Colmcille Climbers

The forecast being good, Bill and I decided to go to Owey on Friday.  Friday wasnt good and we nearly got shipwrecked launching the boat.  Friday night was a bit cold, wet and miserable, but the forecast was good for Saturday.  On Saturday Dan Betty duly delivered the hoardes in the mist and drizzle, (and the forecast was good for Sunday) so they all set off to make the best of conditions, as climbers do. Bill and I, having shown our IMC guests around the island, had identified a likely spot east of Torglas, and headed there, bagging three new routes of sound rock and good quality.  "Owey Yin Kenobi", Sev, "Chewbacca"**, HS and "Four Ewoks in a pie" Diff.  Meanwhile the IMC were not being impressed by the quality of the rock, and Ant and Co were doing a second ascent of " Light in the Western Sky!"   Sunday was even worser, (but the forecast was good for Monday) and the second great evacuation of the island got under way, leaving only the indolent, unemployable, and canoeists.  We went out in Bills boat for a bit of the old shake, rattle and roll, and then Finbarr and I  took the inflatable across the underground lake.  Monday started grey, but got better, much better!  Bill, Finbarr, Ivan and self set off for Torglas Tower to time our crossing a very low tide.  We all crossed to the first stack by inflatable (Exshellent mish Moneypenny) and by thin tidal causeway to the base of the Tower.  I led the first step (4b) to a platform and passed over to Ivan, who got up into the corner, managing to place a lot of sound gear, (Sound rock too) before Bill advised us that if we didnt get back quick, we would be cut off.  And we nearly were!  Plan B was a paddle for Bill, Ivan and me across to the big stack with the big "almost window" in it.  This we did, landed in the big cave facing Torglas, and climbed the the wall to the right of it on big holds on beautiful sound granite.  We built a cairn and abbed off.  Meanwhile Finbarr had climbed and cairned the stack west of Torglas.  We packed up camp, and I paddled back to Cruit, pausing only to fracture my hand unloading Bills boat, which almost spoiled an otherwise fine weekend.  Spent from 9.00 PM to 3.00 AM getting plastered in casualty at Altnagelvin!