Good friends Thomas and Alexander recently completed The Wicklow Way and became Wicklow Ambassadors, read their interview here.
How did you first hear about the Wicklow Passport?
We heard about the Wicklow Way for the first time in the song “194 Länder (194 countries)” by Mark Forster, a German singer and songwriter, who sings about hiking through the Wicklow mountains. After that we did some research about Wicklow Way and finally found out that there’s a Wicklow Way Passport.
What motivated you to take on the challenge?
As we both love hiking and exploring new countries and cultures, we set ourselves the goal of completing the Wicklow Way in spring 2025. No sooner said than done: we completed the Wicklow Way in seven stages from north to south.
Can you share your favourite memory from your Wicklow Passport experience?
There were a lot of favourite moments but one of the best was definitely meeting our new Australian friend Paul. We’ve met him at day one at Marlay Park and he took the starting picture of us. We actually thought we wouldn’t see Paul again, but we bumped into him by chance on the third evening at the same accommodation. From then on, the three of us hiked together for the next three stages until our paths finally parted again. But a friendship for life was born.
What was the most challenging part of your journey with the Wicklow Passport?
As the first stage starting from Marlay Park was quite long and neither of us had really acclimatised yet, the second day was all the more difficult for us, as it was the longest stage of the entire Wicklow Way. But we successfully mastered this challenge with a lot of fun too.
What advice would you give to others who are interested in participating in a similar adventure?
Be sure to complete one or more test hikes at home beforehand, bring enough to drink and several layers of clothing to change into, as the weather can change very quickly.
If you had the chance to do your Wicklow Passport adventure all over again, what would you change?
We wouldn’t want to change anything significantly, as everyone follows their own unique path, and that’s a positive thing. One should make the best of every situation, as this leads to the most remarkable stories in life.
What was your overall impression of the Wicklow Passport challenge?
We saw it an exciting additional challenge to collect stamps for the Wicklow Way Passport alongside our hike. Now we have something to remind us of our unforgettable time in the Irish mountains.
What is your next adventure?
As we met Paul on our hike along the Wicklow Way, it would be a good opportunity to visit him in Canberra next year. An alternative would be a Scottish long-distance hiking trail, similar to the Wicklow
