Her Outdoors: Try Rock Climbing, the Burren

What to Expect

This half-day taster session gives adult women a first introduction to rock climbing on the limestone of the Burren, run by Clare Sports Partnership as part of its Her Outdoors programme. No climbing background is required - qualified instructors supply and fit all safety equipment, cover the basics of harnesses, ropes and technique, and then guide small groups through a series of climbs suited to complete beginners. The Burren’s karst limestone, scoured bare by glaciers and shaped by thousands of years of rainwater weathering, gives climbers a distinctive grey-white rock covered in natural holds, grikes and ledges, and the wider landscape of terraced hills and stone-walled fields is part of what makes the region a recognised outdoor climbing destination beyond Ireland. The session is pitched explicitly as confidence-building rather than performance-focused: instructors keep group sizes small and the pace beginner-friendly throughout, and it closes out Clare Sports Partnership’s Her Outdoors Week programme for August, having already run sessions in cricket, kayaking, archery, paddleboarding and surfing earlier in the month.

Good to Know

• Saturday 29 August 2026, 11:00am to 2:00pm, in the Burren.
• Cost is €10 per person; book through the Clare Sports Partnership website - places are limited and booking is described as essential.
• Open to women aged 18+, no climbing experience necessary.
• Organiser contact: Mary Taylor, Clare Sports Partnership, 087 490 9103 / mary@claresports.ie.
• All climbing equipment, including harnesses and helmets, is provided; wear sturdy footwear and clothing you can move in.
• Part of Her Outdoors Week, Clare Sports Partnership’s programme of women’s outdoor taster sessions.

Getting There

The exact meeting point in the Burren is confirmed to participants on booking. Ballyvaughan, the area’s main village, has parking, shops and cafes and is a reasonable base if travelling from further afield.