The coordinate at the top of the page are for parking only – the cache coordinates are contained in the last section of text. Take care, as you will have to cross the river – there are stepping stones at N 53º 04.045 W 006º 20.646, which are generally usable, even after rain.
Do not start the trek without all the proper mountain rain gear, waterproof boots and the guidance material, compass, map, GPSr with mapping etc. Please note that all parts of this cache are hiked at your own risk. The cache owner takes no responsibility of any sort for any reason including accidents or mishaps.
Lough Ouler sits on the northeast flank of Tonelagee Mountain at an altitude of 570 metres. Where the lake sits now was once the source of a glacier during the Ice Age. The glacier gradually gouged out through erosion a bowl shaped chunk of the mountain (known as a corrie). After the ice melted away, water gathered at the base of the corrie forming Lough Ouler. Looking down at the lake from the top of Tonelagee Mountain the Lake is distinctly heart shaped.
There is no waymarked trail to the Lake and to get there you must be properly equipped for hillwalking. The main access points are the Wicklow Gap and Glenmacnass Waterfall carparks.
In “A Guide to the County of Wicklow” George Newenham Wright described Lough Ouler as follows :
”About half a mile from the head of the waterfall, upon the side of Tonelagee Mountain, is a small circular pool, called Lough Ouler. The brow of Tonelagee exhibits bold and sublime precipices, 500 feet in height, hanging over and darkening the face of the water: the gloomy retirement of this spot has excited the attention of some romantic fancy, and a few years since, a little poem called Lough Ouler was published, the scene of which is laid here. At a particular period of the year, says the poet, a pillar of flame is seen traversing the surface of the lake, in a direction towards an elevated on the margin of the lake, like a Danish rath, called the Lochlin Burying-ground, where it vanishes from the view. The poet supposes the fiery pillar to be a luminous nebulae, enveloping a chariot, which conveys a warrior of the days of old, with his fair mistress, who once possessed these rude domains. The lake contains a great abundance of large bog trout, considered by the inhabitants of the glen as of the very worst description, having large heads, and being always poor and soft; there is only this one species in the lough. The geological character of the mountains here is not different from other parts of the range frequently mentioned already, mica slate and granite prevailing. Tonelagee Mountain, which is here seen in all it’s majestic sublimity, is the next in magnitude (i.e, mass of matter) and elevation to Lugnaquilla, being, according to Mr. Griffiths measurement, 2,696 feet above the low water mark.”
The description above may strike some who are familiar with the area as being somewhat inaccurate, particularly in getting the lough to fit into a “small circular pool”. The lough is clearly heart shaped and warrants a more generous description than “pool”! Nor is Tonelagee second to Lugnaquilla – at 2,686 feet it is not as tall as it’s neighbour, Mullaghcleevaun, which stands at 2,788 feet. The poem appears to have disappeared into the ether over the years. From the brief outline given, we might easily find that there are many similar mythological accounts in the area. The description of the trout is quite unappealing – on reading it, one can only wonder how they came to be there in the first place! There are many other features in the area which have not been deemed worthy of note by the writer, not least the craggy Scarr or Kanturk across the valley. The boggy waste of Barnacullia, which leads North to majestic Mullaghcleevaun is also worth mentioning, if only to warn that it should be avoided! Nearby, Glenmacnass waterfall is not the highest in Wicklow, that honour going to the cascades in Powerscourt, but it is nevertheless an attractive feature. In spite of the plentiful warning signs, there are frequent accidents and, sometimes, fatalities when unprepared visitors venture out on to the slippery rocks at the head of the falls. Twisting on between moor and mountain towards Sallygap on the Military Road provides some spectacular views. Situated as they are, Tonelagee and Lough Ouler ensure that the walker, or indeed, those travelling on two wheels, can take in at their leisure some of the finest views in Wicklow, if not Ireland as a whole. From Tonelagee, to the South West, the Brockaghs provide a pleasant descent into Laragh village, where there is a hostelry for the jaded. Regarding transport, there are not many options if you are not travelling by car – the St Kevin’s bus to Glendalough is probably your safest bet. The cache coordinates are contained in this last section of text – when you twig the code, all will be revealed!