UKC

Climbing on Mull?

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 Jen80 21 Jun 2011
Hi
We're looking to be on Mull for a few days this summer - will be doing some sea kayaking (staffa/trehnish) but also wanted to get in some climbing. I was thinking of erriad but word on the street i.e. ukc is its not that great? Is it worth a trip or is there anywhere else anyone would recommend.

 punster 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80: Erraid is probably your best bet. Granite single pitch.

It's also popular with Sea Kayaking - stay near Fionnphort.

See Gary Latters book - also rock and run have a few extra supplements on their web site.
 KeithAlexander 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80:

It's good. It depends what your tastes are - it's mainly (lots of) short steep granite routes. If it's sunny, it can be quite hard to get away from the sun - and I imagine also similarly exposed to whatever other weather you get.

http://www.colinmoody.com/Site_2/ARDTUN.html looks pretty interesting.
 punster 21 Jun 2011
In reply to paulsp: Should have added that I wasn't personally that taken with Erraid.

Also See Colin Moody's site

http://www.colinmoody.com/Site/Mull.html
and some topos at.
http://www.colinmoody.com/Site_2/Guides.html
 punster 21 Jun 2011
In reply to paulsp:

Here are the supplements I mentioned available as pdf documents.

general info - worth a read.
http://77.240.12.248/articles/erraid-mull.html

topos

http://77.240.12.248/erraid-update.html
http://77.240.12.248/eilean-a-ghearrain-miniguide.html

There's nothing wrong with the climbing , but Mull is a long way to go to climb 8 Metre granite single pitch with a long walk in.

OP Jen80 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80: ta for the info.

Am open to all ideas in routes really - my favs tend to be big mountain multi pitches but then one of my best climbs was sea cliffs on Lundy - variety is the spice of life and all that. Will check our colins website.

Thanks
 Fiend 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80:

Word on the street is that UKC has a sufficient portion of idiots to be taken with a shovel of salt.

Get the Gary Latter guide (surprisingly given the dubious crag selections and imbalance in this guide, he is actually right about Mull) and get the Ardtun details off Colin Moody's site (which is some god-awful premade site thing and nearly impossible to print things off, good luck).

Erraid is good, Scoor is good, Ardtun is good, Loch Buie bouldering is good. Mostly shortish single pitches but plenty of variety and lovely locations.

http://fiendophobia.blogspot.com/2011/04/mulltitude-of-mulling-on-mull.html
 Fiend 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80:

P.S. Do some of the E1s on the Erraid Upper Tier and you'll be unlike to complain they're too short .

P.P.S. Idiots not referring to anyone in this thread, yet. But one always has to be wary...!
OP Jen80 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Fiend: lol indeed I regularly just read things on ukc when I am feeling a bit depressed - the idiotic stuff always puts a smile on my face.

I've used Colins website before for stuff on Barra - I usually find that if you just copy and paste the text into work thats the easiest way instead if trying to print from the website.

I don't mind the routes being short - I do plenty of big multipitch stuff but enjoy the single pitch stuff too - variety is the spice of life and all that. We are really heading over to mull to kayak but climbing is an added bonus.
 punster 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Fiend: I was a bit disappointed with Loch Buie bouldering -thought Fionnphort was more interesting - lots to explore there. That may depend on your Bouldering grades however, as I don't boulder well these days. Maybe I'm not being fair on Buie.

Back to the OP. If you are down Fionnphort way , have a look over at Iona, you could Kayak over.
I can't comment on the Climbing over there, but it's in Gary Latter's book.(Can anyone else comment? ), but it looks interesting and the Island is a really nice place to visit. The whole island is walkable.

 Fiend 21 Jun 2011
In reply to paulsp:

Aye Loch Buie didn't seem that good below V4-ish. Fionnphort is no doubt good but I am a lazy bugger who likes having descriptions and grades (albeit both wrong in Scottish Bouldering).

