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Climbing Hilltown

Bearnagh Tors (Mournes)

Mournes mountain trad on rough granite tors — for experienced climbers with their own gear.

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Dry, settled spellsAbout 1.5 hours from Cecil Newman / Trass…
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Bearnagh Tors (Mournes) — Mournes mountain trad on rough granite tors — for experienced climbers with their own gear.

  • The climbing: Outdoor trad crag (natural granite mountain tors).
  • Grades: Roughly Very Difficult to E5; easier friction slabs nearby, bolder routes on the tors.
  • Walk-in: About 1.5 hours from Cecil Newman / Trassey Track car park, via Hare's Gap and the Mourne Wall to the summit.
  • Gear: Bring your own rope, trad rack and helmet — no fixed gear or bolts.
  • Booking: No booking — you need experience and your own equipment, or go with a qualified instructor or club.
  • Cost: Free to climb (it is open mountain); car park charges may apply — check current prices.
Plan your visit

The climbing: rough granite, bold trad lines

The rock is Mourne granite, coarse and full of friction, weathered over millennia into the rounded tors that crown the summit. Climbing here is traditional throughout — you protect the routes yourself with nuts and cams, and there is no fixed protection in place. The character varies a lot: the summit and North Tors hold shorter, steeper and often bold pitches running up to around E5, while the easy-angled Bearnagh Slabs nearby offer long friction routes from Very Difficult through Severe that are a popular outing for less experienced leaders. It is serious mountain climbing on a remote, exposed top, so it suits competent trad climbers and confident mountaineers, or anyone going out with a qualified instructor or a club rather than first-timers.

Outdoor trad Mourne granite ~1.5hr walk-in Own gear needed VD to about E5 Remote summit crag
Good to know before you go:

Mourne crags like Bearnagh see regular activity from climbing clubs and Mountaineering Ireland, and instructors run guided days and trad coaching on the range. There are no fixed opening hours — it is open mountain — but conditions and access can change, so check current guidebook and club information before you travel.

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 mountain tors)
Grade range
Roughly Very Difficult to E5; easier friction slabs nearby, bolder routes on the tors
Walk-in / approach
About 1.5 hours from Cecil Newman / Trassey Track car park, via Hare's Gap and the Mourne Wall to the summit
Gear
Bring your own rope, trad rack and helmet — no fixed gear or bolts
Cost
Free to climb (it is open mountain); car park charges may apply — check current prices
Booking
No booking — you need experience and your own equipment, or go with a qualified instructor or club
Parking
Cecil Newman / Trassey Track car park near Trassey, off the Trassey Road
How long to allow
A full day, including roughly 3 hours of walking
Address
Slieve Bearnagh summit, Mourne Mountains, near Hilltown / Bryansford, Co. Down
Questions

Before you go

How much does it cost?
Free to climb (it is open mountain); car park charges may apply — check current prices
What grades are here?
Roughly Very Difficult to E5; easier friction slabs nearby, bolder routes on the tors
How long is the walk-in?
About 1.5 hours from Cecil Newman / Trassey Track car park, via Hare's Gap and the Mourne Wall to the summit
What gear do I need?
Bring your own rope, trad rack and helmet — no fixed gear or bolts
Do I need to book?
No booking — you need experience and your own equipment, or go with a qualified instructor or club
Getting there

Bearnagh Tors (Mournes) is at Slieve Bearnagh summit, Mourne Mountains, near Hilltown / Bryansford, Co. Down. Cecil Newman / Trassey Track car park near Trassey, off the Trassey Road. From there, about 1.5 hours from cecil newman / trassey track car park, via hare's gap and the mourne wall to the summit. Tap below for directions.

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Nearby

Make more of the day

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The story

About the crag

Slieve Bearnagh is famous for the granite tors on its summit, classic examples of how Mourne granite weathers into rounded, blocky outcrops. The Mourne Mountains as a whole hold close to a thousand recorded trad routes across more than two dozen crags, and Bearnagh's tors are part of that long tradition of mountain climbing on rough, well-weathered rock.

Routes here have been developed over decades by Irish climbers, with established lines on the Summit and North Tors and the friction slabs below. It remains a strictly traditional venue, valued for its remote position and big mountain views rather than for convenience.