Cnoc na Mara (15.03.2017)  

Cnoc na Mara

On the lonely stretch of coastline between Glencolmcille Village and the Maghary caves live a legion of guardians to an ancient and little known world. Sculptured by the pounding heart of the wild Atlantic Ocean over thousands of our lifetimes these towering rock sentinels stand guard at the outer edge of our distant shores. They mark the boundary between the moving and the static, these gothic leviathans are the last remains of a time long forgotten.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCRpGiUUAqY
Standing at 100m high, 150m out to sea, at the base of a 250m sea cliff and approx 25km from the nearest main road is Cnoc na Mara. This iconic Donegal sea stack lives in the southern shadow of Tormore Island. Cnoc na Mara is a 100 metre high sharks fin sea stack living in one of the most remote, beautiful and unspoilt locations in Ireland. Access to the stack involves a 20km single tracked drive from Ardara to the roadend at An Port. We go from here on foot for a 3km clifftop walk along Ireland’s most spectacular coastal walk to the headland overlooking Glenlough Bay. This lofty perch above the Atlantic provides vast views towards Arranmore and Gweedore 40km to the north and the Sturrall Headland and Malin Beg to the south. Directly, nearly 1000 foot below us down a very steep grassy slope and short abseil lives Cnoc na Mara.
A visit to this spectacular clifftop location on a summer evening allows the setting sun to light this coastline backdrop and is a very worthwhile walk even if you have no intention of going rock climbing.
It is safe to say this stack represents all that is great about adventure climbing. It's impressive soaring 150m long landward arete provides one of the most rewarding and adventurous rock climbs in Ireland. It is easily an equal to the mighty Old Man of Hoy off the Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland. The climbing is never difficult but there is considerable air all around with every move upwards.

A few vital statistics for Cnoc na Mara (Tormore Island South) http://www.uniqueascent.ie/cnoc_na_mara