Wales Easter Trip Report 2023

By Vicky Ward

Trip Participants: Rob, Conor, Peter, Paul, Owen, Lisa, Tony, Kyle and Vicky 

Day 1

Booking a boat at 7am always seems like a good idea at the time – a WHOLE day climbing at Gogarth?  Sounds great.

However, the issue with a 7am boat is the 3-4am start. Reality not so great.

Nevertheless we all managed to pull ourselves out of bed and our drivers heroically battled through a caffeine infected haze to Dublin and on to Holyhead. At Holyhead we split into our two groups: those heading off to the Gogarth cliffs and those sticking to the closer Holyhead Mountain.

The Holyhead mountain group enjoyed a range of single pitches on clean rock while Vicky got stuck in the Elephant’s Arse.

A recurrent theme of this trip was the joy of the traverse.  Climbing is generally assumed to be an upward sport but on this trip we defied to defy gravity and instead decided to explore movement within the horizontal plane.  A traverse a day keeps the doctor away after all.  So with this in mind Kyle, Lisa went off to do the classic Dream of white horses (HVS).  After many false starts they abseiled down to start their mainly across ascent in the glorious atmosphere of Gogarth. 

As the Holyhead Mountain people got back to the cars first they did some quick maths and reckoned that the gaining of one person in their car equated to 3-4 (maybe 5?) extra trad bags in the other car. 

With all the climbing done for the day we headed back to our accommodation, the Oread Mountaineering Club Hut, on the slopes of Snowdon for a late dinner at 9.30PM.  It was a long day.

Lisa on Dream of White Horses at Gogarth

Day 2

After a bit of a well deserved lie in we decided to head to Tremadog for the day.  Also easily the most mispronounced welsh name from our group. 

The majority of the group attempted to climb at the heaving Craig Bwlch y Moch. Kyle/Tony did a multipitch weaving its way through maybe a VS, maybe an E2, who knows?  Owen/Peter/Rob/Conor/Paul did some climbing somewhere (Oberon?).  Meanwhile Vicky/Lisa headed off to do the route “Poor Man’s Peuterey” in order to achieve Lisa’s health goals of a traverse a day. 

Having met back up at the café for pasties and coffees we all heading to the delightful single pitch crag of Craig Pant Ifan which felt a bit of a hidden gem (despite the 15minute steep steep steep approach).

With all the climbing done for the day we headed back to our accommodation, the Oread Mountaineering Club Hut, on the slopes of Snowdon for a late dinner at 9.45PM.  It was a long day.

Lisa on Spiral Staircase at Dinas Cromlech

Day 3

It seemed like an enthusiastic idea to go to Dinas Cromlech (beside Pen y Pass) on Easter Saturday but we are ambitious.  After a few trips up and down the pass we finally completely legitimately parked (albeit bay rather than parallel) within the lines.  As we observed throughout the day from our position high on the crag, other parkers started to follow our efficient lead – TREND SETTERS.

We paired off into our climbing pairs with Kyle/Vicky tackling Left Wall (E2)/Sabre Cut (VS); Owen/Tony conquering Cemetery Gates (E1)/Noah’s Warning (VS); and Paul/Peter weaving up Dives (VS).  Meanwhile, the remaining trio, Lia/Rob/Conor sauntered across Spiral Staircase (Vdiff) as they had to go sideways for Lisa’s health after all.

With all the climbing done for the day we headed back to our accommodation, the Oread Mountaineering Club Hut, on the slopes of Snowdon for a late dinner at 8.00PM.  It was a medium-long day.

Day 4

On the last day a betrayal occurred.  Owen and Vicky decided to go running and scrambling instead -the horror of it all! Starting at Pen-y-pass they went up snowdon via crib goch back down the Snowdon ranger for a civilized lunch in Rhyd Ddu before heading back up to do Nantle Ridge and get lost in a forest.  Getting lost is adequate punishment for running on a climbing trip.

Meanwhile the rest of the group in a much more civilized manner headed to Clogwyn Cyrau for as many single pitch routes they could squeeze in in a day.  Lisa ensured she got her traverse or the world might have fallen in.

