Owey Owey WOWEY

I love Donegal. During the heat wave I Spent a bit of time up there. There is an incredible range of rock and a lot of adventures to be had. Last year I did a few new routes in Inishowen and it gave me a taste for going and finding more. I went up to Donegal over the 12th weekend. My Family had rented a house in Bun Beag. I spent some time with them there and went to check out some of the local granite crags with Katie and Niall.

We went to Cruit Island and climbed a few lovely routes and had a day on Gola. I love climbing on Granite and this area is entirely granite. Cruit has some lovely routes with great features. I climbed a new route on the wall left of an existing e1 mainly because the features on the little headwall looked amazing. It was pumpier than it looked but gave lovely climbing. Im not too good with grades but it could be e3 ish.

I was very impressed with the granite, and looking out to Owey Island my suspicions of there being some brilliant climbing out there grew. I had seen a photo on climbing.ie of an Incredible looking wall a few years ago and since then have wanted to take a trip out. It was called the “Holy Jaysus!” wall, Presumably after a dub or southerner of some sort exclaiming in shock and awe upon finding it.  Only last week did I get around to finally going out to have a look and explore for myself. Such is climbing and really there is just too much in the world to climb. Kevin Kilroy was my fellow intrepid explorer and we borrowed some sit on top Kayaks and set off for an adventure.

Paddling accross to the island only took about 15 mins, its not far. We dumped our gear and then went for a paddle all around the island.  There were a few exciting moments paddling in reasonable swell on the open atlantic side of the island. We also found amazing caves, ones that go right through the island. As predicted we found lots and lots of cliffs. The Holy Jaysus wall is as impressive as I imagined. But we left it for another trip, partially because it took me 2 days to find it. There are a handful of existing routes, but mostly in the lower grades. But what we found were some seriously impressive cliffs and when we investigated further we found impeccable granite. 

We climbed 2 new routes, The donkeys Pelvis HVS 50m and An Sron Tochasach ( the Itchy Nose) E5 6b, 55m

The first route was really just a recce and after abbing into the Zawn that is locally know as Fat arse North we climbed out by the line of least resistance. Beside this there are Immense overhangs. Probably some of the biggest I have seen. From the Kayak I had spotted a huge nose feature. I decided that this would be the object of the trip- To climb a route involving this huge nose.

The experience of climbing this route was very rewarding. I started up a crack and groove system that led up to the first huge roof under the nose. My plan was then to traverse under it and then have a look what was around the corner. From our belay ledge we couldn’t see what was around the corner. I knew there was a crack from the top of the nose to the cragtop that looked like it would climb. I didnt know what this middle section involved because it was hidden from view, So I climbed completely onwards and upwards into the unknown. When I got to the end of traversing under the roof I could reach my had onto an arete. at this point the foot holds disappeared. I had good gear and was running on a fair amount of adrenalin so pulled hard so I could peer round the arete to see what was next. To my surprise there was a crack and groove that lead up to a huge ledge. The move round the arete is superb. The ledge is the most perfect belay ledge. It is almost a cave. Upon reaching this belay, I discovered that the next pitch was possible and we would make to to the splitter crack. Not only did it look possible, but also relatively straight forward. It was a stunning bit of climbing traversing an entirely hanging slab to an incredible position on the hanging nose. Here you make a belay sitting “au Cheval” one leg either side of the arete. The last pitch, the only one I had been able to see from the abseil decent, was a crack feature that was a lot thinner, harder and steeper than I expected. I started up this pitch about 9.30pm and darkness was failing. I climbed the moves but I was parched knackered and getting a bit scared of getting stuck there so I had to rest on my gear most of the way up. Before the very top is a final overhanging handcrack. I had to aid up this. Around 11pm I topped much to the surprise of the locals who were having a traditional piss up by the lake.

The next day I intended to try and free the top pitch. However Abbing in to the belay on the nose was epic. I fairly well had to aid down climb with so many deviations on the rope to gain the belay. We were down there so I climbed the pitch with some pre placed gear.

The last day we climbed the route free from the ground this time with Kev Taking the first and second pitches. I had to give it stacks on the crux pitch. But I managed to climb it all free and clean and was happy. I could go back to work the next day satisfied.

