- Ailladie
Ailladie is an area on the coast of
The Burren inCounty Clare ,Ireland , which is one of Ireland's most highly-regardedrock-climbing locations. It is also a popular location for beach-angling competitions, and, with itscliff s and view of Aran, is a popular photography stop for tourist coaches travelling through west Clare. It is situated between the villages ofFanore to the north, andDoolin to the south.Climbing
The
crag is a sea-cliff, about half of which sits above a big rock platform known to climbers as the Dancing Ledges and is therefore always accessible; the other half is accessible byboulder -hopping at low tide, or byabseil , sometimes usinghanging belay s.The rock is
limestone , of good clean quality. Its texture varies from smooth, in the few small areas recently exposed byrockfall , to a sharppopcorn texture which provides excellent friction. Most climbs follow steep finger-crack lines, and protection is usually good. The current guidebook, published in 1997, lists about 160 climbs, nearly all single-pitch, with grades up to E6 6c, although there have been new climbs added up to E7 6c which will be in the new guide due to be published in 2008. Most climbs are in the medium-to-high grades; there is little quality climbing below VS grade.The climbing potential of this cliff was discovered in 1972, when it was visited by a group of
Dublin climbers. Word of its quality quickly spread, and development began in earnest. Since then, Ailladie has remained at the cutting edge of Irish climbing, while also being perennially popular with medium-grade climbers.Visiting climbers usually either camp in the fields above the crag, or stay at one of the many
hostel s in the surrounding villages. There are several inland crags suitable for climbing, especially in the easier grades, within walking or short driving distance of Ailladie; however, these do not have the quality or popularity of Ailladie.References
* Calvin Torrans and Clare Sheridan (editors), "Climbing Guide to The Burren" (Mountaineering Council of Ireland, 1997) ISBN 0-902940-12-0
* Peter Owens, "Climbs in the Burren and Aran Islands" (Mountaineering Council of Ireland, 2008)
External links
* [http://www.climbing.ie/counties/clare.html#ailladie Irish Climbing On-line] - Ailladie and other Clare crags
* [http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&om=1&z=14&ll=53.073093,-9.354858&spn=0.038417,0.072012&t=k Google Maps] - Satellite view of Ailladie
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