65 A Walk in the Garden-Tonelagee NE Traditional Cache

"It lies not in our power to love or hate,
For will in us is over-rul'd by fate.
hen two are stript long ere the course begin,
We wish that one should lose, the other win;
And one especially do we affect
Of two gold ingots, like in each respect:
The reason no man knows; let it suffice,
What we behold is censur'd by our eyes.
Where both deliberate, the love is slight:
Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight.
(Christopher Marlowe)

On its own this is a simple enough mountain cache especially for those cachers who have found local caches earlier. On the top map, its shows a small route and a direct route (in red). The direct route should take about 3 hours there and back. The far side of Tonelagee's summit is steep when decending to this cache. The cache is hidden amoung hundreds of boulders so be prepared to search.
A much more pleasant alternative would be the circuit offered in that same illustration hiking clockwise from the Wicklow Gap car park. A few hundred metres up the road enter the forest and walk to the top of it and turn right out on to the open moorland.
From the summit, after finding the Stoney Top cache, there is a good clear path all the way to Tonelagee summit passing a stone pillar with an ancient inscribed cross (NB the OS map shows this pillar a few hundred metres short of its actual position nearer the summit of Tonelagee). There is then a path down to this cache, part of which are steep but the return trip is where this steepness should matter. Upon returning to the summitthere is a clear path all the way back down to the Wicklow Gap car park. The whole circuit is approx Nine K with a total ascent of about 500m. It should take the best part of 4 hours but it is well worth the trip!


Another alternative is the much bigger curcuit illustrated above which is over 20K with a total ascent of over 900m. This is one of the really great hiking treks of Wicklow taking in all the Brokaghs, Lough Ouler, Tonelagee and Tonelagee NE, Stoney Top and Mall Hill and lots of forest tracks and caches along the way. Bring plenty of sustenance if you choose this one!


Please be aware that cars parked in areas close to walking trails are vulnerable and they can be vandalised or stolen. Unfortunately this is an ongoing problem which is extremely difficult to solve, so there is a risk involved. I have heard recently that many hiker groups are parking at the nearest population centres and getting taxis to and from the start points at very little expense.

Please observe the country code to the best of your ability. Local landowners often generously allow access to upland areas across or through parts of their private property. Please, please be conscious of this and return the courtesy by keeping all gates closed, immediately and not on your way back!. Please use the gates where appropriate but if you have to climb over them then use the hinged side ONLY.
Please do not cause any damage of any sort to fences or barriers along the way.