Name: Glencolmcille Climbfest
Start: 2025-05-02T08:00:00+00:00
End: 2025-05-05T17:00:00+00:00

Editor: Dungloon (Kinnego)
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Crag Profile: Dungloon (Kinnego)
Details of the crag can be reviewed below. Editing links are present on all routes and inter-route notes
Dungloon (Kinnego)
Directions: Kinnego Bay.The various cliffs around the headlands and islands of Dungloon provide good quality climbing in all grades. The most dramatic routes are on the 'Galleon' - a high stack, and are up to 40m in height. From Moville take the Culdaff Road. Approx 5km from Moville the rd forks at Moglass Br. Gr582424 take the R fork. Turn R at the chapel. Follow this rd for approx 6km and turn L at gr 624462just before the steep hill to the beach. Follow the road to the end, where there is limited parking behind a long bungalow. Beyond, a site has been cleared, but ran into planning difficulties. Continue through the gate and walk N along a ditch path* to the top of the cliffs and take a steep zig zag descent path. (July 2024)*The path was cleared in 2023, but has since been inundated with brambles and hawthorn and is now impassable. Unless you are willing to spend an hour or two with loppers and machete, forget it, or perhaps approach by Kayak. OS Grid Reference: C630470 Click here to view location in Google Maps
01 - El Capitano * * VS 4c Length: 27m B McDermott, J Rotherham 11/5/80 This takes a route up the Eastern boundry wall of the Dungloon climbing area.Start on the far side of the bay from the Galleas, to the L of and below Lucy and Maeve. There is an obvious corner broken at mid-height by a ledge. Start low down and climb L of the corner strenuously until the crack is reached. Steep hand jamming to the ledge and some delicate rock to the overhang. Belay far back. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
02 - Lucy * HS Length: 8m P Grant (1979) Right of "El Cap" and higher up is a small wall. Takes the left corner. Frequently underestimated! View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
03 - Maeve HS Length: 8m P Grant (1979) High up in the bay east of the Prow is a small crag. This route climbs the right-hand corner. Harder than it looks. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
04 - Cup of Sugar VS 4b Length: 10m D Somers, B Patton (2/81) To the East of the Galleon there is a small island at the sea edge (called the Galleas) characterised by a clean corner on the left. This route takes the overhanging groove just right of the clean corner on the Galleas. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
05 - Fools Mariniere HS 4b Length: 13m P.Cooper & N.Machon May 1999 Out in the bay on the left hand side of the Galleas is a left to right trending crackline, follow this rising traverse; exit up last vertical crack. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
48 - Liam Neeson Chasing a Load of Hens Around Inside a Barrel E1 5a Length: 15m Rónán Kernan, Conor Gilmour 26/May/2017 Start just left of Cup of Sugar, under the roof. Climb to roof and swing left to climb leftward trending crack on thoughtful gear to break. Make tricky moves up and right to reach flakes. Follow these to finish up and left on problematic rock. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
06 - Protestant Backlash HS 4b Length: 10m D Stelfox (8/80) Takes the left-hand vertical crackline on the prow, opposite the Galleas,about 3m left of Finquin. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
06 - Finquin HS 4b Length: 10m R Finlay, K Quinn (10/80) To the left of Red Duster, on the sea facing wall of the prow, there are two vertical cracklines, on the right 'Finquin' and on the left 'Protestant Backlash'. This route takes the right-hand crackline, which contains a series of small ledges. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
08 - Reach for It * E2 5b Length: 20m A McFarlane, P Turley (29/8/88) A sporting route taking the arete left of Red Duster. Boulder up the wall to the first step in the arete. Continue up the arete with trepidation. Poorly protected, but 'big friends would help'. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
09 - Red Duster * * * E1 5a Length: 20m M Manson, D Stelfox (8/80) Climb wall to reach crack. Layback up crack to reach horizontal break. Climb over the break and then straight up to the top. Beware loose rock near the top. (Red Duster - Alternative Start 20m 5b) Climbs the crack just right of the original start. Start on the ledge, and layback up to join the last third of the original route. Harder, but not as good as the original. Incidentally, this superb route has now become harder since losing some holds off the top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route

The following routes are on the Galleon, the big sea stack usually accessible from the shore, easily identified by the two prominent corners on its NW landward facing profile. Access to the top is by the obvious grassy slopes and most routes require abseil descent.

