So off we went to conquer the Cardiac Hill, also known as the ‘Red Trail’, in Killarney National Park.

Climbing hundreds of stone steps along the slopes of Torc Mountain was exhausting and we often needed to sit down on a rock for a minute or two just to give ourselves a break. I knew though that if we paused for too long, it would be all the more difficult to get up again.

Once the steps were over, the path leveled out nicely, and before long, we emerged into a wider forest trail going gently back down and giving our knees a new set of challenges.

The 3.5 km one-way loop took us 2.5 hours to complete. Although I felt the fatigue in my legs, but was immensely satisfied with what we accomplished. Fantastic views paid back for the sweaty investment and were well worth all the huff and puff.