Updated Cave topo

Gravity Climbing Centre

Who's excited about Gravity?
Seeing as I haven't climbing indoors for a few years and its miles from my house I'm not particularly. Having said this I think it will probably have a profound impact on the irish bouldering scene, probably serving as a HQ of sorts. The impact of the co-ops is plain to see. Plenty of people getting out regularly, all friends. At least it seems to be, I spend most of my climbing time solo.

Will there be a defection from the co-ops to Gravity? Will Gravity kill the co-ops? It would be a pity if it did but its probably an inevitable step. Maybe the pity is that the co-ops didn't spring up 10 years ago.

I just looked through their website and I noticed that they haven't explicitly said that it will be a bouldering wall - as opposed to a roped wall. I'm assuming it is bouldering only. I wonder how this will go down with the non-climbing masses?

I look forward to checking it out. I hope that they will host a round of the IBL. Be interested to hear the prices.

Glenmalure

The plan was to go into the North Prision so Lee could show me around but we where told "under no circumstances" could that happen. Instead we drove around Lug to Glenmalure. The day which had been looking like rain got warmer and sunnier and stiller. Tried everything on the excellent Ballinafushogue Boulder but were repelled by hot rock and midge. Great boulder, plenty of climbing on it.

We then headed further down the road and scrambled up the north side of the hill to check out a roof we spotted. It turned out very nice. Steep and about 9foot to the first lip. Lee did 2 problems on it. Both with fairly involved topouts. There is an amazing project - similar but much better than Switch in The Scalp - to be done. Crimp, very steep, body tension finished with a slap to the slopey lip (you can see the line it take up the wall beside Lee's left foot).

There is more to be done up here.  This only doing new stuff thing is going pretty well.

Frustration

So near yet so far.

3 days on Camaderry

Wandered around the slopes of Camaderry on Thursday. Came back on Friday with Ped and Diarmuid and our camping stuff.  Walked up from the hotel via the zigzags opposite the IMC hut and along the broad ridge leading to Camaderry East. Camped on the ridge and had a fire. Next day made out way back to the car via the mining village in Glendasan.  We climbed a few new problems. There is plenty of rock up there but not a huge amount of bouldering.

I did this arete. Pretty straighforward. 

Dropping into the cliffs on Saturday morning.

The rounded slab. There is another line on edges up the right hand side.

Ped trying the crack. Harder than it looks, the finish would need a good clean.

Diarmuid on the blank finish to the best line we found.

Another view of the line. The SS has nice moves on great slopers.

Ped after laybacking the crack.

The line of holds is clearly visible here. Ped flashed a line to the right of the rib.

Diarmuid climbed the slab on this boulder. I also cleaned the arete on the other side but it was a bit too hard for us

Glencree - Cloon

Was walking around Crone last week and I spotted two boulders on the other side of the valley surrounded by new plantings. Went up with Hazel to check them out and there was two nice very white pretty clean granite boulders. Went back yesterday with my shoes and did two slab problems and the arete. The right slab was harder than I expected, being very blank and quite steep. It would be a nice challenge from somone with a gra for hardish blank smeary slabs. I know that no one is probably ever going to go there but I'm going to document it anyway just for completeness.


 Left boulder
1, Font 5, left side of slab, tricky start.
2, Font 4+, right side of slab.

Right boulder
3, Font 5, nice arete keeping right all the way.
4, Project, rounded rib to the right. No holds.


 Checked out a cluster of boulders further up the hillside but they were all too small. And I finally got to check out that quarry that has been in the back of my mind for years. Interesting place probably no climbing as such. There was a niceish vertical back wall that was a bit seepy but if it was somewhere like Dalkey it would be riddled with traverses and highball up problems

Map here http://goo.gl/maps/a6M8

Glanekeera

Went for a walk up and around Turlough Hill and Glanekeera today. Weather was cracking with a decent cold breeze so it never got too hot. Walked up the road from Wicklow Gap to the top. I can confirm there is no bouldering in the quarry. Further north along the ridge are some outcrops and a few boulders, the boulders are ok there might be one or two decent problems.  The right arete on the below photo looks good and the landing is flat.

The north facing outcrop has a few easy slabby highballs on it and the one facing west has at least one nice project - the line a meter or two from the right arete has an easy start and a steep blank finish. Part of the reason I went there was to see if the ground would be dry after this drought we are experiencing. It was pretty dry but you would still need a tarp.

I went on to Lough Firrib and followed the tiny stream that flows north out of the lake. This is Upper Glanekeera, the valley is huge and packed with rock, mostly outcrops but some boulders. After around 5 minutes I turned a corner to see this steep and sharp fin of rock with some huge jugs on it. Amazing line. There was holds all the way, it didn't look that hard and I got it first proper go. Brilliant moves. As good a problem as any of it's grade (5 maybe). An hour from the car though.




I had savage blisters at this stage, I think my socks were too thin for my leather boots. I was planning to go all the way down the valley but decided to cut across the river to the ESB road. Saw some nice stuff that I will defo go back for.

The above boulder/outcrop was around 30 feet high. The bottom overhangs alot. There is a lack of holds but someone might work something out. The ground was pretty marshy even after this dry spell so it would be a pond most winters. The rock was pretty dirty as well but this is one serious boulder. If there were a few more holds it would be a contender for a Spectre type problem.

Its a huge valley and it would take more than a day to explore it.