Mall Hill
Printed guidebook available here
This granite outcrop is located on the west side of Glenmacnass (O120003). It is sheltered and low-lying, catches the sun and is within 20 minutes of and can be seen from the road Locally the name is pronounced Moyle Hill.
Park at a forest entrance (the forest is gone but the entrance is there still) on the east side of the Military Road about 3km below Glenmacnass waterfall and about 5km from Laragh (O124005). Walk south along the road for almost 400m and turn right to a gated private bridge. Traverse on the outside, upstream side of the bridge to cross the river. Do not intrude into the grounds of the house.
Turn right on the opposite bank and follow the river (crossing the unnamed stream which flows from the south side of Mall Hill) to Coillte lands. The outcrop is visible on the lower slopes of Mall Hill.
The outcrop is steep and slabby with a network of cracks and a large overhang and is generally dry during the climbing season.
Download topos at Mall Hill
1 MOUSE TRAP 13m HVS (5b)
Starts near the upper left-hand side of the crag at a narrow ramp and a short vertical crack below a horizontal overlap. Gain a stance in the crack with difficulty and make a hurried traverse to the left to easier ground. Finish up near the left side of the slab above.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 17/8/2003
1 (a) THE SLAGGER 13m S 4a
Start under the gully and midway between Mousetrap and Raindrops Start Falling.
Climb a shallow crack to a horizontal crack. Follow this left to the
groove which leads rightwards to a vegetated ledge. Finish up
the gully above.
J. Armstrong, A. Yarrow, 12/4/2009
2 RAINDROPS START FALLING 18m VS (4b/c)
Start beneath the v-shaped crack system directly below the left side of the overhang. Climb up via the crack to the arête and work around this to gain a foot ledge on its left side before swinging out right onto the open face. Finish up near its left edge with some difficulty.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 17/8/2003
3 PORT OF CALL 18m HVS (5a)
Start as for Raindrops Keep Falling and climb directly to an obvious crack in the overhang near its left side. Use the crack to gain the slab above and finish straight up.
H. Hebblethwaite, J. Lyons, D. Wall. 11/9/2005
4 HITCH UP 18m E3 (5c)
From the base of the V-crack system climb the steep and thin slab directly towards the obvious flake in the slab above the overlap. Fix protection (good 6 or 7 nut under flake) and surmount the overlap with difficulty; continue up directly with some thin moves until difficulty eases with height.
H. Hebblethwaite, D. Wall. 11/9/2005
4 (a) AOIFE 18m E2 (5b)
Start as for Hitch Up but move right to cross the overlap just right of the niche. Follow the edge to a diagonal break and continue directly to finish.
J. Purser, J. Gernon, 2010
5 EQUANIMITY 18m E2 (5c)
Follow the crack into the left-hand side of the overhanging niche. Climb it, moving out left at the top between diagonal parallel cracks; up directly to the top from here.
H. Hebblethwaite, D. Wall. 11/9/2005
6 TANGLEWOOD VIEW 18m VS (4b/c)
Climb the wide broken crack to the right of the overhanging niche. Surmount this on the right and continue up the crack, trending left near the top to finish.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 15/8/2003
7 TEDDYBEARS' PICNIC 22m HS (4b)
This is essentially a rising traverse from left to right. Follow Tanglewood View to the overhang and move out right around a projecting bulge before traversing along the overlaps to a groove; up this to a holly tree, passing behind it to finish up the deep slanting corner.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 15/8/2003
8 ENDGAME*** 25m E2 (5c)
Takes the fine crack-line which more or less bisects the face; a fine, delicate, absorbing climb. Start to the left of an undercut area of rock below two short closely parallel cracks. Up the cracks and a flake hold above to gain the leftward rising break-line and a stance to the left of the long slanting crack-line above. Make bold thin moves to gain the crack and get established in a pod. Less difficult but sustained climbing up the crack where some protection is possible in a few unhelpfully hidden slots.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 23/9/2003
9 GANGWAY 45m VS (4b,4a)
This rising traverse across the face starts near the bottom right of the buttress below a black-stained area of rock.
(1) 25m Follow the upper left-slanting crack line to the large niche. Continue left a bit to belay at a crack-system below the overhang.
(2) 20m Continue across the slab to reach a gully and up this to finish.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 18/7/2003
10 THE WILD WOOD** 23m E1 (5b)
Takes the bow-shaped crack above the black-stained rock; well protected.
Move up to the base of the crack and make breathless moves to grasp a good pocket hold. Bear up the right-trending wider crack for a few metres before finishing straight up to the right of the deep corner.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 11/8/2003
11 LOST IN THE FOREST* 22m HVS (5a)
Start at the bottom right of the buttress below a thin crack-line with a small seepage spot. Get established above the initial bulge with difficulty. Continue up through slot to parallel cracks; climb these delicately before moving slightly left near the top to finish.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 6/8/2003
12 BLOW OUT* 15m HVS (5b)
This route, on the right-hand side of the buttress below a v-shaped cleft, has a strenuous and technical crux. Gain the cleft with difficulty and exit it on the right. Climb behind the saplings and finish up the arête to the left.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 25/8/2003
LIFT OFF 13m HVS (5a)
Starts just right of Blow Out. Gain a short, bulging parallel crack system and climb to a ledge; finish up the arête as for the previous climb.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 25/8/2003
To the south or left of the main buttress there is a small steep-sided outcrop about 150m away.
GOOD KARMA 8m S (4a)
Takes a narrow slab between two holly trees on the south side of the buttress. Start at the bottom left and up via the diagonal crack directly to the top.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 18/7/2003
TINKER BELL* 10m E1 5c
Climb the arete between the south and east side of the buttress, moving out left beneath the capstone before surmounting this.
H. Hebblethwaite, 29/5/2005
BACKWOODS 10m HVS (5b)
Gain the top of the steep narrow ramp to the left of the crack of Lightning Strike; up the short wall and overlap above.
H. Hebblethwaite, J. Lyons 29/5/2005
LIGHTNING STRIKE* 10m VS (4c)
Climbs the zig-zag crack near the left-hand, east-facing side; steep and well protected.
J. Lyons, D. Wall 18/7/2003
BARE FACED* 12m E1 (5b)
Step off the block onto the wall and move up a short crack to the left; edge out right and continue up the centre of the wall to finish.
H. Hebblethwaite, J. Lyons 29/5/2005