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50 - Dinner for Smucks E1 5c Length: 25m J.McCune,K.Maxwell 29/07/12 On the slightly lower westerly wall of the Galleon are two parallel cracks. Climb the left one to a big ledge and traverse slightly left to the short corner. Climb the corner to a break, then pull up delicately onto the slab, and follow a delicate groove to the top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
51 - To Mock a killing Bird E5 6a Length: 25m J.McCune.K.Maxwell. 22/07.12 Just right of Dinner for Smucks, climb the crack to a big ledge, make committing moves using an undercut to regain the crack and juggy break. Make hard moves around the overhang using a good hold up and left and folloy the thin crack to the top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
52 - Ballybrack Crack Attack E1 5b Length: 20m J.McCune,K.Maxwell 29/07/12 Climbs the nice finger crack on the slab just left of Spread Your Wings. Traverse out on the flake break and climb the crack to where it stops. Continue up to the birdy ledge on crimps and edges, finishing with a steep awkward mantle. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
15 - Spread Your Wings * E1 5b Length: 33m S McCrory, E Cooper (4/4/81) The next three routes start the exploration of the west wall of the Galleon This route is situated on the seaward side of the Galleon. Access is by abseil down Golden Salamander and leftwards traverse to obvious corner topped by a roof. Climb corner with increasing difficulty. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
18 - Altared Ego * E1 5b Length: 30m A McFarlane, P Mallon (27/8/88) This route is the wide crack right of Spread Your Wings. Abseil down Spread Your Wings and gallop up the wider crack 3m right. The crux is at the bottom. A good line. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
17 - Freedom Blues * HVS 5a Length: 30m D Stelfox, A McFarlane (27/8/88) Start at the large left-facing corner left of Gerrymandering. Follow it to the final overhang, which gives exciting bridging. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
16 - Gerrymandering * E1 5a Length: 30m D Stelfox, W Brown-Kerr, B Calhoun (27/8/89) This route climbs the west side of the Galleon, left of Golden Salamander, up the steep wall at the right-hand end of the west face. Abseil descent.Slip easily up shelves to below a prominent overhang with a curious eroded column of rock. Bridge up this (crux) to gain cracks above. Move up the wall to below the final overhang, step left around this, across a ramp and into a final short crack and an awkward mantel shelf to reach the top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
10 - Golden Salamander VS 4b Length: 40m J Rotherham, B McDermott. 11/5/80 This takes the obvious right angled corner on "The Galleon" (the big sea stack usually accessible from the shore). Access by abseil. Climb up left of the corner, and traverse right to reach the bottom of the corner. Lower section of this route can be lacquered in thick green slime, and upper section infested with Fulmar chicks suffering from chronic salmonella. An experience! View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
11 - Orange Audience VS 4b Length: 40m J Rotherham, B McDermott Aug 1980 Takes the 2nd large corner on the landward side of the Galleon , just R of Golden Salamander View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
12 - Conciliatory Gesture VS 4b Length: 40m D Stelfox, J Rotherham. Nov 1980 Takes the thin curving crack up face starting 3m R of Orange Audience. Can be split into 2 pitches. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
13 - Fragile Virgin VD Length: 30m J Rotheram, J Logan (1979) Takes the obvious long deep corner left of Spanish Rib. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
14 - Spanish Rib VD Length: 30m J Rotherham, J Logan 1979 Looking from Forked Lightning, this route follows the R skyline of the Galleon View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route

The next routes are on a seaward facing wall, featuring possibly the best known route in the area, Forked Lightning.

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19 - Atlantic Ocean Wall * * E4 6a Length: 20m N Grimes, A Millar (5/1/92) Exhilarating wall climbing up the wall left of Forked Lightning. Sustained and technical going on pockets and edges, and quite worrying. Start on the ledge below Forked Lightning. Make a move up and left to footholds and finger edges. From here, the route goes more or less straight up the wall, passing a small overhang on the right and finishing up a short crack. Protection consists of many wires crammed horizontally into holes and pods, a good F0.5 in a deep slot at half height, and some disposable R.P.s above this. Hardest at the start and above the friend. The start was top-roped before the first ascent. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
20 - Forked Lightning * * * VS 4c Length: 20m J Rotheram, J Logan (1979) RW trending crack in the wall almost opposite the Galleon. Crux is low. Excellent Route. Well worth its three stars. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
21 - Toad-in-the-Hole D Length: 15m P Grant (1979) Scramble up jammed blocks in the corner right of Forked Lightning. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
22 - Trinidad Vee * S Length: 12m A Tees, A Ward (22/5/85) Start 2m right of the wide crack. Move up on small holds to gain a widening crack at two-thirds height. Finish skywards. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
23 - San Vincente VS 4c Length: 8m Alan Tees, K Deery 1991 R of Trinidad Vee. Follows thin crack from bottom to top. Features a bad exit. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route

