Name: Club Climbing Night
Start: 2026-09-03T18:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-09-03T21:00:00+01:00
Location: Dalkey Quarry

The Artful Dodgers

(by Gerry Moss, November 2010)
"The east coast of Cork was one area where dry weather and sunshine was promised, so the Artful Dodgers decided to take advantage of this and pay a return visit to Knockadoon."

I’m not a man for making lists myself, but if I did, it would be a list of crags to suss out, rather than individual climbs. Cherrypicking routes overlooks the fact that most crags have much more to offer than just one or two lines and besides, you will get much more pleasure from making your own selection rather than blindly following someone elses, or restricting yourself to any one grade.

We have fine crags the length and breadth of the country, from Inishowen to Robert’s Cove in Cork, from Ireland’s Eye to Achill and it pays to get to know them, as most will provide rewarding experiences. Although we get our fair share of wet weather during these winter months, it is rare enough for the bad weather to be countrywide on any given day, so there is always the possibility of dodging the rain and getting in a bit of climbing somewhere .

Saturday was a prime example of this, with showers forecast for much of the country. But the east coast of Cork was one area where dry weather and sunshine was promised, so the Artful Dodgers decided to take advantage of this and pay a return visit to Knockadoon.

Our rewards were blue skies, warm rock and a gentle breeze. You won’t find the routes here on any hitlist, because, like many of the coastal crags detailed on the route data base, very few climbers frequent the area. To my mind that makes a visit all the more enjoyable, as solitude is part and parcel of the ambience of these seacliffs.

And there is always the possibility of the pleasure that comes with adding something new to the pot, which we did on Saturday – a pleasant and delicate HS on the Cylinder Slabs.

So, don’t shackle yourself to someone else’s idea of what constitutes a good route – plough your own furrow. Don’t just buy the guidebooks, go over them thoroughly, then browse the route database too, and, above all else, carry on climbing.
Knockadoon

(by Gerry Moss, July 2010)
A great day’s climbing on the seacliffs of Knockadoon, in east Cork.

Headed south with Joe on Saturday to the seacliffs of Knockadoon, on the tip of Youghal Bay. A glorious day, as promised by the Met men, with blue skies and and a fresh breeze. Our arrival coincided with full tide, so, while waiting for it to recede, we sussed out a previously unclimbed buttress, abbing in to check for possible lines.

We spotted two, the first one involving tackling a small overhang head-on. But after the overhang had defeated both of us, I sidled around to the right and sneaked up on its blind side.

We abbed down again, this time to the bottom of a chimney just left of the face, and Joe put up a pleasant Mild Severe, his first new route at Knockadoon. "Escape from Hades" climbs a narrow chimney, breaks out left for an airy traverse, then tackles the break just left of the overhang.

We moved on then to West End Wall, the area with the steepest climbs hereabouts, and here I was repulsed not once, not twice, but three times by a line I had put up a few years ago. Which goes to prove that rock is very much akin to young people nowadays – no respect for their elders. The only possible way to save face now is to bump the route up a couple of grades.

Normally, we would have this place all to ourselves but, in the midst of my struggles, I was pleasantly surprised when Peter Britton popped his head over the top and greeted us. Before he moved down to Clonmel, Peter was a long-time and active member of the IMC and, during that time, we shared some memorable climbing weekends and Alpine trips. He is now one of the driving forces behind the Rathgormack Climbing Club, and has been very much involved in putting up new routes in the Comeraghs in latter years. Peter and I were the first to put up routes here on West End Wall, back in 2003. He was accompanied on Saturday by Stephen Gallwey, the creator of many of the impressive lines on the big cliff at the back of Coumshingaun.

They each had a young daughter in tow, and it was great to see the two girls, both accomplished climbers, scramble happily over the wonderful sandstone slabs that abound in Knockadoon.

We pressed on with the climbing, aware that rain was promised for about four o’clock, but we were packing our bags sometime after five before the first few drops appeared, bringing to an end another great day on the sea-cliffs.

