I try to get out hiking and climbing as much as I can (not enough these days) click here to see some pictures from trips of mine .

Below are some details on what you can do from Dublin.

Rockclimbing in Dublin

Dalkey quarry is a popular crag a short distance from the city, a few minutes walk from the DART station. There are about 300 routes ranging from V.Diff to E6. It's a nice spot, with a great view over the city and the bay. The proximity of Dalkey village with shops and a good pub is a definite bonus. The new guidebook is due to be published RSN apparently. Online dalkey quarry guidebook (from Kev Moroney)

Rockclimbing in Wicklow

There is some multi-pitch climbing in a spectacular setting down in Glendalough, about 1.5 hours from Dublin. Again, there are climbs at a variety of grades. Bouldering in Glendalough has become increasingly popular, particularly during the winter - see The Short Span for details.

Hiking near Dublin

The Wicklow mountains are easily reachable from Dublin. There is a major waymarked route (The Wicklow Way ), which is an easy introduction to hill walking. For rough hiking good gear and basic navigation skills are a must.

Winter hiking

There's no real opportunity to use winter technique in Ireland, although you occassionally get a dusting of snow, but Scotland is easily (and cheaply) reachable, with low cost flights to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. In Scottish winter conditions, axe, crampons and good technique for their use are essential. Glenmore Lodge at Aviemore runs some excellent winter skills courses. I've gathered a few bits of information on travelling to scotland for Irish climbers on the TCD climbing club's destinations page.

Links

• Dublin University Climbing Club -  hiking and climbing (mostly climbing), including a comparison of US and UK grading systems.
  
• Rockclimbing in Ireland - Great resource - pictures, links to online guides etc.
• The Short Span - An excellent and well maintained resource for bouldering in Ireland
• Mountaineering Council of Ireland - general information on hillwalking and climbing in Ireland. Also run Alpine training courses at the summer meet.
  
• Mountaineering Council of Scotland - including winter climbing information.
  
• Scottish Avalance Information Service - advisories on the main climbing areas.
  
• Summitpost - useful information on large number of peaks, all over the world. Some gear reviews.

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