The prominent tower known as The Crow's nest has a number of routes of varying difficulty

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24 - Rusty Rigging S Length: 25m J Rotherham, P Grant (1979) Directly opposite the Black Wall is a prominent sea stack known as the 'Crow's Nest'. The route takes the left-hand side of the stack starting from the platform. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
25 - Midnight Dilemma * E1 5b Length: 20m P Dunlop, R Dun/op (17/6/87) This one wicks its wicked way up the fragile face facing Forked Lightning. A good line. It takes the crack in the centre of the wall. Move Up holey rock to a steep section. Pass this (crux) to a ledge. Continue up the crack to the top. Belay, and abseil off a block on the summit. A sling was originally in place around this, but a cow is thought to have eaten it. To the right of Midnight Dilemma and round the corner is a narrow wall where the next two routes are situated. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
26 - Frigate * * E1 5b Length: 20m A McFarlane, T McQueen (11/88) Excellent climbing up the crack on the right-hand side of the narrow wall. Climb the crack and trend left from the top to the exit. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
27 - All Black and Green E2 5b Length: 20m A McFarlane, P Mallon (27/8/88) This route takes the steep wall left of Frigate. Start just right of the arete, climbing on nobbles. Continue up the wall, finishing just left of the crack. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
54 - Flake Sake HVS 5a Length: 20m Stephen Read Martin Sweeney Climbfest 2006 Interesting climbing starting about 3 meters left of midnight dilemma. Fight your way up through a dusty big hole about 2 meters off the floor. Continue up the crack above, moving right to finish up easier ground for the final 3 meters. (Direct finish awaits) View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route

