This hike was a continuation of https://shellsadventures.com/2019/11/24/dublin-mountains-way-day-2-carrickgollogan-to-glencullen/.

The day 3 hike started off at Johnnie Foxes car park, following the Dublin Mountains Way signs, about 7KM to the turn around point at Fairy Castle in Ticknock Forest. The return journey was about 14KM.

This leg of the Dublin Mountains Way was my favourite so far. There was very little road walking, just the distance on the road from Johnnie Foxes overflow parking to the entrance of The Gap kitchen and mountain biking.

The walk going through The Gap has occasionally got mountain biking trails which cross over the walking trails so one had to walk reasonability carefully not to get in the way of fast-moving mountain bikes. The trails lead through beautiful thick forests where light is reasonably limited and the most interesting variety of mushrooms grow. Being no mushroom expert by any means, I simply took photographs of them hoping to identify them later with my field guide.

The trail from The Gap leads directly into Ticknock Forest, without looking at the map it was quite difficult to gauge exactly where the divide was, but the trail was very well marked, particularly in the thick forests of The Gap where it would be easy to deviate from the trail.

Once in Ticknock Forest, it felt like I was on familiar ground again, having done the Ticknock hike so many times.

Continuously keeping sight of the Dublin Mountains Way markers along the way, going all the way to the Fairy Castle, situated on a 536m summit above sea-level.

Views along the way are stunning. Unfortunately on the day, there was a very thick mist that covered the mountains like a blanket, and visibility was almost impossible.