Windy hike to Tibradden Mountain / Ça décoiffe à Tibradden !

It was a tad windy and a wee bit wet on the Tibradden Mountain trail today, but boy did it feel good to be out!

After 36 hours of unrelenting rain and drizzle, and three weeks of fighting the flu and other winter bugs, the acorns and I were in dire need of some fresh air.

With Brian still unwell, we hiked up Tibradden Mountain, Co Dublin, with our friend Mary Ann and her two sons.

The Tibradden Mountain Trail (2.4km, 2 hours, moderate) is a gentle stroll through the forest and then a hike up the mountain up to the cairn at the summit, have a sit down here for a well earned rest and take in the views.

When we got out of the pine forest, the winds along the exposed trail nearly blew us off our feet. Buffeted by ferocious gusts, Pebbles tumbled on the wet dirt and I lurched off the damp boardwalk. Jedi had pushed on ahead with his two friends. Meanwhile, Mermaid and Squirrel stood, exhilarated, with their rain jackets flapping in the wind.

The only shelter from the deafening roar of the wind was inside the open cairn, around a deep dark puddle. The promised views were non-existent – we only caught a glimpse of Dublin, the Irish Sea and the Great Sugar Loaf through a thick blanket of fog.

Add to that a tenacious drizzle, and we all ended up looking like we had been through a car wash! 

Oddly enough, this battle with the elements was what the acorns relished the most about our hike. 
‘The wind was so much fun!’ Mermaid said when Brian asked about our outing.

That and the fact that Tibradden Wood is also home to Zipit Forest Adventures mean that we shall go back soon.


Il faisait un vent à décorner les bœufs et il pleuvait à seaux sur le sentier du mont Tibradden, mais quel bonheur d’être enfin au grand air !

Après 36 heures de précipitations ininterrompues et trois semaines de maladies diverses, les graines de chêne et moi avions grand besoin d’un bol d’air.

Laissant Brian, malade, à la maison, nous sommes montés au mont Tibradden, avec notre amie Mary Ann et ses deux fils.

Le sentier du mont Tibradden (2,4 km, 2 heures, modéré) offre une balade facile dans les bois avant de gravir le flanc de la montagne jusqu’au cairn du sommet. Asseyez-vous pour reprendre haleine et profiter de la vue.

Comme nous émergions de la forêt, le vent violent qui balayait le sentier totalement exposé menaça de nous renverser. Secoués comme des pruniers par les puissantes rafales, Caillou fit plusieurs culbutes sur la terre détrempée et je titubai à maintes reprises sur le trottoir de planches luisantes de pluie. Jedi était déjà loin devant avec ses deux copains. Cependant, Sirène et Ecureuil, euphoriques, défiaient les éléments avec leurs vestes ouvertes qui claquaient au vent. 

Le cairn circulaire, avec en son centre une flaque de boue noire, offrait le seul abri face au rugissement incessant du vent. Le panorama promis était inexistant : à travers la brume épaisse, nous avons à peine entraperçu Dublin, la mer d’Irlande et le Great Sugar Loaf.

Ajoutez à tout ça une bruine incessante, et nous avons tous fini comme si nous étions passés à la machine à laver !

Bizarrement, c’est cette bataille avec les éléments que les graines de chêne ont le plus appréciée.
“Le vent était génial !”, décréta Sirène quand Brian lui demanda comment s’était passé la sortie.

Et comme Tibradden abrite aussi le parcours accrobranche Zipit Forest Adventures, il nous faudra y retourner sans tarder.

Visitor information

Tibradden Wood (Pine Forest), or Teach Bruadain (the house of Bruadain) is a Coillte forest on the Dublin Mountains Way. Located between Cruagh and Kilmashogue Mountains, Tibradden is topped by a great archaeological feature – an open cairn and kist burial site, which offers panoramic views over Dublin and the surrounding mountains.

Tibradden is also home to Zipit Forest Adventures, which offers up to 4 hours of tree-top experiences for adults and children from age 7.

The car park is open from 7am–8pm April–September, 9am–5pm October–March.

