DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog) - Shane Ohly has set a new winter record for the ramsay round in 29hrs and 59mins and 34seconds. To date there have been only 45 successful finishers of the ramsay round. Charlie Ramsay was the first person to complete the round in 1978 in a time of 23hrs and 58 minutes. It was another 9 years until the next successful attempt and also the first person to complete the round solo an unsupported.

Shane Ohly:

“My round was solo, unsupported and largely ‘on-sight’ as my recce efforts earlier in the winter were consistently thwarted by poor weather.

I chose to travel clockwise taking on Ben Nevis and the Aonachs first. I wanted to get the highest and most technical section of the round completed first, when I was fresh, and I also didn’t fancy descending the stony path down Ben Nevis at the end of the round.

The first 10 hours or so were a joy. I chatted with walkers on the summits, felt fresh and was comfortably keeping under my sub 24 hour schedule. Then my body died. I’ve analysed my food wrappings and calculated I ate less than 5,000 calories the entire time I was out! I was basically ‘bonked’ for the last 2/3 of the round. I don’t know why I stopped eating but it’s something I need to think hard about before my next attempt. The last 1/3 of the round was truly painful. I was seeing sleepmonsters (think mythological creatures) and hearing music (despite being alone on the hills). In the final stages, cutting down through the forest near Achriabhach, I caught myself on some brambles and nearly burst into tears. As for winter conditions, I was hoping for the hills to be ‘whiter’ than they where. However, I am happy that the Round was sufficiently wintry and in keeping with the other winter rounds of the Ramsay.

I definitely believe that the Ramsay Round can be done in sub 24 hours in winter and I have already decided to have another go next year. The whole experience was fantastic with the long night section being particularly memorable….and cold!”

-Eoinod-

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).

LONDON, UK (Team Geared Up) - This is pretty bizarre place in Siberia hadn’t been open to westerners until recently, yet locals have been climbing there over 150yrs. Local techniques have developed such as head first descending and large groups using each others limbs as holds and ledges. It’s all solo - there’s no ropes, ab points or harnesses in sight.

Climbers Jonathan Thesenga and Brittany Griffith are the first Americans to climb at Stolby, a central Siberian nature reserve, where the locals free solo en masse.

Press Play!

Thanks to Stephen McG (DCURCC) for finding this!

-Robin-

LONDON, UK (Team Geared Up) - All Climbing Blog alerted me to the video featured on UKClimbing of Rob Lamey on the first ascent of The Heel Hook Look 25m F8a, a deep water solo on Little Orme.

The Heel Hook Look climbs across the obvious right-to-left rising break on Craig y Don Lower, Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales.

Sorry to echo the same story, but some people won’t have picked it up and we like a bit of video now & again!

-Robin-

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - RTE News are reporting one of the worlds top free solo climbers has fallen off a cliff face 21m into the sea off Valencia Island in Kerry. Hopes look very unlikely he’ll be alive as he fell yesterday.

All we know:

• From United States
• He is understood to be one of the leading free solo climbers in the world.
• Gerry O’Brien of Valentia Coastguard said it was very unusual for people to be rock-climbing in that particular area.

We’ll bring you more as we hear it. His identity is unknown, but the Irish climbing community must know whoever it was was in the country.

UPDATE: More details coming in…

• believed to be in his thirties
• finished a climb with another man when he slipped
• Name confirmed as Michael Reardon by climbing.ie

Now it clicks. Michael had been to Ireland a few years ago and I remember him climbing or at least asking for solo advice around Dalkey Quarry.

Here’s a video including the dalkey shots from January:

Michael has been featured a number of times on Team Geared Up, as most recently putting up a new potential E7 route in the Burren a few weeks ago. It’s desperately sad it’s ended this way. Our thoughts are with Michael’s family & friends, a large number of which are in the Irish climbing community.

Update: Latest report in. Michael was washed off the base of a sea-cliff after potentially slipping on some seaweed after a successful climb.