I’m currently visiting my parents in Northern Ireland at the moment, and one of the reasons I go home is to get into the Mourne Mountains and get on some lovely granite slabs, so today I managed to get my mate AJ who works at my old work here, out to do his first multi pitch route in the Mournes.
Slieve Lamagan
The weather wasn’t looking to good so we where going to play it by ear on the day, so I went to pick up AJ and it was blue skies so we risked going to Slieve Lamagan to do FM V diff *** at 162 meters. I have done the route a number of times now and I know it fairly well so went relatively light and went for the direct finish which makes it a Severe **. In the guide book it puts FM down to be done in 6 pitches but I stretch out the first and second pitches to make one pitch just before the mouvais pas (crux) pitch.
AJ looking excited
We got off to a good start on the gripe granite and easy ground passing the first belay and stretching out to the second belay both pitches are well protected but it’s a bit spaced apart the pitch is just under 60 meters so not much rope left if I needed it but built the belay and got AJ up for the crux pitch which is my favourite pitch on the whole route, I was also itching to getting going as my calve mussels where killing me from being on my toes. You can see the crux in the picture below.
First Belay over a bomber flake
AJ was really enjoying his first pitch multi pitching.
AJ passing the first belay
The mouvais pas (crux) pitch, was next and I knew the gear I needed to protect it well. You get your hands into a flake and get your left foot really high, move your weight onto that foot and stand up moving your hand up the flake to place another cam to protect the next couple of moves to the belay, which was built with a cam and a big nut.
Second belay
The third pitch is straight forward, the first 10 or 15 meters is well protected but the next 20 meters to the belay is very run out but is on easy angled slab. You come up to a corner just below the ‘direct finish’ pitch. This belay was built with 2 big cams.
Third belay, 2 big cams
The direct finish is a lot steeper that the rest of the route, but is well protected and the holds are good. You climb up to a little roof to reach over the top so good holds, then moving your feet up below the roof to pull through to top out. Which I was glad to do as my calves and big toes where so sore at this stage. I built the belay and got ready to bring AJ up the pitch.
View down the third pitch, down to Annalong valley.
AJ at the third belay waiting to climb.
AJ wasn’t as confident on this pitch but with a bit of talking through the moves and grabbing the good holds at the top he was able to pull through to the belay and a good breather at the top and to the admire the view down the Annalong valley.
Annalong valley
We packed up our gear and let our feet and toes breathe after being in climbing shoes for 2 hours and then the clouds had lifted off the tops on the mountains I was able to show AJ some of the other single and multi-pitch crags in the Annalong valley looking towards Slieve Donard (highest mountain in Northern Ireland) with upper and lower cove and Annalong buttress all three of these crags have some amazing climbing.
Upper and lower cove to the left Annalong buttress to the right with Slieve Donard in the back ground.
The clouds were beginning to come in at this stage so we decided to make hasty descent back to the car before the rain came in. AJ really enjoyed himself and I think I got him a bit hooked on his next progression on the climbing ladder from single pitch to multi pitch.
More pictures from the day are on my flickr page.
Well I hope you enjoyed my first post on my new blog and you will come back to check for updates. I’ve tried to catch all my spelling and grammar mistakes but if you come across any please let me know.
Ali