UKC

Fair Head - Northern Ireland Destination Article

© Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing

Fair Head is – in the words of the Irish – the world's best crag. Stretching for 5km it has one thing in common with England's pride and joy, Stanage: length. Beyond that the supposed jewel in the crown of British rock climbing begins to look distinctly under whelming in comparison. In fact, you are infrequently left wanting after doing a route at Fair Head, they keep going, and going, and going: 40-50m pitches are frequent and there are sustained multi-pitches aplenty. Add into the mix endless crack lines, flawless faces, immaculate aretes and Guinness and you realise that maybe, just maybe, they weren't actually exaggerating after all...

Oli Grounsell and Nathan Lee making the most of the fantastic evening light  © Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing
Oli Grounsell and Nathan Lee making the most of the fantastic evening light
© Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing, Jun 2015

The rock at Fair Head is extremely high quality. Being a basaltic rock (dolerite) it has a columnar appearance that produces many a commanding lines (i.e. pretty much all of them). By nature the rock is grippy when clean, but due to much of the crag's north facing aspect it does have a tendency to get dirty in places. On most of the popular routes the moss/lichen isn't too much of a problem and in recent years the Fair Head Meet has meant that certain climbs see something of a renaissance after being cleaned up throughout the weekend (plus there's the added benefit of good craic).

The feel of the crag varies wildly from west facing Rathlin Wall to the north facing crags at the White Lightning Amphitheatre and Grey Man's Path. The latter have more in common with mountain crags such as Cloggy or Scafell East Buttress than a traditional sea cliff, so in cool/breezy conditions they can feel impressively 'out there' (read: cold). As a result packing clothing to compensate on all but the warmest of days. In line with the mountain crag feel there is also the occasional booming block and midge to look out for, fortunately the latter are kept at bay by the pretty much constant breeze coming in off the Atlantic.

Adam Booth on the never ending Track of the Cat (E4 6a)  © Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing
Adam Booth on the never ending Track of the Cat (E4 6a)
© Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing, Jun 2015

Henry Francis on The Brasser (E2 5c)  © Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing
Henry Francis on The Brasser (E2 5c)
© Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing, Jun 2015

The Fair Head Meet is worth a special mention, as it has developed something of a following in recent years. The meet usually takes place around the first weekend in June and (as mentioned above) there are routes being cleaned, lectures being given, banter being had and beer being drunk - what more could you ask for?! If you needed any more proof then have a read through the reports from 2010, 2012, and 2014 or take a look at the 2013 video.

Grade-wise Fair Head begins in quantity at VS and stretches up to E8. Between these grades there is plenty to go at and the new Fair Head Guidebook (published 2014) really showcases the crag, with a list of selected climbs at the back – the perfect tick-list for the first time visitor. The climbing style between VS and E3 (as a sweeping generalization) is quite forthright, frequently following crack lines and corners that absorb gear as/when required. As a result both jamming skills and a large rack are required (double rack of cams and a lot of quickdraws!!). Around E4/5+ things turn towards the faces and arêtes, as a result things begin to feel – in a roundabout way – a bit more conventional, with fewer cracks and more face holds. As a result they can, to the sport fit climber, feel soft in comparison to some of the lower grades - particularly if you don't know how to jam.

David "Nails" Ewing feeling the pressure of Fair Head! :)  © www.pedropimentel.net
David "Nails" Ewing feeling the pressure of Fair Head! :)
© www.pedropimentel.net, Jun 2012

In order to make your life easier it's worth taking 100m of static rope to approach many of the routes. Whilst you could probably get away without it, it definitely makes things quick/simple. The other option is to use the descent gullies that intersect the areas, but it would be a lot slower, more hassle and probably quite terrifying too. There anchors at the top of the crag are frequently in the form of a large boulder conveniently located above the classic routes - quite a coincidence - so you don't need too much additional gear for rigging.

Ed Booth running it out on Primal Scream (E6 6a)  © Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing
Ed Booth running it out on Primal Scream (E6 6a)
© Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing, Jun 2015

Fairhead Bouldering Guide  © Fairhead Bouldering Guide
Whilst I have no personal experience of it myself, it is worth mentioning that Fair Head also sports some superb bouldering. With over 450 problems documented and rock just as good as the crag above, word on the street is that it's not to be overlooked. The only downside being that many of the problems have a bad landings, so multiple pads are required - not ideal for many visiting climbers. For more info get your hands on a copy of the Fair Head Bouldering Guide.

