Name: MI winter meet Onich
Start: 2025-02-08T08:00:00+00:00
End: 2025-02-15T17:00:00+00:00

Crag Number: 45

Lough Belshade (Belshade Buttress)
Belshade Buttress - 1. More Snakes than Ladders. 2.Byzantium. 3. Classical Revival. 4.Mystery Tour. 5.lest We Forget. 6.Act of Destruction. 7.Taken at the Flood. 8.Midgesummer Nightmare. 9.Land of Hearts Desire
Directions: The crags surrounding Lough Belshade in the centre of the Blue Stack Mts provide excellent climbing in beautiful surroundings. The routes are, almost without exception, on sound granite and well spread across the grades although the long routes on the main face of Belshade Buttress are all HVS and above. There is still plenty of scope for development. Friends are almost essential for protection on most routes. After passing through Barnesmore Gap on the Ballybofey/DOnegal Town Road, look for signs on the right for Lough Eske. Drive around the lake in an anti-clockwise direction until, at the top of a steep hill, a wooden walker points the way down a narrow road to the right (Edergole) The narrow road leads to a small farmyard where cars can be parked. From here a way marked path leads up the valley passing (out of sight) the Doonan Waterfall which is well worth the short detour (50m) to the right to see. The river, and the marker posts are followed until the first major river junction, when a stream descends from Lough Belshade to the left. Follow this stream to arrive at the lake shore. Follow the lake shore to the right to arrive at a small beach at the northern end of the lake, directly below the crags. About 1.5 hours from the road. At the beach there is an excellent campsite and not far away, a good dry bivi stone. From the campsite the crags are, from left to right: Belshade Buttress - by far the largest and containing very fine routes up to 90m in length. Two Tier Buttress on the right flank, consists of two short walls each characterised by a diagonal crack line running up its centre from left to right. Red Wall - below and slightly left of Two-Tier Buttress. This crag is a smooth rightwards facing slab giving fine climbing with no protection. Beyond this is a steep grass and rock outcrops through which descent can be made from the top of the main crag. To the right again is a stream and then a group of three crags one above the other. These are, from the bottom to the top, Blaeberry Crag, The High Crag and last of all The Very High Crag. All provide good one pitch routes on clean rock. OS Grid Reference: G975901 Click here to view location in Google Maps
01 - More Snakes than Ladders * VS 4c Length: 84m W Brown-Kerr, D Kilpatrick, D Stelfox (25/3/84) VS.4b, 4c, 4b Deep crack and corner system left of Byzantium at the left side of the South Buttress, left of the main face. The start of this route as well as Byzantium, Classical Revival and Mystery Tour are all most pleasantly reached by climbing up the long narrow slab tongue below the left hand corner of the main face (V.Diff). Directly above the top of this, is a clean slab flanked by two grassy bays. Start at the arete on the left of this slab. 36m. Up arete, easily at first, but awkwardly at a bulge at 15m. Above this move right to gain a good deep crack system which is followed to a belay at the foot of a deep chimney system on the right. 36m Easily up chimney for 10m to a grass ledge and rowan tree. Bridge up the steep corner above (crux) and then follow crack and slab above to large ledge and belay. 12m Up the cracks on the right above to the top. Good spike belay 5m back.
02 - Byzantium * * VS 4c Length: 122m F Winder, P Hill (2/8/54) 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. 17m Climb the clean corner groove, moving left onto a vegetated ledge at 14m, then up right to belay. 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. 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. 28m Climb groove above to the second of two ledges. 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.
03 - Classical Revival * * * HVS 5a Length: 82m D Stelfox, U MacPherson, I Rea (4/4/81) HVS, 4c,5a,4c. This route takes the obvious curving ramp leading up to a large overhang at the left hand side of the face, providing two excellent pitches in a very impressive situation. Start: as for Byzantium. 17m As for Byzantium. 38m From belay move up to the base of a heather filled corner on the right. Step right onto the arete and airily swing round right onto the wall to gain a good crack. Follow this up to the corner from where diagonal cracks and a narrow ramp lead with increasing difficulty across the smooth open slab. About 5m below the large overhang belay on a small ledge below a good crack. 28m Climb the crack above swinging left past the overhang on excellent holds. Continue up the corner crack above. Finish by the arete on the left or the awkward chimney.
04 - MysteryTour * * E1 5b Length: 125m D Stelfox, W Brown-Kerr (Alt leads) (10/7/83) (Pitches 2 and 2 previously climbed by R Greene, D. St E1.4b, 4c, 4c, 5b, 5a, 4c Start as for Byzantium. This is a rising traverse of the crag from left to right. 30m From the rib of rock to the right of the bottom of the first pitch of Byzantium, move delicately down and right across a steep wall to a corner at 3m. Climb this easily to a grassy slab leading to a grass ledge at the foot of a steep groove. 30m or 8m (4c) and 22m (4a). Up the groove on finger jams and friction and step right onto the main slab. From here delightful and easy climbing leads across the slab on the obvious line of ledges to a grassy pulpit. It is possible to take an intermediate belay at the start of the slab thus allowing both leader and second to appreciate the airy situations. 10m From the pulpit descend for 2m, then move horizontally right to gain the crack at the end of Pitch 1 of Lest We Forget. Follow these to corner belay. 25m Move right along the ledge and follow Pitch 2 of Midsummer Nightmare up the parallel rounded grooves to immediately below the huge block. Move right around the base of this and follow the obvious line to join the belay at the top of Pitch 2 of Land of Hearts Desire. 25m Follow Pitch 3 of Land of Hearts Desire. 6) 5m Follow Pitch 4 of Land of Hearts Desire.
