Nathan Kingerlee is a mountaineer and outdoor enthusiast, not to mention an Ooh.com lister.  And when we say “enthusiast”, we really mean it.  With his adventure company, Outdoors Ireland, Nathan offers experiences of the best mountains, rivers, cliffs and valleys in Ireland.  So, where from here?  Surely such a seasoned adventurer has done it all?  Nope.  He hasn’t undertaken a mammoth hike along The Blackwater Way, with a dog, and a goat, in order to discover whether the famous Irish welcome is still alive and well, outside of tourist season.

In case you didn’t know (and no, we didn’t either) The Blackwater Way is a way-marked trail, stretching from Shrone near Killarney in Kerry, to Clogheen, near Clonmel in Tipperary. Along the way it meanders down the lush Blackwater Valley, through fertile farmland and weaves through the Bogeragh and Knockmealdown Mountains.  So far, so normal.  The goat?  Kingerlee explains:  “I have wanted to hike the Blackwater Way for a long time.  The idea of bringing a goat along came to me one evening while in my local bar over a few pints. I had just finished the book ‘Round Ireland With A Fridge’ by Tony Hawks and thought I would love to do something like that but instead of a fridge, a goat would be much better company.”  Of course, there are pros and cons to both goats and fridges.  But considering that mother nature at this time of year will most likely take ample care of keeping things cool, the spritely goat, Bob, may just have the edge.  Cara the dog is Kingerlee’s own Springer puppy.

Kingerlee’s biggest fear is that the goat may not be able to keep up with a 20–30km pace each day over 168km.  But let’s face it, this is what goats do.  They frolic, chew on things, and climb impossible gradients.  But the overarching purpose, other than some fun, is to test the trail out and see if it can sustain hikers and tourists, as Nathan explains: “I’ve spent my whole working life in the tourism industry; I want to take a step outside the industry and see if the Irish welcome that we market overseas still does exist in the little towns and pubs along the way and see if the infrastructure and information is in place for a tourist who could step off a bus in Killarney next Spring and decide walk the Blackwater Way.”

We salute you, Nathan (and Bob and Cara) for your unique sense of adventure.  If Nathan ever decides to make this into an adventure trip of his own for Outdoors Ireland, you’ll likely find it on Ooh.com.