The Magnificent 7(A's) — Belfast Climbing Club

BCC's Not club trip to Inis Mór

Trip Report by Kyle Stewart

Starring
Kyle ‘Dubious Tan Lines’ Stewart
Josh ‘Cave Dwelling Vaper’ Taujanskas
Micheal ‘Ah dinnae ken do it’ Barr.
Callum 'Speedy' Young. Fastest quick draws in the North.

4 climbers on a boat. Photo: Kyle Stewart

Prelude to the Wild

Josh and Kyle discuss heading to Inis Mór for a year. We tenuously agree to a week in June and proceed to enjoy the spring and summer climbing season until June frantically appears from nowhere.

Josh manages to curtail two willing participants in Micheal and Callum into joining us. The week before D-day we snipe a weather window Saturday - Wednesday and book the ferry and camping immediately.

Day 0 – Into the Wild West

We all leave Belfast midday Saturday to catch the 18:30 boat to Inis Mór. A lovely boat ride later with some titanic reenactment (minus the whole sinking debacle) and we land in the harbor at Kilronan. Lugging a ridiculous amount of kit and Michael carrying 20kg of extra food we get to our campsite.

Dumping out kit and pitching our tents we made a run straight to Joe Wattys bar. A must stop for the enterprising sport climber (or reformed traditional climbing addict). We enjoyed some smooth pints of Guinness

Pointe Fiáin Crag from the top. Photo: Kyle Stewart

Day 1 - The Dawn of Reckoning

Kyle on Midnight Hour 7a+. Photo: Michael Barr

Sunday morning appears and the psych is high. We wake up and head to a fantastically kitted out camper's kitchen for breakfast. Having talked to other climbers we were warned of ticks in the long grass in the walk in. We devise strategies to deal with this mainly involving tucking socks over trousers and letting Michael attract 95% of them with his beautiful tan trousers and alluring scent.

We hit the road and manage the 4.5km walk into the crag. We abseil in and soon discover that the route names “The Green Stuff is Slippy (8a+/b)” and “The Red Stuff Will Kill You (7a+)” are actually very practical advice. . The luminous green algae hides large pools of water waiting for a careless step to send you head over heels or soak a misplaced rope and would be a constant hazard throughout the trip.

The tactic for the first day of climbing was to get some mileage in over the somewhat limited easier ground of the crag. Micheal and Kyle partnered up whilst Josh tried to show Callum what a clip stick was and whether his trad ethics would consider this aid climbing (Spoiler - No, he's very fond of it).

Kyle started off the show with Entrance Fee. A tricky 6b+ with a bouldery crux. A sign of things to come.

Callum and Josh appropriately started with The Beginning 5a followed by The Cocoon 5c. We then did a cluster of 6’s With the highlight being Dreams of Aran 6c. A fantastic route gaining an awkward corner with a big final move to a good ledge.

Callum trying out the Clipstick. Photo: Josh Taujanskas

Having tackled some of the 6ish offerings we decide to dip the toes into the meat of the island. 65% of the climbs are in the 7's. Kyle and Micheal head to Piercing Bamba 7a+ and Josh and Callum move around to Midnight Hour 7a+. Kyle manages to climb it after several falls trying to work out the crux sequence. Micheal ties in but can't find the guppy moves through the crux so we move round the corner to find out the progress of the other team. Josh and Callum have managed to clip 2 bolts. I would call this sub optimal progress considering they were both pre-clipped with the magic stick. Though in fairness there was a massive amount of seepage over several holds. Seepage is a huge issue here after rain, with some lines taking a few days to fully dry out.

We all take burns at conquering the start. Kyle eventually works out the sequence continuing up and falling at crux no. 2. A bit of a fight later he manages to clip the chains. He sets up a top rope and the team tries to work the route. Josh manages to climb it with a few rests. Callum calls time on his effort to preserve skin and Michael tweaks his finger so bails off. Kyle manages to get the route clean after a few foot misfires on wet holds. The first 7 of the trip and hopefully a sign of good sends to come.

Day 1 was a long day climbing. We leave the crag at 8pm and just make it to Joe Wattys before they stop serving food. We toast off the night with 4 crisp pints with burgers and chips.

Day 2 - Crossroads at Midnight

We awake for a second day of climbing, get breakfast and make our way to the crag with a quick pit stop in the local Spar. Our bodies are already hurting and we’re feeling unrested from being awoken by strange cow squeals early in the morning. We all probably hit the first day a little hard considering the amount of time we had left on the island.

Climbs that happened today:

The Amazing Spiderfear 6b
Shredder 6b+
Happy Plaice 6b+
Déjá Vú 6c

Kyle also climbed the magnificent Tiny Thunder 6C+ at the end of the Day. Callum stepped up next for an attempt but ran out of beans just before the top.

