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Climbing in Donegal - any locals?

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 chris melleney 09 Jul 2005
I'm off to Donegal for a folk music festival thing in August, and have had a quick Google and found what looks like some really good climbing there.

Anyone from around the area online? Can you recommend any crags or campsites (or pubs, naturally). Am going August 22nd - 28th ish. Anyone up for a partner?

What would be the nearest airport to there, when travelling from England? Am based Sheffield, so can travel from Doncaster, Manchester, East Midlands or Luton.

Plus anything of interest for the area, as I have only ever been to Dublin and would love to see more Ireland.


Many thanks. Am online next tomorrow so will pick up any answers.

Chris


Jonno 09 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney:

Went to Donegal last year to climb in The Poisoned Glen. Big mountaineering routes up to 800' on impressive vegetated cliffs.
However it was cold and wet so we didn't get anything done.
Apparently there's good sea cliff climbing but the inland stuff is underwhelming I'm afraid unless Poisoned Glen floats your boat.
Donegal has been ruined by indiscriminate building of inappropriate buildings on every spare bit of land around coastal villages like Bunbeg.
They've even built a wind farm on Errigal one of Irelands' most famous peaks.
Drink driving is harsh..one pint is your limit and they'll cut off your balls if you smoke in a pub.

All in all.North Wales is a trillion times better in every way.
Shopping 4 guns 10 Jul 2005
In reply to Jonno:

"north wales is a trillion times better" - load of rubbish

North wales may be better but Donegal is a brilliant place. The sea cliffs are very good and new routes are not hard to find.

If you are lucky with the weather you will have a great time and you will not have to share it with hundreds of other people like in North wales.

Sorry don't have a guide book as a friend has it so can't recommend anywhere but take your rock gear and have fun.
In reply to Shopping 4 guns and Jonno: Cliff climbing in Donegal takes my fancy some what! Thanks for your messages lads. Will walk home from the pub for definite.

Anyone else with any hints and tips, especially on the best route and method of transport to GET there in the first place??
Caz 10 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney:

To get it would be either best to fly to Dublin and get a bus up to donegal (takes about 4 hours) its not very expensive and theres buses daily.
Or you could fly to Derry airport and get the bus across from there.
Have done it from Dublin before but not from Derry.

Have Fun.
 cragrat 10 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney: Best crags are Muckross (steep), Malinbeg, Lough Belshade (midge heaven),and an island called Gola. Rough camping is easy. For Gola, you need to arrange a boat. More info here:
http://www.climbing.ie/
Jonno 10 Jul 2005
In reply to Shopping 4 guns:
> (In reply to Jonno)
>
> "north wales is a trillion times better" - load of rubbish
>

All right...North Wales is a million times better then.
Gogarth and The Lleyn are far and away above anything in Donegal and there are thousands of crags where you won't see a soul in NW.
A lot of Donegal's inland stuff would even be looked at in NW.It would be considered of little interest.

I would like to do The Poisoned Glen in good weather though.

With two gallons of Deet covering my firm body of course.

 Frank4short 11 Jul 2005
In reply to Jonno: Jonno shut your shite spewing arse. Have you thoroughly explored every crag in Donegal? (I thought not). Have you traversed the lenght & breadth of Donegal? So coming out with these great catch all statements of yours is a bit prejorative of you, but then again i wouldn't expect any better from you.

To the OP: Easiest way to get to Donegal is probably to fly to Derry, Belfast or Dublin & rent a car from there. As another poster said you'll be able to get to Donegal (atleast the larger towns Donegal, killebegs, letterkenny) easily enough using public transport but getting around to crags & the like will be very hard & cause you alot of trouble.

The main crags are Malin Beg, Muckross Head, The Poisoned Glen & Gola Island. However the entire county is litered with crags small & large most of which are virtually untouched. For more info on routes check here: http://www.climbing.ie/ & for bouldering check here: http://www.theshortspan.com

Wild camping isn't a problem but at that time of year you'll be better off staying on the coast as the midges are little bastards & at scottish levels of nastiness at that time of year. One thing not to expect in Donegal is good weather not matter what time of year it is, but if you're lucky & the weather holds out it will be absolutely glorious. Oh & if the weather goes to shit you're likely to get be able to get some surfing in instead, as there is great surfing there too. Anyways hope it goes well & if you want or need anymore info drop me a mail through the site.
 JLS 11 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney: "What would be the nearest airport to there, when travelling from England? Am based Sheffield, so can travel from Doncaster, Manchester, East Midlands or Luton."

Manchester is closest to Donegal...

(Sorry couldn't resist)

Claire C 11 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney:
I would second Frank, Donegal has some fantastic climbing. Gola island is super with great granite and all grades of climbs in fantastic situations. There is a small inland grag for when the waves are too high
Muckross Head has overhanging pumpy routes. Camping on top of the crag is possible. Its possible to camp at Muckross and drive round the coast to Malinbeg which has short easier climbs.
I havent climbed at the poisoned glen, and due to its veggie reputation I wouldnt bother when there are so many other great places to climb in Donegal.
Enjoy your trip, its a magic place.
C



belmonkey 11 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney:

Derry is the closest airport, but you might get cheaper flights to Belfast. Belfast is closer than Dublin.