It is a committing place to climb and Retreat of the route would not be straight forward. If you took a big lob off the crux pitch you would probably be in space and it would be a complete faff. Worse still as the only two climbers on a remote island in the atlantic climbing here feels totally wild. It all added to the experience of our adventure. I have a few more things to climb there and will be back soon. As with most of donegal there is a lifetime of new routes to do, it just takes a bit of exploration.

starting up the donkeys pelvis HVS. Excellent climbing.

Starting up An Sron Tochasach e5 or there abouts. definitely hard

Second pitch. A beautifully exposed traverse.

Starting up the relentless crux crack

 Belay “au Cheval” Looking down the pumpy crack. Kev took this seconding. Note the ab rope hanging in space, gives indication of steepness. Kev coming out of the final Squirm

Black Magic

Last week Kev and I had a go at Black Magic, the huge corner and roof left of born to run. E4 6a Its a huge feature and it would give any one the heeby jeebies looking at it. I started up it last year with Ryan McHenry. I had taken the first pitch and Ryan had started up the second but it looked like terror, and he had no gear big enough to protect it. He managed to down climb and offered the lead to me and I declined. We abbed off. I always wanted to go back some day when I had some big cams. 

After the wild things I had plenty of big cams to protect some wide stuff. I also wanted to have something to compare my route to. To give me more of an idea of grades I thought it would be good to try climbing like Black magic. 

The first pitch is about e2 and is dirty but you can pull vegetation out as you climb. the terror starts as you progress up the chimney of the second pitch. The guide say “climb the tapering chimey to the overhang.” thats all the info you get. Its fairly desperate. The chimney is damp, offwidth, butch, dirty and altogether grim. I was glad I had those big cams. Where the chimney narrows, I was “back and kneeing”. Contracting every muscle in my body and trying to vertically squirm it felt like I could make an inch of upward progress, but if I stopped relaxed anything for a second i was sliding back down again. The main problem was it didn’t ease for a long way. After emerging from the filth of the chimney you gain a lovely section of fist sized crack and corner. All this time you are under the huge overhang. The roof is really huge, and black and dark and horizontal for 4 or 5 meters. Its quite the intimidator. However when you get to it there are just about enough holds just where you need them. The climbing is steep, and in a tremendous position and its refreshing to climb on holds rather than in a chimney. The guide says to belay after the overhang, but darkness was close, so I continued to the top with mega rope drag. As far as I know it was just the 3rd ascent. 

It was fairly filthy in general and there where quite a lot of snappy holds. Predictable for a route that’s had so few ascents. But it was good to climb it, particularly for climbing through the overhang. Although I certainly wouldn’t climb it again. I think Where the Wild things are is probably harder. And a much better route. Good to have something to compare it to.

War Music…

The Buzzards roost is the most impressive wall in the Mournes. I had been up to it a few times, and watched others climbing on it, but never got on myself. War Music is an E5 with quite a reputation. As far as I know nobody has onsighted it without a fall. Not very many people have climbed it either. I only know of 5 or 6, and thats probably it. It is an intimidating wall weaving a line through huge overhangs. I went up with the ever psyched Colm Shannon, who surprisingly needed a little persuading. He took the first pitch and put in an amazing lead climbed it clean. This was a good start. I have watched 2 people try that pitch and both had to rest. Its surprisingly a lot harder and steeper than it looks. The pitch ends with an amazing move where you swing out right on a ledge, cut loose and campus along until you can drop your feet onto a belay block a good bit further right again. Exhilarating.

I Then started up the crux pitch which is beautiful climbing around ledges and through overhangs and grooves. A vague uncomfortable rest in a slim groove is gained before the crux crack. I must have spent an hour here trying to recover my energy so that I would have been fresh for the crux pitch. I could get both hands off by smearing my crotch around the edge of the groove. Fairly uncomfortable, but it kind of worked, unless I breathed too much, and I would start to slide off. After a long time trying to get an idea of what was before me I went for it. The move is unbelievably hard. The holds seem to run out and the crack becomes useless and I was staring at a dyno. I dont Dyno. I fell many many times and got more and more pumped. At my last attempt I gave it everything and caught the hold. It was sensational. The rest of the climbing is straight forward in comparison and its amazing to be up there on the top of that massively steep face.

Colm on the first belay.

Dayle and John Orr on War Music 3 years ago.

New routing, where the wild things are…

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.

