An Irish Winter Wonderland - cycling in Kerry

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It’s very rare to get lots of powdery white snow here in Kerry. We get used to seeing white mountain tops from a distance throughout the winter, but rarely get the chance to spend a few hours right in the midst of a winter wonderland.
This occasion was a case of being in the right place at the right time and having a camera to prove it. The beauty of mountain bikes is that they let you explore. There are hundreds if not thousands of kilometres of forest roads in Kerry and though they are not usually covered in snow they provide a fantastic winters training on the bike. You have no cars or icy roads to worry about and as they are usually located in evergreen forests there is lots of shelter from the wind.
Here in the Clodagh Valley on the Kerry & Cork border a lot of what you see is 300-500 metres above sea level, and though your lungs and legs pay a price climbing these gravel roads, you are rewarded with amazing views and a real sense of adventure.