The Magic Grade

There's no doubt about it, the magic Grade for climbing at the Head is E1. Some would say E2, but read on and I'll attempt to explain why. The Head has a severe dearth of VS's and only a handful of top notch HVS's. It only really opens up to the keen climber at the E1 grade. Don't get me wrong the likes of The Fence, Girona, December, Burn Up and Hell's Kitchen are superb routes, the problem is, there just isn't enough of them. The tide of neglect has allowed many of the other quality VS's and HVS's to overgrow, requiring route cleaning to get them back in shape again. Hopefully, some people who operate at those grades will answer the call and help to clean them. But compare that to E1, there are 53 E1's listed in the guide. Need I say any more.

E1 is the Grade to aspire to in order to get the most out of climbing at the Head. A yardstick for the Mournes climber is undoubtedly, Swing Low at Lower Cover. This is a cracking E1, sustained and steep and has the Fair Head style of climbing written all over it. It is hard but well protected, just like those at the head, a good transitional route.

So what E1's would be good to get going on? Suggestions include April, or Poor Relation. A lot of people try Simple Minds, because it is short and looks fine, only to be shocked when it spits them out. It would be best left until after you have been successful on something like Railroad and then it'll be no probs.

The single pitch E1's at the Prow are the most popular E1's at the Head, particularly the classic four: Midnight Cruiser, Fireball, Fáth Mo Bhuartha and Railroad. Why? They offer top quality climbing with no surprises or overly awkward climbing. However they are not easy routes and require a lot of effort just to get that little tick. They are sustained and once conquered they'll be done again and again, no matter what your grade; the best training there is.

Once those have been ticked, it is time to explore the best of the rest. Routes like Crib Pad Crack, Black Taxi, Thunderhips or Darkness have all got to be done. That's even before the multi-pitch routes get a mention. An Bealach Runda, Toby Jug and Aoife don't come any better. They're all different, all not to be missed and all provide the big wall experience, with the true adventure that isn't gained on the single pitch stuff.

However, the main reason why E1 is the magic grade rather than E2 is this. Some of the E2's at the head aren't much different from the E1's. The initial step up to the next grade is a short one. Routes like Blind Pew, Equinox, Mizen Star and Hurricane are not much harder, they're just like two single pitch E1's stuck on top of each other and will fall easily. With these done the confidence builds, the fear subsides and the crag opens up once more. The rest of the E2's become possible and the easier E3's get looked at and so on and so on. The sky's the limit.

Now, how long does that all take? It depends very much on the individual. Some people manage it in a couple of years, others, often ten or more. But that just doesn't matter. Getting up there as often as possible is the key and just getting stuck in. Fair Head climbing requires both commitment and determination and is the key to progression. If the determination isn't there, the lure of the shorter technical routes of the Mournes or elsewhere, are hard to resist.

The thing about Fair Head is that with the gear being so good there is less to fear, the grades can be pushed on routes that are well protected, on steep ground without the risk of falling and hitting ledges, the key difference from pushing the grades elsewhere.

The suggested Graded list is worth a look , for planning your progression.