Inishmore

Inishmore, the largest of the three Aran Islands, lies 50km south west of Galway City. The island is 14km long and 3km wide and the majority of the coast is limestone cliffs so there’s huge scope for routes and bouldering. When the rock is good it’s great - for example at the Poll - but in most areas it’s too sharp for pleasant bouldering. It tends towards vertical walls with some overlaps or large horizontal roofs and the holds are typically edges ranging from tiny crimps to huge flat jugs. The rocky pavements are flat but hard, so a pad is recommended. There must be more bouldering to be discovered on Inishmore. The south coast of Inishmore is one long cliff with huge blocks visible on the ledges just above sea level, some may be accessible by down climbing, others will require a rope. Though problems so far have mostly been in the mid-range of difficulty, there is potential for plenty of harder and easier problems. Anyone interested in learning more about the island should read Tim Robinson’s amazing book ‘Stone of Aran’.