We are warmed by our own walking

One of the best ways to undertake a seven-mile hike is to have absolutely no idea you’re about to hike seven miles.

That turned out to be the way I saw the Gap of Dunloe in the Killarney National Park in Co. Kerry, Ireland, one of the most gorgeous and gloriously wild hikes I’ve ever taken.

It was invigorating, with the added challenge of suspense — Could I, as a breast cancer survivor-in-training, hike fast enough to reach the meetup point for the rowing excursion on Black Lake? Or would I find myself seven miles deep in Killarney National Park…