Many assembled at the Great Southern Hotel on Friday.  I was rescued from an historic tour of the town, (and hypothermia), by the arrival of Jack Bergin and Carol from Waterford, to the warmer recesses of Hargadon’s Bar. A pleasant evening in the hotel was followed by a day out on Kings Mountain on the extraordinary Annach Re Mhor.  We were a diverse bunch of climbers from Belfast, Sligo, Waterford and of course Colmcille CC. Most had not done it before, and it was as impressive as always.  We finished up Ireland’s shortest Via Ferrata, a broken decorators’ ladder out of the bowels of Alt Na Ceo. 

I went to the Q and A session at 6.30, so missed the Munster, Leinster Game. Didn’t miss much apparently- according to a Munster man of course. The dinner at night in the hotel was well attended.

The forecast was OK for Sunday morning, so we headed for Happy Valli crag, where Colmcille Corner was climbed, Ronan led ‘Higher In Time’, Peter Cooper’s HVS, Poltroons got a rattle, and Margaret Quinn got her money’s worth out of Snow White  (only after I had fallen off it!)- grade needs looked at Severe 4b methinks. It was dry and cold, but turned wet, as predicted, after lunch.

Good to see the club so well represented at an MI event, with the chair and Honorary Sec both there, and about 10 ccc members/associates in total. It was great to connect with Sligo Climbing Club in particular.

Clearly, climbing is thriving in NW Ireland.

Club Chairperson, Ronan Duddy climbing in photo below on “Higher in Time”.