The Playbank

Introduction

This is a narrow, scree-choked piece of low hillside which fell away leaving two cliffs facing one another across a sunken gap. Most of the climbing is on the north (south-facing) wall on which two pillars are obvious features. The crag is located on and approached across private property and is marked on the Tim Robinson map of the Burren. Turn inland (south) at the Bell Harbour junction towards Carran after 2km the Scailp can be seen on the right, turn right here

Access - A number of new houses have been built on the right hand side of the road and thus the access routes going through these properties and described in previous guidebooks will doubtless make you as welcome as cholera, a slightly circuitous route will need to be used. Continue up this road for 300m, there will be three houses on your left with tall trees outside them. Park at a layby outside the first of the three. Walk back towards the main road for 20m and then turn left up the farm track through a field. After the track enters a second field it will swing left/West, at this point turn right/East and clamber over limestone pavements until you meet a large wall and rough path. Follow the path and wall left/North to a gap at the top of the Scailp, about 15 minutes walk.

The routes are described from right to left bottom to top with the assistance of the obvious pillars.

GARGANTUAN 30m
S P. Gargan, D. Walsh, August 1980.
Start just right of the base of the first pillar on the left edge of the shallow depression. Keep left of the depression to gain a scruffy bay at half-height. Climb twin cracks to the top.

BYRNE UP ** 32m VS
D. Walsh, L. Byrne, May 1981.
The face of the first pillar. Start at the bottom of the pillar, directly under the huge overhang. Follow the obvious left-trending weakness to the bulge at 6m, which is turned on the left by a short awkward traverse (crux), and mantelshelf into a recess. Airily step back right above the bulge to a crack which is used to surmount the overhang above. Steep but easier ground to the top.

KAISERWETTER 20m E1 5b R. Eckerle, J. Hawkins, 15/2/94. Take the line of Byrne Up to the base of a large flake. Move right and up to a good jug above the flake and continue up the wall to a finger hold under the roof. Gain a jug on the outside of the roof and surmount this strenuously (crux). Continue easily to the top.

BURNING DOWN ** 23m HVS 5a S. Lyons, D. Walsh, 3/10/82. This is the direct start to Byrne Up. Climb the bulge direct to the clean-cut crack in the overhang.

DOMESTICITY * 13m VS D. Walsh, 4/8/83. Start from a prickly ledge left of holly trees and about 6m left of and above the first pillar (Byrne Up). Climb the shallow depression. Gain a jug handle on the top of the shield (crux) with caution.

CLEAR AND PHEASANT DANGER 20m E4 6a Kevin Power, Nigel Callender, January 2008. 

Climb crack (crux) for 6m until it runs out. Step left onto sloping ledge to arrange good gear. Pull back on right and climb through the bulge on good holds in somewhat suspect rock. Finish carefully up easy ground to the top.

Chesney E6 6b Kev Power, Damien O'Sullivan, Eoin Kennedy

Located as marked for 'Clear and Pheasant Danger' in the new burren guidebook. Sorry Peter, 'Clear and Pheasant Danger' is about 10m left, just left of the blue streak. Follow the obvious crack, gear is hard to place and the crack does not take friends well. Route was first led on pre-placed gear before being stripped and gear placed on lead.

HAMADRYAD * 23m VS S. Lyons, S. Barrett, D. Walsh, 29/5/83. Start 6m right of the second pillar, just right of a holly tree. Climb a shallow groove in the steep wall to the front of a left-facing corner with another two corners to finish.

LION'S SHARE ** 24m HVS 5a D. Walsh, S. Lyons, 8/5/83. The big corner on the face of the second pillar. Climb the initial bulge on the right wall. Step onto the left wall and continue up. Climb the overhang direct using high holds on the left. Finish up the wide crack on the right.

YER MAN 24m E1 5b K. Murphy, T. Ryan, 1983. The shattered face of the second pillar. Climb the bulge directly on poor rock.

ROWAN 13m MS D. Walsh, P. Gargan, August 1980. Left of and above the second pillar there is a large ash tree. This route starts behind the tree and slightly to its right. Ascend to the large spike on the right which is used to escape around the corner (right) to a bay just left of a holly tree. Climb the right-facing corner above (crux)

BLACK BOY'S GROOVE * 13m VS D. Walsh, S. Barrett, 29/5/83. Start as for Rowan. Surmount the overhang directly above to a pulpit at the foot of a V-groove. Jam the groove above using a hold on the left arête (crux). Low in the grade.

