With the aim of starting the year as I mean to go on, I decided to get outside on New Year’s Day and go geocaching. Nothing too strenuous, just a walk around the Cliff Walk in Bray to tick off the new virtual cache, Bray Head [Bray to Greystones Walk] (GC8917D). I also took the opportunity to do some maintenance on a couple of my own caches located along the trail. 

The Cliff Walk from Greystones to Bray is a path well-travelled, with both locals and visitors completing all or part of the 7km trek daily. The path was recently voted Ireland’s Favourite Local Attraction at the Reader Travel Awards 2020, and it’s not difficult to see why, with views sweeping down the cliffs to the sea below and across Dublin Bay all the way to Howth in North Dublin.

This path, along with the trail up to the top of Bray Head, have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, having grown up less than a couple kilometres away. Some of my very first cache hides appear along this path. In fact, if you start from the car park at Raheen and walk along the Cliff Walk towards Europe’s First (GC43), you will pass (and hopefully find!) three of my caches on your way to the historic hide.

Weaving its way around the base of the cliffs is the train line, one of the most scenic stretches of railway in the country. The line is oft referred to as Brunel’s Folly, designed by engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but fraught with continuing maintenance works due to its position on the cliff. The line had to be diverted three times in the 19th and early 20th century. As a result, there is a chance to walk through a disused railway tunnel. If you set your GPS or caching app for Fjon’s cache, Brunel’s Folly (GC3FVQQ), it will guide you to the best route down (be warned: this one is not for the faint of heart!).  

We enjoyed the walk around to the new virtual cache, although part of the way was not the easiest with the baby’s pushchair. We managed nevertheless, drinking in those magnificent views as we went. It was the perfect start to the New Year. Have you been out geocaching this year yet? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Caching!

Sarah

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