All posts by Andy Tees

Climbfest 2023

The Donegal Climbfest 2023 will take place in Culdaff on the weekend 28th April – 1st May.

Camping will be available at Bunagee, behind the pier.

Parking at the campsite area is very limited. Please only drive up the lane to the campsite to drop off your camping gear. All cars, vans and motorhomes should be parked at the pier.

Toilets will be available in the form of portaloos at the campsite/pier.

Registration cost is €20 per person, which includes a t-shirt and camping fees.

Some top ropes will be set up at Dunowen, approx. 200m from the campsite.

The usual “come and try it” session will be on Saturday morning at Dunmore Head, starting approximately 10am.

Sat evening there will be a gathering at the campsite area, by the shipping containers. BYO BBQ, food and drink.

Click here for topos of all the local climbing areas.

DONEGAL CLIMBFEST 2022

The 2022 Donegal Climbfest will take place in Maghery, Co. Donegal, on the weekend 29th April – 2nd May 2022.

The campsite will be located at the Maghery Community Centre, behind the sports field. Colmcille Climbing Club members will be around from Friday evening onwards.

Toilet facilities and water are available at the community centre. There is no need to book in advance, however, if you require electricity, you should phone ahead and book, as there are only a limited number of electric hookups available at the campsite. The phone number is 00353 74952 2724. Camping fees are by donation, with all proceeds going to the community centre.

The Climbfest registration fee is €10 per person, this includes a Climbfest 2022 t-shirt. There will also be a separate collection for a charity supporting Ukrainian refugees.

The community centre have offered to provide a meal on Saturday night at a cost of €10 (tbc), if there is enough demand. Otherwise, BYO. The Strand View Bar is just across the road, for liquid sustenance.

There will be top ropes set up at nearby Crohy Head (Download PDF Guide) for anyone who wishes to use them. On Saturday morning there will be a “come and try it” session, for kids and other big wains, on Cruit Island at 10.30am (exact meeting place tbc). There will be experienced club members there to supervise and belay for this session, no equipment is required, ropes, harnesses and helmets will be provided for the kids, so just show up!

Crohy Head is the nearest crag – Download PDF Guide

Cruit Island is approx 25 drive from the campsite – Download PDF Guide

There is also a limited amount of climbing on Arranmore Island, which is reachable by ferry from Burtonport. https://thearranmoreferry.com/

PDF Climbing guides for all crags and islands in the area can be downloaded from UniqueAscent

Maghery Village

Virtual AGM 2020

The club AGM was held via Zoom call on Thursday 15th October 2020 at 8pm. Minutes can be downloaded here.

In attendance: Geoff, Sean, George, Damian, Alan, Neil, Valli, Neeku, Anthony, PJ, Andrew, Sarah.

Apologies: Alfie, Finbarr, Margaret

In summary, the following were decided.

Membership fees for 2021 were set at £35. £1.50/€2.00 for associate membership (for those who are MI members individually or via another club).

Climbfest 2021 is planned for Maghery, on the usual bank holiday weekend at the beginning of May.

All club officers re-elected to existing positions for the coming year.

Club Facebook Group to be changed to private group, to avoid all posts being in the public realm. Club FB Page to be used for public posting.

Tentative meets list for Winter 2020 to be put together and circulated. Spring 2021 Meets List TBD when restrictions have eased.

CLIMBFEST 2020 CANCELLED

Due to recently re-imposed coronavirus restrictions, we are unable to go ahead with the Climbfest in Culdaff this weekend 22-23 August. The club feels it would be irresponsible to invite climbers to travel from around the country to Donegal, given the recent spike in outbreaks.

Hope to see you again at Climbfest 2021.

Midsummer Gola Island Trip 22-24 June

Midsummer camping and climbing on Gola Island 22nd- 24th June.

Sabba is the boatman (phone: 0872245881), whose ferry departs from Magheragallon Pier, Bunbeg.  According to his facebook page here, boats leave 11.00 AM and 2.00PM daily, but he seems to post on the page regarding next day’s sailings. Best to ring him and check, as this may change due to tide and weather.

Anthony was planning to arrange a 7pm ferry crossing on the Friday night, check the CC Facebook page for info on that.

In additon to ropes and gear, bring food, plenty of drink and some firewood for the campfire, if you have any lying around.

Camp site marked on the map below.