Back to the campsite and we had a group dinner of pizza, burgers, steak, peppers, onion and garlic. A veritable feast to end the day.

Left: Michael on The Amazing Spiderfear 6b. Photo: Callum Young

Middle: Josh on Shredder 6b+ . Photo: Callum Young

Right: Callum Jugging out. Photo: Kyle Stewart

Day 3 - Shadows in the Canyon

A strong climbing day needs a strong breakfast. And after that protein heavy dinner the night before we needed 1 thing. Yes, sausages. Thanks Michael.

Day 3 was try-hard day (project day). Kyle & Josh instantly went to work trying The Orb 7a. After a few hours trading blows on the crux Kyle works out a crux sequence he thinks will work and lowers off to try a full lead burn. Josh tries this beta but can’t get a left hand throw to work. When resting on the ground another set of climbers gave us a completely different beta on the crux. Things got confusing. With the new beta Josh unlocked the first part of the crux but it wasn’t enough to pull through. Kyle adopting some new beta and some old beta finally sticks the whole crux on route and clips the chains, but not before having a nice sit down on a ledge post crux to recover. There might be a 7a way to do that crux. Kyle did not find it. Anyway, that’s the second 7 ascent.

Kyle went on to try Freight Train Boogie 7b. An intimidating looking line with a massive hard looking start he had been eyeing up all week. Seval misfires at the low crux start and he was off. The steep power endurance section to the 4th bolt was too much and he had to rest. He got to the top with 1 more rest and resolved to come back with a little more skin and power endurance.

As this was happening, young Michael was working on the Orb. Oblivious to the beta that had gone before he worked out yet another sequence and managed to make it work after desperately flailing to find a usable foothold. The third 7 of the trip and Michaels first of the grade.

Back along the crag Callum and Michael successfully climbed Tiny Thunder 6c+. The first of that grade for Callum, an excellent effort. After a false start (allegedly) due to mild heat stroke, Josh added a third ascent.

At the end of the day we converge on Dyson Swarm 7a. Kyle couldn’t work out the Crux on his first effort so the rest of the team jumped in to have a crack at unlocking the crux. Callum finds some voodoo polished side pull technology and Josh works out the feet into a 3 finger undercling. Kyle promptly nicks the team's beta and uses it to unexpectedly get through the crux straight away. Shear panic at not knowing what to do next, Kyle just throws for holds and somehow manages to make his way successfully up to the chains. Seven no. 4. Draws were left in as 3 of the team had some unfinished business with this route…

Tonight's dinner was a fine Chili Con Carne provided by Josh.

Day 4 - The Final Showdown

Another new day meant a new breakfast. This time a mound of fried bacon, tomato, peppers and eggs were devoured. Ready to make good use of the final days climbing.

One last walk in and abseil and 4 tired boys try to make the most of the last climbing for the trip. The 2:30 pm deadline to catch the ferry was looming and any unclaimed projects needed ticked.

Kyle took up duties as support crew and belayer as the other 3 lined up under Dyson Swarm 7a. Monster efforts were traded by the 3. Josh was throwing himself at the crux before retreating away from the sun into his cave abode. Callum was using a hoodie as a turban and Michael either topless or wearing an Arctic rated duck down jacket. Callum manages to make the crux move before falling on a damp crimp above. Annoyed but psyched he was strong enough to make the move, Callum retreats to drink some limestone filtered moss water (quality stuff) and then throws himself into another lead. This time he nails the crux and the following move to climb his first 7a (5/7). Michael, not feeling strong enough to use the undercling, goes full send mode and just decides to dyno through the problem. Michael almost holds the catch but tears his skin and he can’t hold it. A nasty cut leaves a small blood offering at the base of the route and means he bows out of the game to lick his wounds.

Callum, happy with his morning sends, agrees to go with Kyle to try and claim the striking arete Piercing Bamba 7a+. After a few mishaps in the sweaty sun Kyle conquers the guppy layback crux with a scream and promptly dispatches the top section with relative ease. (6/7) A truly striking arête which is the first thing you see looking down into the Pointe Fiáin area.

And then there was one. It's leaving time and Josh is still working on Dyson Swarm. Does he need this send to make his trip worthwhile? No, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be nice.

There’s time for one last attempt. Josh pulls up into the start sequence, now very smooth after doing it too many times. He takes a deep breath under the crux. Chalks up and dials in the foot sequence. He hits the side pull, cranks in on the undercling and lunges for the crux. Anticipation… he slaps for the ledge and gets it. Come on! The magnificent 7 7s complete.