Incidently, we met, as arranged, at the Spawell carpark, but the first thing we saw was a new notice, stating that parking was for customers only, and other cars would be clamped. We decided not to risk it. So, another option scuppered, then.
Knockadoon – The story so far

(by Gerry Moss, from IMC Newsletters Spring 2004 and Autumn 2004)
A guide to climbing at Knockadoon Head, near Youghal, Co. Cork.

Knockadoon Head

Grid Ref X 089 695 OS Map 81 Discovery Series

Knockadoon Head, the western tip of Youghal Bay, lies 8 km south of Youghal town as the crow flies. The rock is categorised as "Gyleen Formation – sandstone, with mudstone and siltstone" and, in general, is sound, with good friction and good gear placements. As with all sea-cliffs, the more open the rock is to the scouring power of the waves, the cleaner and sounder it is. The main type of climbing on offer is on slabs, with the occasional steep wall thrown in for good measure.

Approach
Leave the Youghal/Cork road a little west of Youghal and head for the village of Ballymacoda. Follow the road through the village towards Knockadoon Pier (which is where the road ends). At a distance of less than 500m from the pier take a dirt road on the right (signpost for Knockadoon Camp). Follow the laneway to where it ends in a field in front of an old tower. Cars may be parked just inside the field. Although this is private land there are no access problems at present and, if climbers behave responsibly, this situation should remain unchanged.

Accommodation
There is a small commercial campsite ("Sonas" ph. 024-98960, or 024-98132) at Ring strand, 2km.before the laneway, on the left-hand side of the road, open Easter to October. The nearest hostel is at Ardmore in Co. Waterford, thirty minutes drive away (Note: the independent hostel listed in Youghal has closed permanently).

The climbing areas, and the climbs within each area, are described from W to E (L to R, facing in). There are still a number of areas untouched.

West End Buttress

This marks the western limits of the climbing area, approx. 500m W of the tower (about 6 – 8 minutes walk).

Approach
Take the rough cart-track on the R of the entrance to the tower field, ignoring a turn to the R. Just before the track ends in a field leave it at a R-hand bend and follow the narrow path parallel to the coast, passing some tottering pillars ("crumble corner") at the back of a cove. The path deteriorates as it crosses a rough hollow but improves as it rises again. After about another 150m, at the path’s highest point, leave it and go down sharp L towards a small headland containing a large cave. At half to low-tide scramble down over the cave and traverse back E (R facing in) to the foot of the climbs. At full-tide abseil down the corner of Crack of Doon.

1  The Oldest Winger  10m  S
G. Moss, S. O’Hanlon, F. Kenny 16/08/03
Start 4m W (left) of the cave exit, directly below a small overhang with good undercuts. Climb to the overhang and, using a thin quartz vein above, move L to a flake then back R above the overhang. Move up to a belay.

2  C.F.T.  15m  Diff
S. O’Hanlon, F. Kenny, G. Moss 16/08/03
Traverses the cave from E. to W. An atmospheric outing on a windy day. Start at the mouth of the cave. Chimney up and out through the back of the cave. Half-to-low tide.

Cave Wall Cracks
The following four climbs take the cracks in the wall above R of the cave entrance and L of the main face.

3  Exit Left  14m  HS 4b
G. Moss, P. Britton 16/08/03
An abortive attempt to climb the twin parallel cracks immediately R of the L edge. Climb to a small foothold below the final steepening. Move out L and up to finish. A direct finish would be more fitting, though harder.

4  Fran the Man  15m MS
F. Kenny, S. O’Hanlon 16/08/03
The deep cracks to the R of above.

5  Dungarvan  14m  MS
D. Broderick, S. O’Hanlon, F. Kenny 16/08/03
The cracks just R of Fran.

6  Red Crack  15m  VD
Colm Ennis, John Kinsella, 16/08/03
The crack just L of the corner.

7  Crack of Doon  16m  VD
G. Moss, P. Britton 16/08/03
The crack in the corner between cave wall and main wall.

8  Up and Doon  17m  HVS 5a
G. Moss, L. Convery 26/5/04
The thin crack just R of Crack of Doon and L of the inverted v-notch gives fingery, well-protected climbing. Low in the grade.

9  No Toll  17m  VS 4c
C. Ennis, J. Kinsella 16/08/03
Start about 3m R of Crack of Doon. An inverted v-notch leads to a vertical crack, which is gained by bridging moves. Sustained climbing.

