For a long time I have wanted to do a new route at fairhead. I had explored a few areas previous years and abbed down a few lines. It is always a daunting prospect when you see how much work there is to do, and when a line is 100 meters long you have to decide whether its going to be worth the hours of cleaning. Andy tipped me off about a potential line in the an bealach a rhunda area. The very middle of the crag. Keen to have a project and an adventure I went up one evening after work and had a look. I whallopped in 2 stakes to ab off so that I wouldnt use too much of my 100m of ab rope before I got over the edge. After trundling the loose blocks in the top chimney I was able to sort of safely ab the line to see if it went all the way down. Looking down the top you see a wide chimney groove narrowing to a wide crack in a headwall that stops at what must be an overhang. when I got to the bottom of the headwall the overhang was huge. I was hanging in space with a gigantic slot and a deep crack disappearing into the cliff in front of me, behind me, beside me, in front of me (spinning in space) 
Below the overhang and slot was a long groove. It looked a long way to the ground, and there was a lot of crap and grass and gunk. It looked good though. It might just be possible. It would be protect-able with some monster cams. So I jugged back up and spent the rest of the evening trundling more dodgy chock stones out of the top section. Its impressive when it takes 5 seconds for the blocks to hit the ground below and explode into tiny pieces. The smell of cordite wafts up from below. I was slightly terrified as I hung there on a single retired outdoor center rope, using as ice axe to work out TV size blocks, with heaps of mud behind them. Nobody knows I am there, and its almost 11pm and nearly dark. Spooky business. But my rope is tough as a cable and I strangely love this experience. I get back to the car about 12 and zoom back down to belfast for bed at 1.30.
I spent another 2 evenings after work and 2 days off over the next few weeks, cleaning, excavating and trundling. After the second evening I was feeling a bit fed up with the whole process and wondered what the point in it all was. I was even wondering of I was going to be physically able to climb it, and even if I did, would anyone else even bother climbing it. I was in Cotswold looking at a guide book for the Llynn peninsula and read this description of a route called ugly. After that I thought that sounds epicly shite and if someone would bother climbing that I think this route deserves to be climbed. Massive respect to them though for climbing up an e7 through a stream.
After a dry weekend and a good cleaning session on the Saturday I went up with Thomas Prebble on Monday the 1st of July to have a go at it. I was anxious to get it climbed before anyone else noticed it. As silly as this sounds, because of the lack of people who actually climb at fairhead, and even fewer people who would attempt such an outrageous line. But I was paranoid. I was also worried that I might not see it dry again for a while. There were rumours of a heat wave but who would believe that. This particular Monday eve after work might be my only chance for the next while.
We started climbing about 8 oclock. The First pitch was really good, with a tricky section where I imagined. Thomas took a middle pitch around the mystery block. This is a huge pillar column wedged in the groove. It is overhung at the bottom and is mysteriously hanging there, but I concluded whatever strength is holding it in, must be strong enough to cope with the slight extra weight of the odd passing climber. Its about 10m long, and provides a nice little pitch at about 5b. On top of it is a rather nice belay, at the bottom of a widening crack leading to the slot. I started up the slot and made a tricky move into back and foot position. This is a really wild position and I have never climbed anything like this before. I back and foot through a huge overhang until I am unable to go any higher because another over hang blocks this position and the crack now head sized is getting smaller. I then pulled a 180 clutching some crimps side pulls and then threw myself back into the crack. Afther this move I could get a high foothold and get established into the splitter fist crack running up the headwall. This went reasonably Ok and I arrived at the top of the squirmy chimney back to my trusty belay stakes. Psyched. A whoop of delight, and I start to belay Thomas up. Unfortunately darkness is upon us and Thomas has a hard time getting up. He makes it to the top around 11.30 and we laugh at the sillyness of it all and the madness of the climbing. What a route. Having intimately cleaned it I knew where the holds where. I cant wait to see how others get on onsighting it. 
the gear…
Here is the description.
With 60m ropes could be climbed in 2 huge pitches.
We had 50m ropes. Take a big rack, especially if climbing in 2 pitches. Average gear for the first pitch. Get LOTS of big cams for the slot pitch. at least 2 wild country number 5’s and 1 number 6.
Start to the right of a fallen collumn leaning against the wall in a corner.
1. 50m. 6a. climb the corner to a roof, and make a mover rightwards to some fine cracks that lead to a groove. enter the groove with difficulty, and follow it to the base of the mystery block. Belay on good ledges here. (Could continue onwards with 60m ropes.)
2. 10m. 5b. bridge up to the overhang at the base of the block that now fills the groove. move right on good edges through the overhang. Climb the crack on the right, then left, then back right to a good belay on top of the block. Good nuts.
3. 30m. 6b. Climb and bridge up the widening crack (superb face holds) to a the start of the gigantic overhang (Number 5 friend). Make a tricky move up and rightwards to gain a back and footing position in the slot. Shimmy up the chimney to its narrowing, (pretty wild) and place a number 6 cam as high as you can. Make difficult moves out of the chimney to gain the offwith crack in the wall above. Crimps, sidepulls, and small holds inside the crack, are available. Follow the immaculate, now fist sized, crack up the headwall to good ledges. Belay.
4. 20m. 5b. Follow the cracks and ledges to a final squirm up the chimney to the top.
johnmccuneclimb 