We ended the day in a pub having a meal at a reasonable time (7.15PM!) what a pleasant change!

Rob, Conor, Kyle and Lisa at Clogwyn Cyrau

 Day 5

It rained.  A lot.  We went to a café in Llanberis and went home.  The End

Sligo Scrambling Trip Report

'It's A Dangerous Business, Frodo, Going Out Your Door. You Step Onto The Road, And If You Don't Keep Your Feet, There's No Knowing Where You Might Be Swept Off To' ― J.R.R. Tolkien

By Vicky Ward and Kyle Stewart (King’s mountain Section)

Attendees: Vicky Ward, Kyle Stewart, Josh Taujanskas, Peter Adamson, Paul Kelly, Paul Grattage, Tony Holdsworth, Magdalena Oleszek and Lukasz Szadowiak

Early on Saturday morning the ominous message appeared in the group chat for the Sligo Trip: “Red sky in the morning shepherd’s warning”.  I double checked the weather forecast, and it all still seemed good, but I packed an extra pair of gloves and dug in the cupboard for my waterproof trousers.  Nothing can go wrong if you have waterproof trousers.

I met Peter and Paul at 7.30am at Paul’s house before heading on via Josh’s to get to Kyle’s to swap cars and then on to Sprucefield to decant half our passengers into the other Paul’s car.  Who doesn’t love some good car faff? Three hours later we all met up at Glencar Lough to redistribute more passengers amongst different cars to ferry onto the “community house” at the start of the King’s mountain hike. Yay more car faff.  At this stage Peter’s car count for the trip was on 4.

After peering through all the windows and weighing up the odds that this “community house” was indeed the recommended car parking spot for king’s mountain and we weren’t trespassing on a local’s driveway we headed off up the mountain. At the bottom of the steep slope we split into our two groups -one heading for Pinnacle Gully and the other King’s Gully.

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King’s Mountain

After keenly debating who would carry the 2 abseil ropes we brought and who would be peeling & chopping apples for dessert later (odd compromises) a party of Kyle, Tony, Mags, Peter, Paul K and Josh set off. After navigating parking spaces and probably not trespassing through a sheep field we left our pinnacle gully peers at the base of the mountain and attacked the grassy slope. After enduring burning calves and quads for 30 minutes (don’t skip leg day) we skirted around the top slopes of the mountain to realise we had went a little too far. Brief navigation meeting between Tony and Kyle sent the team back in the right direction to the start. We found a mini cave/gully that Kyle enthusiastically jumped into as a warm up to the main event. A few minutes later and we found ourselves at the gates of Mordor (Kings Mountain) ready to (not) destroy the one master (abseil) ring. We decided to harness and helm up at this point in preparation of depths below.

The King’s Mountain Team

Photo Credit: Peter

A massive rock crevice looking almost carved by men enshrouded us as our fellowship delved deep into the gully. After a very enjoyable scramble down some scree slopes and up some small pinnacle we came to our first abseil. After chatting to another group of walkers that found themselves in the realms of fantasy caves Tony and Kyle Sorted the ropes and secured the abseil. Tony bravely abseiled first into the abyss followed by the rest of our clan. Kyle pulled through and coiled the rope. More scrambling and around and we managed to climb out into a plateau of sunlight were we had our Elven bread and drank from our water skins. Back into the depths we travelled for a final push until we reached our final challenge and abseil. Tying the ropes together we abseiled to freedom into beautiful blue skies. Back down a steep grass slope we walked (/bum slid) back to the point our groups had separated earlier in the day. Looking back we seen (and heard *cough* vicky) the Pinnacle Gully crew making a quick run down the grassy switch back paths. 10 minutes later not trespassing though some fields, we landed back at the cars to end a beautiful adventure. 

One of the Abseils

Photo Credit: Peter

Kyle claiming this was just a hike

Photo Credit: Kyle

Pinnacle Gully

The information online for the pinnacle gully was sparse.  As was the info in the scrambling guide book.  However, the directions to head for the “phallic-shaped pinnacle” turned out to be more than sufficient. After making our way across a surprisingly flowy scree slope we reached the base of the pillar. 

