Bouldering Ireland (Read 79497 times)

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:48 am

Web guide has been taken offline
3 September 2010, 10:18 pm

I have taken the web guide offlline. If you really really really need a copy I will email one out to you. Post up a comment here to request.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:49 am

Cuilcagh Mountain
14 September 2010, 9:18 am

Went up on Saturday before last to check out the famous Cuilcagh gritstone boulders. Driving up in the rain it didn't look good but it was dry in the carpark but once we reached the boulders - a mere 80 minute walk up the hill - they were shrouded in mist, it wasn't raining but the thick damp mist meant the boulders were never going to dry.

Still we were impressed, beautiful rock and a lot of it. We only explorered the first two boulder fields, there are at least two more. The big boulder is big. Home to some incredible lines. One of the most impressive boulders around.

Anyone else been?

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:50 am

More Grit
14 September 2010, 9:48 am

Back up again last Saturday to check out more of the grit this time got a tour with some of the locals - who have been bouldering up there for the last 13 years! We visited some of the more roadside venues in on off rain and were impressed. A few boulders and two very impressive walls of minto grit. I will be back to get more photos and to climb some of the amazing looking problems.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:50 am

Waterford
22 September 2010, 6:47 pm

Went on a solo mission on Saturday to check a few areas in Waterford. One was OK but the other, to my suprise and pleasure, was great. Lovely slopey rock. At least 20 problems with potential for a lot of variations and linkups.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:50 am

Glendo - new river
22 September 2010, 8:20 pm

The river has seriously changed course recently. The flat grass between the trace and Big Jim is awash with stones.

The child came too. She mostly tried slabs.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:50 am

Historic information
2 October 2010, 3:39 pm

Should the info that i have about who did what when be in the introduction to the relevent area or should it all be one chunk in a history section at the start or finish?

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:50 am

Slieve Binnian
2 October 2010, 3:54 pm

Last week braved the walk in finally. Was a good forecast and it turned out very nice. Still windy though but its pretty exposed up there.

Did the loop from Carrick Little to South Tor to North Tor. Advantage of this is that it gets the uphill out of the way in one sharp shock. Took us 1 hour 20 mins. Not racing but not spacing either. South Tor is good has a few really nice problems. North Tor is great there is loads. We didn't even get time to try everything we wanted. In fact there was whole boulders we didn't even get a chance to check out. The rock is nice. Not Mall Hill nice but good rough granite. Has a good few pockets, its an big coarse grain. There is an ad on UTV starring Ricky and Craig on North Tor doing real climbing. They got a helicopter up the lazy cunts.

There will be loads of info in the guide about the Mournes bouldering. Yes the walkins are tough but its worth it.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:50 am

Wet day in Wicklow
2 October 2010, 3:54 pm

Forecast was too dodge to drive to any of the place I need to go so I went down to Wicklow. Wandered around Annalecka in the pissing rain wondering where it all went wrong. Looked at the two white boulders visible from the parking spot. 6 foot high. Wandered around on the Brockagh Ridge cause it was too early to go home and i hadn't never really been up there and that means that there is a huge boulder field up there - at least thats now it is in my head. There isn't. There are a few boulders but they were far away. Some day. Took a nice panorame of th Glendasan bouldering. Would be a shot worth taking on a sunny day. Which mean I have to go back.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:51 am

Google Street view - stop the car
2 October 2010, 4:33 pm

Google street view Ireland went live yesterday and its incredible. I assumed it would only cover main roads in cities but that is defintely not the case, its seems like almost every little boreen in the country is covered. This is going to make finding new boulders a hell of a lot easier. Stop the car!

Check this for starters. Comment if you find any nice looking rocks.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:51 am

White Bog
11 October 2010, 8:34 pm

John and I hit the White Bog in the Cooleys last Saturday. We expected sun but got mist and very strong winds instead. John got stuck into the harder problems while I got stuck into some Turkish Delight. I found the lines good but the rock is very sharp. Too sharp for me. Legged it up to Windy Gap (it wasn't) to take a few shots only for my camera to run out of juice. Met two mates of John's from Belfast up there.

Some pretty heavily brushed rock. Really shows up on the dark gabbro.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:51 am

Mall Hill
2 November 2010, 6:02 pm

Spent 2 days in Mall Hill this week. Was good.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:51 am

Doolin/Toit le Cul de Clare
2 November 2010, 6:02 pm

Was in Doolin for a few days, weather was woeful, very windy and rainy. The climbing was soaked. It wasn't really possible to get down to the ledges even at low tide as there was a big sea running.

On the way home we called into Toit le Cul de Clare in east Clare. It was soaking as well. Didn't have high hopes, it didn't look too bad I suppose. Not great though. Have to wonder how Pierre found the place, it really is in the middle of nowhere. Anyone ever been?

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:51 am

Donegal
2 November 2010, 6:02 pm

Headed up on a solo mission to Donegal. With the ambitious plan of visiting every area in the county (bar Polldoo). I fell at the last hurdle as I wasn't able to find Rubinoid Point. The directions in the guide are woeful, you would be very lucky to find them using it. Those directions have been around for 5 years, just goes to show either that no one tries to go there. After wasting time searching for a while I head to Dunaff Bay on the other side of Inishowen, its a really nice spot. Lovely wave washed granite that is smooth but still has some bite. Loads to do there. I was very pleasantly surprised. Didn't have time to go to Fanad Head which is a few km across the water but a massive drive away.

