Grades

Guide nearly finished

The guide is nearly finished just another week or two. So if anyone has any last minute information or photos now is the time to send it on....

Fairhead

Finally made it up to the Head. Paul and I got the full tour of Murlough and Rathlin Wall area from Rob Hunter. Saw a lot of steep crimpy rock. Wasn't really my cup of tea but the wads obviously love it. Where going to camp but decided to stay in the hostel. Next morning went around Murlough and tried to draw a map, its more on a conceptual level than cartography but anyway. It started to snow as we where leaving.

There is a place in Ballycastle, a Chinese restaurant, they do the standard buffet thing but you can also for £4 get a plastic contained and you fill it with whatever you want from the buffet once you can close the lid you are golden. I targeted meat - no pointless carbs for me - and was unable to finish mine. So worth checking out. No photos sorry forgot.

Fireworks Boulder in Doolin

Does anyone have any photos of the Fireworks boulder in Doolin?

Lough Bray/Stonecutters/Sad and Lonely/Glendo

Got an early start and took some self portaits on Away from the numbers. They turned out shit as the arete was in shade and the background was bright. Lesson learnt. Better on a more overcast day. Similar problems in Stonecutters. Was very boggy around Sad and Lonely Boulder. Got to Glendo and it was getting cloudy. There was a good few people around - over a dozen I'd say. Did a few problems on Big Jim and it started raining so I headed on.

Glendasan

When on a photo mission. The goal was living the dream but we decided it would be too wet under the trees. So decided to head for the southside of Glendasan to catch the last bit of sun which we did just. It moved up the hillside at walking pace. We where all perloxed by the problem to the right of Ped's Dyno "so it goes". Tried 'behind the lines' not a bad problem really and then tried Ahad in the darkening. Ahab is hard. 6b my bollox. Go one or two shots so not a total disaster but the lesson is that you need to get out early in Wicklow in winter to get good light.


Paul on Behind the lines and Diarmuid on Ahab.

Glemac

Went to Glenmac yesterday, nice and early so managed to get the best of the day. I managed to get a few shots before the cloud rolled in. Explored all the way up the valley to the cliffs at the top. The boulders just below the crag aren't up to much. There are some problems to be done but the rock isn't great. The 'room' beside Lucky Me has some impressive - but very hard and blank - aretes and one more doable problem. The ground was very very damp. There was a huge wet streak on the Wow Prow steep end. The problem to the right of the Wow Prow ie. to the left of John's Problem looks great. I think Ped did, at least tried the jump start ie. jump to the slopey bulge and mantle. The sit start looks incredible. Hard but possible. Pure compression moves on slopey holds. Probably a much nicer problem than the Wow Prow.