The cliffs of Ailladie (Burren, Co. Clare) are situated on the west coast of Ireland in County Clare near the tourist hot spot of the Cliffs of Moher. With dozens of well-protected,quality lines, a quick drying aspect and easy access –it’s no wonder the Burren has the reputation of being one of the best cliffs in Ireland.

I first heard about the climbing here from the Irish climbing film Underdeveloped back in 2008. It showed an amazing line of cliffs dropping into the North Atlantic. I was inspired.

What’s the climbing like?

The limestone cliffs of the Burren are pretty much dead vertical and up to 40m in height. Long, single pitches are the name of the game with many routes following obvious crack lines where gear is plentiful. Good crack climbing skills are needed and plenty of stamina to hang around and place gear! The rock quality is as good as limestone trad climbing gets and similar to the south Pembrokeshire coastline. The Burren has the added bonus of fewer climbers. I was there for two weeks in August and saw less than 10 other climbers - so you won’t be queuing for routes here!

Some sections of the cliffs are tidal, so checking the tide times is necessary to access certain routes, whereas other sections are above the high tide mark and can be accessed at any time. As with all sea cliffs, pervasive sea mists can affect the crags, but due to the western aspect, they dry quickly.

Recommended cliffs and routes

The first section of the Burren is shorter and non-tidal – so you don’t need to abseil. There’s a decent spread of grades too.  It makes a perfect introduction.

The stand out cliff at the Burren is Mirror Wall with grades ranging from E2 – E7 on bullet hard limestone split by lightning bolt-shaped cracks. Most of the routes here are tidal - so time your visit well.

There are a number of different sections further along the cliffs with quality lines that require a simple abseil approach.

DWS in Ireland?  Leave your wires behind in the car and try your hands at DWS above very deep water! Be sure to plan your escape though with a pre-placed fixed rope as there is no easy exit.

Classic Trad Climbs

Pis Fliuch (HVS 5a) HVS 5a A fantastic corner climb

Gallows Pole (E2 5c) E2 5c - the classic E2 of the Burren cliffs

Siren (E3 5c) E3 5c- a very photogenic line and the tourists will love you

Kleptomaniac (E3 6a) E3 6a - not a give-away for the grade!

Wall of Fossils E4 6a - beautiful crack line with a tough finish

The Cutter (E4 6a) E4 6a - the definitive line up Mirror Wall

Refraction (E5 6a) E5 6a - another Mirror wall smasher

Ice Queen (E5 6a) E5 6a- bold wall climb away from the cracks

Damn the Torpedoes E6 6b - stunning crack line that doesn’t let up

Very Big Springs (E6 6b) E6 6b - a masterpiece up an orangey wall with a couple of pegs

Deep Water Solos

The Crozzly Show (7b) 7b - classy traverse line

King Grozzle 7b+- as good a 7b+ as anywhere

The CrozzleMonster  7c+- technical wall with some thin moves

The Power of the Hobo (E7 6c) 7b+/E7-one of the best lines at the Burren, but check the tide carefully and have a spotter just in case. Feels more like a solo than a DWS! Beware!

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