[Andy B]

The tidal, little Eilean a’ Ghearrain, gives a very good, compact circuit (we climbed over 50 problems, mostly in the easier grades) on better, less scrittley rock than some of the other areas locally. It is conveniently a five minute walk from the campsite. Although the walk-in is tidal, most of the problems are not, with the bases of just a few of the most northern problems being wave washed at high tide. I presume that most of the easier problems will have been climbed before. Listed below is a selection of ones that I think are first ascents, as well as a couple of photos of examples of the better easier problems.

Full Rebuffat, 7b+
Just inside the North Gully is a 30 degree overhanging crack. Climb it from sitting.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/byg6tietn9i7pcd/Photo%2003-08-2022%2C%209%2017%2050%20pm.png?dl=0

The Mariana, 7a+
Further into the North Gully. From a stretched sit start (shorties will need to crouch or pad stack) left of the route Bunny San. Left hand on a poor half pad uneven sloper, right hand on a poorer sidepull. Crank up into the intermittent flake line and follow it up and left to rock into a standing position in the groove of the route Living Doll. Finish up or down this.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/alaq4grlv9vwb81/Photo%2005-08-2022%2C%201%2054%2042%20pm.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t2ecqoaof6znnew/Photo%2005-08-2022%2C%201%2051%2034%20pm.jpg?dl=0

The Lost Zookeeper, 6b+
At the right end of the West Face is a cave. Sit start, matched at the back, and bridge out to the lip and finish up the easy, highball corner groove.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nz3avojt6s0qkxf/Photo%2001-08-2022%2C%203%2047%2033%20pm.jpg?dl=0

Shemantletantle, 6b+
Facing the West face is a boulder with a nice hanging slab (6a from standing). Left of the hanging slab is a lip. Traverse this from left to right, from the low jugs and up the arête of the hanging slab.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/autbfjiyckseo82/Photo%2005-08-2022%2C%205%2038%2002%20pm.png?dl=0

At the west end of the South face is a bay on a raised platform.

Shell Blue, 7a
Sit start the left arête of the bay, on it’s right side.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zgipu93ntezpto7/Photo%2002-08-2022%2C%206%2023%2020%20pm.jpg?dl=0

I’ve Got a Question, 6b
On the right side of the bay. Sit start on the large flake then up the crack. The right arête from a sit start, using the same crack, is 6a.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q7luzvnrn6cx7lp/Photo%2001-08-2022%2C%203%2052%2029%20pm.jpg?dl=0

Sea Snail Crack:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m7273qmh6upy4l9/Photo%2005-08-2022%2C%206%2016%2042%20pm.png?dl=0

Highball arête next to Sea Snail Crack:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lbizb7naw21s3jz/Photo%2005-08-2022%2C%206%2015%2023%20pm.png?dl=0

[JamieG]

These look like nice finds. Need to get back to Mull. Don't think I've been for over twenty years!

[Andy B]

Thanks Jamie.

[JamieG]

No worries. I thought The Mariana looked especially cool. Would be keen to try that if I ever find myself back on mull.

[gardinrm]

Man, I've been trying to find an excuse to go there for quite a while. Looks lovely. Be keen to see where these all are specifically, perhaps a little topo is pending....

Or, a video at least?

[Andy B]

I had planned on producing a topo.
I have photos and notes/grades for all 50 odd problems that we did, and had started writing up a bit. I had split the island into three sectors for the bouldering.
I have since come home and realised that I have neither the time nor the IT skills to produce anything decent. The area is also very obvious and compact (You can see it from the campsite and the walk time between the furthest separated problems is ~1 minute!).
I’m happy to send you the photos and notes, and could do some hand drawn sketches of areas and problem locations, if you would like to work together to produce something?

[gardinrm]

I am tempted. There has been a fair amount of sporadic development over recent years, and think that this could all be pulled together into a comprehensive guide. I know that Kintra has seen attention, and Bonjoy found a really cool bloc south of Erraid somewhere.

But I've never climbed there, and haven't been to visit since I was 3! So maybe the first step is to go and try see what others have done before trying to pull it together. In the meantime, if you have all the photos and descriptions available I'd love to see them.

[Andy B]

PM me your email and I’ll send you the photos of all the problems with brief details and grades on them. If I get time I’ll draw a rough sketch of all their locations on the island.
I also have a video of the hardest of the problems on the island (the overhanging crack), and a couple of easy ones, that I can send you.