I looked up at the pinnacle.  It looked steep and a bit loose but the stairway seemed obvious…it only deserved a paragraph in the guidebook and there was limited info online…it couldn’t be hard…right?  I ponderously started making my way up; I jiggled a hold, it came loose, I chucked it down safely and I repeated this process a few times.  After a few meters, I decided to down climb.  Sitting down I re-found the guidebook, “take the left gully beyond the pillar” ah that explained matters somewhat. 

I walked round the pillar and stared up – yes this looked more doable.  I started the ascent again.  There seemed to be some quite big moves for a scramble, some quite big high feet but I was not perturbed until I came to the tat.  This was clearly “bailing tat”.  I looked up either side of me – 2 steep walls with zero obvious holds.  This was in no definition of the word scrambling territory.  However, unlike the previous inhabitants of this predicament, I had no rope or gear.  This was a more precarious downclimb than I would have perhaps liked. I chucked my bag in order to aid my balance.  I mournfully watched as Paul missed the catch and it merrily bounced its way down the steep slopes below.   

One of the Incorrect Pinnacle Gully Approaches

Photo Credit: Lukasz

After Paul the hero went to retrieve my bag I decided that the only sensible thing to do now was have lunch.  Miraculously my phone had survived the descent down the rocky slope unscathed.  The same can not be said for my lunch (nor Paul’s trousers).

Undeterred we walked a little bit further round the mountain and all became obvious.  There was a delightful, friendly, interesting walkway through a cavernous gully.  Now didn’t I feel a bit silly. 

Friendly Pinnacle Gully

Photo Credit: Lukasz

Popping out the gully we then proceeded to go on a delightful hike around the plateau visiting Benbulben and King’s mountain summit while Paul’s trousers gradually became more and more ripped. The skies were clear and the views fantastic.  We found our way back to the carpark where Mags enquired whether Paul had been attacked by a bear.

 —------

We ended the day after more car faff and a café stop in the Benwiskin Hostel.  We shared a communal meal and played some games.  For some reason the king’s mountain lot were very aggressive on whose job it was to peel apples. Great craic in all.

The next day we decided to head to Benwiskin – just a 5 minute drive from the hostel.  Kyle led the way striding up the forest path to reach the steep slopes.  The pace of the day was bold. The guidebook had put (steep) in the description.  This was justified.  We skirted the forest to reach the spectacular ridge of Benwiskin.  I’m not sure whether it would have qualified as a rock scramble but it was at least a grade 1 grass scramble in my eyes; my calves hurt.  We walked along the ridge as a group past the wonderous scenery of the cliffs of Benwiskin.  The cauldron in particular was spectacular. 

We descended the mountain via a road which was “definitely not trespassing” looking out for Diarmuid and Grainne’s cave as this was a listed optional extra for this hike.  Having reached the base of the valley again we finally caught sight of the ginormous cave above.  For some reason the steep grass slope up there didn’t seem to tempt anyone. 

Benwiskin

Photo Credit: Lukasz

We all said our emotional goodbyes in the car park before heading back to our respective homes with great car faff to be had. It was a wonderful trip. The waterproof trousers were not required.

Mournes Litter Collection

On 27th August 2022 we had a litter pick up in the Annalong Valley in the Mourne Mountains. Mournes Heritage Trust supported us with litter pickers, and staff member Aaron joined us for the walk. It was a beautiful day and we had a very relaxed, enjoyable walk whilst we helped make the Mournes a little cleaner.

Aimee, Vicky, Owen and Lisa in the Annalong Valley

Mourne Climb Fest Update

Folks,

Just another reminder of the Mourne Climbfest this weekend. We will be based at Sloan’s farm, campsite which is being setup for this event (water, toilets and barn for socialising will be provided). The campsite is located here. https://goo.gl/maps/dVoH7F7ZF5GFARVH6
On the day registration at the campsite will take place from 6pm onwards this Friday.

On the day camping will be £7. If you book in advance (before Friday 9am) you will get it for the cheaper rate of £5.

