The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland
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What do the 12 Apostles on Australia’s Great Ocean Road, Haystack Rock off the Oregon coast and the rock stack known as Ko Tapu in Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay all have in common? Other than being instantly recognisable natural landmarks, they’re also a phenomena known as sea stacks – towering and visceral reminders of the ocean’s mighty force. And while these particularly delicate monoliths are off-limits to adventure-seekers and climbers, there are plenty of others out there that are up for the challenge: welcome to the wild world of sea stack climbing.

By Erin Lindholm

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Travel
The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Go Climb That Mountain – Of course, sea stacks aren’t technically mountains, but the adrenaline-fuelled thrill of surmounting one of these rocky outcrops with the ocean ceaselessly churning below offers a similar sense of accomplishment. “Standing on a pinpoint summit more than 100 metres above the ocean, 500 metres from the nearest point of land and some 20 kilometres from the nearest main road can easily be described as a truly spiritual experience,” says Iain Miller, legendary climber and sea stack expert.

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Set Your Sights On Ireland’s Northwestern Coast – While sea stacks can be found off remote and rugged coastlines around the world – Tasmania, the Faroe Islands, Newfoundland, Canada and Scotland’s Orkney Islands, to name a few – one of the world’s greatest concentrations of sea stacks can be found along the northernmost section of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way in County Donegal, which has more than 1,000 kilometres of coastline – and more climbable rock than the rest of Ireland combined. Miller adds that the best months to climb are April through September, “when the sun comes out and the oceanic swells are at their kindest.”

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Meet (& Climb) With The Legend Himself – Considered one of the world’s leading authorities on sea stack climbing, Miller also helms a full-fledged climbing outfitter, Unique Ascent, which leads sea stack climbing excursions suited for all interests and skill levels, and provides all necessary gear. Typical excursions range from a 2- to 4-hour experience that includes rock climbing, abseiling and a Tyrolean traverse (crossing an open space via rope), to full-day climbs in some of Ireland’s outermost realms, as well as multi-day packages that – in addition to various climbs – include sea cave visits and exploring tunnels within uninhabited islands.

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Listen To The Pro: Anyone Can Do It — With more than 100 sea stacks along the Donegal coastline, there is no set level of physical ability required for a climb, Miller says. “The youngest person so far to climb a stack is 6-year-old Isla Halls, and the oldest is an 81-year-old woman from Alaska. … A spirit of adventure and a sense of humour are much more important attributes to climbing in the adventurous and sometimes challenging conditions found on the West Coast of Ireland.”

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Prepare For An Experience Of A Lifetime — “Visitors come to Ireland from all over the world specifically to climb sea stacks,” Miller says. “Being spat on by fulmars or swimming with basking sharks are once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are impossible to describe.” And often, it’s an emotional one: Miller’s witnessed couples get engaged at the summit of a sea stack, while others have made the climb to scatter the ashes of a loved one. “Truly, it can be a life-altering experience.”

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Decompress From An Epic Climb – There’s no more perfect antidote to the tired muscles and sheer exhaustion that come from all the challenges and thrills of a sea stack climb – not to mention, the effects of such copious amounts of fresh coastal air – than a well-deserved spa break. And when it comes to spas in County Donegal, there are few prettier than CARA Organic Beauty Spa on the grounds of Lough Eske Castle Hotel, an idyllic spa retreat built around a traditional Victorian glasshouse that looks out over the castle’s gardens and grounds.

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Get A Good Night’s Rest – Whether you opt to stay in one of the charming garden suites, one of the elegant and historic castle suites, or elsewhere on the grounds of Lough Eske Castle Hotel, the good news is that all the modern comforts of one of the county’s top hotels are mere steps away, meaning you can practically float to your room in your post-massage state of bliss. And while Donegal town has some lovely restaurants and pubs – ask the front desk for recommendations – the ambiance of the historic castle hotel might just be what you’re looking for that evening.

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Play Tourist For A Day – It would be a shame to journey all the way to the far north of Ireland and not explore some of the more land-based natural splendors along this stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way – the crown jewel of the region being the Slieve League Cliffs, which are the highest cliffs in Europe. Rising dramatically some 600 metres above the pounding surf, the Slieve League Cliffs are three times higher than the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, but far less visited; only the brave should venture beyond the viewing point onto One Man’s Pass, the trail that passes the closest to the cliff’s edge.

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Set Your GPS For Killybegs Seafood Shack – A seasonal roadside stand only open April through September, Killybegs Seafood Shack is something of a local institution that’s worth the detour — or, if you’re lucky enough, a stop en route to points further north. Despite its humble appearance, the family-run affair serves up some of the county’s best fish and chips, calamari, scampi and more, and has won its fair share of food titles, including, most recently, being named Donegal’s best seafood chowder last fall. [Photo: Killybegs Seafood Shack via Facebook]

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Take Home Something Cosy – In addition to its wild and rugged beauty, Donegal is perhaps even better known around the world for one of its most prized exports: Donegal tweed. One of the region’s most reputed tweed purveyors, the fifth-generation family-owned Magee 1866, still produces all of its tweed in Donegal and has a flagship shop in the middle of Donegal town. From gloves and scarves to home accessories and a full range of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, the store itself is a local institution – and definitely worth a visit.

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Travel
The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland.
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Start Planning Your Journey Now – Itching to organise a sea stack climbing adventure to County Donegal? Unless you can drive across from the UK (via a ferry that traverses the Irish Sea), Dublin will most likely be your point of entry. The good news is: everywhere in Ireland is relatively close to Dublin, and the drive north only gets progressively more scenic and beautiful over the course of a few hours. Villages and pastureland give way to peat bogs, mountainous landscapes and farther and fewer signs of civilisation – which means you’re heading in the right direction.

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The Big Adventure: Sea Stack Climbing In Ireland

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