Where the wild things are. E5 6b. 110m. J.McCune, T.Prebble. 01/07/13. Climbs the big crack in the wall left of An Goban Saor.

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.

 

Death or Glory… Just another story

This year the meet was a great success. I have never seen so many people at Fairhead. It was great craic and some brilliant climbing was done too. I climbed Thunderhips for the first time, and really enjoyed it. Swail and myself climbed the hustler, a superb E3. We then seconded Andy on the Complete scream, Rickys massive direct e8 into primal scream. This was a fantastic experience to be able to climb on the wall. The climbing felt OK, but the run outs are huge. Needless to say Andy cruised up it.

On the Sunday after a good party and an inspiring talk from Nick Bullock, I got on Death or Glory. This is an E4 on the head wall above roaring meg. I have wanted to climb it for a while but have always been a bit scared because of its reputation. Andys route Fairy stories actually climbs into the same hanging corner on its second pitch. However the original route with its own start had never received a second ascent as far as I know. It feels bold climbing off the big ledge onto a steep wall with poor footholds. I traversed back and forth a fair bit before committing to the moves into the groove. After this you climb boldly up the groove for a few more pumpy moves before you get gear. The rest of the climb is incredible and the moves out of the groove onto the headwall are sensational. I thought e5 might be more reasonable, comparing it to other e4’s at the head. 

The following weekend a good crowd of us were up again, and Katie and myself climbed the Badlands. I love the Bruce springsteen classics and I am working my way through them. I think I just have thunder road to do.  This is tremendous climb in the white lightning ampitheatre. It has 3 great pitches and was relatively clean too. It always feels like Jurassic park down there. I finished the weekend climbing Jolly roger in a oner. 

Bates Motel

My first route at fairhead in over a year was Bates Motel. Currently given E3 5c. I had climbed and loved solid mandala (also e3) last year and would highly recommend it. I cant say the same for Bates… It is a horror show. Up crack to pod… horrendous unrelenting squirming on horrible jams in a steep groove with no foot holds. I must be out of practice, but this was grim. At one point I had to do a one armer on a poor jam.  I lost the battle and used a point of desperation (aid). It was also baltic with northerly winds. Fairhead can be a hard place. Its good to be put in your place though and after complaining to everyone about it Paul sent me this photo from the old Guidebook when e3s were e2s and men were obviously real men.

Back in Ireland

Before going to the alps I had driven my car a my stuff back to Ireland from Sheffield. My car was making terrible noises and I feared it was near death. On returning from the alps I had to get a new car sorted. I said good bye to my trusty 206 which had a broken rear axel and various other problems and would cost too much to fix. I purchased my Grandads Astra with only 20,000 miles on it.

I urgently needed to start earning some money again. I started doing a bit of instructing and then got stuck into some rope access work.

I have enjoyed doing some rock climbing courses working for Tollymore. I have had some great clients of various stages on their rock climbing journey, and have thoroughly enjoyed helping them achieve goals and challenge themselves. A real highlight for me was climbing Lunar wall, a brilliant multipitch climb on Pigeon.

I had a good weekend with Joe, introducing him to mournes rock climbing. We climbed FM, between rain showers on the first day and a few routes in the glooping rain on pigeon on the Sunday.

 

 

I got accepted onto the Guide scheme around mid June, which was very exciting and I look forward to starting the inductions and training in September. Roll on the next stage….

Alps trip.

Mid April – 20th May.

Paul Swail and I went out to the alps for a six week trip around on the 14th of April. The intention was to climb some grand course North Faces, ski tour some classic hut to hut traverses, and climb a stack of major alpine peaks. All pre requisites for the BMG application which we hope to submit at end of May.

When we arrived out it was very hot, and everything seemed to be shutting down or falling down. To some a long 6 weeks up the weather was mostly shit. Climbing on big committing routes was not really an option because the forecasts were always poor and the weather so changeable. We spent a lot of time waiting out rain. Thankfully Paul had his very luxurious camper van and we were able to live in relevant comfort. The most frustrating thing was not being able to get on a big alpine north face. We did our very best with the weather, and in the better weeks, skied the Gran Paradiso Haute route and the Bernese Oberland 4000ers. Throughout these tours we climbed some beautiful mountains and had some great decents, of ten linking days together to make uber long days that were full on. Guy Buckingham joined us on the Gran Paradiso tour and it was really interesting learning about nuclear submarines. On the Bernese Oberland 4000ers Guy Stevens and Michael Kirby joined us for more banter.

