Colmcille Climbers

GlenVeagh's 1st route. Some 200M left of the Main Cliffs is a line of broken crags, the left edge of these overlooks a wide gully and provides 'a delightful climb on clean rock'. The 1962,1985 and 2002 guides mention it starts 15M behind a holly tree in the scree at its foot. (this start to be re-checked!)

1.14M Climb the short wall and continue to the back of a broad ledge.

2. 16M A steep wall leads to easier rock and belay, by a large flake at the corner of the main wall.

3. 30M Climb the flake by its left edge, step right and ascend to a small stance on the face.To finish climb crack passing a bulge to a heather ledge and easy rocks then lead to the top.

(Original description gave 7-pitches)

Start in a corner of pink rock: 6M right and 9M below Catriona.

1. 18M Climb the rib to the right.

2. 18M Continue up and slightly right into a bower.

3. 9M Ascend the blocks at the back and continue to the top.

This route climbs the 'A' Buttress to the apex of the triangle, starting on a short wall resembling masonry. It then passes through the left hand of two large rectangular patches of vegetation below the overhangs at approx 1/2 way-up the face.

1. 6M Climb the 'masonry wall' to strenuous pull-up onto heather mat.

2. 30M Climb the white-ish outward-sloping slab on its right side to a point right of large overhanging patch of vegetation. Tree belay.

3. 24M Step down onto vegetation before climbing up to centre, then traverse rightwards to climb right edge. Belay under curved roof, behind 3M vertical slab.

4. 30M Scramble-up to an overhang between two projecting blocks. From the left, traverse, close to the roof and climb corner. Climb face above on good footholds.

5. 30M Bridge chimney above, past hazardous block on right, to the top.

A direct line up the left flank of the A Buttress. 'A good climb' with technical difficulties left to the penultimate pitch. Make a good study of route as there are discrepancies between original description and later guides (to be checked).

1.30m Climb crack/chimney for approx 6m, then short wall above to large heather ledge with good belay.

2.27m From ledge climb left over a big block into corner. Climb round corner, traverse slightly right to arete; climb up to stance on arete beneath overhang. Belay.

3.45m Continue up buttress edge for 5m, pass the overhang by moving left round corner to blocks and follow centrally to thin crack above. Move back right to arete, climb up to belay at back of terrace.

4.5m The left hand wall of the buttress contains a thin crack, leading to an open-chimney, climb this to last 3m of buttress. Follow edge to a holly tree(Original 1959 Description).

OR Avoid final short wall by diagonally traversing right then back left to top (1985 guide).

A highly regarded route: 'this is a climb of sustained difficulty, dramatic and very exposed' (CC Journal 1964) & 'the finest climb outside The Poisoned Glen' (CC Journal 1967).

It is not known if oak tree still present. Stars reflect the above contemporary comments - let me know if you know otherwise?

1.33m Start as for p1 of Empathy, then traverse right to an oak tree above a steep wet corner.

2.33m Traverse across gully to a ledge belay, on far side; below a steep cracked wall.

3.21m Climb short mossy wall, step left onto a large block. Use crack in corner to go right and gain large cracked wall. Climb the crack and surmount overhang. Easier climbing leads to belay on heather ledge.

4.21m Climb chimney/gully gaining heather ledge belay on right.

5.21 Climb steep wall, behind ledge, for approx 5m to a corner; follow to large heather ledge (belay) below steep arete.

6.21m Arete.

Two separate routes but covering much of the same ground. Crolly Dolly weaves around Hard T. to find an easier line. Hard T.'s line is described (Note:Technical grade provisional-not confirmed and the 2 aid pts cannot currently be confirmed.).

1. 45m Climb right-hand-end of slab, traverse left; then up for 35m. Belay under large rectangular overhang.

2.45m Climb up to overhang, then step left onto sloping-ledge. Climb crack to a spike and crack above using two aid pts (not known if in-situ). Difficulties continue to a detatched flake, climb until a step left is possible to an undercut flake. Up this, then crack; belay is up and right.

3. 18m Climb overhang then left to chimney; climb its right wall to large ledge (belay).

