We are lying on the floor of a small room off the main lobby of the Dromhall Hotel in Killarney, Co Kerry, breathing heavily.
“This isn’t meditation,” says Leo Ryan. “This is breath work. You have to do the work.” So we do. Ryan is introducing us to the Wim Hof Method, which will see us breathing in a deep and sustained way for half an hour, including holding our breath for periods, and then plunging into icy water. We are promised energy, reduced stress, better immune systems, better sleep and much all-round wonderfulness.
After a very nice evening sampling the hospitality, first with cocktails at the very vibey Pig’s Lane, and then at Killarney’s legendary and historic Great Southern Hotel, I could do with all of these, but in the meantime, the lie-down is much appreciated.
Ryan is the type of teacher you want to listen to, and he corrects my breathing in an encouraging fashion. I’m soon completely into it, and it even, on occasion, feels mildly trippy. By the time we reach the lake I have stopped feeling like the horse from the Sminky Shorts cartoon, and am instead so chill I’m not even cold.
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“It’s not about endurance,” says Ryan, who tells us the benefits of cold water exposure happen in the first 90 seconds to two minutes. We easily do that. In fact, I dip down for more, and throw in some lung-tingling shrieks for good measure. Ryan approves. “We don’t get enough opportunity to scream,” he agrees. God knows we need it these days.
I am in Killarney to trial a tasting platter of the events that make up Killarney’s third Wander Wild Festival, and ahead of me is Stand Up Paddle boarding, Yoga and Light Therapy, an Autism Friendly walk to the Blue Pool, and a spot of Forest Bathing.
Now in its third year, Wander Wild grew out of the Killarney Mountain Festival, with the aim of keeping the climbs and hikes so relished by hard-core outdoor enthusiasts but adding mindfulness to the mountains, with an array of other events to suit newbies to the whole health scene, fans of all forms of wellness, families and more.
It is a heady mix, made headier still by the phenomenal surrounding scenery and amenities. One of the genius things about the naming of the Wild Atlantic Way is that it doesn’t imply good weather; instead it encourages you to think that wind and rain are part of the experience. Taking place the weekend after St Patrick’s Day, Wander Wild is cut from the same cloth, although we luck out with the weather while I am there.
In many ways, the festival is a no-brainer. Killarney is certainly not short of hotels, but in the past it didn’t seem so connected to potential of its mountains and lakes. For a long time, the town’s reputation was dominated by the idea of marauding stags (and hens), and not the wild ones you’ll find in the National Park.
All that has changed, and there is an amazing community spirit. It is evident through sustainability initiatives, such as in 2023, when Killarney became the first Irish town to ban single-use coffee cups. The festival too has sustainability in mind, with free shuttle buses for attendees. Add the train station in the heart of town, and public transport is a more viable option than ever before.
I have done a bit of pre-Wim Hof googling, discovering pictures of the Dutch iceman sitting cross-legged on a glacier wearing nothing but shorts. He likes to climb mountains in bare feet, and holds a world record for lying down on ice, two feats that beg the question: why?
There is an arena of fitness and wellness (the two are markedly not the same thing) that does tend to border on the fanatical, which can be off-putting to some. But the joys of a festival like this is that you can explore and experiment to your heart’s content, and over the course of my Killarney mini break, I experienced the thrill of doing things well in amazing surroundings, and the equal, but different, thrill of failure.
I quickly find this with Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP). Introducing myself to Oona Tibbets and Ed Lacey of Wild SUP as someone “with rubbish balance who took ages to learn to ride a bicycle”. To be honest, if you haven’t done it for a while, even getting into a wetsuit can be challenging. SUPs are not usually allowed on the Killarney Lakes, so this is a rare treat, and it is also a treat to have my first go in a wave-free environment, although as I make various attempts to stand, even mini ripples look like massive washes. Tibbets is an encouraging teacher, who makes it look easy as she elegantly glides by. Maybe it is. Maybe it will be, one day in the future.
I gingerly make my way, in a kneeling position through the reeds, and manage a shaky stand as Muckross House hoves into view and a jaunting car goes by. Kelly Ann Sweeney, who will later lead a fun and upbeat yoga class, impresses with a Warrior Pose on her board, but I’m pretty proud of myself for making it across the sheltered part of the lake, until I realise I’ve forgotten how to turn, or stop. Still, I do get the hint of a whisper of how epic it must be to SUP like a pro.
