The usual approach is to sail from Ullapool to Stornoway with Calmac ferries. Since the majority of the crags have a westerly or north westerly aspect they are best enjoyed on sunny afternoons and evenings. With the nearest quality climbs being only 30 minutes drive from Stornoway it’s possible to catch the morning ferry and still pack in a full days climbing on the cliffs.
Folded Wall at Shawbost is the perfect introduction to climbing on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. A good selection of routes with friendly grades on perfect gneiss that can be accessed by an easy scramble although an abseil down the central slab is perhaps more convenient. The most popular routes here are in the S-HVS grade range, with Sleeping Dogs VS perhaps the best warm up before tackling Left Edge E1 and the superb Snake Dyke E2. If you want something more challenging Extraction E3 5c will provide some entertaining steep climbing over the roof.
The nearby Inlet Wall is more committing with a precise abseil to small belay ledges essential. Your forearms will certainly remember Sea Dog E2 5b but leave it until late afternoon for best conditions.
Orpheus Wall at South Shawbost is another friendly venue with quite a selection of short steep climbs. Rude Boys E1 is a good warmup, Styx & Stones E2 is the crag classic and other highlights include Valhalla E2 and Lyre Lyre E4. Just a few minutes further south is the superb Shawbost Pillar E1, The Poacher E2 and the photogenic Lewisian E3.
Climbing at Dalbeg is one of the highlights of a trip to Lewis with two brilliant E3’s Limpet Crack and Neptune and two much sought after E5’s Limpet Olympics and Tweetie Pie Slalom. This stunning west facing wall has the benefit of a spacious non-tidal platform and is best enjoyed after a lazy start perhaps visiting the Calanish Stones or the café at Carloway Community Shop first.
If you’re feeling fit you should consider checking out the nearby Blessed are the Weak E5 6a and perhaps the epic The Storm E5 6a, both first led in 1996 by Glenda Huxter.
Great Bernera is another superb cliff with lots of choice. Grazing Beast E1 5b, The Bernera Prow E2 5b, Garden of Eadan E2 5c and Ticallion Stallion E3 5c are all popular. However it’s difficult not to be impressed by Mega Tsunami; at E6 6a it is a superb and well protected test of fitness and commitment, are you up to it?
Traigh an Beirigh
The compact but high quality Traigh an Beirigh isn’t actually a sea cliff. It’s situated above Kneep campsite and is especially handy when there’s a big swell running. There’s a lot of quality climbs to chose from the most popular are Milk-Traigh E3 6a, Berie-Berie E4 6a and Cnip-Fit E5 6a.
The main event on Lewis though are the Uig Sea cliffs which can all be conveniently accessed from the stunning Uig Sands campsite at Ardroil. This area is so extensive that the guidebook describes it in three areas Uig North, Central and South.
Uig North
The accessible and well protected Bonaventure E2 5c on the west face of the Trullich Headland definitely deserves more attention. The adjacent Swell E2 5c sweeps joyously upwards on jugs only to reach a serious crux. Both climbs possibly deserve a grade uplift.
The Boardwalk gets all the attention and deservedly so with enough popular sub extremes for an active rest day. However, there’s more than enough extremes to fill the long summer afternoons; Bloody Hand E1 5b, Coloured Rain E2 5b and Divided Fears E3 5c are all popular and the well named Puffin Crack E5 6a may feel soft if you are climbing well.
Under the Boardwalk is worth a visit if only for Black Sabbath E1 5b, get it ticked before they down grade it! Cracking-up VS 5a is a lovely warm up with good gear. Paranoid E2 5c is well protected with plenty of small gear but can be a little fiddly to find.
The popular Flannantastique HVS 5a is the obvious warmup for Pool Shark E1 5b and Gloriously Fruity E2 5c on The Pool Walls at Crowlista.
Uig Central
Palace of Colchis E1 5b is a memorable multipitch traverse on the east facing wall of Torasgeo. I’m surprised that the Veinous Wall hasn’t see more attention. The two HVS’s are unaffected by the tides. Mysteries of the Deep E1 5b, Band on the Run E2 5c and Fishy Stuff E4 5c are all good however the well named Peeping Reaper E3 6a felt serious for the grade.
Painted Wall
Gravity Man E2 5b is the warm up here. The namesake Painted Wall E4 5c is superb, and the popular Dauntless E5 6a is a pumpy crimp fest with good protection. Goodbye Ruby Tuesday E5 6b is also a popular challenge which takes a lot of scalps including mine, but it was raining when I topped out.
Aurora Geo
Newton’s Law, Star of the Sea and Chicken Run will make for a memorable day for the E1 leader. Things are Looking Up and the brilliant Roaring Foam are both quality E3s and Poultry in Motion is a great E2.
Magic Geo
Campa Crack E1 5a is the stand out route (along side Lima E2 and Gas E3) on the sunny red wall at Magic Geo, there’s a bunch of popular easier routes there too. The Magician E5 is the stand-out hard route which packs a punch. The very bold and conditions dependant start is followed by some steadier climbing which leads to an impressive finale and is a true test at the grade.
Screaming Geo
Grants Bad Hair Day E2 is a good introduction to this buttress, with Necromancer E2/3 and Wailing Wall E4 6a also stunning routes. While the Prozac Link E4 is probably the main reason you’re on Lewis there are many more outstanding routes in the Screaming Geo, especially in the E3-E5 range including the tough but well protected Killer Fingers and Suffering Bastard both E4 6a. While Hughy’s Cocktail Mixture E3 5c provides totally wild climbing with outrageous exposure in an incredible position.
Uig South
Geo an Taroin has a sunny south westerly aspect but due to the deeply grooved nature of many of the routes it can be greasy until late in the afternoon. The most popular routes are the superb Moac Wall E1 5b, Twelve Years On E2 5b and Neighbourhood Watch E3 5c (the direct is worth checking out too). Be wary of both Less Awkward Than The Principle E3 6a and Achevalier E3 5c they are both brilliant but certainly not gifts at the grade.
Finally…. The photo tick Wave Dancing E4 6a sounds good but is still on our To Do List as is superb sounding Atlantic Highway E2 5b.
Creag Dhubh Dhiobadail
Climbing on Lewis’s premier mountain crag will be a big day out and a memorable experience. A mountain bike can reduce the massive walk in and the long mid summer days provide all the necessary daylight. The Extreme Rock tick The Big Lick E4 is most often the objective for the day but Panting Dog Climb E2 is also outstanding.
I’ve compiled a list of 100 starred Lewis Extremes on UKClimbing, please let me know if I’ve missed something.
Useful information.
The Outer Hebrides by the Scottish Mountaineering Club
Scottish Rock Climbs by Wired/SMC
Scottish Rock North by Gary Latter published by Pesda Press
Although climbers have been visiting the island for many years and no doubt climbed many boulder problems it was Dave McLeod with Niall McNair who really opened up the bouldering on Lewis in the early 2000’s with the first recorded ascents into the 7th grade at Tragic na Berigh, Port Nis and Clisham Pass.
There’s also a substantial jumble of clean gneiss boulders at Carnaichean Tealasdale, some details can be found on UK Climbing.