Summit of Gran Paradiso

 

Quality skiing on the last stage of the Gran paradiso Haute route. This was mega crap. A stupid amount of flat at the end of long tour in the heat of the day. And everything was melting and falling down all around.

Between the tours we went down to Finale for a week to escape the terrible mountain weather. I love swimming in the sea, and was able to swim everyday in the slowly warming Mediterranean. We were also able to climb some great sport routes. I managed a 7b which I was proud of because I don’t really get on with sports climbing. It is something I could really enjoy and after a few days I could see how I was getting used to the style and the idea of having to pull really hard and climb fluidly and fast.

The last bit of our trip we ended up in Chamonix because it seemed like the most likely area of the alps that we might have got climbing anything snowy ice or mixed. Paul, Guy and myself planned for an ascent of the super couloir on the tacul, on the only day of settled weather in a period of about ten days. After a bivvi in the hut under the cosmiques and an early start, I got stuck in to the rock start, as the direct was too dry. The plan was for me to get us to the start of the couloir proper by climbing the first few pitches of the gervassutti pillar, as I was familiar with it having climbed if a few years ago.  I was climbing with bare hands on rock, and in rock shoes in a snow storm in sub zero temperatures for two pitches before I decided that I seriously didn’t want to be there. I was leading well above an old peg clearing snow from some smears with bare hands hoping my rock shoes might stick if they weren’t too damp. Most of my body was numb, and all I could see above me was the snow spiraling down the couloir above. I could see the move I needed to do, but I faced a big fall if I failed and couldn’t imagine conditions improving higher up. I didn’t think my feet would recover unless I got them into boots soon. Backing off is something that we don’t do well especially with the massive motivation to climb as famous and aesthetic a route as the super couloir. And besides its just a bit of suffering. “Tighten up” my head was saying. But I also thought, I have never climbed a route in such miserable conditions. This was not the weather we had hoped for. I managed to reverse to the peg. We abseiled down and got off the mountain. Paul and Guy did not think less of me. I think they were equally as miserable. After this, I had fairly well had it with the alps. Paul was the same, and we went home early. 

Grindlewald

summit of Jungfrau

Skiing off Junfrau

summit of monch

final ridge on monch

Snow balling Sheffield.

April.

When I got back from Font the huge amount of snow that had fallen was pretty much settled into amazing drifts under a lot of the crags, thus providing excellent landings under a lot of routes and high ball problems. I couldn’t believe how much snow was there, and an amazing high pressure was bringing beautiful crisp dry sunny weather. Prime for grit climbing, and not too concerned about blowing my onsights of scary classics, I joyously climbed them above the snow banks. I leaped across Big air without a care in the world, climbed up and down don, and Archangel, 3 blind mice, chip shop brawl, exaltation, sir chilled flashing Ulysees, and weather report and loads of other beautiful pieces of grit. WIthout the fear, the climbing felt so easy and in such optimum conditions it was a wonderful week of climbing. I was very stoked to be there to enjoy the experience.

The photo of me on Ulysees sums it all up. Cranking hard on a tiny pebble. Photo credit to Andy Reeves

3 blind mice.

Despite the snow, most of the routes still had a high ball feel. Guess that’s where the snowballing comes from. I climbed left unconquerable and it still felt fairly high up.

Katie High up on Archangel. Definitely a no fall zone.

 

A few noteworthy routes before the snow were, the knock E4, which is such a beautiful blunt arete, with just enough holds to make it, Pebble mill E5, and Goliath E4.   Pebble mill took me a few falls off the boulder problem start, and the solo zone at the start definitely required a calm head. Goliath was a laugh and took a few falls before i decided the beta was to lay back it. 

the Knock

Pebble mill

Goliath

 

Font…

After Austria, I might have done a day or twos work, then went out to font for 6 days with Katie, Josh, and Adam. The others were already going and I tagged along at the last minute, and was glad I did because there was a ton of snow in Sheffield, and there was not much happening there. Font is always fun, and I always enjoy bouldering as a less committing and seriously consequential form of climbing. Saying this I always seem to find the problems that I might break my legs if I fall off much more appealing. Probably because it takes a bit of adrenaline to make me pull hard, and I like high things. 

Conditions were mint, and there was good sendage from everyone.