Had curry chips in the Chineser in Bunbeg - best I have ever had.

Spent all of the next day wandering around in the pissing rain looking at wet rock. Then in the evening did the long drive to Malin Beg. Drove over Glengesh Pass on what must be the steepest road in Ireland. After a diversion causeed by a landslide I arrived in Malin Beg. It felt like the end of the world. The hostel owner said it would take over 3 hours to drive from Malin Beg in the south west to Culdaff in the north east.

The weather was better in the morning, checked out Malin Beg, thought it was pretty limited to be honest. Then went on to Muckros Head which was wet and wavy, checked out some of the bouldering that had been previously documented, I thought it looked shite. Rock was sharp I suppose the lines where ok. Miles of this sort of thing on Inishmore. Maybe some of the stuff under the cliff proper is better.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:51 am

Glemac
7 November 2010, 10:19 am

Went to Glenmac yesterday, nice and early so managed to get the best of the day. I managed to get a few shots before the cloud rolled in. Explored all the way up the valley to the cliffs at the top. The boulders just below the crag aren't up to much. There are some problems to be done but the rock isn't great. The 'room' beside Lucky Me has some impressive - but very hard and blank - aretes and one more doable problem. The ground was very very damp. There was a huge wet streak on the Wow Prow steep end. The problem to the right of the Wow Prow ie. to the left of John's Problem looks great. I think Ped did, at least tried the jump start ie. jump to the slopey bulge and mantle. The sit start looks incredible. Hard but possible. Pure compression moves on slopey holds. Probably a much nicer problem than the Wow Prow.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:51 am

Glendasan
11 November 2010, 10:31 am

When on a photo mission. The goal was living the dream but we decided it would be too wet under the trees. So decided to head for the southside of Glendasan to catch the last bit of sun which we did just. It moved up the hillside at walking pace. We where all perloxed by the problem to the right of Ped's Dyno "so it goes". Tried 'behind the lines' not a bad problem really and then tried Ahad in the darkening. Ahab is hard. 6b my bollox. Go one or two shots so not a total disaster but the lesson is that you need to get out early in Wicklow in winter to get good light.

Paul on Behind the lines and Diarmuid on Ahab.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

Lough Bray/Stonecutters/Sad and Lonely/Glendo
13 November 2010, 10:37 pm

Got an early start and took some self portaits on Away from the numbers. They turned out shit as the arete was in shade and the background was bright. Lesson learnt. Better on a more overcast day. Similar problems in Stonecutters. Was very boggy around Sad and Lonely Boulder. Got to Glendo and it was getting cloudy. There was a good few people around - over a dozen I'd say. Did a few problems on Big Jim and it started raining so I headed on.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

Fireworks Boulder in Doolin
1 December 2010, 1:11 pm

Does anyone have any photos of the Fireworks boulder in Doolin?

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

Fairhead
2 December 2010, 11:36 pm

Finally made it up to the Head. Paul and I got the full tour of Murlough and Rathlin Wall area from Rob Hunter. Saw a lot of steep crimpy rock. Wasn't really my cup of tea but the wads obviously love it. Where going to camp but decided to stay in the hostel. Next morning went around Murlough and tried to draw a map, its more on a conceptual level than cartography but anyway. It started to snow as we where leaving.

There is a place in Ballycastle, a Chinese restaurant, they do the standard buffet thing but you can also for £4 get a plastic contained and you fill it with whatever you want from the buffet once you can close the lid you are golden. I targeted meat - no pointless carbs for me - and was unable to finish mine. So worth checking out. No photos sorry forgot.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

Guide nearly finished
12 December 2010, 11:53 pm

The guide is nearly finished just another week or two. So if anyone has any last minute information or photos now is the time to send it on....

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

Grades
17 December 2010, 12:32 pm

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

Done
6 January 2011, 10:51 am

The guide is done and has been sent to the printers. It's due back on the 6th of Feburary but I'm sure there will be some delays along the way.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

New bouldering
14 January 2011, 5:12 pm

I'm going to just chance my arm and ask does anyone know of anywhere in Ireland that has good potential for new bouldering. Since finishing the guide I have a gra for finding some new areas. So any ideas?

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

Some old videos
17 January 2011, 5:03 pm

I uploaded some old videos, the ones of John Gaskins in Glenmac might be of interest. Terrible quality footage.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

Lough Bray night session
19 January 2011, 7:15 pm

Did a night session in LB on Tuesday evening. Very clear night, full moon so was nice and bright. There was no wind so the cold was bearable.

Source: Bouldering Ireland

comPiler · January 25, 2011, 04:34:52 am

Glenmacnass
19 January 2011, 7:21 pm

Went back to the forest beside Glenmac Waterfall and cleaned another line. Forgot my shovel so couldn't sort the top. Not a great problem, about 5, highish but on good holds. Lost my mojo for the problems there. Diarmuid has 2 good lines he hasn't cleaned but hasn't climbed. There is more to do but its all hard work and the climbing isn't brilliant. There are better spots to explore.

Checked out a boulder across the road from the forest. Had looked at it before but never tried it (it may have been done before or tried anyway, there was one little edge that looked like it has came off). Diarmuid came along and pretended he wasn't interested, then shoed up and worked it. He hasn't named it yet. (he only did it 5 hours ago), I'd say gradewise 6b with a tricky topout. Nice rock, nice moves. There was a brilliant pinch hold that didn't make the final cut which was a pity. Anyway here's a vid of it.

Source: Bouldering Ireland