As may be apparent - I love a list. I find them incredibly useful for expanding my horizons. Without the County High Points List, I would never have gone to Seltannasaggart SE top and experienced one of the most beautiful Roscommon sunsets I’ve seen. Without the National Waymarked Trails list (NWTs), I wouldn't have spent almost a month walking around Donegal, which will forever be one of my favourite places. Unless you are comfortable with quite literally throwing a dart at a map, it can be quite hard to discover new places that are off the beaten path.
So here I am, a new year ahead of me, and another list scribbled down to inspire more adventures. However, it’s a list with a twist, as the theme of for this year is “finishing the lists I’ve started” …
The County High Points of Ireland:
While I may have climbed all but two of these peaks, I have 12 of the 26 still to film, and mostly the ones in Northern Ireland. This year, I want to finish documenting the County High Points on Tough Soles. It’s a list I started in 2021, so it’s about time!
The summits remaining are:
1. Donegal - Mount Errigal
2. Derry / Tyrone - Sawel
3. Antrim - Trostan
4. Down - Donard
5. Armagh - Slieve Gullion
6. Monaghan - Slieve Beag
7. Mayo - Mweelrea
8. Galway - Benbaun
9. Wicklow - Lugnaquilla
10. Carlow - Mount Leinster
11. Kerry - Carrauntoohill
12. Cork - Knockboy
The Ulster Way
The Ulster Way is a 1000km thru-hike that creates a giant loop around Northern Ireland. In reality, this circle is made up of “quality trail sections” and “link sections”. The links are unwaymarked, with Walk NI recommend taking public transport where available. So when Carl and I set our sights on walking in the North, we decided to try and walk all the quality sections of the Ulster Way. Our first section was The Cuilcagh Way - a really fantastic 40km trail that set a high bar for the rest of the trails.
This year I want do document two more quality sections.
Possibilities include The Mourne Way (approx. 42km), The North Down Coastal Path (approx. 25km), Antrim Hills Way (approx. 35km) or the Causeway Coast Way (52km).
The Pilgrim Paths
St. Kevin’s Way, 2024
Ireland has an ancient history of pilgrimage - be it pagan or christian, we have walked or travelled to get to significant places of worship for thousands of years. This list is something that I came across in maybe 2018 and has stuck with me ever since. It was unusual to find a list of Irish long distance trails that were not part of the NWT’s.
Since deciding that I wanted to more actively work towards completing this list, I’ve done a bit more research into what defines a “pilgrim path” vs a “Celtic camino”, which let me down many a rabbit hole - so let’s just say it will be it’s own upcoming article.
For now I’ve listed below which I’ve walked, and what is still outstanding:
Pilgrim Paths / Celtic Camino’s To Do:
The Bray Coastal Camino
St. Finbarr’s Pilgrim Path
St. Declan’s Way
Lough Derg, Donegal
Cosán na Naomh, Kerry
Pilgrim Paths / Celtic Camino’s Walked:
A New European Trail
Last year I walked the Camino Frances from the French border in the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela on the west coast of Spain. It was an incredible trip - thanks to the people, the culture, and the coffee. Adventuring abroad typically highlights two things for me; the distance to help me notice the incredible things I have on my doorstep at home; and how different infrastructure, planning and recreational culture in different countries impacts your experience. Also, doing sustained trips like that is now often cheaper abroad.
There are many trails on my list, and I would love to get the opportunity to tick off another one this year. Some possibilities include (from most achievable to least):
The Camino Inglés
The Camino Primitivo
An Alta Via route in the Dolomites
The GR20 Corsica
Another Big Adventure
In 2023, the Vandeleur-Lynams was the big adventure. Last year in 2025, it was the Camino Frances. A big adventure is more of a vague feeling - there isn’t one key factor like intensity or speed, it’s a mix of difficulty, time, experience, training, etc.
This year I’ve another “big adventure” planned, and whether it comes together will be a mix of all these things. Hopefully plan A will come together - or at least plan B or C. Whichever version comes to fruition, I look forward to sharing it with you again.
