If there’s one thing you can always count on at the Fairhead Climbing Meet, it’s world-class trad climbing, great company, and weather that likes to keep everyone guessing. This year’s meet, held from 29th–31st May 2026, delivered all three in generous measure.
Our weekend started by pitching what was supposed to be a trusty five-person tent. Unfortunately, it turned out to have developed a rather liberal interpretation of the term “waterproof.” Every heavy shower transformed parts of the inside into a very exclusive indoor paddling pool. By Sunday morning, we’d become experts at strategically positioning our chairs around the leaks and convincing ourselves that damp socks build character. Every time the rain hammered down, we’d glance nervously at the tent ceiling as if sheer optimism might stop the next drip.
Thankfully, the weather never managed to spoil the climbing. Although showers drifted through the weekend, there were plenty of dry windows, and climbers made the most of every one. Fairhead’s magnificent dolerite cliffs looked as imposing and beautiful as ever, with colourful ropes hanging from walls across the crag whenever the rain eased. It was one of those weekends where everyone became an expert meteorologist, constantly checking the horizon and declaring, “That cloud will probably miss us,” usually moments before getting soaked.
I teamed up with my climbing buddy, Nicola, and we managed to pack in some memorable routes. One of the highlights for me was leading The Black Thief (VS) on The Prow. It’s one of those routes that reminds you exactly why people travel from all over to climb at Fairhead. Brilliant movement, satisfying gear placements, enough exposure to keep the heart rate honest, and an incredible position above the sea. It was an absolute pleasure from the first move to the last and easily one of my favourite leads of the weekend.
Feeling encouraged by that success, I decided to keep the momentum going by jumping on The Offence. As it turned out, the route had other plans.
Somewhere above a reassuring-looking grey offset nut, I discovered what every trad climber experiences sooner or later: my very first proper trad fall.
There’s always plenty of debate about whether your first trad whipper is terrifying or liberating. Mine was mostly memorable because everything worked exactly as it should. The grey offset nut held beautifully, proving once again that good gear placements are worth their weight in gold. Nicola delivered a wonderfully soft, reactive catch. Huge thanks to her for that. It was reassuring to know that when gravity finally had its say, my climbing partner had everything completely under control. I dusted myself off after a few censored words, had a laugh, and got straight back on the route. Consider the trad initiation officially complete.
One of the best things about Fairhead has always been the atmosphere away from the crag. Once ropes were packed away each evening, everyone gathered back at the campsite to swap stories, exaggerate pitches, compare bruises, and discuss the gear placements they were absolutely certain would have held… despite quietly being glad they never had to find out.
After a full day of climbing, a few well-earned beers on both Saturday and Sunday evenings tasted particularly good. There’s something about sitting around with fellow climbers, climbing shoes kicked off, hands scraped, muscles aching, and a bottle in hand that perfectly rounds off a day on the cliffs. The conversations flowed just as easily as the beer, with tales ranging from triumphant on-sights to epic epics and near misses.
Saturday night’s entertainment featured guest speaker James McHaffie, who shared stories and insights from his impressive climbing career and extremely hard routes.
If Saturday was excellent, Sunday somehow managed to raise the bar even higher.
Robbie Phillips took to the stage and completely blew everyone away with a dramatic, funny and deeply engaging talk that had the audience hooked from start to finish. His stories were delivered with infectious enthusiasm, and the accompanying short film was nothing short of epic. It perfectly captured the adventure, commitment and friendships that make climbing such a special sport. Robbie was also great craic throughout the entire weekend, chatting with everyone, sharing stories and generally making himself part of the event rather than simply turning up. It’s easy to see why he’s such a popular figure in the climbing community.
By Monday morning, we were packing up. Somehow, despite the leaking tent, the rain showers and my inaugural trad fall, everyone seemed to be leaving with huge smiles on their faces.
That’s the magic of the Fairhead Climbing Meet.
The weather can throw everything it has at you, your accommodation might slowly transform into a water feature, and you may find yourself unexpectedly testing a small piece of metal lodged in a crack. Yet none of that matters. What stays with you are the incredible climbs, the laughter shared with old and new friends, the evenings spent over a few deserved beers, and the unmistakable feeling of being part of a brilliant climbing community.
A massive thank you goes to the organisers, volunteers, guest speakers and everyone who helped make the weekend another unforgettable success. Fairhead once again proved why it’s one of the highlights of the Irish climbing calendar.
