Mirror Wall and the Burren
Refraction (E5 6a) on the Mirror Wall, Ireland. Photo: John McCune
Was it all a dream? Was that really two sunny weeks of great trad climbing in Ireland?
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Parked beneath Céüse in France, rain smeared the van windows. Christelle and I had two weeks of precious holiday, but the forecast was bleak - even Spain and Greece were wet. “Where is the good weather?” I said. Surprisingly, an enormous high pressure was camped over Ireland and the UK.
Thanks to Irish friends like John McCune and Paul Swail, and cult films such as Underdeveloped, I’ve been wanting to return to Ireland for many years. Fair Head and Owey had made strong impressions on me. “If I use my one flight of the year, it’s got to be somewhere good,” Christelle said. “Bingo!” I replied. “How about the Mirror Wall?”
Two days later, we grinned into the setting sun as we drove our rental car towards Galway. Leaving the rain and stealing across Ireland felt like we’d made an escape.
Pitching our tent on the top of the crag, we lived out of the rental car and climbed to our hearts’ content. Starting on the classics, Christelle and I relished in the joys of trad climbing, particularly above the sea. The Burren’s smooth, vertical walls are dramatic and impressive. I like the clean-cut nature of the crag: you’re either climbing, or you’re sat on the grass at the top, leaning over, the updraft in your hair. Biting cracks mince your fingers but they eat up gear. The Aran Islands, just offshore, act as the weather forecast. The passing of time is marked by the sea as it slowly rises and falls throughout the day.
We picked routes based on how they looked and friends recommendations. Hopping along the boulders, (occasionally finding a wobbler), we’d flake the ropes and check out the starting moves of each pitch. Once climbing, the world shrank to the next moves and searching for gear. Wiggling in a wire and swapping my feet on a good edge, I’d spend a few minutes trying to find the best placement. Satisfied, I’d plan my next sequence, shout down to Christelle, and then go for it. Flopping onto the grass at the top of the crag, leaning over and shouting “saaaaafe,” I’d watch a bus-load of tourists waddle to the cliff edge, take a photo, and leave. Day after day, totally content, we’d rinse and repeat.
I think a good test of a crag’s quality is whether it’s worth the journey. Ours was particularly long, and we left the world-famous crags of France, but Christelle raved about the climbing as much as I did. She quickly worked through the grades again, ticking classics like Siren (E3 5c), and then smoothly headpointing Eliminator (E5 6a). I was also impressed to see so many other climbers; we’d bump into folk almost every day, locals and visitors alike.
Another strong feature of the crag is its westerly aspect: late starts and memorable sunsets. When we’d fried our arms, we’d sit on the grass and cook dinner, watching the sun paint the world gold and melt into the sea. On rest days we only needed to drive a few kilometres to Fanore, fill up on water and get a cold shower at the beach. Guinness, trad sessions, and swims kept us entertained. Life was simple and idyllic. We were exactly where we wanted to be, longed for nothing, and could climb as much as we like. The joys of great weather! To be honest, there was a short downpour but it was on our rest day, so we barely noticed. And we could’ve visited the Aran Islands, but we were enjoying the Burren so much…
A few climbs were particularly memorable. The Jelly Situation was a great Deep Water Solo, and is quite high at the top. I checked it out on a rope, then did it the next day. Pretty much every E5 and E6 was brilliant, from face climbs like Ice Queen and Refraction to the techy Stigmata and Sharkbait. Although I didn’t onsight Very Big Springs (E7 6b), I got it after some huffing and puffing. And on the last day of the trip I went for an optimistic lead attempt of Snell’s Law (E7 6c) but fell in the crux. At least it’s good to have something to come back for.
Some trips, everything just works out. The weather was great, the climbing was fantastic, and life was simple. Driving back towards Dublin airport with sunburnt cheeks and tired arms at the end of our trip, I felt very happy and satisfied. The Burren is a special, quiet place, and we’d had a blast. I hope others enjoy the magic of this crag too.