05 - Lest We Forget * * HVS 5a Length: 75m D Stelfox, I Rea (1982) HVS.4c, 4c, 5a A very enjoyable route taking more or less a direct line up the centre of the crag. Start: To the right of the slab tongue below Byzantium, a long sloping heather ledge runs right' across the bottom of the Main Face. Scramble up this to its upper right hand end at a prominent corner. About 8m left of this corner a ramp leads leftwards. Start at the foot of this. 39m Follow the ramp and small ledges at the foot of the obvious crack system, which continues more or less directly to the top of the crag. Gain the crack and follow this with increasing difficulty to gain a ledge in a small corner below a large flake. 18m Move up for 3m and step left onto a slab. Follow the crack above to the small perched ledge in the niche under the roof. 18m Bridge around the roof and gain twin cracks which split the slab. Bridge up these (crux) to gain a small niche. Continue up the crack to the top. Friends essential for protection.
06 - Act of Destruction * * * E3 6a Length: 75m D Stelfox, D McNiff (2.9.B9) (2 points of aid) FFA. D 0'Sullivan, R Fenlon (5/91) E3.5b, 6a Two excellent pitches, for which superlatives don't suffice, up the centre of the crag, originally featuring an `entertaining traverse on pegs' but now going free. Start at the foot of Lest We Forget. 40m Move left to a thin groove, and then up for 3m to gain a traverse line leading left. Follow this up and left, trending towards a green stained corner. Climb the clean right wall of the green corner stepping into it briefly before gaining good jugs and surmount the block. Step left onto a grass ledge and left again onto good holds on the wall above which leads up onto the central slabs. Move up and left to the traverse line of Mystery Tour and follow this easily right for 5m to a huge grass ledge and belay. 35m Climb the twin cracks leading directly up behind the belay ledge. These run out after 10m so swing across right past two in situ pegs (crux) to reach the next crack system. Follow this up to a bulge and swing left into a steep corner groove. Climb with difficulty up this corner (small friends) and exit right with an awkward move to a sloping ramp. Climb up and right to join the last 5m of the alternative finish to Lest We Forget (or pitch 2 of Taken at the Flood: see below). An exquisite route.
07 - Taken at the Flood * * E1 5b Length: 80m D Stelfox, D Somers (3/5/88) E1 Sb, 5b Another top quality line which now makes the alternative finish to Lest we Forget part of an independent route. Start 5m left of the start of Lest we Forget. 40m Follow the line of stepped blocks up and slightly right easily for 12m to the base of a steep wall. Clamber directly up the wall to reach a clean ledge 5m below a grass ledge. Step right and rise smoothly up a short crack to reach the grass ledge. Step right again and join Lest we Forget for the final crack to the belay. 40m Start up Lest we Forget for 5m, and then step left and traverse left across a slab to a line of cracks leading upwards. Follow these dutifully up, and then step left to a ledge below an overhang. Up, up, up through this and then follow a rising fissure right to the foot of the final crack, and so to the top. Pitch 2 previously climbed by Dawson and Willie Brown Kerr as an alternative finish to Lest we Forget.
08 - Midgesummer Nightmare * * * E1 5b Length: 80m D Stelfox, W Brown-Kerr (9/7/83) E1.5b, 5b, 4c This route takes a direct line up the crag between Lest we Forget and Land of Hearts Desire. Start: As for Lest we Forget. 35m Start by climbing approx 7m up Lest we Forget and traversing right to the foot of a green corner. There is an obvious direct start below this point but seems to remain constantly wet and has not yet been climbed. Climb the clean cracks and grooves immediately to the left of the corner, with increasing difficulty to reach the right hand side of the belay ledge of Pitch 1 of Lest we Forget. 25m Climb the rounded grooves at the right hand side of the ledge, utilising holds on the right of the blunt rib. Move right as the angle eases to a huge detached block. Move up the left-hand side of this and swing out left onto the slab. Up this to a constricted belay in a narrow corner groove. 15m From here follow the obvious cracks above to the edge. Move right and then up a crack in the slab above.
09 - Land of Hearts Desire * * * HVS 5a Length: 83m I Rea, D Stelfox (10/81) HVS.5a, 5a, 5a, 4c This route gives sustained good quality climbing and takes the prominent corner system up the right hand side of the Main Face. Start: As for Lest we Forget. Left of the corner at the top of the heather ramp. 18m Climb a short steep wall just right of a small subsidiary corner at the top of the heather ledge. After 5m follow the obvious traverse right to gain huge block at the foot of the main corner system. 35m Climb corner directly to reach a perfect belay ledge just left of the twin cracks in the next corner above. 26m Make a few moves up a small corner, then swing right into the twin cracks (crux). Up these to base of final steep corner. Up this to belay on grassy ledge to left. 4m Up the short layback above, then up grass and easy rock to belay, far back.
11 - Farewell Little Mohawk E3 5c No length recorded K McGee, P Tinney. 01/05/21 5b/5c. 52m -A long wandering pitch so be careful of rope drag. This takes the crack on the right edge of a leftward curving overhang which is located directly behind the tree at the rock step on the main grassy ramp. Climb the wall to a good stance then follow the rightward curving crack/flakes until a delicate move right leads to a stance below the overhang. Traverse along the thin horizontal crack leading from the top right of the overhang into the next corner. Climb this to the top and then continue up the easy corner crack and slab which leads up and right. Belay at the flake at the bottom of the main slab. 5a/b. 25m. From the flake follow a line of small holds across the slab to reach the Classical Revival crack. Climb this and then hand traverse with increasing difficulty along the first crack which leads across the slab to the belay ledge below the overhang. 5c. 22m Climb the corner to the right of the overhang.