Gola Midsummer Weekend 2025
Crossing to Owey is not as simple as it used to be, with Dan’s retirement. He is unwell at present, and I am sure we all wish our old friend a speedy recovery. There is no obvious replacement, so approach to Owey may have to be by kayak in future.
Gola this year then. Sabba to Gola €15 return. Timetable elastic.
Friday. The relatively small bunch of CC members was boosted by a climbing couple from Dublin, who had been there for some days, a few Queens CC members, Kayakers Albert and Marie, and the lovely Sophia.
Friday was hot, the carry- over to the campsite more arduous than usual, especially with all the crates of free Scraggy Bay that Jack brought (Nigel).
Unfortunately, my bright idea of cooling the booze in the lake was not particularly successful, the lake being tepid plus 10 degrees. Sundry reinforcements arrived on the 5.30 ferry, and the usual suspects at Gripple wall were climbed, before return to the campsite. The sea was a welcome escape from the heat. Food, and the usual shenanigans followed.
Saturday. A lazy start, (as per usual for Gola), but Sean C and I headed for a route that I recommended in NW Zawn, (Old Friends), which we couldn’t be sure we had found and there was nothing to abb off, so we returned, and did four routes on a promontory just west. (Cruit scale, they were pretty good nonetheless). When we finished, we found the route we were looking for in the next Zawn. I can’t be sure yet, but I think Iain’s guide might be incorrect in this. Back for lunch, then I went back to the inland crag with Valli, Margaret, Albert and Marie, and we did Pig’s Garden (Sean likes it- canny imagine why) and Legislator. Hugh, Carroll, and co were doing Corner Boy and Weathered Window, beside us. Jack and Lisa got a chance to climb together just before it started to rain. We had a barby at night, and it stayed dry until 2.00AM apparently. Then the heavens opened just after 3.00, and just when you thought it couldn’t get any heavier, it did. Plus big gusts.
Sunday. Dawned wet. Packed up and carried back to the pier. There is an area just above the pier, rough and a bit tussocky, but I camped there once before, and it’s a lot handier to the boat, water, and the super new composting toilet.