New E8 for Northern Ireland

7th April, 2009

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Ricky Bell on the crux of his new route The Big Skin (E8 6c) © Craig Hiller — Ricky Bell on the crux of his new route The Big Skin (E8 6c)
© Craig Hiller

Ricky Bell has just climbed his project below A Bad Skin Day at Fairhead, Northern Ireland, naming it The Big Skin and offering a grade of E8 6c.

A Bad Skin Day is a 3 star E7 6c on the Ballycastle Descent Gully crags, near to the super-classic route Wall of Prey (E5).

Ricky described his new route The Big Skin:

"The wall stays in the shade most of the day and so the holds on the crimpy section felt nice. The crux is getting established above an overlap near the arete about a third of the way up the wall; a really insecure move on two gastons. Bit of a nightmare but was fine on lead - a headpoint mindset took over.

...a really insecure move on two gastons...

Ricky Bell

The middle of the wall is much easier but there's no gear until a massive hollow flake and a bit of sky hook trickery. I used a bungey cord to hold a wee hook down on a good edge above the hollow flake. Then you get to the safety of the gear on A Bad Skin Day and finish up that."

Ricky Bell is sponsored by Marmot, Zero-G Climbing and Scarpa.

Thank you to Craig Hiller for the superb photographs that accompany this report.