Henry Francis at the top of Jolly Roger (E3 6a), with the 1000 yard stare after 50m of climbing in high wind  © Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing
Henry Francis at the top of Jolly Roger (E3 6a), with the 1000 yard stare after 50m of climbing in high wind
© Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing, Jun 2015

Second pitch of Girona, Fairhead  © Andy Simpson
Second pitch of Girona, Fairhead
© Andy Simpson, Sep 2008

Equinox Corner  © RAB623
Equinox Corner
© RAB623, Jun 2011

Rainbow over Fair Head  © bugs29
Rainbow over Fair Head
© bugs29, Aug 2011


Logistics

When to Go

Much like the rest of the British Isle it's difficult to suggest a 'best time' to visit owing to the irregularity of the weather. The weather from the west comes in hard and rain/storms can be ferocious (and frequent). All that negativity aside, the weeks surrounding the Fair Head Meet in the first week of June seem to be popular and no doubt the warmer summer months would provide ideal conditions for some of the shadier crags.

How to Get There

When flying your best choice is to go via Belfast and hire a car (n.b. it would also be possible to get to Ballycastle using public transport). When sailing your choice is between Holyhead to Dublin (circa 3hrs to the crag) or Liverpool to Belfast (1hr 15mins). It's worth noting that this isn't cheap, but does allow you to bring all the kit required without too much of a concern to weight. For more info visit irishferries.com.

Accommodation Advertise here

No Premier Listings found in this area

Sean's Campsite is a popular option owing to it's location just a short walk away from the crag itself. It has fairly modest facilities, including a couple of portaloos, a fresh water tap, and as of 2021 a bunkhouse (which accomodates six people): more info. If you're after somthing a little more civilised then there are plenty of options in Ballycastle.

Fairhead Guidebook

Rock Climbing in Ireland

Guidebooks

There are two options: the Fair Head Rock Climbing Guidebook by Mountaineering Ireland or Rock Climbing in Ireland by David Flanagan. The former is definitely the guide of choice for a specific Fair Head trip, whereas the latter is best suited towards a road-trip around Ireland (it is very selective).

Instructor/Guides Advertise here

No Premier Listings found in this area

Food

Ballycastle has a number of cafés and bakeries to indulge in and make a perfect retreat in bad weather. There's also a number of restaurants, chippy and pizzeria.

Gear and Supplies

There is a fantastic selection of local amenities in Ballycastle, ranging from a superb bakery to a family butcher. Fruit/veg is available from a great local shop and for those wishing for a bigger shop there's a Co-Op. Unfortunately the local climbing/outdoor shop Stewart's Sports is now closed, so gear-wise you're probably best driving back to Belfast in event of an emergency.

Outdoor Shops Advertise here

No Premier Listings found in this area

Other Activities

Whilst there is a lot on offer, for first time visitors there is one stereotype that needs to be sampled: Guinness. Does it really taste different in Ireland? I'll leave you to be the judge. If you're going to sample it, try to coincide it with one of the live music nights at O' Connor's Bar in Ballycastle. For those not satisfied by the geological wonders of Fair Head (or the Guinness) there's always the Giant's Causeway nearby.

Rob Greenwood - UKC Advertising Manager, eater of fried eggs and climber of 8a routes  © Rob Greenwood collection
Rob Greenwood - UKC Advertising Manager, eater of fried eggs and climber of 8a routes
About the Author:

Rob Greenwood is the Advertising Manager at UKClimbing.com.

He's a passionate climber, hot yoga addict and eater of vegetarian food. He has done more UK trad routes than he's had roast dinners (and that's got nothing to do with the vegetarianism).

Aside from UK trad, he's dabbled with alpine climbing, Scottish winter, Himalayan climbing and more recently Peak limestone sport climbing.

He keeps an occasional blog about his adventures here: Rob Greenwood Climbing




23 Jun, 2015
Good article Rob and like the belittling of Stanage ;-) Couldn't resist mentioning the typo in the first line - words not word's.
23 Jun, 2015
Whoops! Thanks - now fixed (might need to refresh to see etc). Cheers, Jack PS can't believe I have never been there. Looks amazing, if a little bit windy!! :-)
Doh!! I knew I sold advertising for a reason, should stick to my strengths ;-) Good to see you out in Ireland Misha, adds to the long list of other classic venues we seem to have bumped into each other at. Hope the CC Extreme Rock Meet goes well this weekend, I'm going to be down at the Cornish Climbing Festival - fingers crossed we both get some good weather!
23 Jun, 2015
I wish people would stop advertising this place- it's starting to get busy!
23 Jun, 2015
Yeah great to meet up with you and the rest of the crew, again! It's the same few dozen people going round all the great trad crags... Might have to move the meet, not looking great for the Lakes but there's always hope...
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