The following routes are on the Black Wall, just beyond, and west of, The Crows Nest. Described left to right. The top is steepish grass, so the exit seaward requires care.
Inter-Route Note
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28 - Clingin' in the Rain HS Length: 18m A Tees, A Ward (14/6/84) This route is on the left hand side of the "Black Wall" West of the "Crow's Nest". Start: At the centre of the wall left of Foyle Street. Climb obvious crack continuing up corner and slab to the top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
53 - Staveni pyramid S - Length: 20m Ivan Krella&Gemma McWhirter 10.10.2010 The route starts as for Clingen in the rain but going rightwards up across the wall where joins Die wrecked for about 2m and then goin strait up under small corner and from there steps right on the edge and following it to the top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
29 - The Haven VS 4c Length: 18m M Rea, I Rea (27/8/89) Start 2m right of Clingin' in the Rain. Climb directly up to spikes. Traverse right, then back up left into v-shaped niches. Exit from these and go up to a short left-facing corner. Up this for a few metres, then swing right onto the arete to finish. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
30 - Le Grand Ennui E1 5b Length: 18m I Rea, M Rea (27/8/89) Start as for The Haven. Climb up to spikes. Traverse left and climb steeply up grey discoloration until its possible to step left into Clingin' in the Rain. Now climb steeply right across a fault to gain the last moves of Foyle Street and finish. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
31 - Foyle Street VS 4b Length: 18m J Rotherham, T McDaid (11/5/80) Start L end of cliff of Young Whymper. Climb the leftward trending crackline to the overhang (2m below the top), make a straddle move to gain position under overhang, undercuts allow one to stand up and a high step left leads into final crack. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
32 - Die Wrecked S Length: 18m J Rotherham, M Manson Aug 1980 R of Foyle Street, start at a small alcove. Climb bulge in wall, continue up slight overhang split by crack. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
33 - Planters' Plunder VS 4b Length: 18m D Stelfox, M Manson Aug 1980 Takes a crack up centre of the wall R of Foyle Street and L of Young Whymper exiting R over the overhang. Crux at start. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
34 - Young Whymper VS 4b Length: 10m B McDermott, J Rotherham 1979 10m L of Pattoned, the angle of the wall becomes less steep forming a corner. About halfway on its L side is a slightly overhanging corner which can be laybacked. Move R to exit. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
35 - Fuschia HS 4b Length: 15m M Rea, I Rea 27/8/89 Start in the niche directly below Young Whymper. Climb steeply up a fault/crack to a niche at 5m. Step R and finish up the arete. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
36 - Pan S 4a Length: 15m I rea, M Rea 27/5/89 The arete a few metres L of Pattoned. Start at its very base. Continue via good crack and finish by traversing L of pinnacle at top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
37 - Pattoned VD Length: 15m B Patton, M Patton 1979 Climb the obvious corner at the R end of Black Wall surmounting bulging block at the top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
38 - The Floating World E2 5c Length: 18m I rea, M Rea 30/8/89 The excellent arete L of Bedform. Accessible at low tide only. Takes the arete all the way. Climber can be well protected by small wires and friends. Belayer can be well protected by wetsuit. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
39 - Bedform Dynamics E1 5b Length: 18m A Millar, P Dunlop, N Grimes 17/5/87 Nice climbing on good rock. Take crack just L of Austin's Window. When crack peters out traverse L to arete and take this to top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
40 - Austin's Window E1 5b Length: 18m C Torrans, C Sheridan 1980 (1st ascent M Buchanan with aid point). At the left hand end of the wall facing the sea is a long fine crack which is climbed View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
41 - Dubloons * S Length: 10m A Tees, R Wray 12/6/80 Takes the thin crack R of Austin's Window. Surmount overhang, step left onto flake and up to finish. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
42 - Michelle X D Length: 8m B McDermott, M McDermott 1979 Goes up the shallow groove approx 3m right of Dubloons. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
43 - Spanish Steps S 4a Length: 45m Alan Tees. Bill Magowan, 30/03/08 About 20m West of Austins Window is a wide dirty crack at the bottom of the buttress. Climb the thin crack just left of this, and continue up the offwidth above (thin parallel crack on it's right) to a large ledge. Move up right into a suspended corner (crux) and up right again to a ledge. Another short step leads to a belay ledge. Pitch 2. ascend to a leftward leaning chimney, step out left, and continue up airily on the arete (good wires). Traverse left and finish up Drakes Final Flakes. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
44 - Drake's Flakes VS 4b Length: 45m Alan Tees, Peter Cooper 30/03/08 About 20m beyond (West) of Austins Window, is a high buttress of rock. This route starts just right of a wide crack, and climbs unprotected to the base of a left facing corner. Alternatively, a fine crack further right and a leftward traverse will lead to the same place! Layback up the corner most of the way to the top, and step out right to a small stance, and climb up onto the arete. Continue up airily to a ledge below a bulging wall, belay. Pitch 2 Climb the wall left of the obvious crack (crux) and continue up more easily to finish up the finely situated "Drakes Flakes", at the top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
47 - Missionary Man HVS 5b Length: 12m P. Dunlop, R.Dunlop 24/06/87 The thin line up the wall, 2m left of Missionary Woman. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
46 - Missionary Woman HVS 5b Length: 12m A Millar, P. Dunlop 26/06/87 3m left of Greenice. Move into, and over, the niche, and finish via the corner. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
45 - Greenice HS - Length: 12m Dunlop/Millar 26/06/87 100m West of Austins Window is a short steep West Facing wall, perpendicular to the coast. This climbs a crack on the right side of the wall, with a overhang at half height. Layback up to the overhang, move left, and go up the crack to the top. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
27a - The Golden Hind/ Admirable Craic * * HS 4b Length: 20m Alan Tees, Columba McLaughlin, Aug 2010 This climbs the NW side of the "Golden Hind" (next stack to Crows Nest) by an obvious crack, and the less steep roof by a slight rightward traverse. Access is by boat, or swim from just below the "Black Wall". This is already on "Stacks and Pinnacles" but I have logged it again here with a specific name, as I think there will be more routes put on this stack. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route
49 - Duke's Decree HVS 5a** Length: 20m Geoff Thomas, Finbarr Mullin, Alan Tees 6/06/2018 This takes the prominent vertical crack that splits the seaward face of the Golden Hind stack. View Route Edit Route Upload a new photo for this route