10  Iced Log  20m  HVS 5a
P. Britton, D. Broderick 16/08/03
The thin finger crack at a rightward facing corner that runs up the middle of the wall.

11  Gold n Topsy  22m  HS
P. Britton, G. Moss 16/08/03
Start 3m L of the R end of the wall. Climb the crack then traverse rightwards and climb the face near the outside corner. Finish up the top 3m vertical crack.

12  Flight Control  20m  HVS 5a
P. Britton, D. Broderick 16/08/03
Start just right of and around from the main wall, at a rock runway left of the narrow cave. Climb a 4m rightward-trending sharp crack up the face of a white pillar. Move left above the crack then back right to mantelshelf the top of the pillar. Climb more easily from here to the top, finding protection in the exit crack of Gold n Topsy.

13  Prophet of Doon  35m  VS 4c
G.Moss, L.Convery 27/3/04
Varied climbing, with a well-protected crux. Start about 10m R of Flight Control and the narrow cave, on a good ledge above the high-water mark, and directly below a 3m flake that forms a R-facing crack near the top of the wall. Climb easily to the crack and up this to the top of the flake. Make a difficult mantelshelf onto the horizontal crack above (crux). A delicate step up onto the slab is followed by a short, delicate traverse R to gain a thin crack. Follow this (small wires), to the top.

Mid-week Wall

About 25m E of Flight Control there is a grey bulging wall, with some white quartzite streaks and 3 parallel vertical cracks near its R-hand end.

Approach
As for West-end Buttress as far as the rough hollow. Continue along the path for a short distance. Scramble down gentle slabs and ledges just W of 3-Tier Slab and traverse around W to the foot of the wall. It is also possible, at low tide, to approach this area from West-end Buttress, by hopping across the channel at the mouth of the narrow cave.

14  Lifted Her Petticoat  25m  HS
L. Convery. G. Moss 23/9/03
Start 20m R of Narrow Cave and 5m L of the L-hand end of Mid-week Wall, below a series of flakes leading up L into an overhanging, R-facing corner. Climb easily to the corner, move up, then, (this is the easy and slow bit) make a delicate rising traverse up R using undercuts. Belay well back.

15  Doonesbury  20m  HS
G. Moss, L. Convery 23/9/03
Start near the left end of the grey bulging wall, below a short corner/crack at about 3m up. A couple of thin moves lead to a good hold and a mantelshelf below the corner. Climb the corner and move up slightly L to a second, shallow corner with a thin crack. Up this to finish.

16  People Before Prophet  HVS 5a
G. Moss, L. Convery 28/8/04
Hand-jamming on perfect rock; friends useful. Start about 5m R of Doonesbury, below the widest of the cracks. Climb the crack.

3-Tier Slab

About 30m E (R) of Mid-week Wall, and just W of Twin Coves, there is a steep wall capped by three bands of curved slabs.

Approach
As for West-end Buttress. Follow the path past Crumble Corner and the hollow and go down L until above the slabs. It is possible to scramble down on either side of the slabs.

17  Laid-back  MS
L. Convery, G. Moss 28/8/04
Start in a gully, about 5m L of 3-Tier Slab, below some rightward-pointing flakes. Climb up to and over the flakes and into the R-facing corner. Climb the corner crack.

18  Sinister Crack  18m  D
L. Convery, G. Moss 23/9/03
Climb the crack running up the L side of the slab.

19  Never on a Sunday  18m  VS 5a
G. Moss, L. Convery 23/9/03
Climb the thin central crack.

20  Redshanks  15m  D
L. Convery, G. Moss 25/10/03
Climb the curving cracks on the L-facing wall.

21  Choughed  15m  MS
G. Moss, L. Convery 23/9/03
Immediately R of 3-Tier Slab is a steep slab capped by a small triangular shaped wall. Start on a ledge at high-water mark below the centre of the slab. Climb on small holds to a good ledge. Continue up the face on generous holds.

22  A Christian Brother?  12m  D
L. Convery, G. Moss 23/9/03
Start 2m R of Choughed. Move R and climb diagonally R to the top.

