Dal Riada Climbing Club

Martin Daly on the first ascent of Shattered Innocence, August 1994

The Fairhead Climbing Meet is organised by the Dal Riada Climbing Club, hosted by the McBride family and supported by Mountaineering Ireland. The aim of the meet is to bring the climbing community together to enjoy the world class climbing at Fairhead.

The meet has been running for years. It was initially organised by the Dal Riada Climbing Club. Paul Swail then took over and made the meet into the event it now is. When Paul moved to France to work as a Mountain Guide (check out his website – Paul Swail Mountain Guide) he handed the meet back to the club.

The Fairhead Climbing Meet is a weekend-long event. Typically climbers arrive on the Friday afternoon and climb on Saturday, Sunday & Monday.

The meet is open to all climbers who have the skills, knowledge and experience to be able to climb at Fairhead – both on the trad routes and boulders. The climbing aspect of the meet revolves around the both trad climbing and bouldering. Climbers choose where to go and what to do themselves.

Fairhead is an amazing climbing location. The crag itself runs for 5km, towering up to 100m high in places. The rock is dolerite that forms into striking columns & cracks that provide abundant opportunities for trad protection. Between the crag and the sea is an expansive boulder field with problems of all grades.

The social aspect of the meet centres around the talks at the barn. In recent years there have been two talks, one on Friday evening and one on Saturday evening. The talks usually start around 9:00pm. The cost of entry to the talks is covered by your ticket.

Camping is generously provided on the McBride family farm, the cost of which is covered by your ticket. For climbers Fairhead is a place to visit and climb. For the McBride family and the other families in the area it’s home. The Explore Fairhead website has an excellent history section that will give you a deeper appreciation of the place: Explore Fairhead.

GET YOUR TICKET FOR THE MEET

Acknowledgment of Inherent Risks and Consent to Participate

Climbing – trad climbing, bouldering and related activities – at Fairhead are activities associated with inherent risks, including the potential for personal injury or even death.

While we have taken every reasonable precaution to minimise these risks, it is essential that you as event participants are fully aware of, understand and accept these risks.

By choosing to participate in the Fairhead Climbing Meet, you confirm that:

You are aware of the inherent risks involved in Climbing – trad climbing, bouldering and related activities at Fairhead.
You understand the potential for personal injury or harm despite precautions taken.
You voluntarily assume these inherent risks with a clear understanding of their nature.
You willingly accept the responsibility for any consequences, including injury, resulting from your participation at the event.

It is important that you have a readiness and ability to engage safely in the climbing and bouldering and that you respect the safety of other participants.
Your commitment to acknowledging these risks and accepting responsibility reflects a shared commitment to safety and a responsible climbing gathering.

Please acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree with the above by responding appropriately to the corresponding question when purchasing your ticket.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions about the meet that haven’t been covered please get in contact by email: fairheadclimbingmeet@gmail.com

What does the ticket cover?

The ticket covers camping for three nights – Friday night, Saturday and Sunday night – and admission to the talks on Friday night and Saturday nights.

Is there parking? Do I need to pay for it?

There is parking available at the McBride’s farm. If you are attending for the full weekend the cost of this is covered by your ticket. If you are attending only for the evening talks we ask that you pay for your parking using the honesty box provided in the farmyard, cash only.

Will there be toilets?

Yes – there will be portaloos but bring your own toilet roll 🙂

What about rubbish?

You should bring all your own rubbish home with you.

What about if I want to arrive earlier or stay longer?

Good choice. For camping outside the Friday night, Saturday night, or Sunday night of the meet you can pay the McBrides directly by using the honesty box in the Fairhead Carpark. For more info please go to the Explore Fairhead website

I won’t be camping but I still want to attend the meet?

No problem, you can just get the ‘Talk Only’ tickets. These tickets will be released at a larger stage. You will need to pay for parking, for more info go to the Explore Fairhead website

How much climbing experience is needed?

The meet is very much a friendly event, however both the trad and bouldering areas require a high level of competence in order to climb safely. We strongly recommend having a lot of experience at other crags. If tagging along with a friend, we recommend confirming their experience prior to booking.

I have climbed at other crags, is this suitable for me?

Fairhead is a wild and adventurous crag even for seasoned trad climbers – this is what makes it so appealing to us climbers! The easiest routes in Fairhead begin at VS and even those pack a punch of adventure. Multi-pitch skills are ESSENTIAL along with excellent understanding of good crag safety.

Where can I get a guidebook?

There are two guidebooks for Fairhead, one for the trad routes and another for bouldering.

You can get a copy of the trad climbing guidebook from Mountaineering Ireland. Here’s the link: Fairhead Rockclimbing Guidebook

You can get a copy of the bouldering guidebook from Rob & Veronica of MYTherapy: Here’s the link: Fairhead Bouldering Guide – scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Both guidebooks can also be purchased from some climbing walls and outdoor shops.

I haven’t climbed at Fairhead before where can I get more info?

There a bunch of really good places to get more information:

Explore Fairhead
The Explore Fairhead websites has loads of really useful and interesting information about Fairhead – check out the history section. Here’s the link: Explore Fairhead

Hike & Climb
Ambrose Flynn is a climbing instructor, his company is Hike & Climb. Ambrose has put together some really good information for a climber visiting Fairhead for the first time. Here’s the link: FAIRHEAD – A GUIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME VISITOR

Irish Climbing Wiki
The online guide on the Climbing.ie website has information on most route. Here’s the link: Fairhead – Irish Climbing Wiki

Can I attend the meet if I can only boulder?