We will be climbing both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday we will be meeting at Carricklittle carpark approx 9:30am and aiming to be at Lower Cove for about 10:30am. We’ll climb for most of the day and probably be back at the campsite for an evening of firepit socialising and giant chess from 7pm. Carricklittle car park is located here https://goo.gl/maps/gD55BRYscia9N3e27

On Sunday we will be meeting at Trassey track carpark at 9:30am (alternative is Meelmore lodge if Trassey is full). Walk in to Spellack crag and climbing from approximately 10:15am onwards.
Looking forward to seeing you there.

BCC Committee

Folks, see below for upcoming trips and save the dates. If you are interested in coming and have any questions feel free to send us an email :)

16th - 18th April - Easter trip BCC Fairhead Session

May– 29th April to 2nd May Colmcille Climbfest, Maghery, Donegal.

3rd - 6th June– Dal Riada/Mountaineering Ireland Fairhead Climbing weekend

25th and 26th June - Mourne Climb Fest

9th until the 16th July– Owey Island (accommodation still to be confirmed)

20th-21st August – BCC Muckross Trip Donegal

3rd to 5th September Burren Meet

Moorhill Quarry March 22

Thanks to all who came out to Moorhill Quarry last weekend. Good session and many routes climbed. We soon warmed up and the sun even appeared for a bit. Old hands were getting back into the swing of things and newer faces were getting some of their first trad climbs/leads/abseils in. There were also some impressive bat-hangs on display. Hopefully get a few more sessions like this over the next few months.

2022 Membership Year

Intro

Whilst the evenings may be darkening there’s certainly not anything dark about this time of year. Mountaineering Ireland has once again allowed early sign up so that you get more bang for your buck. Likewise, Belfast Climbing Club has matched that offer and if you sign up now you’ll get 1 year, 1 month and 7 days for the price of 12 months 0 days (expiries on 31/10/2022). Bargain. As the honest chap I am, I didn’t calculate that, I had to google it.

If that sounds better than a buy one get one free on a family pack of Tayto and you just want to sign up, click the button below. If you’re unsure and want more details? Read on.

SIGN ME UP!

What’s in it for you?

Well, aside from the free belays, banter and copious uses of the word ‘nice’, ‘go on’ and ‘you’ve got this’ whilst you’re twisting your hips in ways you never felt possible, we feel that we’ve quite a lot to offer:

Belfast Climbing Club Benefits

• Access to a large (we had the strongest member count ever this year!), varied and friendly community of climbers of all abilities and backgrounds

• Belfast Climbing Club branded clothing (and umbrellas, if you want, I got one)

• You joining us on our, various, exciting trips

• Access to Henry’s Cottage in the Mournes at a discounted rate for members (£5 pmpn)

• Member only WhatsApp group

• A club backed by an enthusiastic member first committee (look at those smiles!)

• Stickers for your car, helmet, notebook, you name it

Mountaineering Ireland Benefits

• The Irish Mountain Log, delivered by post to your home address

• Discounts in all good outdoor shops and a variety of other related retailers

• Civil Liability and Limited Personal Accident cover insurance policy

• A personalised membership card

• A committed staff team to provide advice and information

• Access to training schemes and awards for hillwalkers and climbers

• Access to Mountaineering Ireland Training Grant schemes

• More here

So, what’s the craic?

We have three membership types on offer, so if you have your own insurance we have a spot for you! They are:

All In

This membership type comprises all of the benefits outlined above, best of both worlds if you will, from Belfast Climbing Club and Mountaineering Ireland. We’ll even do all of the hard work for you, we’ll complete your affiliation with Mountaineering Ireland on your behalf.

Existing MI

Ah, you’ve already signed up with another club with Mountaineering Ireland? Don’t worry, even if we’re not you’re number one we’d still love you to be a part of our community. With this membership type you’re already a part of Mountaineering Ireland thus we’ll sign you up as a direct Belfast Climbing Club member so that you can avail of our benefits and link your MI account with BCC!

Bring Your Own

So you already have insurance that you want to make the most of but still want to be a part of Belfast Climbing Club? Well, you can! If you have insurance with a recognised external mountaineering body such as AAC or BMC etc then why don’t you sign up?

