Eagles Rock
Introduction
The East face of Sliabh Cairn is an enormous vegetated cliff which runs north, curves east and then back north again at a lower level. The crag is just before this last bend and is the clean-looking section visible from the south.
From Kinvara, take the first left and drive to Cappaghmore crossroads. Go straight on for about 2.5km and take the right fork which leads for 1.5km to a parking place on the right
Parking at 53.076307,-8.998787 (https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.076307,-8.998787,3a,90y,351.9h,83.74t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s5QyKvsgTIUV4L2x6re6wxg!2e0).
Crag location: https://goo.gl/maps/3u9yoR1N6xUFUehv5
Cross by the stile and walk along the stone wall for 0.5km. At this point the crag can be seen up ahead amongst hazel and ash trees (15mins). Here the path crosses the wall and heads in the direction of the Sliabh Carran – this leads to the early monastic settlement of Saint Coleman MacDuach which is well worth visiting. Instead of following the path, keep along side the stone wall for another 0.5km. Cross through the hazel copse, and gently ascend through mossy limestone escarpments to the base of the crag.
SCALYFACE 12m MS
D. Walsh, D. Doyle, J. Hobbs, 15/4/78.
Start about 100m left of and above The Cardinal at the top of the wide scree slope. The route takes the obvious steep square left-facing corner.
PRIMA VERA 12m HS 4b
D. Walsh, D. Doyle, J. Hobbs, 15/4/78.
On the face outside and to the right of Scalyface, 2m right of the corner immediately under the wide vertical crack at 6m. Gain the wide crack by the steep wall and surmount a wobbly block by a strenuous pull up (crux).
SMEAGOL 28m VD
L. Byrne, C. Kavanagh, 12/5/78.
About 50m left of and above The Cardinal on the left end of the main buttress and 5m left of a dark overhanging corner there is a wall which is split by a wide crack which narrows at half height. Start just left of the crack.
(1) 20m Climb mainly on flakes, trending leftwards until forced to step into the small bay at the left-hand edge. Again onto the wall and climb directly to the top.
(2) 8m Finish up the short wall immediately above the belay.
HARTBURN 20m S
L. Byrne, D. Walsh, 27/8/78.
Start just right of Smeagol at the base of the wide crack.
(1) Move up on the right-hand side of the crack. Surmount the steep wall where the crack narrows before entering the widening crack (groove) above and following this directly to the top. Belay well back as for Smeagol.
(2) Finish up pitch 2 of Smeagol.
GOLLUM 20m MS
L. Byrne, C. Kavanagh, 12/5/78
Start just right of Hartburn.
(1) Climb the shallow groove to a point immediately below a prominent rightward-trending crack on the final wall. Step up and out left to gain the steep wall which is then followed to finish at the top.
(2) Finish up pitch 2 of Smeagol.
View of JOHN PAUL 1, GARLIC and THE CARDINAL
JOHN PAUL 1 * 20m VS 4c
D. Walsh, L. Byrne, 27/8/78.
Start about 1m left of The Cardinal at the foot of a crack. Climb the crack for 6m to a niche. Climb the slanting wall on the left above by laybacking until it is possible to escape left (crux) below the overhang onto a wall. Gain the corner above and follow it to the top.
GARLIC ** 21m HVS 5b
J. Flanagan, D. Walsh, 2/6/86.
Start as for the Cardinal and take the steep right-trending crack in the main wall right of John Paul 1. Bridge out to a pinnacle when surmounting the overhang on top. Solid and well protected.
THE CARDINAL ** 21m HS 4a
D. Walsh, M. Daly, P. Gargan, 30/6/74.
Start at the bottom left of the obvious detached pinnacle which is the main feature of the crag. Climb the short slab to the obvious chimney and climb the chimney until it is possible to step around the corner onto the ledge on the right. From the end of the ledge climb up to the base of the vertical flake. Hand traverse the flake (strenuous) for 3m until it is possible to mantelshelf. Descend by either abseiling from the insitu slings or make a long step onto the short slab on the main face.
Direct Finish-The Papal Move
D. Walsh, 2/6/86.
Don't hand traverse, airily pull straight up.
KINVARA DIRECT E6 6c.
Kevin Power. 8th June 2008.
Climb the overhanging crack that splits the front of the pillar. It was worked on top-rope prior to ascent, gear is hard to place, hence the grade.
