Gap of Dunloe. Bouldering Guide. -Main Face Area -Head of Gap Area -Black Valley Area. Eoin Kennedy 07/04/09

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1 Gap of Dunloe Bouldering Guide -Main Face Area -Head of Gap Area -Black Valley Area Eoin Kennedy 07/04/09 1

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3 Introduction This is a basic guide for the some of the bouldering that has been done in the Gap of Dunloe and the Black Valley, in Co Kerry. It is not comprehensive and many of the problems have been left out. Grades, maps and descriptions may be inaccurate. It is really a preliminary guide before we put a better one together, with the intention of letting people know about the areas and how to get to them. Notes on this Guide. Equipment: A bouldering mat is essential, two mats with spotters are recommended. Many of the landings are rocky and uneven. Boots are also recommended as the walk-ins tend to be boggy. Access: Access can be touchy with the farmers. Please be courteous and respectful to locals you meet. Don t park your cars in lay-bys intended for cars to pass each other. If going through a gate then open and close it, do not climb over it. If possible do not bring dogs with you, especially in spring/early summer when it is lambing season. If you are asked to leave any area then explain to the farmer what you are doing, and ask if you can stay. If he/she still wants you to leave then do so quietly. The Main Face area never has any problem with access and can be used as a fallback. Maps: The maps were drawn by overlaying images from google earth and while the outlines of boulders and cliffs 3

4 are not entirely accurate, the maps are definitely good enough to find the boulders. First Ascents: First ascents are mostly unrecorded. Many people have bouldered in the Gap, most (but not all) of whom I would know. If one of your first ascents has been named and you feel particularly strongly about it then please let me know in writing and it can be changed in time for the next edition. Names of Boulders/Routes: I named a lot of boulders and routes while putting this guide together. I reasoned that it would be easier for people to reference them. These names can be changed. Grades: Fontainbleau system. Unfortunately are a bit all over the place, So let it be known if you feel they are wrong. Geology: Old red sandstone, look it up on the internet if you are interested. It is an excellent rock-type for climbing. When it is well weathered the friction is almost too good The rock is generally very solid and the boulders rarely require cleaning or brushing. Descriptions: Routes are described in the format of Number>Name>Grade>Sit-start/standing>Desciption. With a corresponding picture. SS means sit-start. A question mark (? ) means I m not entirely sure. If I don t know then I leave a blank space. Much thanks to my lovely assistant Brian McSweeney! 4

5 Main Face Area. 5

6 Main Face Area This is a great area. The routes tend to be shorter with better landings and not as much highballs. Its also close to the road and the crags. There are lots of easier problems about the place that are not described and there is potential for a significant number of new problems and variations. Parking can found beside the Brennans Leap roadside crag (room for 3 cars). Or else just past the bridge between Black Lake and Echo Lake, (room for 4/5). The bouldering is about a 10 minute walk from the road. I ve described to boulders from Elbow across to An Puc Fada (south to north) 6

7 Elbow Boulder M1: Four B Double D, 5, SS, up the left side of the arete on jugs. M2: 5, SS?. M3: Left Elbow, 5, SS. M4: The Craic Attack, 5, SS, use edges on the sides or a pair of meaty fists! M5: Right Elbow, 5, SS. The Coffin M6:?, SS. There are a few variations on this, some using the two side boulders, others without. Watch out for a small loose block near the roof edge. 7

8 Micks Magic M7: 5 M8: Micks Magic, 6c, use underclings & poor footholds reach/slap for the slopey edge. Good Problem. M9: 5 Carraig Eire, so called cos it looks like Ireland! M10: West Coast, 5 M11: Mizen to Malin, 6a+, This is a highball with the hard moves near the bottom, Good problem but watch the landing! M12: The Pale, 5, again watch the landing. There are a number of easier problems on the back of this. 8

9 Hup-Hup M13: Hup-Hup. 6b+, SS. Good strenous problem with a hard start. The other line in this photo is a problem where you throw a heel hook out right to enable you to make a long move/mantle. The landing is terrible though and so is not recommended. The Boar M14: 5, SS, traverse out along the lip. M15: Snout Wrestling, 6b+ (using the back boulder that has the green circle) SS. The route normally finishes with a dyno to the lip, good fun. This line without the back boulder is a project estimated at 7c. M16: An Collach, 6b, SS. Good line. 9

10 Piglet M17: 4 M18: 4 M19: 5 M20: An Srón, 6b, SS. Great prob using an interesting sloper. It requires good feel as opposed to brute strength to get up. Croc, backside. M21: 5, SS M22: 5, SS M23: Pobal na Páirti, 6a, SS, crimpy M24: 4, SS. 10

11 Croc, so called because of the scaly quartz pattern on this side. M25: Jug arete, 4, SS,. M26: 6b. SS, 5 from standing. M27: Scale Scaler, 6c, SS Reading Problems M28: Reading Problems, 6a+, SS. An excellent problem that can be jammed or laybacked, it finishes with an awkward flop of a top-out 11

12 An Puc Fada M29: An Puc Fada, 6b, SS. Up along the juggy rail, then make a long throw out to the rounded arete, re-arrange the feet to get to the jug and then finish up the arete. Brilliant. M30: Juan is a Langer!, 7a+/7b, SS. Same start as an Puc Fada but go right and power up the wall on small holds. The Anvil M31: 5, Traverse out and back along the lip. 12

