Srahnalong Valley
Location: 1 km. south-east of Maumtrasna summit a corrie 3km. long runs south-east.
<googlemap version="0.9" lat="53.620208" lon="-9.517765" zoom="13"> 53.606091, -9.529907 Srath na Long Valley </googlemap>
Approach: This is gained by a tarmac'd boreen, unmarked on the map, which heads north-west towards the corrie from the road at GR 004612.
Description: The route described lies about half way along the left-hand (west) wall of the corrie. It takes a line up a shallow, water-worn gully notable for two branches running off right along bedding planes. The lower branch peters out after a number of pitches onto steep, vegetated rock, but the upper one leads to the summit rim and the route aims for, and follows, it.
AN BÓTHAR FADA 416m VS
Vera Kelly, Joss Lynam (leads shared); Máire Lynch, J. Forsythe (second rope). 6.7.85
VS for the first pitch with the grade dropping to V.Diff for the remainder.
1. 42m. Climb where the gully steepens. Start on the right-hand side and work left to chockstone belay.
2. 40m. Move up right to the base of the lower branch. At 20m. climb the small wall on the left back onto the main gully slab again and move up.
3. 42m. Up slab.
4. 42m. Up slab to large ledge at junction of main gully and upper branch.
5. 36m. Up easier-angled slab.
6. 42m. Continue up slab and enter stream bed between banks of grass with rock wall on left.
7. 42m. Scramble up stream bed.
8. 46m. Scramble up stream bed to just below slab chimney.
9. 42m. Delicately up slab chimney and slab beyond.
10. 42m. Easier climbing up slab to top.
The cliff to the left of An Bóthar Fada has huge overhangs and walls, many of which are dripping wet, which may provide challenging routes for the future.
The north-east wall of this valley, whose south-west wall contains An Bóthar Fada, shows a series of huge overlapping slabs, separated by vertical or overhanging sidewalls.
High up the valley there are two slabs, close together, which are particularly noticeable. From a distance the one on the right looks completely smooth, while the one on the left is more broken, with a clear Y marking high up. They are about half mile (and a good half hour's thrutch) beyond An Bóthar Fada.
STEPPED EDGE 180m V.Diff
P. McMahon & F. Winder (leads shared) August 1956
This route goes up the slab's left edge, which proves to be easier than it looks, with a reasonable number of belays and runners. Start at the bottom of the edge.
1. 25m. Up rib. Turn overhang on left. Belay.
2. 25m. Up rib to block. Belay.
3. 25m. Up rib to step. Belay,
4. 25m. Up step and ascend to regain edge. Belay.
5. 30m. Up edge to spike.
6. 25m. Up easier edge.
7. 25m. Scrambling for another 25m, then easy grass to top.
SCAMAILL THIOS 120m Diff
D. Short, J. Lynam, R. Lynam (leads shared). 31.5.86
Start at the bottom of the left-hand slab, at a recess midway along the base.
1. 50m. Climb a groove, then move diagonally left and climb small overlapping slabs to a tongue of vegetation. Belay just below overhang.
2. 30m. Avoid the overhang on the right and climb the slab to steep grass with a belay below the next bulge of rock.
3. 40m. Climb the slabby nose, keeping left, then go up an easy-angled diedre to a belay above a small bulge. Beware loose rock!
Grassy scrambling to the ridge (40m).
CAPALL SUAS 180m Diff
D. Short, J. Lynam, R. Lynam (leads shared). 2.6.86
Right of Stepped Edge, start just left of the stream which falls from the right-hand slab.
1. 45m. Climb the bulge and continue up the big slab (near its left edge) to an airy stance and belay. (Note: no runners were found on this pitch!).
2. 42m. Continue up the left side of the slab to a grassy saddle. Belay on rock wall behind.
3. 21m. Traverse right to gain the slab above the rock wall. Climb the slab diagonally right to a ledge beside the stream and below the second rock wall.
4. 32m. Climb straight up (loose rock) and traverse right (veg) to gain the slab above the second wall. Continue to belay in stream bed.
5. 40m. Climb up beside the stream until the rock peters out a few metres below the ridge.
Note : For climbs of this grade there are notably few stances or even running belays.
FROG BUTTRESS 254m V.Diff
J. Forsythe, M. Forsythe. 12.7.86
Start : the first two slabs on the right entering the corries have a buttress lying between them, undercut at the bottom and on the left and with a grass ramp running from bottom right to bisect the left edge at mid-height, thus creating a stack of two buttresses. A rock tongue leads to the lower buttress.
Climb the rock tongue, then steeper rock at 60m. turning it on the left, and cross the top of the grass ramp at 125m. The upper buttress gives easier climbing for 120m., with a cave at 75m. Descent to the right, under an impressive head wall.
ORANGE LODGE
R. Cole, V. Cregan, M. Mills. 12.7.86
Takes a five-branched gully, deeper into the corrie, on the left-hand side, i.e. to the right of An Bóthar Fada. No other details available.