The meet is open to all providing you are experienced in the area of the type of climbing you wish to do. We do not recommend visiting if you have never bouldered outside before.

Can climbers under the age of 18 attend the meet?

Climbers under the age of 18 can only attend the meet if they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and the parent or guardian is a competent climber themselves.

Please remember that the talks on Friday night and Saturday night may contain content that is not suitable for younger people.

Are there any routes that I should avoid?

We recommend that you avoid the following fifteen routes as they are loose and dangerous.
1. Clarion
2. Darth Vader Lives
3. Green Corner
4. Serem
5. Coaster
6. Samhna
7. ESP
8. Viking
9. Puritan
10. Muck Savage
11. Manannan
12. Off Cuts
13. Dusty Rhodes
14. Emmanuel
15. Soulful Eyes

Can I bring my dog?

You are requested not to bring your dog to the meet. The meet takes place on a working farm where there are sheep present.

STAYING SAFE

The climbing at Fairhead is amazing. Both the routes and boulders are world class. It is however a serious place to climb, and over the years a number of climbers have been injured at the meet. Ultimately, it’s up to each climber to keep themselves safe. Do however keep an eye out for each other.

Here’s a list of some top tips to stay safe at the meet:

DON’T CONGREGATE AT THE BOTTOM OF ROUTES – If a climber above you drops some gear or knocks off a rock you’ll be directly in the firing line.
CHOOSE YOUR ROUTE WISELY – Consider how much you have been climbing outdoors in the past few months. You might be cruising the routes at the wall, but could be rusty when it comes to outdoor routes. Give yourself time to knock the rust off! Also avoid any of the routes listed in the FAQ section.
BUILD REALLY GOOD ANCHORS – Before committing to an abseil make sure that the anchor is really good. If it’s an abseil rope that’s already there check it – assume nothing!
TIE A KNOT IN THE END OF ABSEIL ROPES – Some of the abseils are up to 100m long, tie a knot in the end of the rope!
WEAR A HELMET – There are some loose blocks around.
USE A PRUSSIK – When abseiling use a Prussik.
PLACE GEAR – Place gear and place it well!
HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN – Consider how you will get off a route, and how you’ll get back to the top if you have to walk out. Remember that a walk out from the middle of the crag will be challenging.
CHOOSE YOUR PROBLEM WISELY – When bouldering consider the difficulty, style and height of the problem.
SCOPE OUT THE DESCENT – Make sure that you can get off the boulder safely.
HAVE ENOUGH MATS – Some of the problems are tall and the landings can be uneven, make sure you have enough mats to cushion your fall.
HAVE ENOUGH SPOTTERS – Good spotters can really be a benefit, make sure you have enough, and that they know your plan.

Back in the autumn of 1976 when there were still haycocks in the field at the McBrides’ farm, a small group of Fairhead regulars were delighted, and grateful, to be able to call this cottage their hut. They cleared out the manure, stuck polythene in the windows and settled in beside the fire. And then the talk turned to forming a new club. A club meant lifts for the weekend, partners to climb with and chats over pints.

They called the club Dal Riada (Ree-a-dah) and the yearly membership requirement was set at 10 VS leads, though some of that original group – Ken Higgs, Tom Ryan, Dermot Somers, Sé Billane, Calvin Torrans and Clare Sheridan – were doing so many new climbs that 10 new routes each year was suggested.

Club members put up all the classic E1s and E2s on the Prow in 1976, along with big routes like Salango and An Bealach Runda, and went on to explore cliffs in Sligo and the Burren. Now, almost 50 years later, that passion for adventurous climbing is as strong as ever among Dal Riada club members. And they still love to chat over pints.

Membership of the club is open to all climbers who can provide a list of at least ten trad routes graded VS or higher that have been led in the past year. This requirement is to ensure that all club members are experienced and competent.

The club is affiliated to Mountaineering Ireland, and as such all members must be a paid up member of Mountaineering Ireland. Members can choose to pay their membership of Mountaineering Ireland through Dal Riada Climbing Club, through another club, or as an individual.

The club offers three membership types; Full member, Youth member and Associate Member. The total membership fee is made up of a €20 fee for Dal Riada Climbing club, plus the fee payable to Mountaineering Ireland.

Full Membership is for people who are over the age of 26, and who are NOT members of Mountaineering Ireland through another club or as an individual member. The total cost of Full Membership is €58.00, we retain €20.00, pay €38.00 to Mountaineering Ireland for your Mountaineering Ireland membership.

Youth Membership is for people who are under the age of 26, and who are NOT members of Mountaineering Ireland through another club or as an individual member. The total cost of Full Membership is €44.00, we retain €20.00, and pay €24.00 to Mountaineering Ireland for your Mountaineering Ireland membership.

Associate Membership is for people who are members of Mountaineering Ireland through another club or as an individual member. The total cost of Associate Membership is €20.00, we retain the €20.00, no funds are transferred to Mountaineering Ireland as you are already a member.

If you would like to join the club, please get in contact by sending an email to: dalriadaclimbing@gmail.com.