Colin Struthers and David Ormerod, seasoned climbers from the north of England, successfully ascended the face of the Co Kerry seacliffs, Sybil Head, following a failed attempt due to Storm Lillian. The pair believe the 385m climb, which took them 11 hours to complete last weekend, to be the first successful attempt at defeating this particular part of the cliffs. 65-year-old Struthers praised the climbing experience, asserting that it is one of his proudest accomplishments in his four decades of climbing.
Sybil Head, known as Ceann Sibéal in the local Irish language, is situated on the Dingle Peninsula and is recognised for its impressive views of the neighbouring Blasket Islands. The headland even gained fame as a shooting location for a recent Star Wars film, The Last Jedi.
Struthers first came to know about the cliffs of Sybil Head around four years back when he visited the area with his wife. For the past three years, he has been trying to convince his friends to join him for a climb across the Dingle Peninsula.
Despite lack of evidence of prior climbing attempts at the cliffs, such as discarded equipment or online documented ascents, Struthers and his fellow climber, Ormerod are convinced that they were the first to attain this feat. Upon enquiring with the local community, including a resident climber, Struthers shared his belief that no one had successfully tackled those cliffs before.
Struthers admittedly accepts that the climb, although mostly not technically challenging, was extreme due to its potential rescue implications. Given the terrain, if a rescue scenario played out, a helicopter would be the only solution for evacuation since the area is inaccessible to stretchers.
Getting to the base of the cliffs posed its own challenge – the turbulent waters encircling Sybil Head make it impossible to access by boat, as explained by Mr. Struthers. Instead of a boat, he and his companion resorted to using ropes to reach the base.
Mr Struthers christened the course they pursued up the cliff as “Yer Only Man”, a nod to Flann O’Brien’s At Swim-Two-Birds. Naming the initial ascents is a long-standing tradition among climbers.
A previous climb of the cliffs the previous week saw Mr Struthers and Mr Ormerod joined by two other climbers from the UK, Ginny Douglas and Matt Kemp. They managed to complete the initial part of the ascent before adverse weather forced them to abandon the attempt.