Kayak to Iona climbing would be a good call, looks like a good variety over there. More fun than walking from the abbey.
 Colin Moody 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Fiend:

> Get the Gary Latter guide (surprisingly given the dubious crag selections and imbalance in this guide, he is actually right about Mull)

Almost right, he missed out Ardtun, I suggested he put it in several times but he said there was no beach there.
He also missed out White Shite and Kelpie at Scoor, most people think they are 3 star routes. But, good that Mull stuff got in a guide.

> Colin Moody's site (which is some god-awful premade site thing and nearly impossible to print things off, good luck).
>

Did you read the bit on the god-awful site 'Any comments or corrections please get in touch'?

I've just added a sentence about printing to the main page.
 Colin Moody 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80:

What did you do on Barra?
 Toby S 21 Jun 2011
In reply to paulsp:

A long walk in? Seriously? I didn't think it was that far and the location and rock was superb.

Each to their own I s'pose.

I wouldn't go there for an afternoons cragging, but as a place to spend a weekend it was great.
 Fiend 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Colin Moody:

It's not your fault it's whatever package generated the site (a Mac thing from the looks of it??) - the god-awful refers to that!

I think I was too busy climbing on Mull to remember to get in touch.
 punster 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Toby S: You are indeed right, not a long walk in by Scottish standards, but potentially tidal ( well, a wee bit) and certainly not roadside.

I did go for an afternoon's cragging. It's probably a place to go for a full day.

Getting back to the O.P. the crags are very well suited to a Kayak trip, and indeed camping,
and also seems to be a consensus that it's a good place to visit. Toby has called it "Superb", Fiend likes it too and I'm certainly not knocking the atmosphere of the place, which is superb, I just wanted longer routes.
 JamesRich 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80: I was there a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed the climbing on Erraid. The walk in wasn't too bad although due to the rain it was very boggy. Also enjoyed a few evenings a scoor. I agree that if you go Iona is a very nice island and has some good looking climbing.
OP Jen80 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80: this is great info thanks all I am also quite pleased there seems to be a distinct lack of ukc idiots replying here and it all seems pretty useful!

I did see Iona and that does seem appealing especially as we could kayak around. Although erriad also sounds like an option - we get plenty of big mountain multipitches in so I'm not adverse to short climbs at all for some variety - I also have more confidence climbing harder routes on short climbs so it could be really good.

Thanks!
OP Jen80 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Colin Moody: Hi Colin - sadly we didn't do as much as we hoped as the weather was not our friend and the sea cliffs were getting an absolute battering - we had a good afternoon on the Feudail area when we got a break in the rain - it was still a bit blustery (to say the least!!!) and plenty of water seeping out of the crag in places but good fun nonetheless. Hoping to get back to do more. We walked around to some of the areas in your guide....the rain was torrential though so we had a play on some easy looking stuff and looked at some hard stuff. Guide was useful though and it looks like there are some good lines. We'd not have got anything done without your guide to find us somewhere relatively sheltered so its much appreciated.
 Colin Moody 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80:


Shame.
The islands are brilliant when the weather is kind.
 hwackerhage 21 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80:

We went to Erraid earlier this year. Good but not outstanding climbing but it is the whole camping on the beach & climbing experience which makes it special. Here a wee report:
http://graniteandice.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-on-erraid.html
 Dogwatch 22 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80:

> I did see Iona and that does seem appealing especially as we could kayak around.

I don't know much about kayaking but I sail and I'd have thought suitable conditions to kayak around Iona are quite rare. The west side of Iona is very exposed to swell and the Sound of Iona has strong tides. It's a magical place though.

I've done some casual low-grade new routing on Mull and Iona and I believe there is tons to do for those with an exploratory bent. I wish I was there right now.

 Erik B 22 Jun 2011
In reply to Jen80: I would concentrate on sea kayaking when your there, absolute paradise. Iona, Staffa, treshnish isles, the Mull coast itself...ahhh homesick pangs! The climbing was a big dissapointment to me, but the kayaking certainly isnt, world class!

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