Muckross head is a great wee crag, but to really appreciate it you probably want to be comfortable at E1/E2. There are a couple of VS's which are worth doing if you are there (but not necessarily worth the drive for them alone).

Malin Beg is good fun with lots of lower graded climbs.

In terms of places to stay, there is wild camping easy enough, or loads of B& Bs you could find on de web.
Kelly, Phil 11 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney:

http://www.colmcilleclimbers.com/

Might be useful.
 Niall 11 Jul 2005
In reply to Kelly, Phil:

Seconded, post a message or email some of the Colmcille folk, there's always somebody up for a route or two in Donegal and their hospitality to visiting climbers is second to none.
 Norrie Muir 11 Jul 2005
In reply to Niall:
> (In reply to Kelly, Phil)
and their hospitality to visiting climbers is second to none.

Dear Niall

That is what I heard from some of the boys who where over there last year.

Norrie
 Niall 11 Jul 2005
In reply to Norrie Muir:

Yep, we headed down from Belfast a couple of months back for a climbing meet in Inishowen - fantastic weekend and colmcille are a top bunch.
mac_climb 11 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney: by the way when you go to ireland next time go to connemara, in the east, some good bouldering above the sea, and some climbs elsewhere, but not that well known
Anonymous 11 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney:

I must say from what little I've seen I'd rather agree with Jonno: Malinbeg is a bit like Basher's Harbour in Cornwall; a very minor venue indeed. Muckros is quite nice; atmosphere a bit like St Bees meets Sennen, routes quite difficult to compare to anywhere else, sort of cross between the Gunks and Harrisons. Gola I've heard is rather like Carn Barra, although more extensive. If those are indeed the best crags then you certainly wouldn't travel there for the purpose, although well worth taking climbing gear if you're going anyway.

Jonno is also right that the place could have used more rigorous planning controls; it would be nice if the locals hadn't painted IRA slogans on quite so many boulders, and the Sky/Man United culture gets tiresome fairly quickly. Having said that, there certainly are some lovely places away from that sort of thing.

Anyone done that Mainmast? (Mainsail, whatever)

And isn't there some smallish airport pretty much in Donegal? Some friends have a house there and I seem to remember one could fly fairly close - in a sort of kit plane, admittedly.

jcm
Andy Robinson 12 Jul 2005
In reply to Anonymous:
> (In reply to chris melleney)
>
> Jonno is also right that the place could have used more rigorous planning controls; it would be nice if the locals hadn't painted IRA slogans on quite so many boulders, and the Sky/Man United culture gets tiresome fairly quickly.
>

And to think that some Irish find the Brits arrogant and condescending - whatever are they talking about?
 SteveC 12 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney:

I usually fly Manchester-Derry - much quicker than going in via Dublin. Ignore a lot of the crap on here about IRA did slogans, ruined by building etc etc. Once you get beyond the border - which is almost invisible these days - there's almost no sign of political stuff, and the people are very easy and open wherever you are from - not like other bits of the Republic I've been to. And the thing about a 'windfarm on Errigal' is crap, too.

Climbing - masses of new stuff to be done - all the headlands around the coast are worth looking at - the N coast (Rosguill, Dunfanaghy area) is a strange, rather smooth and very compact dolerite that gives some great routes on solid rock. Friends climbed at Sail Rock and said it was stunning - I missed out that day (doing family stuff )

Have fun. It isn't N Wales - better in some ways, not so good in others - if you want to get away from the crowds and do something different then you should have a great time.

SteveC
Jonno 12 Jul 2005
In reply to SteveC:

Made the trek from North Wales last year and as I've already said, I was disappointed.
A bit like living next door to a Premiership football team and travelling hundreds of miles and paying lots of money to watch a Nationwide Conference match.
You wonder why you've done it ?
Poisoned Glen was impressive if you like big vegetated cliffs but not as impressive as the local big cliffs.
Some of the inland cliffs we looked at were not worth bothering with.
The villages were a shock too. Coming from somewhere where vernacular architecture is cherished and planning laws are stringent,I couldn't believe the ugly haciendas and boxy bungalows which have been thrown up filling every space while traditional crofts lie abandoned. Land for sale signs are everywhere.
And yes..there is wind farm and the slopes of Errigal which is quite visable from Dunlewey where we were staying.
If I was planning a visit right now I'd go for Scotland or Cornwall definitely.
Andy Robinson 12 Jul 2005
In reply to Jonno:
>
> And yes..there is wind farm and the slopes of Errigal which is quite visable from Dunlewey where we were staying.

I take it you mean the one on a totally different hill about 10 miles from Errigal?
Pete Smith 13 Jul 2005
In reply to chris melleney:
I'm astonished that anyone thinks Donegal isn't worth the trip. I moved to Derry from S. Wales and was overwhelmed by the huge amount of brilliant climbing potential here. No one has mentioned Dunmore Head at Culdaff (superb dolerite edge with short routes to E3 which would get stars at any crag) or Lough Barra (3-4 pitch beauties on wonderful rock) or Eglish Valley (brilliant single-pitch granite in the mountains with routes still to go).

But it's not all about climbing, what about the crack on the high stool? And the music? And the wonderful people? And the Colmcillers (you don't get them everywhere you go)? Get over here and have a ball, and make sure you give us a shout via www.colmcilleclimbers.com

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