ROWSBY WOOF * 24m VS
D. Walsh, F. Clarke, 12/5/78.
Start on the right side of the pinnacle below and right of The Cardinal. The crux is the initial overhang. Climb the crack above. Finish up the slab to the top of the pinnacle or the more attractive direct finish.
Direct Finish G. Smyth, 1982. Up the right-facing corner on the face behind. The crux is the escape move, strenuous.
TURD 23m VD
D. Walsh, M. Daly, P. Gargan, 30/6/74.
No longer relevant except as a descent or to give easy access to the summit of the pinnacle. Scramble up vegetation, bearing left to the slab on the top of the pinnacle, make a long step left into a letterbox foothold and climb the clean slab to the top.
FAERY WOG DOG * 13m S
D. Walsh, F. Clarke, 12/5/78.
Right of the detached pinnacle the left-facing corner on the main face left of Scoop. To start scramble up 16m of gunge to the right of the pinnacle. Start climbing beside a tree and go up the leftward-slanting groove to a ledge at 6m. Bridge up the steep corner above (crux).
SCOOP * 26m S
S. Barrett, D. Walsh, (alternate leads), May 1983.
The banana-shaped groove high above Base Camp (see diagram). Start in a cave below a short wall.
(1) Climb the short steep wall above, exiting to the left, and belay at the foot of the overhanging crack beside the flake.
(2) Using the flake gain the horizontal crack in the steep wall which enables you to move left into the start of the scoop. Climb this clean groove more easily to the top.
Direct Start
J. Flanagan, 2/6/86.
Enter the second pitch direct. Grade unchanged.
PIECE OF CAKE * 25m S
G. Moss, E. Hackett, 2/6/86.
Start just right of the first pitch of Scoop.
(1) Climb the left-trending crack in the rounded prow just left of the second pitch of Eyrie. Belay as for Eyrie.
(2) Climb the cracked wall right of the second pitch of Scoop, left of the third pitch of Eyrie.
BLACK DIAMOND NAIL CLIPPERS 40m HS 4b
D. Fahey, L. Kinnucane, 05/07/21
(1) Climb the chimney hidden behind the tree, 5m left of the start of EYRIE. Climb behind the large chock stone and up to the same belay stance as the second pitch of EYRIE.
(2) Walk back approx 5m and climb the prow at the corner just before Scoop. Nice holds on the arete to the left and gear in a crack to the right. Gain the easy slab and make an anchor in the wide hand crack above.
(3) Climb the face between vertical cracks with two horizontal breaks. Possibly the same as the second pitch of piece of cake?
EYRIE * 40m HS 4b
A. Douglas, D. Walsh, 26/11/72.
Start at the obvious off-width crack between a large block and the main face well below and right of the pinnacle at the lowest point of the crag.
(1) Climb the crack (5m) to a stance below the overhang. Traverse 2m left and climb the chimney to the top of the second block.
(2) Step steeply onto the slab on small holds (crux - well protected) and turn the overhang then up to the belay.
(3) Easy left-trending crack to finish.
THE SLASHER 7m VS 4b
S. Peel, G. Moss, 2/6/86.
A worthwhile harder way to finish Eyrie. Start 6m right of the third pitch of Eyrie on the same ledge and jam up the crack.
FIRST CONTACT 7m HVS 5b
L. Kinnucane, D. Fahey 05/07/21
Approx 100m right of Eyrie, a face split in two by a horizontal crack at 4m. Climb two parallel vertical finger cracks to the horizontal break, escape right to the corner next to the block and small dead tree. place protection and use the wider crack on the upper section to finish
The next three climbs are in a triangular bay 100m right of Base Camp.
TALON 15m MS
D. McMahon, G. Smyth, 1982.
Start at the bottom of the vegetated groove on the left of the bay. Climb up to the vertical crack immediately to its left. Climb the crack and finish to the left of a small tree.
BEAK 15m D
D. McMahon, G. Smyth, 1982.
Start as for Talon. The climb takes the corner crack with two trees growing in it to the left of Talon. This is gained by a diagonal crack.
WING 15m D
D. McMahon, G. Smyth, 1982.
Start 1m to the right of the vegetated groove. Climb straight up the Y-shaped crack and follow its left branch to a ledge. Continue straight up, finishing to the right of a small tree.
