By Gerry Moss
Who has seen the wind,
Neither you nor I:
But when trees bow down their heads
The wind is passing by.
The strong winds were a dominant feature of the weather over the course of our 3 day Malin Head meet but it would take more than that to deter IMC folk. So, on the Friday morning, we were well wrapped up as we trooped behind our Meet Leader, Dave Walsh, heading for the Hell Hole, home to the route Cutting Edge, reputed to be the best multi-pitch V. Diff in these islands. We were on Ireland’s most northerly point and, on the day that was in it, probably Ireland’s most windy point, too. Helen bravely volunteered to carry the cumbersome 100m. ab rope, while Des and Cathy each carried a 50m rope and I, ropeless, brought up the rear. En route, Dave stashed away another 50m ab rope, above a different section of the sea cliffs, placing it so cunningly that it took us two days to locate it when we went looking for it later on.
The abseil into the foot of Cutting Edge is long, about 60m, but at a gentle angle and, it brought us to a sheltered ledge Fortune favours the brave.The first pitch was a doddle, easy, if sparsely protected, on good rock. The second pitch is what it is all about – a knife-edge arete, leading to the top of an impressive pillar, the climbing made all the more dramatic by a wind that threatened to pluck us off as we climbed. Once on top, we encountered Colm with Billy, a member of the Colmcille Climbers, heading for the route we had just done.We had left the ab rope in situ, as we knew that, during the ensuing days, everyone in the party would tackle the route. But high seas swept the bottom of the ab rope off the rock and into the sea, where it became trapped and we had to abandon it, in the hope that some of the Colmcille Climbers might retrieve it at a later stage.
We gathered that evening in the local pub, The Seaview Tavern, for a welcome meal. It was in the campsite behind the pub that the campers had planned to set up their base but, perhaps in anticipation of our arrival, the owners had spread slurry over the field a week beforehand. It was a case of “shit happens”.We were joined, for the meal by another Dave Walsh (DW2), a member of Colmcille Climbers, and the author of the guide book “Inishowen best 100 rock climbs”. To have the pleasure of the company of Dave Walsh (DW1) is happiness itself – but two? Joy unconfined!
On Saturday we opted for Port a Doris, a hidden rock playground, reached by a coastal path that included two kissing gates, which were totally wasted on our gang. We were joined by Paddy, Christina,Ronan and Adam, plus, from the Colmcille Climbers, Alan, Margaret, Dave and Billy. The path leads to a natural arch through a rock barrier and a climbing area that overlooks a creek with a tiny beach. Following a short rain shower (the only rain encountered over the weekend) the sheltered area was a bit damp, on the other hand, the area exposed to the winds was dry and festooned with generous jugs. A fine rock ridge extends out to sea from the arch, providing an airy, amusing outing that includes a traverse, across a steep drop, on a narrow, single plank bridge.
Here’s a cautionary tale. There were two abseil stakes above Toby Jug wall, one of angle iron, which was used by several people and the other an iron rod, which Cathy and I used. A little later the angle iron was tested before use by another party and it just broke in two, being rusted right through. The rod had become badly bent and was removed, just to be sure, to be sure..Never underestimate the perils of abseiling.
Later that evening we were joined by Elaine, to complete the group. On Sunday we all opted for climbing on the sea cliffs just west of the Head. However, the turbulent seas had made their mark. The lower sections of all the climbs were damp, due to wind-blown spray and, as a result, the rock was, in climbing parlance, as greasy as a witch’s snot. We just climbed one route and then strolled across the green sward and up to the tower on the Head, where a local entrepreneur had set up a mobile coffee shop. We picked a sheltered spot and relaxed for a while in the sun, before packing up and hitting the road.
One of the driving forces behind the Colmcille Climbers is local man Alan Tees. A fine climber and mountaineer, he and his wife Margaret were project leaders for “Irish Peaks” , the great book detailing all the highest peaks in Ireland. Alan is also author of “Scrambles in Ulster and Connacht”. His knowledge of the climbs in the Inishowen area is unsurpassed.
During the 3 days, while we were climbing, Dave (DW1), who is still recuperating from knee surgery, and unable to climb,cycled the local highways and byways. That the meet was so successful is due to his thorough, unstinting efforts. We owe him a debt of gratitude.