DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - I spotted a story about the ownership of Rockall on RTE news tonight. I’d never even heard of it, but the photos excited me. As I dug deeper, the story got better and better.

Rockall – The most isolated speck of Rock, surrounded by Water on the Surface of the Earth… the pebble thrown by Finn MacCool.

The British Navy landed in 1862 to survey the rock and the next person was was Royal Marine Sergeant Brian Peel in 1955, an experienced rock climber. They had landed to claim the rock for Queen Elizabeth so the Soviets could not set up a spy-base to watch over the British nuclear missal tests in the Atlantic.

Sergeant Peel climbed down to the waterline to collect seaweed and other specimens for naturalist James Fischer. The marine said the descent had been straightforward, but admitted he had misjudged the heavy Atlantic swell.

“I did not get up the rock in time and a wave went right over the top of me,” he said.

“I had to grab a handful of seaweed, ram it in my mouth and get up the rock as fast as possible.”

This photo shows them raising the Union Jack. It is reported they were dropped on the top by helicopter.

In 1985 Tom McClean ex-SAS reclaimed rights to Rockall for Britain by living there for 40 days in a survival pod on the summit. You can see a photo of it on the top below. Why haven’t I come across Tom before?! I must find his book, savage portfolio!

He lived on Rockall for 40 days in order to re-affirm Britain ’s mineral and oil rights to the rock. He spent the time on a ledge in a survival unit 5ft x 4ft x 3ft for 40 days against all that the wild Atlantic could throw at him.

The next landing appears to be from these boys who tried in 2003 and succeeded on a second attempt in 2005 to climb the rock from sea-level.

From what I can see they went out in an inflatable and then using whatever method possible got a guy up the route of least resistance who dropped static lines for the other climbers to ascend.

So my questions is - could the sheers face (route 1 marked) be lead on-sight? Deep water solo?

Despite all bird-shite and the minor issue of an un-predictably heavy swell, who’ll be first to climb the tip of this volcano?

I’ll tell you what - I’d love to be involved in that expedition!!!

BTW - I found out where RTE got its photo uncredited. Bit naughty for a national channel (not that we can talk!).

-Robin-

(Image Credits: Rockall Times, Wikipedia, BBC).

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (Team Geared Up) - Irish climber, Dave Ayton, has on-sighted an E6 6b (5.12b) in The Huntsman Leap in Pembroke, Wales.
Adding extra excitement was climbing out by the driest route in a rain shower via three routes, “The Witching Hour into Bloody Sunday into Scorched Earth”.
Dave’s post can be found here.

Image Credit: Dave Ayton practising an E8 in Nescliffe

- Neal :) -