Start at the river in Glendalough and cross a little wooden bridge to begin your journey under the awning of thousands of larch trees, planted by miners in the early part of the 19th century. Along the way you will pass close to the first dwelling place of Saint Kevin at the base of the cliffs around 500 AD. Here, Michael will tell you about that early period of Ireland's mystic monks before continuing along the trail.

After a while, the lake opens out to a breath-taking vista of the valley floor with steep rising sides of iron-like rock and boulders. This was the home to hundreds of miners who came here every day to mine precious minerals and ores from the mountainside over a hundred years ago. Here, at the trail's end, lies a deserted village from days long past, where you can listen to Michael explain the history as you take in the scenery and catch your breath at the far end of the Valley of Glendalough.