Colmcille Climbers

Start: This route, the classic `VS' of the crag follows the two rightward trending ramps on the smooth wall to the right of Lord of the Flies. Climb a thin groove onto a ledge at 5m. Move left and up a short smooth wall (crux) to gain the upper ramp. Follow the ramp up and right finishing by moving slightly left on steep rock.
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Start: The route takes the wide ramp about 3m right of Flying Enterprise. Gain the ramp at 7m by some , strenuous moves and follow it easily right to the base of a short overhanging corner. Climb this (crux) to gain the sloping ledge on the right. Continue more easily to the top.
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Start at the bottom of the stepped ledg8s right of Carrigeen. Climb directly up the wall to a ledge at the base of the steep groove on Fiddler's Green. Step down and left and follow an obvious line of weakness to gain the top of the ramp on Flying Enterprise. Step left and mantel-shelf onto a ledge and continue more easily to the top.
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Right of Carrigeen is a series of 3-step ledges which leads to a corner. Start on the top ledge. Climb slightly leftwards past two horizontal breaks (good F0.5 in second one). Move up and right with difficulty on sloping holds and continue up to a narrow ledge. Climb straight up to the base of a groove. Move right using side-pulls until it is possible to regain a groove which is followed to the top.
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The route follows the quartz fault running through Fiddler's Green and Flying Enterprise. Start 2m right of the stepped black ramp of Fiddler's Green. Climb a shallow groove/scoop to gain ledge on Fiddler's Green. Step left and climb the quartz fault with the aid of this crack to a ledge on Flying Enterprise. Move left again following the quartz vein to a narrow ledge. From this step right and up narrow ledges to the top.
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Start as for Cutlass, up the ramp trending right. From the top, left side of this, step left onto the steep wall and make a series of delicate moves up and left finishing with an awkward mantelshelf. Up easily to the corner above and on to the top. Poorly protected.
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The deep corner chimney at the end of the initial smooth wall. The top section of the chimney has fallen, leaving a blocky ramp. Start as for Curragh following the ramp leading in from the left to join the route at about 1/2 height. Alternatively take the direct start up the black'V' chimney from the bottom.
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The area from 'Captain Birdseye' to `Wreck of the Mary Deare' has been badly affected by rockfall and how much of the original routes to survive is not clear. However, a new Severe following the line of'Crabs Crawl' has been logged and a Diff in the same area. After the Fall Following the line of'Crabs Crawl on the main west wall where again rockfall has occurred on the upper part of the route. Start a few metres left of `The Wreck of the Mary Deare' and follow a rising leftward line easily, then climb directly up the steep ground above.
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Start: 15m left of Private Schultz at the left-hand end of a large slab beneath a huge ledge at half height. A small layback corner leads to an obvious fault line which starts on the ledge.
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Right of Crabs Crawl is a steep wall which ends in the overhang and twin corners of The Wreck of the Mary Deare. This route follows a line up the middle of this wall, starting about 1 m left of the corner of The Wreck of the Mary Deare. Climb easily up to a small overlap. Traverse left to a good foothold. Move up a few feet and then step back right and up to a flakey crack and on to the top.
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Start: The obvious two stage corner split by an overhang, just left of the deep chimney of Main Brace. Climb the corner and traverse left under the overhang to gain the upper corner. Continue up the corner with increasing difficulty and poor protection.
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The obvious chimney narrowing at half-height, almost opposite the end of the island. 1) 10m Climb beside chimney until it is necessary to turn bulge at 7m (crux) on the left. Traverse 2m to a fault line on the left and ascent until it is possible to move right to top of chimney and belay at a quartz obtrusion.
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The route takes the obvious laybacking fault line about 8m to the right of Main Brace. Gain the laybacking flake crack and move onto the base of a steep shallow groove. Climb groove on small holds to ledge below short wall which is climbed to the top. Route called Sea Urchin in New Climbs'81 by K Murphy appears to be Broadside.
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Wall left of 'La Cois..'. Use soft crozzled rock to reach a short left-wards (2.5M) horizontal traverse and then head straight-up to a mantle finish. Hard to protect in suspect rock low down.
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The steep dark corner about 20m right of Broadside. Climb the left-hand wall on small holds until a bridging stance is possible. Difficult bridging up the final 2m (crux) leads to the top. Surprisingly good protection.
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The next five routes are reached by abseiling into a small rock bay on the wall about half way along the island. The top is marked by a grassy platform with some huge boulders. The abseil is down a broad groove with two distinct corners, to arrive at a large and horizontal quartz vein. NewYork City Trader Start: On the left end (north) of the ledge. Climb the extreme left of the initial slab and gain the bottom of the groove on its left edge. Follow this to underneath the overhang which is swarmed strenuously directly or airily turned on the left. Climb head wall to finish.
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Looking from the sea level platform, this route finishes up the left-hand of the two corners. From the platform climb the short wall corner to beneath the overhang. Move left and then up steep rock on good holds to a ledge at the bottom of the corner. Climb this with steady nerve to the top.
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This climb enters a prominent `V' groove approx Sm right of the top of Second Mate, from below and left, via a steep black wall. Start as for First Mate etc Straight up easily for 6m. Step up and right to gain a _traverse line. Delicately footsey right (protection peg in place) for 3m on undercuts. Strenuously up crux crack above to enter groove and more easily finish. Well protected. "Four Wild Men Go Roaming" appears to follow the same line.
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Start as for First Mate but take a traverse line into Dootin the Donkey, whatever that is. Then move directly up to a small overhang. Climb directly up to pock marks. ,
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Start as for First Mate. At the overhang swing right to gain a broad ramp. Climb ramp to the foot of the righthand'corner. Climb the corner above with good technical jamming and bridging, the crux being at about half height.
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From the same sea level platform as above, traverse to the base of a large groove system, right of a "zip fastener" line trending slightly left. Step down and then trend upwards in steps. From ledge step left into zip fastener line and layback 6m to large ledge. Back into crack and continue to the top. A serious line, lacking protection.
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Start: At the right end of the quartz vein, right (south) of Man O'War. Climb easily up to the right of Man O'War "Zip Fastener" and gain ledge below headwall. Turn the small overhang on the right and cross Man O'War to gain a small ledge below the obvious "V" groove (crux). Into V groove and up easily to top
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The next two routes, although on the island facing wall are most easily reached by traversing into the sound from the large platform at the side of Prawn Zawn - see that section for description of descent. CaptainsTable. Start: At the end of the platform, at the foot of Below Deck. 1) 16m (4a)Traverse just above the high tide mark into the sound. At 7m step down onto the ramp ascending diagonally left to a good nut belay under the overhang in the corner, 2) 16m (4b)Step left onto arete and climb the clean wall (crux) on small holds to the top.
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Start: As for Captains Table. 1) 16m (4a) As for Captains Table. 2) 16m(4b) From belay step down ramp and then climb diagonally right across slab on small holds through the obvious break in the overhang in the top right-hand corner. Continue up slab to the top. Small wires useful. Also climbed as "Atlantic Crossing" in 5/76 by R Greene and M Walls.
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