Let’s talk money

Belfast Climbing Club’s membership fee is £10 and dependent on the membership type applicable to you and your age will vary the price you pay. The information below outlines the ins and outs. Unfortunately due to Pound/Euro fluctuations, prices are subject to change for All In membership type.

Type	Age	Belfast Climbing Club	Mountaineering Ireland	Total
All In	Under 23	£10	£18.45	£28.45
	Over 23		£31.50	£41.50
Existing MI	Under 23		N/A	£10
	Over 23
Bring Your Own	Under 23
	Over 23

Please note that we can only accept memberships from individuals over the age of 18. Not to worry, we have a sister club, Belfast Youth Climbing Club, and they can be contacted here.

You drive a hard bargain but I’m in!

Awesome, that’s exactly what we like to hear! Head on over to join.belfastclimbingclub.co.uk and follow the prompts. The form will guide you and dependent on your answers it’ll direct you to the membership type that’s suitable for you. That’s all there is to it, we’ll take care of the rest.

Interested in knowing the nitty gritty? Here’s the process in the fine detail.

Once you sign up we will be notified that you want to become a member (yay!) and to standby for your payment

1. You will receive an email confirming how much you owe and the details by which to transfer your payment

2. Once your payment has been received, for your membership type, we will:

   • All in

     • Add your details to the Mountaineering Ireland member portal

     • Transfer the portion relating to the affiliation cost of your membership to Mountaineering Ireland

     • Once your membership card is received post it out to you

   • Existing MI

     • Add you as an associate member to BCC in the Mountaineering Ireland member portal

   • Bring your own

     • Verify the membership evidence you provided as part of your registration

3. Update your membership outlining you’re the best Belfast Climbing Club member

I’m still unsure

Not to worry, don’t hesitate to reach out on membership@belfastclimbingclub.co.uk.

2021 AGM nominations and Constitution Changes

The BCC is due to elect a new committee for the upcoming club year (October 21-September 22). The 2021 AGM date is yet to be confirmed, however it is time to start with nominations.

Please use this link for nominations: https://docs.google.com/.../1nKgarw2RImciR5M8CO3b.../edit...

Who can vote? Any (paying) BCC member can nominate & vote

Who can be nominated? Anyone (although climbing experience is welcome :)). Nominees do not have to be current BCC members (but are expected to be fully paid members when taking on Committee roles).

Can I nominate more people? Absolutely. Nominate as many as you like. You can also nominate yourself (this is more than welcome).

I don't really know what roles are there. There are currently 8 "core" roles plus ordinary committees (the number of these is not restricted)., Have a look here for more info (or just ask me): https://www.belfastclimbingclub.co.uk/committee

All roles are voluntary and require some level of time commitment and enthusiasm. You'll be rewarded with a free access to top belaying partners, unfiltered banter on Discord, and the warm fuzzy feeling you get after a good climbing day out with the BCC. What's not to like!

Constitution Changes:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YiLi3YSRdZKoP5-iuTWouQkztY4vPpsF/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103013502169131412064&rtpof=true&sd=true
The following link has proposed changes to the BCC constitution (in red at 5.2), which will be voted on at the AGM. These changes are to do with the nomination and voting structure of Committee positions.

BYCC Youth Climbing Taster Day, Altnadue Quarry

Youth Climbing Taster Day, Altnadue Quarry

Are you a family who currently climbs or would be keen to take part in climbing and would like to be part of a club in order to meet like-minded families and develop your participation in the sport?

Belfast Youth Climbing Club is a family friendly club which aims to facilitate and encourage children and young people from the greater Belfast area to participate safely in climbing. Club Membership is open to young people aged 7 to 17 and their parents/carers. At least one parent/carer must join along with their child(ren).

Membership is £11.50 per child and £35 per climbing adult. Reduced rates are available for non-climbing adults and/or those with existing MI membership.  (KF to finalies)

As a newly established club we wish to invite families from the greater Belfast area who are interested in joining the club to our taster day on Sunday 26th Sept at Altnadue Quarry, Castlewellan 2-4pm. We will have fully qualified rock climbing instructors with us and there are climbing routes suitable for everyone so even if you have never climbed before why not come along, meet the Committee members and have a go at some outdoor climbing too? 

Participants must register prior to attendance by following the link below.  

