Greg Boswell's Blog: Abandoned on an Island - what more could you ask for?

Loading the Boy James to head to Pabbay

On Wednesday the 8^th, Ally Swinton, James Dunn and I lugged our pile of gear and food bags onto the train in Waverley station and headed for Oban. We met up with Liam Ingram at Glasgow, who was one of the other guys heading out to climb on the islands.

Once in Oban we lugged our gear from the train to the ferry terminal and dumped it there for a couple of hours while we headed into town for some last minute supplies. This consisted mostly of chocolate and fishing gear, everything you need in case it rains on a climbing trip!

When we arrived back at the terminal, the pile of gear had tripled in size and we met up with the rest of the guys who were heading on the trip, Adam Russell, Eddie Barbour, Paul Swail, Rob Askew, Jamie Foxen and Andrew Latham. Once we had all said our hellos and introductions, we made the long gear haul down the gangway and onto the ferry, just in the nick of time!

James on "Pabbarottie"
Photo credit-Greg Boswell

As everyone had had a fairly early and hectic start to the day, we all just chilled out and mostly slept on the ferry, arriving fresh and awake on Barra around 7pm. After getting the gear off the ferry we convoyed it straight onto Donalds boat (The Boy James), which is a converted fishing vessel that he uses to take climbers and tourists to the islands. This was waiting for us in the small harbour in Castlebay. After this was packed to the brim, it was off to Pabbay.

Unfortunately it was raining when we arrived on Pabbay, but it didn’t take us long to set up camp and get the group tent erected. Once this was up, there was some shelter to relax and chat about where we were going to head the next day. By the time we all went to our tents to go to sleep the rain had died off and the sky was starting to clear up. This made everyone mega psyched for the up and coming days climbing that was soon approaching.

Ally sorting ropes with Mingulay in the background
Photo Credit-Greg Boswell

When we all woke the next day, it was the usual wall to wall sunshine that seems to surround the Barra Isles. I had butterflies in my stomach as we lugged the heavy bags up to the gear stash at the high coll. Having been to Pabbay three times before, I knew what kind of amazing climbing was in store for us when we reached our chosen venue for the day.

We had decided to head to the Poop Deck, which is a single pitch venue on the far side of the Island. It has a number of routes for all levels ranging from HS-E7. We all thought this would be a good place for everyone to head to on the first day so that we could climb together and everyone could get used to the steep island Gneiss. It also helped so that the people who had been before could point out the different venues to the first timers on the way to the crag; Ally and I also took this chance to stash my 100m Edelrid abb rope at the top of the Pink Walls ready for the next day.

Back to camp for team 2011

Ally and I did a bunch of routes on the Poop Deck from E1-E3 throughout the day and I finished off by doing the 4 star E5 “The Raven” which heads up the mega overhanging wall via crack systems and then breaches the large roof before heading onto the vertical headwall above. This was a route I had had my eye on ever since I had first gone to the island five years ago, and it did not disappoint!

After a very heavy and random hail/rain shower, the sun soon reappeared and we all headed back to camp in high spirits and chatted about where to head the next day.

Ally rapping into Pink Walls
Photo Credit-Greg Boswell

Ally starting up "Amber Nectar"
Photo Credit- Greg Boswell

The next morning Ally and I opted for the 90m abseil into Pink/Grey wall area and we headed for the uber immaculate line of “Amber Nectar” the three star E5 on the Grey wall recess. After we had ticked that amazing route, we headed to Hoofers Geo to find Paul Swail halfway up the four star E4 “Sugar Cane Country”. This was a good photo opportunity and once I had got some brilliant shots of Swail on the wall and he had topped the route, the heavens decided to open and our plans to try the harder lines in the area where swiftly washed away. We rapped in anyway and after spying our intended routes that where totally soaking, we did a good E2 called “Fracture Clinic”, then bailed back to camp with plans to revisit Hoofers the next day.

Me on crux pitch of "Amber Nectar"
Photo Credit- Ally Swinton

As soon as we had done the usual morning routine of breakfast and banter, Ally and I headed back to Hoofers for some unfinished business. We started the days climbing off with the three star E1 “Hoofers Route” which had not yet come into the sun and was still a little damp from the previous nights dew. Once we had done that route, we rapped back in to find the sun beaming down on the main wall and both our intended routes where catching the warm rays directly which was drying the lines nicely.

I then did an E5 called “More Lads and Molasses”, which in the guide book is described as serious with tricky climbing. After some committing moves high above the ground with very poor gear, I then reached the easier groove and followed this to the top. I swiftly rapped down and stripped the route, then Ally went on to cruise his way up “Sugar Cane Country” and also rapped back down to the ledge stripping the route on his way.

Paul Swail on "Sugar Cane Country"
Photo Credit- Greg Boswell

We both chilled in the baking sun for a while and then decided to do one more route at Hoofers (“As Sound as Mr J.A”, a fun little E2) before walking over to The Great Arch area to do the famous four star E2 “Prophesy of Drowning” in the glorious setting sun. I had done the route before on a previous trip so I ran the first three pitches together (moved together on the last part of pitch 3) and then Ally went on to lead the awesome four star exit corner pitch of the route. We both enjoyed the quick ascent of the 100m+ route and agreed it was the perfect way to end our last day on Pabbay before we moved on to the Island of Mingulay the next day.

On the Sunday morning we all packed up our gear and then sat around in the sun waiting for Donald to come and pick us up and take us on the short journey across to Mingulay. He arrived around 10:30am and by 12 noon, we had loaded our gear, travelled across the water and unloaded on our second Island of the trip.

