Colmcille Climbers

Our sorry tale of Woe begins with a direct and vague text from Noble Brother Martin Bonner.

"I think I've found an unclimbed seastack?" were his words of wisdom, and I feel it would have been rude not to launch an investigation. (Pardon the pun if you will)

An early start was set as the monsoon was forcast for mid-afternoon, and thus we set off in earnest to the distant headland in search of our beast. HURRA, what the managing director of the newly formed Bonner Air had discovered was two stacks with a labyrinth of tidal passages running through, round and between them. Alas, Neptune was "in the building." A monster 6 to 8 metre swell was being funnelled between the beasts and battering our intended launch site. The project was a Bogey! :-( :-( :-(

"If we had more rope an awesome Tyrolean would be the......." I uttered as Martin disappeared and reappeared with a bag of pulleys and a monster length of static. HURRA.

A very, very brief channel crossing was made, and it was very atmospheric indeed. :-) For the next hour or so we rigged and tensioned the tyrolean across the angry channel. A single and a return flight with Bonner Air were launched and we touched down on the Stack, dry, giggling like fools and ready to do battle with the superb sweep of perfect untouched granite that is the stacks south face.

Approx 6 mtres above the low water mark there runs a very thin ledge, a super scary solo traverse was timed to miss the monster rollers ramping up the channel, above our heads as we waited to dash and then thankfully at our heals as we rigged our belay on the ledge.

At this juncture I enquired of my cohort, "Are we having fun or What?

"I may not look it, but internally I'm smiling!" came the retort.

Excellent, Mish Moneypenny!

Our first route took the left facing corner right of center of the face and was a 2 or 3 star, steep jugfest, big gear, big spaced holds and mucho atmosphere! Once on the summit we swiftly tried to return to the ledge in the same manner as before!

"Get off my f*cking stack!!" roared the mighty Neptune.

As he sent a legion of monster white horses down our channel. A unanimous desision was made and we rigged a belay above the maelstrom at the far right of the face. We then climbed the huge chimney up the right side of the cliff to a platfrom a metre below the summit.

It was most defo time to vacate Dodge!

Having booked a return flight our MD returned to the mainland, our toys flew cargo as did a return cargo flight of the boat. Having returned everything to the mainland by cargo flights all that remained to do was a make a very adrenalin charged sea passage!

Sorted!

Bonner Air runs a regular service to and from The Realm of the Senses, the inflight movie is the sound of your heart pounding and catering is the customary battle to stop breakfast revisiting.

Bonner Air "You know it makes sense!"