Fair Head

Fair Head
Irish: An Bhinn Mhór The Great Cliff[1]
Fair Head's distinctive organ pipe dolerite columns, as taken from the Rathlin Island–Ballycastle ferry
Map showing the location of Fair Head
Map showing the location of Fair Head
Location of Fair Head in Northern Ireland
LocationCounty Antrim, Northern Ireland
Nearest cityBallycastle, 3 miles (4.8 km)
Coordinates55°13′16″N 6°09′14″W / 55.221°N 6.154°W / 55.221; -6.154
Climbing type
Heightface is over 100 metres (330 ft)
PitchesSingle pitch, Multi pitch
Ratings
  • VS to E8 6c
  • wide variety at all grades above VS; little below VS
Rock typeDolerite sill with olivine
Quantity of rock
  • 453 routes, online database
  • 432 routes, 2014 guidebook
DevelopmentMountain cliff area; no facilities
Cliff aspectNorth and North-west
Elevationbase is 100 metres (330 ft) a.s.l
OwnershipPrivate but access granted
CampingPaid camping; also in Ballycastle
Classic climbs
  • Black Thief (VS 4b)
  • Midnight Cruiser (E1 5b)
  • The Fence (VS 4c)
  • Girona (VS 4c, 4c)
  • Railroad (E1 5b)
  • Hell's Kitchen (HVS 5a, 5a)
  • Burn Up (E1 5a, 5a)
  • An Bealach Runda (E1 5a, 5b, 5a)
WebsiteExplore FairHead

Fair Head or Benmore (Irish: An Bhinn Mhór; The Great Cliff)[1] is a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) long, 200-metre (660 ft) high, mountain cliff, close to the sea, at the north-eastern corner of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The cliff's sheer and vertical 100-metre (330 ft) high dolerite rock face is shaped into distinctive vertical columns like organ pipes, which formed 60 million years ago when a sill of igneous rock was injected between horizontal Carboniferous sediments.

Fair Head is considered one of the best traditional climbing and bouldering locations in the British Isles, and is one of the biggest expanses of climbable rock in Northwest Europe. It has one of the largest concentration of extreme-graded routes in the British Isles, and has climbs at E9-grade (e.g. Rathlin Effect), as well as highball problems at E9-grade (e.g. Long runs the Fox), and bouldering at 8B+ (V14) grade (e.g. Blondie SDS).[2][3]

  1. ^ a b McKay, Patrick (1999). Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names. Clo Ollscoil na Banriona. p. 24. ISBN 978-0853898962. Fair Head, An Bhinn Mhór "the great cliff"
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference UKC1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference CL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).