Sunday Slab

At the tip of the promontory dividing the Twin Coves.

Approach
As for West-end Buttress. Shortly after passing the tottering pillars ("Crumble Corner") go down the headland between the two coves to the top of a fine little slab above the sea. This is Sunday Slab. The slab has a large block at its base and a crack running up its centre.

The first route is about 10m to the W (L facing in) of this slab and takes a crackline up the centre of an orange slab which is undercut at the base.

23  On Yer Bike  14m  MS
S. O’Hanlon, F. Kenny, G. Moss 17/08/03
Start at the high-water mark below the crack. Move up and climb the crack which is hard to start.

24  Black Ramp Crack  13m  HS 4a
F. Kenny, S. O’Hanlon, G. Moss 17/08/03
Start at the block at the foot of Sunday Slab. Climb to the shoulder near the bottom of the L edge of the slab and step around and down L to gain the narrow black ramp. Climb this, using the crack above and the edge of the slab, to where the ramp narrows. Move around L then pull up to gain the top of the slab.

The following routes climb Sunday Slab.

25  Port  10m  VD
G. Moss, S. O’Hanlon, F. Kenny 17/08/03
The L edge.

26  Rest Day  VD
G. Moss, L. Convery 27/8/04
A delicate eliminate line. Start just R of Port. Climb straight up to gain the crack 1m in from the edge.

27  Mid-Ships  10m  D
G. Moss, S. O’Hanlon, F. Kenny 17/08/03
The fine centre crack.

28  Laudate  MS
L. Convery, G. Moss 27/8/04
A delicate eliminate line. Start 1m R of the central crack (Midships). Climb up to gain the crack 1m R of Midships and follow it to the top.

29  Starboard  10m  D
F. Kenny, S. O’Hanlon, G. Moss 17/08/03
The thin crack just inside the R edge.

Sea-stack Cove

The cove to the E of Twin Coves, easily identifiable by the sea-stack.

Approach
From a grassy hollow above the back of the cove scramble down carefully W (R facing out), over grass initially, to reach easy slabs and, finally, good ledges above the high water mark. Move back E on these until below a yellow corner with a continuous crack up the centre. This is the line of Triple Crown.

30  Allez France!  13m  VD
G. Moss, L. Convery 28/3/04
Start beneath the corner crack. Climb diagonally L up a slab to the foot of a ramp sloping up R. Climb the ramp and exit L via a crack. Block belay 3m back.

31  Triple Crown  13m  MS
L. Convery, G. Moss 28/3/04
Start below the crack, which is climbed to the top. Belay as for Le Cocq.

32  Grand Slam  14m  S
G. Moss, L. Convery 28/3/04
Start as for Triple Crown. Climb R-wards over a grey step and move up steeply over a second step. Move back L to finish just R of the top of Triple Crown.

33  Flat-topped Aiguille  15m  VD
L. Convery, G. Moss 27/3/04
This route follows the arête on the landward side of the sea-stack. Approach (low tide only) as far as the base of Triple Crown, then descend ledges and cross to the boulders at the foot of the arête. Gain the arête via a short chimney and follow it to the top. Descend by reversing the route.

Cylinder Slab Area

This area lies a little W of the Tower.

Approach
From the Tower follow the field boundary running down towards the sea, to where it ends at the top of a cove (Boundary Cove). Traverse W passing above another cove (Boulder Cove) and go down to where an obvious cylindrical band of rock caps a short, wide and steep slab. This is Cylinder Slab. No climbs here as yet.

Below Cylinder Slab there are four slabs. These are described from W to E, (L to R facing in).

Easy Slab
Below the W end of Cylinder Slab. An easy scramble down this short slab provides access to a ledge system (uncovered for fours hours either side of low tide) leading to the following two slabs.

Cleft Slab
The next slab to the R. (Easily identified by the half-metre-wide cleft splitting the slab from top to bottom).

34  Serrated Flakes  VD
L. Convery, G. Moss 15/6/03
Climbs the R facing corner to the L of the cleft, using a series of small flakes and the crack.