Getting there

Tibradden Wood is located just off the R116, between Rathfarnham and Glencullen, and is easily accessible from Junction 12 on the M50. About 6km south of Rathfarnham, the forest entrance is marked Tibradden Pine Forest on the left hand side of the road.


En savoir plus

Le bois de Tibradden, ou Teach Bruadain (maison de Bruadain), est une forêt gérée par Coillte et traversée par le sentier de grande randonnée Dublin Mountains Way. Situé entre les monts Cruagh et Kilmashogue, Tibradden arbore à son sommet un site archéologique : il s’agit d’un cairn ouvert et ancien site funéraire, qui offre une vue panoramique sur Dublin et les montagnes environnantes.

Tibradden accueille aussi le parcours accrobranche Zipit.

Le parking est ouvert de 8 heures à 21 heures d’avril à septembre, et de 9 heures à 17 heures d’octobre à mars.

S’y rendre

Le bois de Tibradden, situé au bord de la route R116 qui relie Rathfarnham à Glencullen, est accessible de la sortie 12 de la M50. A 6 km environ au sud de Rathfarnham, l’entrée de la forêt est signalée par un panneau sur la gauche.

 

 ethannevelyn.com  Country Kids Two Tiny Hands  The Helpful Hiker  

 

16 Responses to “Windy hike to Tibradden Mountain / Ça décoiffe à Tibradden !

  • The kids are soaked but look like they had a blast!

  • What an awesome hike that was! Socking wet happy kids 🙂 #FamilyFunLinky

  • Funny how kids will love things we don’t expect them too…though I remember playing in strong winds as a kid and it was such good fun. And wow, are they sitting by Celtic carving there? NEAT!

  • I love your photos, great to see the kids enjoying the horrible weather! Has the Irish tourist board discovered you yet?! My husband is from N Ireland (and on his way back from there at the moment) and spends quite a bit of time working in the north and the south. We really need to take our boys over there for a little road trip across the island to show the children where their dad grew up. #explorerkids

  • I love that they are all embracing the rain; my favorite is that last photo! My younger two sons often go out to play in the rain yet I have to force them outside when it’s sunny and dry.

  • This looks a great place to hike with the kids, Ireland is such a beautiful country. You’re photos are amazing! the kids look like they’re having so much fun, you cant beat getting wrapped up heading out in the wind and rain great family fun. Mandy xxx#explorerkids

  • wow you take amazing photographs! I love the wind and wet pics, looks cold and fierce but magical too #pointshoot

  • “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” Alfred Wainwright. I love that quote and it certainly applied to you all here. You’ve captured the pure joy on the children’s faces! Thank you for linking up to #PointShoot

  • So glad you managed to get out on an adventure. My eldest daughter and husband are all germ ridden and flu like at the moment. Cabin fever is not good. Beautiful photos as always. sarah #ExplorerKids

  • What a lovely place to experience nature. You have literally weathered rain and wind in there and it looks so much fun!

    #countrykids

  • Oh gosh it does look a little wet and windy but it doesn’t seem to bother them though does it?! Anything to get out of the house eh. I can’t wait until mine are a bit older so that I can take them on walks like this with me. Although I am not sure they’ll be as enthusiastic as yours, I can but hope. Thanks for joining us at #familyfun

  • You asked for fresh air and you certainly got that! lol! I love the photos. Very refreshing to see. My kids would love this too, but my O.H. would just moan. lol!

    Thank you very much for linking up with us on #ExplorerKids

  • Kids are wonderful for their sense of adventure. So many people would shy away from a walk like this with the elements against them, I know I’d be tempted, but when you make the effort it can be the adverse weather that actually makes the adventure. Clearly this was the case for you, the photos say it all, they look so soggy and happy, I bet you were all glad you ventured out and as always around you a wonderful view to share.

    Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids

  • Haha, that looks really wet and windy! Great photos, and the place looks fab x
    #CountryKids

  • Wow, that does look windy! But the kids look like they’re having the best time still though. Funny how they can come away with a completely different experience isn’t it? #CountryKids

  • I can feel the chill just by looking at the pics. Love the joyful expressions on their faces.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.