WHITE BOY'S GROOVE * 13m HS D. Walsh, S. Dempsey, 19/6/83. 2m left of Black Boy's Groove behind the ash tree. The climb takes the crack/groove parallel to and immediately left of Black Boy's Groove. Well protected but sustained.

DEMOLITION EXPERT 13m S S. Dempsey, D. Walsh, 19/6/83. Start left of White Boy's Groove immediately below a holly tree. Follow the crack to exit on the right of the holly tree.

ROOTY ROUTE * 13m VS D. Walsh, S. Dempsey, 19/6/83. Start behind and to the left of the ash tree under and to the left of the holly tree in the wall above. Climb by small ledges on the wall to gain a handhold on the right at the back of the little sloping ledge above, trending left up past the holly tree and exit by a strange move on the small wall above on the left of the holly tree.

PADDY AND RED 13m HS D. Walsh, P. Redmond, September 1980. The ivy-choked corner at the extreme left and above the small wall behind the ash tree. Strenuously escape left by the wide crack at the top of the corner.

TOP DOG ** 12m S P. Duggan, D. Walsh, 3/10/82. In a bay to the right of the descent route on the right-hand side of the scalp where a small wall looks back down the scalp. Climb the obvious wide crack/blocks on the steep wall using footholds on the left to exit on top. Strenuous.

Left of and around the corner from Top Dog there is a cracked wall with good quality rock The activity history of this wall has included top roping, abseiling and caving rope practise by the local adventure centre but no recorded leader led routes, until now!

Routes are listed and drawn from right to left

The divil and all 15m D Barry Watts, Conor Warner, 20th October 2019. Start as for Dr Teeth and then traverse for 10m around the overhanging prow, finish easily up leftwards.

Topcat 8m S Barry Watts, Conor Warner, 20th October 2019. Climb the wide overhanging cracks.

Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem 10m VD Barry Watts, Conor Warner, 21/9/2019. The next crack to the right of Benn Act.

Benn Act 7m D Barry Watts, Conor Warner, 20th October 2019. Climb the wall and crack 3m right of the corner, start off the lower level.

Lundy at the Gate 8m VD Barry Watts, Conor Warner, 20th October 2019. Climb the corner right of That's What She Said.

That's What She Said, VS 5b C. Mogensen, W. Ezzeddine, October 2008.

Climbs the cracks of the dry east facing wall and finishes up between the wide crack at the top, or (more interestingly) up the overhang to the left. Requires fist jams, hand jams, finger locks and other fun techniques! Well protected.

Intergalactic Vice 8m D Barry Watts, Conor Warner, 20th October 2019. Takes the prow left of That's What She Said starting on the right.

Enya plays the bongos 8m S Barry Watts, Conor Warner, 20th October 2019. Left of Intergalactic Vice there is a cracked wall, this takes the left hand side of the wall finishing up a thin vertical crack, the crux is at the top but is well protected.

Legspreader S 4a First recorded ascent D.Tully, I.Carter, October 2008 First climbed as "Sister Act" by S Walsh, O Walsh, D Walsh, 29th May 1999.

Opposite wall to main climbing routes located about 30m down into the crag on the right hand side. Opposite "Top Dog".

Climb the right hand crack up till you reach the horz crack then traverse across to follow the large crack on the left to the top, tricky traverse but good protection. Very slippy when wet.

SKYWARD * 10m MS D. McMahon, D. Walsh, 3/10/82. Start on the north-facing wall at the top of the scalp at an obvious scimitar-shaped crack curving leftward to finish at a prominent ash tree. Opposite Paddy And Red. Enter the crack from the right. The first move is the hardest.

SKEW-WAYS 13m S D. Walsh, C. Brogan, 3/6/84. Start underneath the top of Skyward. Climb the nose on high handholds. Break out left as soon as possible to the crack. Follow this to the top. Strenuous.

BVM * 13m S D. Walsh, C. Brogan 3/6/84. The grotto 6m left of Skyward. Climb into the grotto. Climb the crack until it is possible to use the arête on the left. Strenuously over the top.