35  Cleft Right  MS
G. Moss, L. Convery 15/6/03
Climbs the R edge of the cleft. Poor protection.

Photo by Gerry Moss

36  W.M.D.  VS 4b
G. Moss, L. Convery 15/6/03
Start below two thin parallel cracks near the R edge of the slab. Climb the R-hand crack then the L crack to where it ends. Delicate moves R gain the edge which is followed to a break. Climb the final section on small holds. Sparse protection.

Starfish Slab
The next slab to the R.

37  Eureka  D
L. Convery, G. Moss 15/6/03
Climb the R facing corner on the L edge of the slab.

38  Star Wars  HS 4a
G. Moss, L. Convery 26/10/03
Start 2m R of the corner. Climb diagonally R to gain the R edge of the slab. Follow this over a slight bulge to a break and runner. Continue up the edge to finish.

Narrow Slab
The next slab to the R. Access is by abseil.

39  Thanks, Dave  D
L. Convery, G. Moss 15/6/03
The R facing corner on the L edge of the slab.

Tower Slab W.

Approach
Follow the field boundary below the Tower to where it ends above a large cove (Boundary Cove). Tower Slab W. is the slab immediately E of the cove (L facing out). Abseil down the centre of the slab to a ledge with a short wall behind it (about 23m). The following four routes all start from this ledge.

40  Snap Apple  30m  S
G. Moss, L. Convery 26/10/03
Climb diagonally L to gain a short black corner on the L edge of the slab. From the top of the corner follow the edge over a small overhang to a stance. Step down L to gain the foot of a narrow subsidiary slab and climb this near it’s L edge to a crack on the R. Pull over a block to finish.

41  Agag  25m  MS
L. Convery, G. Moss 26/10/03
Takes the thin crack about 5m R of the wide crack splitting the slab. Follow the crack to where it fades below a small overlap. Step up L to reach an edge (crux) and continue directly to the top.

42  Pinkie  25m HS
P. Britton, L. Convery, G. Moss 25/10/03
Start 2m in from the R edge below a thin crack. Follow the crack delicately to the overlap. Surmount this (crux) and continue more easily to the top.

43  Trick or Treat  25m VD
G. Moss, L. Convery, P. Britton 25/10/03
Start as for Pinkie. Climb diagonally R to the edge and follow this to the top. Poor protection.

The foot of the next route, which is on a lower, subsidiary slab, is reached by scrambling on down from the ledge at the foot of the main slab.

44  White Horses  10m  D
L. Convery, G. Moss 25/10/03
Climb the centre crack. Scramble off R.

Tower Slab E.

Approach
From the top of Tower Slab W move E (L facing out), passing the head of a narrow inlet, and scramble down over easy slabs, moving back W to the base of the long slab bordering the inlet.

45  Assume the position  25m  S
G. Moss, L. Convery 24/9/03
Start from a ledge at the bottom of the slab (half to low tide, only). Climb L to gain the L edge and follow this, in an airy position, to where the inlet ends. Continue up the wide crack.

46  Cúinne Murchadh  25m  S
L. Convery, G. Moss 24/9/03
Start as for above. Climb the L facing corner to where the crack widens and the angle eases, at about 18m. Move up and R through a break in the wall on the R and climb the slab and corner to the top.

The following climbs are to the E (R facing in) of Tower Slabs; a more detailed description of their whereabouts will be given later.

47  At Swim Two Birds  25m  HS
G. Moss, L. Convery 14/6/03
Climb a crack on the R facing sidewall above a slab.

48  Ó Bhun go Barr  35m  M
L. Convery, G. Moss 14/6/03
The long crackline up the centre of the wide slab.

49  Black Wall Chimney  15m  S
G. Moss, L. Convery 14/6/03
Climb the chimney at the R hand end of Black Wall.

50  Slab & Overhang  15m  VD
G. Moss, L. Convery 14/6/03
To the R of Black Wall. Climb a slab to the foot of a short overhang on the R. Over this on good holds.
Perfidious Albion

(by Gerry Moss, from IMC Newsletter Spring 2004)
Climbing in Britain (why do they have so much great rock?) and around Ireland.