If the Wim Hof method showed me I’ve been doing it all wrong for years when it comes to breathing in and out, SUP is in another register of failure in the standing up department. But this is a surprisingly good thing. Doing things you’re not good at, especially as you get older, is an amazing way of staying open to adventure. Everyone’s variety or level of challenge will be different. It’s the horizon-opening experience that’s the thing. That and the small humiliations, which are so good both for keeping you humble, and also for realising that there is really no need keep trying to be perfect. It’s a fantastic life lesson, so long as I remember to remember it.
There is nothing humiliating about Forest Bathing – you don’t even have to get your kit off – unless you count a little soul baring or simply being emotionally honest in front of strangers as an indignity. The aptly named Kerry Ann Walker takes us on a gentle ramble from Ross Castle to the lakeshore, and introduces us to the small pleasures of noticing the play of light on water, and the textures of stones and moss. We drink nettle tea and make internal promises to be kinder to ourselves in future.
Walker also teaches the Forest School during the festival, where kids and their accompanying adults can get up close and personal with nature, including learning the vital skill of playing with fire. Once a crucial part of survival, this staple of daily life has been eradicated from the experience of many children, as fireplaces and fires in the back garden disappear. A little like the loss of large animals in our lives, I wonder what minor, and major traumas this lack might lead to. I do know that on our Forest Bathing walk, there’s a moment of overwhelm at the epic nature of nature itself, and it is a welcome reminder of all the wealth we have, for free at our fingertips.
Also proving that low-key can be life-affirming, Maureen Hegarty brings us through more forest trails to the Blue Pool. Now cleared of encroaching rhododendron by volunteers from Tidy Towns and the Mountain Meitheil Group, the Blue Pool gets its extraordinary colour from copper deposits. Some trails have been laid out to be fully accessible, including firm ground for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and a hand rope for those with impaired vision.
The Autism Friendly Walk during the festival has been developed with support from AsIAm as well as local groups. “Participants will get information in advance, so they know what to expect,” says Hegarty, adding that experienced guides will be on hand to make sure all walkers can have the optimal experience of this beautiful place.
Without the impediments of paddle board and water, I find my inner warrior much easier to hold in the form of a pose during my yoga session at Balance Twenty One. An energetic teacher, Kelly Ann Sweeney, gets us dancing on our mats, before we stretch things out as studio lights channel whatever different colours are inclined to induce. Lovely as it all is, the best bit is lying down under a blanket with a weighted eye mask for a delicious Yoga Nidra session, where Sweeney intones pleasant words and I feel I’m melting – in a very good way.
Pretty much everything I try my hand at carries the promise of a “boosted immune system”, to the degree that I wonder why anyone would ever get sick again. Perhaps I can blame my passion for cocktails, which I reignite that night at Hilliards, along with an excellent dinner. During the festival, food trails will give you the chance to sample all manner of local delights. Sure you can always walk it off again tomorrow.
The Wander Wild Festival takes place from March 22nd to 24th.
Wild Wandering Highlights
Events at the festival range from highly hard-core to gently soothing, with something for everyone; from experienced to newbies, and families too. For an ideal festival experience, select a couple of favourites, alongside a couple you’ve never tried before. Go on, go wild.
Experienced adventurers
Cummeenpeasta Ridge at Macgillicuddy’s Reeks gives you an on-the-move masterclass on this seldom-hiked trail. Expect rocky, exposed terrain. March 23rd, €90
The Coomloughra Horseshoe takes in Ireland’s three highest peaks. Climb and hike with Tomás O’Donoghue and Killian Buckley from Citizens of the Wild on this seven-hour excursion, March 24th, €85
Meditative marvels
A Healing Sound Bath gets you in tune with Emma West via crystal bowls, gongs, drums, chimes and more, daily, €15
Balance your inner everything with Quantum Touch healing at the Anam Arts and Cultural Centre. Like Reiki, but different; it aims for “optimal wellness”, March 23rd & 24th, €20
Try it out
Fireside Chats offer imitate moments with adventurous types – or rather, you get to meet your heroes in a small group, rather than from the back of a lecture hall. Various voices including Nuala Moore, Kieran Kavanagh, Fiona O’Donoghue and Séan Buckley, throughout the weekend, €10
Night Walks in the National Park give you a new view of what wildlife gets up to after the sun goes down, March 22nd & 23rd, €15
For the kids
Gruffalo Treasure Hunts in Killarney Woods, throughout the weekend, led by the MACademy Performing Arts School. €15 per child, March 23rd & 24th
Forest School for Families with The Nature Hub, light fires, make crafts, play games and have a cookout. Age 5-10, one child with an adult, €25, March 23rd