We swiftly set up camp and then Ally and I shot up the hill to The Red Cliff (Creag Dhearg) and had an awesome afternoon doing three good 50m routes. Ally lead “Big Chief Turning Bull” E4/5***, then I went on to do “Little Miss Sitting Pretty” E5*** and we finished off the evening with an ascent of the immaculate four star E3 “Fulmar Squaw”. Swail and Adam had also joined us at The Red Cliff to do a few routes in the evening sun.

Me on "More Lads and Molasses"
Photo Credit- Ally Swinton

Over the next two days we braved the walk past famous dive bombing Bonxies (Arctic Skua, (big sea birds)) and headed to the The Boulevard at Guarsay Mor which is a good one or two pitch venue with lots of good routes that pack a hard punch for their length. Then we walked over the hill to the awesome crag of Dun Mingulay, which is known for its long 100m+ routes, most of which are of three and four star quality.

At The Boulevard after watching the Basking Sharks less than 10m away from our belay, Ally lead a hard three star E3 called “A Word With The Bill”, which was made even more taxing by the fact that it followed a steep rounded crack system that in the baking sun was starting to get very smeagy and slippy (a good lead). I then went on to do the truly breath taking E5 “Save Our Souls” which takes a direct line straight up the right hand side of the crag. The line goes through the 3m capping roof at the top, which is where the crux of the route lies. After some mental heel-hooking and steep yarding over the lip there was a hard rock over and the route was complete. Another good route and again...”what a way to end an awesome day on the island”.

Ally on "Sugar Cane Country"
Photo Credit- Greg Boswell

On Dun Mingulay we did the 4 star E5 “Big Kenneth” which cuts through the huge triple roof system that bars the way up the 100m wall. I lead pitches one and three and Ally took pitch two. As is warned in the guide book, the first massive roof was seeping and the large undercuts and foot holds where pretty wet. But I battled on anyway and after some slippery lay-backing, I was very happy to reach the first belay and see that the upper part of the route looked a lot dryer. Ally made short work of the second roof and the technical wall above to belay beneath the steep cracked roof of the last pitch. After some up and down shuffling and trying to dry the damp crack with chalk, I placed some high gear, got psyched up and made the final hard and powerful moves out onto the super exposed headwall and then easier climbing lead to the top.

Once at the top we where both buzzing after having just ticked one of the best routes either of us had done on the Islands. But we weren’t settling for one route, so we swiftly sorted our kit and rapped down the second abb line that was set up by the rest of the group. We met up with Rob who had been working on his tan at the top, and then the three of us made short work of the 4 star E2 “Sula”. This route was home to some fun slab climbing at the start and a totally contradictory second pitch of steep jug pulling for 40m. I finished off by leading the slightly loose tope pitch and then onto the top of the crag where the rest of the group where relaxing and chatting about the awesome day they had all just had.

Me chilling at the top of "Prophesy of Drowning"
Photo Credit- Ally Swinton

As we walked back to camp, the wind was starting to pick up and it was obvious that there was some weather coming in and it looked like rain was approaching, so Ally and I opted to have a rest day. The next day (Wednesday) was spent mostly at the camp and on the beautiful white beach where we all relaxed and recovered after a good weeks cranking on the outstanding island routes.

On Thursday we waited until the afternoon before heading back up to The Red Cliff as the sun doesn’t hit the routes until after 2pm, and the rock would still have been fairly damp. Ally and I did a pretty nippy 3 star E5 called “Variations on a Dream” with the hard climbing kicking in straight off the belay ledge, and didn’t let up until the top of the second pitch. Then it was an easy last pitch to finish. After that route we sat around at the top and made the most of the views and setting sun while also watching some of the other guys from the group climbing some awesome routes, Including Liam Ingram leading his first E3; the 4 star classic “Fulmar Squaw”.

The Boy James in Mingulay bay

This was our last day of climbing on the trip and once we had returned back to camp, the heavens opened and it rained hard for most of the night and well into the next morning. There was a short lull in the rain on the Friday morning which gave us the chance to take down our tents and sort out all our gear in preparation for Donald's arrival later that day. Even though the rain had subsided, the wind was still blowing hard. The waves and swell in the sea where crashing against the rocks and even once Donald had arrived he had to wait in the bay for over an hour before he could attempt to get close to the rocks in his little tender to pick us and our bags up and shuttle us back to his boat.

Adam Russell on "Swimming to America"
Photo Credit-Greg Boswell

After a lot of slippery bag and gear convoying across the wet rocks in the bay and a few trips back and forth in the tender, we were all finally on our way back to Barra and the end of another magnificent Islands trip had finally arrived.

For me this was the best trip to Pabbay and Mingulay I had been on. The weather was good on the climbing days, the company of other group members was awesome and the routes I got ticked with Ally where all of impeccable quality. I always look forward to going on trips to these Islands and up to now, I have never seemed to regret it! I recommend that if anyone ever gets the chance to go to these Islands in the Outer Hebrides that they jump at the chance and if there psyched and fit, they will not regret it either.

I would like to thank Ken and Buffy Lacey for giving James, Ally and I a place to stay late on Frifday night after the long ferry journey...It was very much appreciated!

Also you can check out http://www.swailmountaineering.com/Site/Blog/Entries/2011/6/22_The_Scottish_Islands!.html for more pictures and Paul's views on the Islands.