… the cruel Saxon rules us, from the mountains to the sea,
But God is not an Englishman, soon Ireland will be free …

I have me doubts. No, not about Ireland being free, that’s a no-no, there’s nothing free on this little green isle of ours, it’s one of the most expensive places around at the minute. But never mind that just now. It’s the other bit that bothers me – the part where it says that God is not an Englishman. There’s plenty of evidence to the contrary. At the very least, he must have strong British connections. Think about it.

Just look at the way Nature’s goodies were divvied out back at the very beginning, for instance. Take something as simple as the flora and fauna and compare the paucity of ours to the richness of theirs. Geologists and scientists try to explain this away with talk of the Ice Age, disappearing land-bridges and all that oul guff, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. I mean, if the bloody midges could make it over here why couldn’t the swallowtail butterfly? If the mouse made it, why didn’t the mole? We got the nettle, but missed out on the mistletoe. We can listen to the tuneless chirp of the house-sparrow, but not the song of the nightingale. Hardly equitable distribution.

Then there’s all those oil fields off their north-east coast; we could have done with a share of those. (During the eighties, when searches for oil off our coastline were proving fruitless and word came through of another oil find in the North Sea, Charlie, the then Taoiseach, sighed bitterly and asked "Is there no God in heaven?" Well, there is, Charlie, but I think He’s probably a Brit).

But all of these discrepancies pale into insignificance when we consider the biggest, most flagrant injustice of all: their abundance and our lack of one of the most essential elements in the life of man. I am, of course, speaking of rock. Climbable rock, that is. They’re up to their eyeballs in the stuff. Tripping over it. I shouldn’t be at all surprised to discover that God is an honorary life-member of the BMC. It’s enough to put one off religion.

Take the sea-cliffs of Cornwall, for example. Mile after mile of glorious, golden granite, giving climbs of up to four pitches in length. Wouldn’t it be lovely if the Beara peninsula could boast the same.

In early July I spent a week climbing in Cornwall with Liam. Now, mention Cornwall to Irish climbers and the response is often pursed lips, a sharp intake of breath and a shake of the head, followed by the remark that it’s a long, long way from here to there. Which it is. Truth to tell, Cornwall is a long way from anywhere, but that’s part of it’s charm. Look: on a glorious summer Sunday we climbed one of the great Cornish classics, the three-pitch Right Angle, and we not only had the climb all to ourselves, we were the only two on the crag. Where else in Britain on a summer week-end would you find such solitude on a three-star route only fifteen minutes from the road? Not in the Lakes, the Peaks or Wales. Not even in the Cuillins of Skye these days (which is just as far away as Cornwall).

I flew to Bristol to team up with Liam, as he was already in the area. Landing at lunch-time, and although still a fair step of the way from Cornwall, we had time enough to fit in a couple of hours climbing enroute. We were spoiled for choice. We could have climbed at Avon Gorge or Cheddar Gorge, but we opted for Chudleigh Rocks near Exeter. This crag juts out of the landscape like the prow of a jumbo oil tanker. A short stroll from the road brings you out on top-deck, with steep cliffs falling away on either side. The north face is uniformly steep, the south face has more character, offering slabs, corners, chimneys, cracks and overhangs, at a multitude of grades, all with excellent protection (you can check the crag out on the Planetfear website). The rock is limestone and is polished on the popular routes (we should be thankful for small mercies, if they have more rock, they have a hell of a lot more climbers using it). So, if you are ever in the Exeter area it’s worth having a look at Chudleigh, but remember to allow at least half a grade for polished rock.

For our stay in Cornwall we based ourselves at the Count House, the Climber’s Club hut at Bosigran. I had previously stayed in their hut in Pembroke, a small, cosy, three-roomed terraced cottage, but The Count House, in contrast, is a large, palatial building with lots of dorms (we had a dorm all to ourselves for our stay), and is only a ten-minute walk from the cliffs. Over the course of a week we sampled some of Cornwall’s finest, climbing at Chair Ladder, Sennen Cove, Gurnard’s Head and Bosigran. Delightful days, every one a pleasure, every one a scorcher, every one spent on some of the best sea-cliffs in Britain.

