The Spinc and Glenealo Valley Walk (White Route)
9.5 km · 380m ascent elevation
About
The Spinc is the single best thing to do at Glendalough that most day-trippers never reach. This 9.5km white-waymarked loop climbs from the Upper Lake car park up a set of stone-pitched steps through oak forest past the Poulanass Waterfall, then follows a boardwalk along the cliff edge high above the Upper Lake, with the whole glacial valley laid out below. The route continues into the Glenealo Valley, past the ruins of a 19th-century lead-mining village, before descending back along the lake's northern shore through a stand of Douglas fir. It takes most walkers just over three and a half hours, climbs around 380 metres, and the downhill stone sections get genuinely slippery when wet, so proper footwear matters. A shorter blue-waymarked alternative covers the boardwalk section only, in about two hours.
Highlights
- ✓A cliff-edge boardwalk high above the Upper Lake
- ✓Poulanass Waterfall through native oak woodland
- ✓The ruins of a 19th-century lead-mining village in the Glenealo Valley
- ✓Views over the whole glacial valley from the ridge
Tips
- →Wear proper walking boots; the stone steps and boardwalk are slippery when wet.
- →Start from the Upper Lake car park, not the visitor centre, to avoid adding distance.
- →A shorter blue-route version covers just the boardwalk section in about two hours if the full loop is too much.
Best Season
More Walk Activities
The Green Road Walk (Lower Lake Loop)
A 3km, mostly flat loop from the monastic city to the Lower Lake shore on boardwalk, the easiest and most accessible walk at Glendalough.
The Miners' Way (Upper Lake Walk)
A roughly 5.4km flat walk along the Upper Lake shore to the old lead and zinc mine workings, an easier alternative to the Spinc for the same mining history.
Poulanass Waterfall Walk
A short, steady woodland climb beside the Poulanass River to a waterfall in the trees, shares its start with the Spinc but works well as a standalone half-hour.