May 2008 - Climbing - Lundy

The Old Light

Flying Buttress

It was a fantastic trip but my 'routes bagged' list is a bit pitiful. The way this spring has worked out I was a lot less prepared than I should have been and as a result a bit of out practice and gibbery. I seconded Battery Rib and the Severe to the right of it at Flying Buttress. I was meant to lead the VD but my partner sent me the wrong way and it was a lot harder, so I abbed back down the handy rope and sent my partner a different way - which turned out to be the right one. Plus soloed Flying Buttress Mod inbetween those two. That was on the Thursday, the day we arrived.


On the Friday I decided my time would be better spent exploring the Island and preparing myself mentally. I went to the limekiln and walked up the West coast stopping in all the little bays, and every time I got to a view I compared what I could see to the book. I walked down and up the Montague steps, and expored the Earthquake. I tried to get down to Antiworlds, but think I was at the wrong grassy rib as it looked like a death trap, and by that point I was dehydrated and had wet feet (had sandals on and some bits were a bit boggy) so thought I might lost my balance attempting it. I carred on all the way up to the New Light, took me 5.5 hours by which time my knees were hurting and I was knackered - walked back down the main track making in back to the Barn in another hour.

St. John's Stone

Sika deer

On Saturday I went off to climb the Devil's Slide with Cara - and failed! I seconded the first pitch fine, second pitch was my lead and as soon as I was on the sharp end my body position went to pot and instead of standing with my bum over my feet I was leaning into the rock and stretching for far off crimps and hauling myself up. I tried giving myself a stern talking to and telling myself that was a dangerous way to climb slabs, and managed to carry on going - but instead of following the obvious line up the slab my body carried me diagonally rightwards towards the gully, up a slanting crack with better holds and gear. Before long though I was in vegetation and still a few metres from the belay block, so on failing to downclimb I abbed back down the ab rope to Cara taking the gear out on the way and gave her the lead. Back on the blunt end again I was fine, until the bit where had to traverse right, and was just thinking this totally wan't the way to enjoy such an awesome feature as the Slide. Luckily another of our party was hanging around by the block and Cara agreed to climb with them, so we swapped over. I delegated myself to chief bag carrier and photo taker. I had planned to climb at the Earthquake in the afternoon but decided I hadn't earned such a treat, so we all went back to the shop and had an ice cream instead. At 5pm 4 of us went to a wildlife talk, which was incredibly interesting. Saturday night was the big drinking might for most of us.


Sunday was rainy, so in the morning I carried on doing the jigsaw that I'd started on arrival (2000 pieces, a bit ambitious, it never got completed). In the afternoon I went for a damp 3 hour walk with Doug and Dan, starting at the South coast to listen to the foghorn and the waves crashing in the sea clag, then walked round the south east tip, up the wooded path through the rhodendrons (which they're hoping to eradicate by 2050), past the quarries, up to the Logan Stone, then back. The ambitious climbing parties arrived back one at a time after aborted attempts on various routes, dripping wet. One party did Devil's Slide in the wet, with another party at the top with emergency ropes just in case! The Tavern was really rowdy in the evening so a lot left early, but some decided if-you-can't-beat-em-join-em and were highly amusing in their antics - table dancing on the balcony to entertain the sailors, as I discovered when I went back in to pay my tab.

Manteling the mantelshelf

Simon and Lizzie on Devil's Slide

I realised that despite my thorough recces of the Island, which were very productive as they mean I'll be really inspired for future trips, my efforts at experiencing the rock and the classics had been pitiful, so I made plans to go and climb Shamrock the next day. My partner was less experienced so I was down to lead the first and third pitches, but Dan and SCC were also planning to do it, and followed us up, so I felt happy about the fact that if I went to pieces there would be others there! Then there was a third party behind us, Colin and David Riley, who hadn't managed their route and had already done the other VS as a warm up, so Shamrock was the next easiest way out of the area. Three parties on the same route on the last day - cutting in fine in the time, had to be on the jetty for the ferry at 4pm. I led the first pitch okay (took me a few goes to do the start which is the crux), but at the base of the third my brain was fried and it looks scary. We sent Dan up it and all seconded on various ropes - it was a little faff but worked, and was probably quicker than two people leading. It was interesting having 5 people on the sloping ledge though, and another waiting to second the second pitch. Our group of 4 made it to the top in just enough time to make it to the ferry early, walking fast. The remaining pair weren't far behing us, but they'd started at a different cliff so their bags were elsewhere. Two others had moved their bags to the top path, but they didn't know where they were so went off to find them, resulting in a highly amusing dash for the ferry while the rest of us watched as they ran down the jetty slope, and they got a humungous cheer as they *just* made it in time.


The company was awesome, and Al Evans is a total legend, really not what I expected from his posts. The social side was great, and only got rowdy on the last day. Al set us some Barn challenges, like manteling onto the mantelshelf which is less than a foot deep, and how many people could we fit in the high up window alcove. DougS was the only one that managed the mantel, I was kind of next best - managed it but lost my balance twice and was 'corrected' by my spotters. Nobody else managed to straighten their leg. I also fed the fish in the Rocket pond with Al and we all went up the Old Light to watch the sunset, and manteled on to the little platform inside it.

Manteling the Old Light

Jigsaw fail

Lundy is awesome, nice to find a place that exists on respect and common sense, not red tape. I saw ponies, deer, goats, sheep, millions of herring gulles, cormorants, a seal, possibly razorbills, a marlin, possibly a falcon, sundew (carniverous plant), etc.etc.