Although the first route at Cornwall was climbed over one hundred and fifty years ago, it is only within the last thirty years that Irish climbers began to show any real interest in the cliffs along our Atlantic coastline. In the early 1970’s attention was still very much focused on the mountain crags. So it was natural enough, then, that when Joss and Clare Sheridan came to Achill Island in search of unclimbed rock in 1973, it was to the crags on the slopes of Slieve More that they gravitated. It wasn’t until the late 1980’s that any real exploration of Achill’s sea-cliffs took place, mainly by McQueen, Stelfox and others from the North. They developed Waterfall Cove, an area near Dooagh, putting up fourteen routes on good rock, ranging from Diff to E1, complete with abseil stakes.

But there are still large stretches of Achill’s coastline unexplored. A lot of the cliffs are of poor rock, but the geology of the area is so complicated that it would be foolish to write it all off as unclimbable; there are intermittent stretches of good rock scattered all along the coast. So, on a lovely week-end in August, seven of us gathered at the little Seal’s Cave campsite at the foot of Slieve More, on the northern side of the island. Frank and Ger came up from Kinvara; Peter and Rob, fresh from a successful Alpine trip; Ludmilla, on her first visit to this part of Ireland, and myself and Fran made up the group. We had a great week-end, with glorious weather that was, at times, almost too hot for climbing, putting up about a dozen routes, in a couple of wonderful locations. (It crossed my mind that Achill would be a splendid venue for one of our Spring or Summer Bank Holiday meets: plenty of good hillwalking, more than enough climbs to fill a weekend and lots of exploration still to be done). The indented nature of Achill’s coastline supplied a superb backdrop to our activities: hills and headlands, coves and caves, sandy beaches and steep cliffs and, out from it all, the boundless ocean. And we had all of this to ourselves, nothing more intrusive than a few canoeists.

Speaking of which, I had an interesting communication from a canoeist recently. Well, to call him a canoeist is somewhat inaccurate; canoeist-cum-climber would be nearer the mark or, better still, climber-cum-canoeist, as he was at the climbing long before the canoeing, being a member of the IMC since the beginning of the seventies. Anyone who was a Club member during the seventies, eighties or early nineties will remember Dave Walsh. He loomed large on the IMC scene, being heavily involved in climbing, mountaineering and hill-walking, as well as serving as Hut warden and Meets Sec. Dave is one of those rare birds, a climber who delights in putting up new routes. Take a look at the Malinbeg section of the Donegal guidebook, his name crops up regularly. Or, if you are climbing down in the Burren, look up Murroughkilly, he practically made it his own.

Nowadays he brings to canoeing the enthusiasm he once brought to climbing, but he hasn’t lost his eye for a good crag or climb. Why, he queried me, has no-one ever looked at Knockadoon Head on the Cork coastline? Well, the thing is, I had, but I had made a fundamental error. I had parked by the little harbour and took to the rocks along the shore and I wasn’t impressed by what I saw. Vegetated cliffs, capped by several meters of gravel and soil. I should have known better. I was coming at it from the wrong side. The very fact that the harbour was there should have been indication enough. I was approaching the Head from the sheltered side and shelter is the last thing you want on sea-cliffs. You need the scouring, cleansing power of the sea to provide clean, sound rock.

Using Dave’s directions I went back again on a wild day in February, when south-easterly gales were blowing spray thirty metres up the cliffs. Even so, I was delighted with what I saw.

I returned again in June, with Liam, and we put up eight routes, of up to Hard Severe in standard, and identified lots more possibilities, while sussing the crag out. I sent out the call in August and again a party of seven assembled, which, I am happy to report, included one of our newcomers, David Broderick, from Dungarvan. Shay and Fran came down on the Saturday morning and Peter, travelling over from Clonmel with Colm and John, provided the driving force. We recorded sixteen more routes, up to HVS 5a in difficulty, with everyone putting up at least one route. We lined up yet more for a future date. The rock is good, protection is excellent on most routes and the situation is delightful. Only five minutes from the car to the nearest climbs, yet the cliffs are well off the beaten track, and in a sunny, sheltered location.