Image result for gola island map

Climbfest 2018 Info

Climbfest 2018 May 4th -7th

The venue is Malinbeg, and there is camping down by the harbour, near the crags GR 494 798 ( OS Sheet 10). A limited number of campervans could park there, but there is lots of room at the nearby
carpark for Silver Strand (Trabane), if you don’t mind a slight slope. (Also a new coffee shop there).

There is a hostel at Malinbeg which sleeps 29 in a variety of rooms from single room with double bed and ensuite, to rooms with up to six bunks, and prices vary from €15 upwards. Ring Frank at 0749730006 or email malinbeghostel@oceanfree.net. We have spoken to him and he knows about the event.

Malinmore is not far away and there is a bigger hostel there, Aras Ghleann Cholm Cille Tel 02035644853. We had our AGM there a couple of years ago.

A short drive away are Skelpoonagh Bay, An Port, Sail Rock and Muckross Head, see CCC online guide book for details, if you don’t have Iain Miller’s rock climbing guide to Donegal.

There will be a registration fee of some sort, depending on whether or not we are able to rent the house down at Malinbeg as a wet weather base for campers.

Great Gully Ridge

Whilst in Dublin for the weekend, Sarah and myself headed to Wicklow in search of some warm rock. We decided to avoid Glendalough due to inevitable bank holiday madness that would come with the great weather. Dave Flanaghan’s Ireland guidebook only lists a single route in Glenmalure, but it sounded like a good one, so we were all set.

Despite a treacherous approach through near vertical heather, the route is a great day out. Great Gully Ridge is 5 enjoyable pitches (could be done in 3 probably) on great rock, in a great situation above Glenmalure. Pitches 2 and 4 are more of a scramble, but the other pitches provide nice climbing, no harder than HS. An adventurous route with great views, highly recommended!

Andy

ggr2

Poisoned Glen

Kevin McGee, Geoff, George and myself met at the car park at the upper end of Glenveigh for some climbing at Ballaghageeha Buttress on Sunday.

With three of us having never climbed there before, Kevin assumed the role of local guide and crag expert.

Although the sun was making a good attempt to stay out, the crag was in the shade and the wind was blowing, making things pretty chilly…

Fittingly, George started with Patagonian Summer (HVS 5a), cruising it despite the frozen fingers. Meanwhile Kevin led The Mistress (currently HVS 5a), seconded by Geoff.

Myself and Geoff then both led Pebbles (HS), a decent route but without much gear and some serious run-outs… As someone later said ‘the gear is only there to stop your corpse from rolling down the face’.

The sun finally made it around to the front of the crag as George reached the top of The Mistress, followed with difficulty by myself. A cracking route, the difficult sections are interspersed with only marginally less difficult sections. In my opinion the route should be upgraded to E1 5b, as the difficulty is a step up from any HVS 5a I have climbed recently.

Kevin was on Tooth Fairy at this point, which appeared harder than anything else climbed that day, but still graded HVS(?). While the rest of us stood around in the sun taking pictures, Patrick and Adam Tinney arrived, fresh from attempting some other hard routes in a nearby gully. When Kevin reached the belay, we realised that someone needed to second him… Geoff wasn’t feeling keen, so George took up the challenge.

The Tinneys were starting on Patagonian Summer and George was making Tooth Fairy look easy as I left for the trip back to Belfast.

A good day’s climbing on a great crag that doesn’t see much traffic.

Andy

Dalkey Dash

With the forecasted rain/sleet failing to materialise in Dublin on Saturday, and Sunday morning still being dry, Sarah and I shook off our hangovers and headed out to Dalkey Quarry for a couple of routes on Sunday afternoon (as we happened to be the neighbourhood..).

We started off with Yorkshire Pudding (HS 4b), to clear out the cobwebs. We were then joined by some former UCD Mountaineering Club pals, Aoife, Dermot and John.

It was chilly enough with a stiff breeze blowing off the sea, so belay jackets were staying firmly on for climbing. Sarah and myself then did Fang** (HVS 5a), while Dermot led Oggie (S 4a).

After realising that the other side of the valley was in the sun, and would be sheltered from the wind, we headed across, and both parties led Street Fighter** (VS 4c) in much more pleasant conditions. After the UCD contingent did something else on the Eliminates Wall we decided that was enough excitement, and retired to Glasthule for coffee.

A fortuitous afternoon’s climbing considering the horrendous forecast for the weekend! Dalkey is a great spot, definitely worth a trip down the road for those located in Belfast, especially since you can escape easily to any number of climbing walls, gear shops or pubs if you get rained off!

Andy