I have a limited number of spaces for Millcombe House. Lundy is a climbers paradise island, located a couple of hours (by sea) from Ilfracombe. With no roads, a pub, a shop and a church and 3 miles of granite sea cliffs, it offers a genuine climb, eat sleep repeat experience.
Note: this is not a club trip, but as in previous years, I am now offering some spaces to members and their friends. If you’d like to come or have questions, please reply to this thread or contact me directly.
Current plan
2-Sep-2021 to 9-Sep-2021
Millcombe House, Lundy
Accommodation cost: £272 per person assuming the house is filled
Sailing on HMS Oldenburg. £89 return unless the weather requires a helicopter (rare)
The Climbing
This is a full on granite experience, a supersized Cornwall cliff. Routes are at all grades, mostly requiring an abseil approach of up to 100m. You need a spirit of adventure, some rope skills and plenty of cams and wires: there are no bolts here! If you want to come and are unsure of your skills, please contact me.
UKC logbook
Climbers Club guidebook
Staying at Millcombe House and on Lundy
Millcombe House is run by the Landmark Trust. “Built in plain classical style in 1835 for the Heaven family, Millcombe House looks down a wooded valley and out to sea. Possibly the most elegant building on the island, it was built of stuccoed granite. Millcombe is a pleasing and sociable house, planned around a central hall on the ground floor and a central staircase above.”
Most people will opt to stay overnight (Friday 1-Sep) in or near Ilfracombe so that we can be at the ferry at 9am on the Saturday. You’ll want your climbing kit on board and the rest of your stuff in a holdall which goes in the ship hold and is delivered direct to the Millcombe House during the day. We climb both Saturdays usually somewhere near to the dock e.g. Landing Craft Bay.
Each day a randomly selected pair is responsible for the evening meal. There is a small shop on the Island with some unusual opening hours. Somehow it manages to stock pretty much everything that we need.
Otherwise, the routine is pretty simple, climb, eat, sleep! There’s nothing else to do there (pub maybe). Later we can do a google doc to organise who is taking what gear. If you are feeling at all rusty, please do refresh your ropework skills this summer, especially ascending a rope. It’s not rare to drop down the abseil rope in the wrong place!
Gratuitous photos borrowed from Rockfax and UKC:
Devil’s Slide
Dark Power
Double Diamond
Controlled Burning