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/taster-day-altnadue-quarry-tickets-168811693319

Places are limited and available on a first come first serve basis*. 

Please come ready for a few hours outdoors.

The event is free and climbing equipment is also provided.

*Should you reserve a place and then discover you cannot attend, please notify the Club in order to make the space available for others.

Mourne Mountain Climbfest

When MI contacted BCC at the start of 2021, asking if we wanted to host a meet in the Mourne Mountains, we were thrilled at the opportunity to showcase the climbing in this rugged landscape.  We had been keen to show off our granite crags since shortly after the inception of the club in 2017, however, events had conspired against us.  Then I realised as meets secretary it was probably my job to plan it!  Thankfully our President, Jamie and Cottage Secretary Rónán stepped in and suggested we team up and share the work between the three of us.

Our first thought for our base for the meet was the BCC cottage aka “Henry’s Cottage”.We then thought that 30 or more campers might quickly become a little too cosy, not to mention social distancing…We found a local farmer, Gerard Sloan, who was happy to loan us the use of a field with a water supply beside it; we had found our campsite.

The Campsite on Gerard Sloan’s Farm

We had 2 great days of climbing - almost.  On Saturday we went to Lower Cove where the rain kept trying to wash us off, however we persisted.  Unfortunately, it also persisted and most of us called it a day by 4 pm.  Most of the attendees choose to come to Lower Cove with us on the Saturday, however, a contingent from the Colmcille Climbers ran a casual half marathon through the mountains.  As we arrived at Lower Cove with a group from Dublin, we saw the early birds already climbing at Second Corner (Damien on the most neon ropes I have ever seen) and First Corner (Nicky, touring around Ireland in her van for 6 weeks, for some reason…) on some of the classics - Gynocrat and First Corner.  My climbing partner Eva, and I, decided to head to Second Corner and warm up on a 3 pitch route called Cumulus (VS), however, after the second pitch the rock was starting to feel rather damp and we called it a day.

First Corner at Lower Cove

Kyle from BCC spent a lot of time falling off Short, Sharp, Shocked (E4, Second Corner), I believe he was experiencing a different climate to the rest of us.  Shane from Dublin did Agag’s Wall (HS, Third Corner).  There were climbers everywhere, it was a nightmare for a girl to pee…

We had a relaxed evening on Saturday night. Alistair lit a fire in his BBQ and Marie and Shane from Dublin produced marshmallows and skewers and we happily toasted marshmallows.  Eva, from the Czech Republic, had never experienced this before, so we taught her how to perfectly toast a marshmallow. There were some conflicting opinions on this matter, ranging from setting it on fire then blowing it out, to melting it, eating a bit then returning it to the heat to melt some more.

Left: Kyle enjoying… something.                             Right: Shane on Agag’s Wall

On Sunday we sent Alistair as a vanguard to Meelmore Lodge to have words and sort us out with some prime parking spots.  We proceeded up the Trassey Valley, making a few stops.  The first stop was Spellack where Forest View Buttress was a popular choice.  Nothing to do with the 20-ish minute walk-in, I’m sure!  The second stop was the Bearnagh slabs, where Rónán and I and the Colmcille climbers had decided to spend the day.  After doing 2 routes and scaring the pants off ourselves on a VS called Peter de Bernac we thought that was quite enough and headed back to Meelmore Lodge for coffee and buns!

The group at Forest View Buttress were enjoying the sunny weather and slightly less slabby routes of this area.  Although it seems like the Mournes granite is a fickle mistress and ‘interesting’, as a result, similarly productive days were had by many. 

Forest View Buttress at Spellack

 Altogether the meet was a success, despite the weather’s best attempts to dampen our spirits.  On behalf of BCC I would like to thank everyone who joined us at the meet, it was wonderful to meet so many new people and share our love for climbing in the Mourne Mountains.  See you all in 2022. I would also like to thank the Volunteers: Alistair, Rowan, Nicholas, Seamus, Robyn, Eva, John and Kyle and Damien from MI for his support and bringing Guidebooks.  Finally, this would not have been possible without Jamie doing the IT work and Rónán, who knows a guy for everything!