The Trinity Hiking Society is no stranger to the unconventional—after all, they have been known to hold committee meetings in the Trinity sauna. Their latest escapade: hiking straight into a storm.
On Sunday, 26th January, the society set off on a ten-kilometre “moderate to hard” hike in Lacken, County Wicklow, with 461 metres of elevation—despite a yellow weather warning for Storm Herminia issued the night before.
In true Trinity Hiking Society fashion, the group reflected on the experience with their characteristic humour in the weekly newsletter: “Okay… no, it was a good hike, we are just a bit colour-blind when it comes to weather warnings” and “For those of you who were there with us yesterday—just because Lacken was slacken, pleeeezzz don’t be scared of the Irish weather. I promise it doesn’t usually act out like that.”
But the storm was no laughing matter. Speaking to The University Times, the committee shared that they were forced to cut the hike short by two hours. The 34 hikers initially walked under the shelter of trees, but once they emerged into open ground, the reality of 100km/h winds set in. “It was very intense,” they admitted. “We had to turn back.”
Despite their Instagram caption conceding that “the yellow warning might’ve won this time,” the society remains undeterred. Their next adventure? An ambitious international hike in Gran Canaria.
This trip is not for the faint-hearted, with tough ten-hour days carrying heavy packs over challenging trails. Over several days, members will tackle five peaks, including a hike to Tejeda in the central highlands, an ascent of Pico de Nieves—the highest point on the island—and a coastal route from Tasartico to Agaete, sandwiched between two well-earned beach days in Las Palmas and Agaete.
While hiking is the society’s primary focus, they are also avid sea swimmers. With up to two swims per week and a 206-member “sea swim” WhatsApp group, they regularly take the DART to the Forty Foot or Vico Baths. To ensure that everyone feels welcome, they often schedule swims at low tide, making the activities beginner-friendly. As they remind participants in their newsletter, “Please don’t feel intimidated!”
Beyond outdoor adventures, the society also finds creative ways to give back, recently appearing as the month of May in the Trinity Cancer Society’s charity naked calendar, tastefully posing with maps, backpack straps, and strategically placed greenery to keep things PG!
The society is also teasing weekend camping trips, giving members the chance to stay overnight in the Irish countryside without the rush back to Dublin in a single day. These trips will be accessible to all, as the society offers a collection of tents for members to borrow. “Camping might feel old-school, but it’s one of the best ways to have fun on a student budget,” said hike coordinator Declan. “We’re bringing it back—nothing beats a campfire and the great outdoors.”
The Trinity Hiking Society has earned its 1,300 members with this adventurous spirit, and with new challenges ahead, there’s no slowing them down.