4. 27m Climb cracks and grooves above, before moving left to bottom of gully/chimney.

5. 18m Chimney to top.

1. 15m Through holly tree to crack, climb it; go under chockstone to gain platform.

2. 21m Climb 2m to top of smaller platform, up the overhanging right wall of the diedre above and step left to heather at 10m. Move out of diedre rightwards to stance.

3. 21m Up 3m to climb short wall leading to heather ledge. Traverse left onto heather ledge, above overhang. Climb slab to horizontal crack, then hand-traverse right to a heather ledge.

4. 9m Layback into crack, up 3m to spike and move right to heather; go up to belay stance beneath overhang.

5. 8m Step down. Delicate moves left to around corner to groove; climb it to belay on poor stance.

6. 18m Up 3m to heather ledge. Up crack (possible 1961 vintage wedge in-situ!), move left onto vegetation. Climb wall on right to good ledge (ravens nest at back).

7. 60m a series of steep walls and vegetation lead to top. Moves right, then left; traverse right to reach an easy gully.

*Pitches 1,2,3 previously climbed by P. O'Leary and K. Shelley 04/1961.

Starting at base of main rib to left of the gully, it goes up to Dragonfly Terrace before traversing left between upper an lower overhangs; a final pitch before an abseil off.

1. 20m Up steep and delicate rock left of gully, to vegetation and tree belay - level with pitch 1 of Ariel.

2. 25m Move left on side holds, poor protection, to heather ledge; belay on jammed-flake below overhang. Abseil-off.

The central fault-line of the Main Face.

1. 18m From the lowest point, where vegetated ramps cross, scramble (?) up to a pulpit.

2. 18m Pull up on rounded holds to a knob. Move up left to ledge and up vegetation to belay.

3. 24m Climb right hand wall, then left round corner; continue up right hand crack. Traverse left, up rock to grass ledge belay.

4. 12m (Description missing from 1985 guide, and 2002.) Up would be a good bet!

5. 24m Follow left edge of flake. Surmount bulge, continue up vegetated rakes to tree belay.

6. 12m Right hand corner to top.

A series of chimneys to a field of vegetation and a further chimney leads to the top, following a line of weakness 35m right of Ariel.

"of the best Donegal vintage" (1961), "it is strenuous and there are no escape routes" (1962). "It is heavily overgrown and not recommended"(2002). *Stars reflect 1960s' comments.

1. 27m Start from the bottom of a narrow chimney, topped with a Rhododendron bush, move right around corner, go up steep wall. Work right, then left to gain the right rib of chimney. Go right to grass stance (piton belay - 1962).

2. 10m Cross Rhododendron bush to gain foot of steep narrow chimney.

3. 17m Go up steep narrow chimney, strenuous exit to ledge with an oak tree belay.

4. 18m Go up left, avoid overhang, onto vegetation and up groove to grass ledge.

5. 24m Up to rock-flutings. Go right, up rock rib to grass ledge below a horizontal sloing rock ledge. Go right and up to filed of vegetation.

6. 39m Up chimney, exit right at top. Short wall to finish (original 7th pitch).

12m right of Sinn Fein is a lesser fault line:Dolphin.

1. 15m Up arrowhead pillar, surmount small contorted roof.

2. 23m Climb slab on small holds, exit with difficulty to steep heather ledge. Belay on trees below a wall.

3. 30m Ascend vegetated corner to gain clean rock. Continue up and climb short chimney.

4. 36m Climb slabs above to narrow V-chimney.

5. 36m Chimney, exit right; finish up rock and vegetation.

6. 36m Scramble to top.

The last right hand rib of the Main Face, just before an irregular formation including a spectacular overhang and a descent gully. Starting right of a rib which obstructs a green ramp.

1. 30m follow right hand edge of slab to chimney. Airy traverse lefte and up to small heather ledge.

2. 15m Out left to slab, to heather and up chimney to larger heather ledge.

3. 30m Delicately right, then left up slab to heather and grass ledge belay; under overhang.

4. 35m Crux-pitch. Left under overhang, continue left until a steep right to a heather ledge; under small overhang.

5. 10m Surmount overhang on its right. Scramble to top.