Route Number: 507

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Byzantium * *

Location: Lough Belshade (Belshade Buttress)
Grade: VS  4c
Length: 122m
First ascent: F Winder, P Hill (2/8/54)
Route Description:
VS.4c, 4c, 4c, 4a, 4b, Start: The route takes a line up the buttress of rock bounding the left side of the main face. The route starts at the top of the slab tongue described above. The lower section gives some very good climbing and has become steadily cleaner (and harder) over the years, but the upper part is rather rambling.
  1. 17m Climb the clean corner groove, moving left onto a vegetated ledge at 14m, then up right to belay.
  2. 27m Climb the corner groove above, exiting left at the top. Move diagonally right and up past vegetation to large block on wall on the left.
  3. Move left across the block and up the groove above (crux). Follow a good crack left at the top of the corner groove to a ledge.
  4. 28m Climb groove above to the second of two ledges.
  5. 30m Move right across the slab above to a crack overhanging at the bottom. Climb this and the groove above. Follow a rib on the right to the top.

Photo of Route
Byzantium Lough Belshade Donegal - One of Donegal's brilliant hidden gems. It takes at least an hour to walk to this climb, but it's worth every minute.
Comments

Paul Hill - 28/09/2013
God be with the days! I had forgotten that Frank Winder and I did this climb on a great trip around Donegal on the back of Frank's motorbike. The name came from Frank's passion for Yeats. paulhill@clear.net.nz

Alan Tees - 01/06/2007
First two pitches are more naturally done in one. Last pitch appears to veer right, over to Classical Revival (Byzantium was there first!) but an option is to climb a lovely layback crack up a tapering slab, provided you have a couple of no 2 Friends!

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