13 Watchtower The guide for this area can be found on However access is very bad here at the moment and we would ask people not to go to this area at all. Head of the Gap Area This area is the least developed of the three. There is a lot of potential for new routes, especially as one walks back towards Auger Lake. The boulders here tend to be large and two mats are especially recommended for this area. Because of its position in a deep valley, it tends to be shady and windy and would be a good option during the summer. There is room for two or three cars to park 30m past the Turnpike boulders. If there is no space here then it would be best to park back 0.5km back down the hill beside the old barracks. All the boulders are within 200m of the road. 13

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15 Turnpike Boulders H1: 6b+, a low start in the hole makes this route good & long. You climb up the arete on small positive holds until a big dyno/throw is needed to grab a big flat edge. It can also be done from sitting at 6c/6c+. Great problem. H2: Edge of the Onion, 6a+, Up along the arete until a scary mantle. H3: Roadkill, 6b, from standing grab the sideways jug and power up. H4: Kenton is a Langer, 6c. SS. Up the right arete until you reach a line of holds leading out across the face. Awkwardly reach the aforementioned sideways jug, swing your feet down and then power as for Roadkill. Excellent H5: Right Arete, 6a, SS H6: 4, fun moves up the slab. The green lines mark a Dyno at 6c? 15

16 H7: Under the Red Sky, 6c+, Up the arete, watch the landing! Deadly highballs possible on the right Four Boulder This boulder is 100m west of the Turnpike boulders. It has three fun little problems H8: 4 H9: Yoda Yoga, 4 H10: 4 16

17 The large boulder in the background has no problems on it, and is another candidate for serious highballs. Big Big Boulder- This is the back of the Big Big boulder, which is unmissable from the road. While we have climbed on the front of this boulder the landings are diabolical so I decided to leave it out. H11: 4, fun slab H12: 4, funner slab This boulder is just to the left of Big Big (as seen from the road). H13: 4 H14: 4 The line in the bottom right of the picture is a steep 6a+ with a SS. 17

18 Hex Boulder This boulder has really good friction. The huge highball slab can just be seen in this picture on the right. H15: 6b, up the seam & on to the slab. H16: Marcels Problem, 6c, up the face finishing with a big slap H17: Help the Blind, 6b, SS H18: 5 H19: Batman, 4. H20: 5 18

19 Black Valley Area The Black Valley has a number of outstanding problems in a beautiful setting. There is again a large potential for new routes but not so many untouched boulders. The boulders here tend to be very large and relatively spread out (100m between boulders). The farmer who owns the land seems to reasonable enough. He is used to walkers crossing his land. Again please open and close the three or four gates you will have to go through, you have to walk past his sheep pen on the way in so if he is there then be polite and not too loud. For this area there should be no dogs. Parking for four to five cars can be found just past a concrete bridge. This bridge is literally 40m from the track shown on my map. I describe the Flashdance area first, then back along to the Wave & Jurgen Myers. 19

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21 Flashdance A great highball slab B1: Left Feet, 6a, up the lefthand side of the slab. B2: Flashdance, 6a+, A brilliant line with a psychologically difficult move right at the top. Its quite high so two mats on top of each other required along with a couple of astute spotters. Highly recommended. 21

22 Cracked B3: Cracked, 5?, fun little prob that can also be done from SS Gritty. Its exactly that! B4: Grated Cheese, 6b+, SS. Start with one hand inside and the other on the lip. Imagine your way around on to the slab. Astounding friction. B5: Gritty, 6a+, get up the nose from a standing start 22

23 This problem is on a wall 100m NE of Flashdance. B6: Little Miss, 6c. Sequency problem, finishing with a deadpoint from a small hold to a good jug. Rock & Lock B7: Rock & Lock, 6a+, SS B8: Balance, 6b, SS 23

24 Distant Faces B9: Distant Faces project, estimated at 7b. Escape out left at halfway is possible giveing a balancey problem of 6c. The gem would be to stick to the central line. B10: Arete, right side. 6a+, this is quite high so watch the landing. B11: Underbalance, 6b+, a balancey problem going up underclings, again watch the landing. B12: Half, 5+/6a. A shorter line on the right. B13: 6a, SS B14: 5+ The green circles and line show a 6b+ Dyno. 24

25 Shout B15: 6a+, crimpy problem that is not topped out B16: Shout!, 6b+. SS. Powerful problem, start with left foot on small hold and right leg dangling beneath the boulder. Brute your way up to an awkward top-out. B17: The Kerry Wave, 5. Start low on the left and heel hook your way along to the apex, then mantle out. The Bone Yard Arete is on the back of the Kerry Wave. 25

26 The Bone Yard Arete The best bouldering problem in the Black Valley and possibly the entire Gap of Dunloe area. It has two variations which both start from sitting The green circle shows a small boulder that may or may not be used for a footlock at the start. B18 Var: Bone Yard Arete, 6c+, SS. Using the small boulder for a footlock, start with your hands on a large down-sloping hold. Sequence your way up and out on to the slab, using a bewildering amount of different handholds. The trick is in figuring out which to use and which to skip. Brilliant. B18: From Cali with Love, 7b, SS. The same problem, except without using the footlock. Instead a terrible heel-hook must be used, this makes the start sloping handhold much worse. First ascended by Damon Corso. 26

27 This problem is on the side of the Jurgen Myers boulder. B19: Ziggy, 6a+, Good prob. B20: 6b+, SS. Powerful start, awkward finish. B21: 7a+, SS. Bit awkward to start with the small boulder in the way. B22: 6a, SS. Start on big jugs and get yourself out and up the slab. The End 27