We had the idea on the weekend to go rock climbing on Lundy island for a few days at short notice as the weather looked dry for a few days. When planning a trip rock climbing on Lundy it is always best to contact the booking office and check availability on the island before you go if you intend to stay there.
You can go across for a day but that only gives you 5 hours of action time and that’s usually not enough. Better still if the weather is kind is to go and camp on the islands only camp site. As we were going last minute this was our only option as all the other property’s on the island were booked and to be honest they are out of price range. Camping on Lundy allows you to go and explore for £10 a night per person which is very reasonable for what you get and you might be able to get a quick hit trip like us if the weather looks good.
We arrived at Ilfracombe with an hour to spare before the ferry left for the Lundy. Enough time to load the bags onto the small ferry and grab a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich. The ferry takes around 1 hour 45 minutes and gives you great views of the English coast line as you leave the main land and arrive on Lundy, we had the added delight of seeing dolphins on the way over too. The feeling on the boat as it arrived on the south side of the island was excitable and everyone was keen to get off quickly and go exploring. We had our climbing day bags packed already allowing us to go straight off to the crag and climb.
- Top tip number 1 – have your climbing day bags packed already when you leave the main land.
- Top Tip number 2 – take at least a 60m abseil rope, we took a 80 meter 8.4mm static and that weighs around the same as a 10mm 60 meter rope.
Taking a long abseil rope allows you to access most rock climbing on Lundy and gives you the flexibility to choose the crag you want to go to. Lundy is famous for its wildlife and especially its sea birds, the puffin is the one most people get excited about seeing. From March to August a climbing ban is put in place on most cliffs to protect the nesting birds and also to protect the climbers some times when the birds dive bombs your helmet giving you a fright. Best bet is to check with the island’s warden which cliffs you are allowed to rock climb on. We did this before we went and the warden emailed us a really useful map with all the areas marked on – handy. Email – warden@lundyisland.co.uk
The first day we wanted a warm up and with there being limited choice we went to a great little crag in the Beaufort Walls area called Pinic Bay Cliff. The area has good selection of mid grade routes and relatively easy approach. We did 4 routes that day and all of them were good quality and on bomber rock, i would recommend them to people looking for an easy taster day of the rock, gear and climbing.
The Tavern pub is the only place on the island to grab a beer, food and hatch plans for the next days climbing and most people on the island head there for the evens social. Mobile phones, laptops and anything electronic is banned in this pub and instead of modern technology to entertain us, there is a large selection of board games and challenges around the island to complete. Great fun, a few beers some board games, meeting new people and planning the next days climbing.
The next morning we headed to the Devils Slide as there a high concentration of 3 star routes that aren’t in the bird banned area. I had a long tick list drawn up before coming on the island and the Devils Slide had 7 routes that i wanted to do, a obvious choice really. I had done one route on the slide before 5 years ago the classic Devils Slide HS and having looked at both Albion and Satans Slip i wanted to get on those bad boys.
We went first on Albion to warm up. The route is 107 meters long and Robyn strung the first and the second pitches together then i set off on the main corner pitch. The routes was slightly wet but at VS 4c I had a few grades in hand and thought it would be fine. It was…..damn fine climbing all the way. I belayed at the end of the corner so that i could get some photo’s of Robyn seconding the 4c pitch. It is one of the best VS pitches out there and i can’t recommend it enough to anyone up for it.
Robyn wanted to do the top pitches of the Devils Slide as its super classic and she hadn’t climbed it before so she strung the top 3 pitchs together in 68 meter push. I had to take her off belay and start climbing so she could finish the pitch. Again mighty fine climbing.
I had been eyeing Satan’s Slip all day and the sun was pushing through a little more now and the rock was dry. Time for that challenge I thought, I had wanted to climb the route for years as its a true test of nerve and ability to stay cool under pressure. I was confident in my approach as I started but after 15 meters of climbing up blank granite slabs and only a sky hook and a number 1 wire in so far the situation was defiantly dangerous.
Up above me was another 30 meters of blank wall and no signs of any gear. I stopped for a while and collected my thoughts got worried and then climbed on, after another 6 meters of climbing i got an RP 3 in and put a very small cam in the same slot over the top of it. Still not happy with the gear at all, i placed another sky hook in a small scope. The sky hooks were good but not really what i call bomber. After another few meters of climbing you get to a very small foot ledge that allows you to stand and chill out and let your mind calm down and try not to explode. On this ledge you can get a number 2 wire in side ways and an RP 2, i equalised these with a sling and weighted them down with 2 quick draws. This is the best gear on the route and again its not great, i like gear buried between to tectonic plates coming together to give me a lovely crack, this was far from that.
Looking up it was now 10 meters of blank slab left to reach the corner of Albion the route we had climbed earlier, there was a wire that got stuck in there and was now sticking out at me as an aim point. A deep breath and i set off, the climbing steady but very balancy. Towards the top of this run out i got a reasonible foot hold allowing me to balance better, i let out a roar of emotions coming to the surface. Don’t fuck the top bit up I thought, you would kill yourself!! or the next best thing. Two more moves and holds come to hands and its done, I grabed a quick draw off my harness and clipped the in-situ wire. Releif swept over me, i still had 6 meters of climbing to go to get to the belay and no gear left that i could place as i had chossen to only take RP’s and small wires and two number 4 nuts for the belay to keep the weight down. Bringing Robyn up this pitch was ace, watching her shaking her head looking at the gear knowing you’ve climbed something with character, something bold a brass.
Satan’s Slip is graded E1 5a and don’t what ever you do under estimate this route, if your legs begin to wobble on this one you could well fall off and well, it wouldn’t be good lets put it that way. You’ve got to do it though, if your a rock climber and want some excitement this baby delivers.
Walking back to the pub that evening things were good, the cider tasted great and they even had thatchers gold on tap, sweet. The next day the weather crapped out so we did an island tour, went up the light house and then boarded the ship back to the main land. A great 3 day trip rock climbing on Lundy.
If you want to go and do classic rock routes on Lundy then get in touch here.
