Days Out NI
Climbing Annalong

Annalong Buttress (Mournes)

A remote Mournes granite crag for experienced trad climbers with their own rack

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Dry, settled spellsAround 1 hour by guidebook, often closer…
FreeOpen crag, no fee
AnnalongOutdoor crag
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A full dayHow long
FreeCost
Outdoor cragType
Severe to E1–E2Grades
Small chargeParking

Annalong Buttress (Mournes) — A remote Mournes granite crag for experienced trad climbers with their own rack.

  • The climbing: Outdoor trad crag (natural granite).
  • Grades: Approx. Diff/Severe to E1–E2, mostly single pitch (21–45m).
  • Walk-in: Around 1 hour by guidebook, often closer to 2; via the Carrick Little track in the Annalong Valley or over the Donard col from Bloody Bridge.
  • Gear: Bring your own rope, full trad rack, helmet and hill kit — no bolts on the buttress.
  • Booking: None — turn up, but you must be experienced or with a qualified instructor/club.
  • Cost: Free to climb; some Carrick Little car parks charge a small fee — check current prices.
Plan your visit

Clean granite, real solitude

The buttress is mainly single-pitch climbing, with routes around 21 to 45m, and a grade range from roughly Diff and Severe up to E1 or E2. The granite is strong and very textured, so there are fewer big holds but the friction is excellent and marginal smears tend to hold. Well-regarded lines include Spanish Flea (S), Thin Crack (VS), Warsaw Convention (VS), Lacuna (HVS) and Big Daryl (E1). It is traditional climbing throughout, meaning you place and remove your own protection rather than clipping bolts. The crag is away from any path and the valley below is completely empty, which is the draw and also the reason it needs experience.

Outdoor trad Mournes granite Diff to E1/E2 Mostly single pitch Long walk-in Own gear needed
Good to know before you go:

Outdoor crags like this don't run sessions of their own, but the wider Mournes climbing scene has club meets, instructed courses and annual gatherings (the big one in NI is the Fair Head Meet up the coast). If you want to get into trad climbing safely, going out with a local club or a qualified instructor is the right first step. Check club and instructor pages for current dates and prices.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👕Comfy clothes you can move inNothing restrictive — you want to reach, step high and bend.
  • 📱A booking, or a planMost walls want you registered or booked in; crags want your route picked and someone told.
  • 💧WaterClimbing is thirsty work, and out on the rock there is nowhere to buy any.
  • ✅An honest check of your gradeBe straight about your experience — pick a level you will enjoy rather than survive.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Type
Outdoor trad crag (natural granite)
Grade range
Approx. Diff/Severe to E1–E2, mostly single pitch (21–45m)
Walk-in / approach
Around 1 hour by guidebook, often closer to 2; via the Carrick Little track in the Annalong Valley or over the Donard col from Bloody Bridge
Gear
Bring your own rope, full trad rack, helmet and hill kit — no bolts on the buttress
Cost
Free to climb; some Carrick Little car parks charge a small fee — check current prices
Booking
None — turn up, but you must be experienced or with a qualified instructor/club
Parking
Car parks on the Carrick Little track (small charge)
How long to allow
A full day in the hills, allowing for the walk-in and out
Address
Inner Annalong Valley, Mourne Mountains, near Annalong, Co. Down
Questions

Before you go

How much does it cost?
Free to climb; some Carrick Little car parks charge a small fee — check current prices
What grades are here?
Approx. Diff/Severe to E1–E2, mostly single pitch (21–45m)
How long is the walk-in?
Around 1 hour by guidebook, often closer to 2; via the Carrick Little track in the Annalong Valley or over the Donard col from Bloody Bridge
What gear do I need?
Bring your own rope, full trad rack, helmet and hill kit — no bolts on the buttress
Do I need to book?
None — turn up, but you must be experienced or with a qualified instructor/club
Getting there

Annalong Buttress (Mournes) is at Inner Annalong Valley, Mourne Mountains, near Annalong, Co. Down. Car parks on the Carrick Little track (small charge). From there, around 1 hour by guidebook, often closer to 2; via the carrick little track in the annalong valley or over the donard col from bloody bridge. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google Maps See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around AnnalongSee what else is close by More climbing across NICrags, walls and family climbing centres
The story

About the crag

Annalong Buttress is one of the many granite crags scattered through the Mourne Mountains, a range long valued by Irish and Northern Irish climbers for its rough, friction-rich rock and remote mountain settings. It is documented in the Mournes guidebooks and online logbooks as an adventurous, out-of-the-way buttress rather than a popular roadside venue, prized for its solitude and the wild, empty feel of the inner Annalong Valley.