For the past week I have been climbing on Pabbay, which is an uninhabited Island in the Outer Hebrides. I have been to the Island twice before, except I was not planning on going again this year. When a friend called to say his climbing partner had bailed on him and he was looking for a partner to head out with, I jumped at the chance to go back out.
I love climbing on these Islands. There are no amenities and the only access to water is a small stream running down the side of the hill and the only fresh food is fish out of the Atlantic Ocean. So the only thing you have to think about is the climbing (which is always such a hardship).
The climbing on the Island Is totally amazing, it is classed as one of the best tradding venues in the world. The rock quality is Immaculate and the surrounding sea and wildlife is incomparable. Once you have climbed one of the many four star routes the island has to offer, you will never want to trad climb anywhere else again.
Bellow; Ally on the top pitch of “Endolphin Rush”
There are endless amounts of things to keep you occupied on the hanging belays on the longer steeper routes, whether it’s dodging the swooping birds that dive from the cliffs or watching the Basking Sharks filter through the plankton in the turquoise sea bellow. No matter what the weather, there is always something to keep you occupied.
Thankfully the weather held out and we managed to get climbing every day. Over the course of the week I managed to get loads of three and four star routes done, everything from E1 to E5. We visited as many of the different venues on the island as possible and no matter where we went all the routes where as good as the last. But there was one wall on the island that stood out above the rest, this was the 100m high Pink Wall that was home to many four star routes from E2-E7. This is where Ally and I spent most of our time on the trip and it was time well spent.
The week soon past by and by the time Saturday came round we were all sad to be leaving such a beautiful place and we knew we would miss the amazing climbing. So we packed away our tents and ferried the bags onto the fishing boat that was taking us back to civilisation.
I always miss the Islands once I’m home, but then again we can always go back next year. And I plan to do just that.
More pics to come
Have you been to Mingulay yet, or just Pabbay?If you liked the Banded Wall, you'll love Dun Mingulay!