Climbing Dalkey Hill. Twice.

On Sunday last week, after the market, Kalen and I went to climb Dalkey Hill, which is just up the road from my apartment (when I say "up" I really mean it. It's quite a steep climb just to get to the hill). In the morning of course it was lovely and sunny, and then as soon as we left to go climbing, it suddenly clouded up and looked as if it would rain. We went anyways, and didn't get rained on, but most of the pictures didn't turn out very well because the hill was covered in a huge cloud that blocked most of the view. Very disappointing. But the next day I had nothing to do after school and it was extremely sunny and quite warm, so I climbed up myself. The pictures turned out much better, and the views were pretty spectacular.

Here's the cloudy day first:

Starting up, it's very green this time of year.



It's quite high up, but we'll make it. Not taking that route, though. We'll stick to the path. Some people do like to come here for rock climbing, but that's a little ambitious for us.



This part of the cliff is really neat, it's like part of it fell off, but I can't see where it could have gone. Very mysterious...



This is the big cloud that swooped in and blocked most of our view.



A cloudy view of Co. Dublin.





And a cloudy view of Co. Wicklow.











There's lots of things growing on the hill. Like ivy...



And funny looking trees...



And colourful berries.



There were blackberries growing everywhere, like on Bray Head. We ate some of these ones too, but they weren't as good. I suppose blackberry season must be coming to an end soon.

These little plants were growing everywhere too. We didn't know what they were, but thought they looked like something out of Dr. Suess.



There were some pretty little flowers, like this thistle.



And what could be more Irish?...



So that's pretty much all we got because it was so cloudy and we couldn't really see much. Stupid Irish weather. Though I suppose that the misty/foggy/cloudy pictures are probably more accurate pictures of Ireland than the beautiful sunny ones. :P
But I have to show you the sunny pictures anyways, because they're pretty impressive. I'd also like to point out that on Monday, I took a more difficult path up the hill. My legs had pretty much turned to jelly by the time I got home. It was very steep.

Here I go...



On the way up...I can see Dublin through the trees.



It's very green and lovely in some places...



While other places are hardly green at all.



This is the path I took. It's actually that steep.



As I climbed up, I saw a little tiny barely-noticeable path that sort of strayed from the real path. It looked like it led to a nice view of the ocean. So, I fought my way through the bushes...



And got much more than a view of the ocean...



I also got a very impressive view of Co. Wicklow...







A very impressive view. I couldn't tell what that church (to the right) is doing way up on top on the mountain, though.





Then the problem was that I had climbed around taking pictures, and had to figure out how to get back to path without getting killed by these horrible thorny bushes.



It took some time, but I made it back to the path eventually. *phew* Alright, time to keep climbing.



Over on the other side of the hill, you can see Co. Dublin.

















I can see my apartment building in this picture. No, it's not the purple house, though I wish it was.



Things get awfully overgrown up near the top of the hill.



Back around to the other side of the hill, but staying closer to the path this time, up at the time there's a very nice little spot where I'd like to have a picnic.



This is the view:

to the right...





to the front...



to the left...





Very lovely. Now it's time to head back down.









Hard to believe I was just up there...



That white rock is so smooth...like it's been worn down by the sea. Only it's on a mountain. Odd.



There's some very pretty plants on the path back down.







Back at the bottom again. Looks like autumn to me!



So there you have it. Two trips up and down Dalkey Hill. My legs are still resting before the next adventure. I think we're off to the zoo this weekend. And the pubs. Can't forget that part. So I only get a short break from endlessly posting pictures. See you all again after the weekend, when there's another post due.