Speaking of shelter, the low hills along the Wicklow coast are dissected at regular intervals by narrow, sheltered little valleys, ground out by glaciers in times long past. Many of these valleys contain steep rock outcrops of interest to climbers, as in The Bishop, Lover’s Leap, The Green Lizard and the Devil’s Glen, for example. In Britain, despite the fact that they have a wide selection of big crags to choose from, small outcrops such as these are highly valued, articles featuring them appearing regularly in the climbing magazines, and they are given their place in the overall scheme of things. Over here we tend to be more dismissive, which is a pity, as they can often offer an alternative to the wall during the winter months, or the higher crags during bad weather, and they are delightful places in their own right. Paddy O’Leary, a long-time resident of County Wicklow, has been doing a bit of searching around, and has come up with a couple of new outcrops not far from the N11, and they provided some enjoyable autumn days putting up new lines.

As August slipped into September the long dry spell continued, with hardly any let up. Liam and I have had our eye on some routes in Snowdonia for many a day so, with the weathermen threatening an end to the good weather, we made a snap decision at nine o’clock on a Monday night to have a go. We were on the boat the next morning. The track from Ogwen Cottage leading to the Idwal Slabs was buzzing with people as we walked up the valley in the afternoon sun. This area is habitually crowded with climbers and walkers, which is one of the reasons why I have always avoided it but, happily, the hordes were making their way out as we were coming in. There was only one other rope on the crag when we arrived. We set off up Tennis Shoe, one of the great Severes in Snowdonia, with no-one at our heels. As we moved up so too did the evening shadows, as the sun dropped behind the hill across the valley. Though the evening air was cool, the rock, having basked in the sun all day, exuded a gentle heat. It was not a day for rushing. We worked out way comfortably, steadily, up the six pitches, savouring the exposure and delicacy of the final crux pitch as we arrived at the perched block. The walk out was as pleasing as the climbing. The valley was deserted, in deep shadow, in deep silence. High above us the serrated summit ridge of Tryfan was bathed in golden light, every feature highlighted against the dark blue of the approaching night. It’s not often such peace and serenity can be found in such a popular area.

The following day we climbed on the north face of Lliwedd. The combination of Avalanche/Red Wall/Longlands Continuation provides a climb of almost 1000ft, finishing on top of the mountain, one of Snowdonia’s finest peaks. There was no-one ahead of us as we left the carpark at 9am and headed up the track for the hour-long walk-in. Receiving sunshine for only a short spell in the mornings, Lliwedd’s north face can be a cold, dank place at any time of year but, like everywhere else, it had benefited from the long hot summer and we had dry rock on all twelve pitches. We were tailed by two kindred spirits from Derbyshire, who, like Liam, were working their way through the climbs in "Classic Rock". They had tried this route before, but had retreated after spooking themselves out on the crux of the climb, a few poorly protected, thin moves high up on Red Wall, and were hoping to benefit from watching us tackle it. We left a couple of runners in for them, but they would have cracked it anyhow, as they were moving well.

The last pitch was one of the best, nice moves on perfect rock, made all the more pleasurable by the fact that it finished right on the summit, in bright sunshine. There was a stiff wind blowing from the south-west, a portent of change in the weather. It was, however, a warm wind, and it nudged us, pushed us, gently along the ridge as we made our leisurely way down at the end of a great mountain day.

Clogwyn Du Arrdu (better known as Cloggy) is Snowdonia’s most formidable cliff and, just like Lliwedd, is north-facing, a place to avoid in wet or cold weather. The 5-pitch VS, Great Slab, is one of the classics of the crag, one of the great mountain routes in Wales, and was our target for the following day. But it was not to be. The weather men got it right and we awoke to drizzling rain and cloud sitting down on The Pass. We debated whether Tremadog or Castell Helen at Gogarth might be outside the rain-shadow of the mountains, and opted for the latter. As we drove across Anglesey it looked like we might be lucky, but it was not to be. As we stood at the abseil point at the top of the cliff, sheets of fine rain came drifting in, putting an end to our plans. But not to our ambitions. We’ll be back.

The Artful Dodgers

Knockadoon

Knockadoon – The story so far

Knockadoon Head

West End Buttress

Mid-week Wall

3-Tier Slab

Sunday Slab

Sea-stack Cove

Cylinder Slab Area

Tower Slab W.

Tower Slab E.

Perfidious Albion