page_title: Ailladie
section_title: Sections
hierarchical_section_title: Ailladie / Rock climbing / Sections
caption_attribution_description: English: Recreation of a map of the layout of the Ailladie climbing area (also called Ballyreen Cliffs)
context_page_description: Ailladie, is an 800-metre-long west-facing limestone sea cliff, that varies in height from 8 metres to 35 metres, situated on the coast of The Burren in County Clare, Ireland. Ailladie is one of Ireland's most highly regarded rock-climbing locations, particularly for high technical grade climbs and deep-water soloing. It is also a location for shore-angling competitions, and, with its cliffs and view of the Aran Islands, a popular photography stop for tourists.
context_section_description: Ailladie's northern half covers the sections known to climbers as the Dancing Ledges and the Aran Wall, and sits above a large rock platform making it accessible, via the 3-metre roped fisherman's descent (a grassy ramp at the northernmost end of Ailladie), regardless of tides.  Ailladie climbers also use the climber's descent area at O'Conner's Corner (10 metres, Diff).  The Dancing Ledges is the lowest section of Ailladie with several climbs of 10–15 metres.
  The first part of Ailladie's southern half is Mirror Wall (mostly graded E4–E7), and it is accessible by boulder-hopping at low-tide, although climbers also abseil down to the start of the climbs.  The remainder of the southern half of Ailladie, the Stone Wall, An Falla Uaigneach, and Boulder Wall sections, require abseils for access.  Many of the climbs in the imposing An Falla Uaigneach sector have to be started from a hanging belay, and the sector also offers climbers deep water soloing ("DWS") routes at very high grades of difficulty (e.g. grade 7c+), and with significant 30 metres (98 ft) drops.
  The rock is limestone, of good clean blue/grey quality and mostly hanging in a sheer vertical form. Its texture is described as "varies from smooth, in the few small areas recently exposed by rockfall, to a sharp popcorn texture which provides excellent friction". Most climbs follow steep narrow finger-crack lines, and the rock climbing protection is considered to be good. The last guidebook, published in 2008, lists 170 climbs (the current Ailladie online database, see below, has over 200), nearly all single-pitches, with grades up to E7 6c. Most Ailladie climbs are at and above E1 5b grades; there is little quality below VS 4c grade.  The lower sections of some routes, and the climbing grade, can change due to the movements of large boulders in sea storms, and hence why many Mirror Wall climbers start from a hanging belay (see Mirror Wall photograph).
caption: Layout of Ailladie (incl. parking).  The grey area at the Fisherman's Descent are the northern limestone ledges used by shore-anglers
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