Cape Clear Island

Main Face

This 40 meters tall cliff provides some the best and longest lines of the island https://maps.app.goo.gl/3zG4E14n3BsjCXMz9.

The rock (sandstone) quality in the first 30 meters is excellent, but it does decrease exponentially toward the top. For the top anchors ground stakes are used as it is impossible to create natural rock anchors, except for the leftward corner (with your back to the sea) where a large boulder provides an excellent anchor. The wall is largely a positive angle slab, altough there are plenty of vertical sections. The style is mostly crack climbing. Climbs are listed from left to right looking into the wall (back to the sea).

The four climbs on the the Main Face, updated to June 2025

Cormorants and Shags 35 m VS 4b (De Bonis, G. Giunta May 2025)

This climb follows the left corner of the wall. The base of the climb is reached by abseiling from the large boulder found at the left end side of the wall. Once down, start from a small slopy ledge about 5 meters above the water (semi - hanging belay). Climb the slab just right of the corner, following a series of good cracks until you can move left onto the intermediate ledge (often covered in white guano). Once gained the ledge, it is wise to build an ancor and bring your second up as you will be out of view. Climb the second pitch by following the wall right of the corner, bridging left when necessary, and top out right under the abseil rope (move carefully in the last 5 meters as the rock is less than sound).

Cormorant direct*** 25 m HVS 5a/b (De Bonis, J. McDonald June 2025)

Abseil from the boulder at the left end of the wall to the last of the standing ledges below (circa 10 meters above the water). From the ledge, follow the two twin cracks running above you. Plenty of good gear and excellent hand jams get you to the top section. Once there, stay right of the light grey rock and aim towards the large quartz block above, which provides solid hands to top out.

Gannet** 38 m E1 5b (De Bonis, J. McDonald June 2025)

From the top of the base ledge, move diagonally up and left on small but solid feet (delicate) toward a good crack just to the right of the blunt arete. From there, using the crack and the arete climb up (crux) to a good rest. From there climb up following a series of good holds first right then left onto the halfway ledge. Stay right of the line of soft light grey rock and head to the top.

The Great Auk** 36 m VS 4c (De Bonis, G. Giunta May 2025)

The perfect starter line of the crag. From the main ledge, follow the wide hands crack that splits the middle of the wall (the first 15 meters take only size 3 cams, so either bring plenty of them or be ready to shuffle them up with you as you climb). Past the halfway ledge, climb slightly to the left as the main crack peters out, following a series of good pinches with your right hand.

Bill of Clear

At the western end of the island, the Bill of Clear is a twin pronged rocky headland of excellent sandstone, split by a blowhole cave. https://maps.app.goo.gl/bmEyhvdB4rTXXUdL6

Easy Peasy Corner Severe 16m.
D.Walsh, D.Doyle Sept. 1991
At the very end of the furthest jutting section, a modest scramble finds you below a clean cut corner. Its easier than it looks.

In Search of the Red Eyed Vireo VS 16m
D.Doyle and D.Walsh Sept.'91.
This is the crack veering right, on the right hand wall of "Easy Peasy". Start at the foot of the corner and go for the crux above the niche. Loads of gear.

Phalaropian Tube HS 20m.
D.Walsh, D.Doyle Sept. '91.
On the inside wall of the outer prong, at the entrance to the blowhole, facing the boilerplate slab, there are some airy ramps descending downwards. Here you'll find a crack and ramp system rending to the right. Start on the ledge at the foot of the crack and climb steeply up to a bulge in the ramp at 10m (crux). From here finish up the ramp.

The smaller of the two prongs gas a vertically cracked "boiler plate" slab with broken ground on the right. A bleak corner is found still further right, with two small ledges to the bottom and an overlap at 6m.

Snow Bunting Severe 35m.
D.Walsh, S. Barrett, D.Doyle. Sep.'91.
Start on the lower of the two ledges mentioned and climb diagonally up left by footledges to surmount the overlap at 6m. Skip to the left again for 2m to a crack on the extreme edge of the slab, then up the pockmarks to finish up the ramp at the top of the slab.

Fastnet Frolic HS 32m
D.Walsh, D.Doyle Sept.'91
Start as for "Snow Bunting" but go straight up from the first footledge. Continue on over the overlap and up the finger crack in the slab above to finish on the right-hand side of the slab, left of the fourth corner on the top.

Dig Out VS 33m.
D.Walsh, S.Barrett Sept.'91
Once again start from the lower ledge and climb directly up the steep wall into a shallow scoop at the overlap. Move up into the crux twin cracks to finish directly above the third corner.

Lesser Whitethroat Severe 20m.
D.Walsh, D. Doyle Sept.'91
This time from the higher ledges climb the broken slab/crack, steep at the start and finish, where you exit by the second corner.