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Dunmore Head, Culdaff, Co. Donegal.
25th July 2000. Pete Smith.
Michael McGinty (that Irishman of note) and I (Pete Smith) went to Culdaff on 25th July. Michael had never climbed at Dunmore Head, I informed him that he was the only man in the whole world who has climbed at Fairhead, Bunagee, Muckross, Barnesmore Gap, Malin Beg and not Dunmore Head. Being a generous-minded sort of fellow, I decided that he should enjoy as many on-sight leads of the best routes as we could manage. I resigned myself to leading B-routes so that he could have the A-rated, triple star jobs. It's a mucky job, but....... So, I soloed up SRS Slab VD (in my roller blades) to fix an abseil rope, and then we fired off for a rapid half-doz of beautiful routes. Michael led Orange Blossom HS, and was so obviously in fine fettle that I sent him up Grecian Gift VS. Even the latter route fazed him not a jot - he was berating himself for doddering about putting in his 4th wire, if only he had realised how simple the crux was, he wouldn't have bothered! Time for me to lead, I had to look willing and I didn't want to arouse suspicion. For me, it was Diversion HS, an appropiate name in the circumstances - this was just hors d'oeuvres before the main fare! A logical progression around the crag brought us to Shining Cossacks HVS. What better for a man at the top of his game? Michael's handful of VS leads would have prepared him perfectly for this lovely route (I assured him). And what style, what elegance, what debonair-ism,
what aesthetic flights of fancy were brought to bear as Michael floated smoothly
and confidently to the top. One moment of doubt was quickly put from his mind.
At the crux, he had already placed the vital, bombproof wire when he started
to suffer a lack of confidence I was right, of course, and Michael's first (of many) HVS lead was safely under his belt. To wrap things up, I led Peapob VS and Bird's Nest Bulge HS (or Sev, I can't remember), before we went for a very nice pint. Thanks, Michael, for a blinding evening! |