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| King's Mintiagh, Barnanmore, Co Donegal.
9th Aug 2000
Pete Smith This
is, undeniably, the second worst crag in Donegal. However, such is the enthusiasm
of Colmcille Climbers, we managed to muster a fair crowd for an evening's
climbing at this inauspicious (and controversial) crag. We were Alan Tees,
Kieran Gallagher, Isabelle Jourdant, Michael McGinty, Zoe Stephenson, Frankie
McCloskey, Rodney Moore, Stuart Hamilton, Columba McLaughlin, Chris Ryan and
me. Like in detective stories, numbers started to dwindle straight away, not
through untimely deaths, but something far more mysterious. Alan Tees retired
before we left Derry - not a man to be put off by adverse conditions of any
sort, he could only raise the motivation to get to the lay-by and then slope
off home!
Next, Stuart and Rodders disappeared. Having followed Frankie's van, like KGB agents, for about 5 miles, they vanished into the ether, never to be seen again. So.....then we were 8, but that was enough for an extravaganza of climbing which matched any seen in these hills. This is the only bolted crag in Donegal, and we had every intention of making the most of the short evening that we had there. Michael led Crazy Paving HS in his usual confident style. This route has some nice climbing (unusual for this crag) but no gear (not so unusual), the rock is sound (relatively speaking) and brings you to a perfect finish with views of the whole world.
Columba led his own route Sianan's Groove VD, and was accompanied by Chris Ryan. Golly led King Mintiagh VD and was followed (as he so often is) by the ladies. Michael led Jackdaw Chimney VD, and then put up a new route - a description etc. is eagerly awaited (a repeat ascent might be longer coming). Then everyone, sort of, swapped over till we'd all done a few routes. Then we went for a beer. The best bit of the night (for me, anyway) was Isabelle's unmitigated pleasure at doing her first routes. Cast your minds back to the first time you ever went climbing, and re-live the exaltation of that incredible adrenaline rush (never quite the same again), and you can, perhaps, see the satisfaction to be gained from taking out beginners and, vicariously, re-experiencing that child-like enjoyment. |
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