Al Millar and the E-Men 8/9th April 2000
Last weekend the E men went to Fairhead (to see pic click here). We spent Saturday on the prow and did The Black Thief VS, Fath mo Bhuartha E1, The fence.VS
Then Ronnie Smith arrived late afternoon and Myself and him did Black thief,(again) Fireball and Midnight cruiser and Fath Mo Bhuartha (Again) As I was holding the ropes for Ronnie on midnight cruiser a figure abbed down over Fireball and it turned out to be Claire Torrans, a figure I had not spoken to in years. By this stage it was nearly dark and we went to Ballycastle for chips and to Hunters bar, which was changed and had karoake and was not the pleasant little country bar I remember from by gone times.
But there was still the problem of finding the Ben Van hut which none of us had ever been too. After a bit of farting about and searching we got on the right track, but it looked too grassy and muckky so we decided to leave the vehicles at the top and walk down because of the certainty that Frazers old crock (Jest) would not make it up again in the morning. Then headlights appeared and who should it be in a four wheel drive but Claire Torrans again and Paul McGarrity heading exactly where we were going and just in time to carry us and all our stuff down the track to the hut. Some time and talk about climbing over a good log fire but the E men were f***ed and went to bed not too late because Fairhead is a full body pump. Next morning I awoke and went outside for a piss and it was in the most beautiful; place in the world. The dawn sun made the crag glow crimson and the blue ocean stretched away to the highlands and Islands of Scotland. With trees and grass and sheep to finish the picture it was a glorious start to the day and with a perfect blue sky. We all went onto the main face and we all found it harder than the prow and more serious. Frazer and Rodney did Chieftain VS 2 pitches and Myself and Ronnie did An Goabhan Saor.E1 3pitches. That was after looking up at other routes and not feeling well! It was a sustained climb and we were tired from the previous day but did it ok. Ronnie left mid afternoon and as per arrangement from the previous day Billie Wilkinson arrived and we did Chieftain together and it was a fine climb. Meanwhile Frazer and Rodney had returned to the prow and were the last men climbing on Sunday evening. They did balooba the previous day also. See ya.
Al