Walkhighlands

Boreray is steep


This is the other route up the east side. It leads on to that impressive north ridge mentioned in the report.


View of the ridge from the summit.

Well - I'm impressed with myself looking at that picture, I actually went along that! - I get the feeling at least one of the people on the ridge wants to crawl - so what's the story - are these pics of yours?

No offense by the way mountain coward - just a little tease

Yes they are mine - and I was terrified - especially going up, fearful of the descent, and worried about the forthcoming joy of abbing through the gannet muck to get off the island.

Oh forgot to add: thanks for the interesting report, from a time when getting on to the island was considerably more difficult logistically than it is now and going on to that ridge unseen when you do not have to must have taken some bottle.

That was just fantastic, thanks for posting, very enjoyable.

Dont believe anyone has completed the marilyn's, someone will one day eh.

There are a few folk now queuing quietly for Stac Li and Stac an Armin. They have been knocked back by the logistics a few times - I had hoped to get Armin and Soay this year, but thwarted by the weather. A team was out there in the Autumn and got beat by the gannets still on the rock and not allowed an attempt. (I still have about 250 others to do too)

The catch is that you have to go outwith the summer months - and of course then the weather gets you. Remember looking at the net in Stornaway Library and there were surfers next terminal looking at magicseaweed praying for swell, and me, a marylin bagger praying for calm. Quite a conflict.

Well believe it or not, I'd have been absolutely fine going up... I may even have been okay along the ridge... but descending at that angle!

I didn't realise the NTS had loosened up on access - here's a link:

http://www.kilda.org.uk/access.htm

mind you there's still the little questions of the boat and the weather

Hello,
I have just stumbled on your wonderful essay on your trip to Boreray. My close friend in the UK and I have been to St. Kilda four times (a very long trip for me as I am on the west coast of the US) and we have always had fantacies of landing on Soay and Boreray-but age precludes those dreams. Your photos and descriptions add so much to our understanding of the island and enhance what we have read in David Quine's and John Love's books among others. Could you contact me privately at kathiem@soayfarms.com about the use of some of your photos on our website about the sheep of St. Kilda. http://www.soayandboreraysheep.com. Yes I confess to being a "sheepie" - not an official one but a vicarious one, we are trying to collect as much accurate information as we can for this site and your descriptions and photos would be so helpful. They of course would be with full credits. Thank you for a wonderful post.

Hi there

You mentioned that you know people who have done the Stacs and that you got to watch a video of Stac Lee being climbed by "Stac Andy" (Andy Elwell?). Any idea who may hold a copy of this video?

Do you have contact details for Andy, or Jim Vaughan, or Jonathon Warren who have been on Stac Lee and Stac an Armin?

If anyone has information on these stacks that they can share, then please post it as I am looking to try to make an ascent of these one day as part of my Marilyn bagging. Hopefully I'll be able to help Rob Woodall and others to complete their marilyns. I have done 4 of the 6 marilyns on St Kilda now (just have another 975ish marilyns to do)

Thanks

Bob

Hi - I did a post about stac an armin on this site - here's the link:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2969" rel="nofollow

I'm hoping to get hold of the video of the stac lee ascent in the spring sometime - don't worry I'll post it if/when I do

Sorry I don't know where they are - I was hoping these posts might flush them out!

Would love to see the video of Stac Lee when you get it

Rob Woodall, myself and a few others were nearly back out there this weekend but the swell got up and we decided not to go out there this weekend. Just praying on another high pressure, low swell and no bird nesting time to attempt a landing again.

All the best

Bob

assynt_bob wrote:Would love to see the video of Stac Lee when you get it

Rob Woodall, myself and a few others were nearly back out there this weekend but the swell got up and we decided not to go out there this weekend. Just praying on another high pressure, low swell and no bird nesting time to attempt a landing again.

All the best

Bob

Aw. I was wondering this morning how that was going. The sea in the firth of Clyde was flat calm and I wondered if it would be the same out there.

Frasmck wrote:

assynt_bob wrote:Would love to see the video of Stac Lee when you get it

Rob Woodall, myself and a few others were nearly back out there this weekend but the swell got up and we decided not to go out there this weekend. Just praying on another high pressure, low swell and no bird nesting time to attempt a landing again.

All the best

Bob

Aw. I was wondering this morning how that was going. The sea in the firth of Clyde was flat calm and I wondered if it would be the same out there.

We are half way between the Faeroes and Shetland Isles and it has been remarkably calm and mild for the time of year. Though a bit swelly for landing on any sea stacks. Which there aren't any of round here anyhoo.

Hello Petejkenny. Have just read your report on your Boreray landing and found it very enjoyable. I was especially interested in the part about crossing the west rock face of Mullach an Eilein via the rock fault, and the climb up to the summit. I was wondering over a few questions that sprang to mind if you have time to reply? I presume the fault in question is to be easily seen about half way up the west face and level with the bottom of the dark gully? Did you have to go out onto the end of the ridge above Clais na Runaich to start the traverse ? , and was it an obvious route to follow when looking from the headland across the west wall?
I have been on Boreray a couple of times myself, but only did the usual walk to the top and am intrigued by this article. It was a shame there were no photos of you on this traverse , but the report was very exciting to read non the less. Did any shots of this route get taken by chance? Would love to see some.

Great story that.......Andy Elwell

Hi Andy - great to hear from you. We met once at the St Kilda club dinner in 94, I think. If you look at my other posts you'll see I've been trying to make you famous here! I'll send you a private message as well in the next few days.

The route is higher - it's about 2/3 or even 3/4 of the way up. If you look at my picture of the western face you'll see a kind of notch on the right side of the gulley as you're looking at it and a rock wall jutting out - that's where it is. You come to it from the end of the ridge above Clais na Runaich. I must say as I was following Stewart I'd probably be bimbling about looking for it if I was there - it was not really exposed because of the "wall" and so no sudden scary bits to worry about. I wish I had some better pictures of being on it - I was so blown away I wasn't really that together.

It is definitely higher that you're thinking so if you get a chance to do it and there's no "wall" you're in the wrong place - probably a bad idea on the west face of Boreray!