dans la terre meuble de la berge.
Pieds nus
Les graines de chêne (et Brian) ont immédiatement enlevé leurs chaussures pour se tremper les orteils dans l’eau glaciale.
La marche pieds nus compte de nombreux bienfaits, autant pour les adultes que pour les enfants, aussi les laisser explorer librement sans chaussures le rivage préservé de l’Avonmore me parut-il la chose la plus naturelle au monde.
Comme Caillou jetait pierre après pierre dans les flots étincelants, Ecureuil puis Sirène me rejoignirent en amont. Encore pieds nus, ils gravirent les rochers moussus, descendirent dans les trous d’eau et traversèrent à gué la moitié de la rivière. Au creux bien rond d’un rocher, Sirène vit “une piscine de fées”.
Still barefoot, they scuttled through the woods, back to the pebble beach where they played some more by the river’s edge.
Despite the obvious discomfort of treading on the small pebbles, they were in no hurry to put their shoes back on for the rest of the walk.
Encore pieds nus, ils décampèrent à travers bois pour retourner jouer sur la plage de galets. Marcher sur les cailloux était difficile, douloureux parfois, pourtant ils n’étaient pas pressés de remettre leurs chaussures pour terminer la promenade.
From the pebble beach, the trail follows the Avonmore up to a bend in the river. There, on this patch of evergreen woodland bounded on two sides by the river, Tipi Adventures has the ideal site to hang its hammocks and tree tents.
A simple bench and a fire pit with a river view welcome the hardy campers who make it to the site, only accessible on foot. The ground is carpeted in soft grass, and the high branches of the tall, straight trees sway gently in the breeze.
De la plage de galets, le sentier suit l’Avonmore jusqu’à un grand méandre. Là, dans un bois de conifères délimité sur deux côtés par la rivière, Tipi Adventures dispose du site idéal pour accrocher ses hamacs et tentes suspendues.
Un banc de bois rudimentaire et un feu de camp avec vue sur la rivière accueillent les campeurs déterminés, car le site n’est accessible qu’à pied. Le sous-bois est tapissé d’une douce herbe verte, et les hautes branches des pins bruissent dans la brise.
From there it took only a few minutes of walking through the forest and up the hill to return to our camp for one last snack cooked over the campfire. One last firing of the Kelly Kettle. One last blast of family fun in the wilds of Wicklow.
De là, il ne fallut que quelques minutes de marche à travers bois pour retourner à notre bivouac et préparer un dernier en-cas au feu de camp. Allumer la bouilloire Kelly Kettle une dernière fois. Et profiter de nos derniers instants en famille en pleine nature sauvage de Wicklow.
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase after clicking on one of them, I may receive a small commission and your purchase will help support this site.
For the purpose of this article, we were guests of Tipi Adventures Ireland for one night of wild camping. All opinions are honest and my own.
Avertissement : Cet article contient des liens partenaires. Si vous décidez d’effectuer un achat après avoir cliqué sur l’un d’eux, je recevrai une commission qui contribuera à soutenir ce site.
Pour cet article, nous étions invités par Tipi Adventures Ireland pour une nuit de bivouac. Toutes les opinions sont honnêtes et personnelles.
[amazon_link asins=’0993351867,B00RTMPLKG,B00440VIYY|B002HX993W,B00440VIYY’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’fouaco-21|foura-21′ marketplace=’UK|FR’ link_id=’7f58bf79-cbbd-11e8-8ebb-f1651a22ff72′]
Previous Post
Next Post
This looks an amazing place. Kids playing barefoot in the nature is great and I could certainly test those hammocks out.
We’re barefooters most of the year when possible, great to find other people who are the same! Gorgeous photos, what a stunning location and perfect autumn light.
Wow, the photos are stunning! What beautiful autumn colours.#fabfridaypost
This looks so amazing and quite magical in the photos. I love the fact the children embrace bare footed adventures and you didn’t seem in a rush to hurry on 🙂 A lovely spot. Pinned, tweeted, and stumbled 🙂 #countrykids
Those photos of the river are so beautiful. I love the golden autumn light on the water. Love the fact that your children enjoyed paddling in the water despite it being November 🙂 #countrykids
You have such a beautiful way of writing things and those are such beautiful photos too. I’d love to go for a walk there! #CountryKids
I love that the kids walked barefoot, beautiful photos. Looks like you had a really nice day out xx
What a beautiful autumnal day #countrykids
They always look like they’re having such great adventures #countrykids
I’m here from #CountryKids too, loving that we can learn French from your gorgeous outdoor posts x
Barefoot adventures in the river look like the perfect way to spend an afternoon after wild camping, the kids look in their element as they explore the shoreline. The weather there was perfect for an autumnal walk, I can see why the kids were desperate to get their shoes off and dip their toes in the river. I love the imagination of The Mermaid, a fairy swimming pool sounds like such a magical spot.
Thanks for linking up with me on #CountryKids.
Looks like a lovely place and lovely afternoon! #fabfridaypost
It looks so tranquil – it reminds me of the streams and rivers in Cornwall that we paddle in when we visit family. Beautiful. Sarah #ExplorerKids
So beautiful, what a wonderful way to spend the day. Love the barefoot adventures, and the imagination that went along with it. Gorgeous photos x #countrykids
What a stunning location! My children love to walk through streams. So much fun. #countrykids
What stunning photos it looks a beautiful place to visit and to go barefoot with the kids we’d love it! Mandyxxx #ExplorerKids
What an amazing place! Great pictures and great adventure for the kids!
Whoa! Those photos are stunning. I could feel the frozen water and smell the autumnal air around you! Thank you for this journey! #fabfridaypost xoxo
What a wonderful place for a lovely walk in the woods. I love walking in barefoot too, but I must say I’m not a fan bare footing in the cold. Your kids are such troopers, they even gave me chills and goosebumps! lol!
Thank you so much for linking up with us on #ExplorerKids xx