Stackabank.

Stackabank

Stackabank is located at GR 434866 on the west coast of South Ronaldsay, About 2 miles north of the Burwick passenger ferry. The easiest and nearest approach from the main road is from Lythe (GR 442863) on the A961. Leave you car here and follow the overgrown track to the derelict Greenvale croft (GR 436866). From Greenvale it is a 5 minute walk down through the fields to the stack.

Stackabank (south face)

ACCESS: The stack sits on the beach and for approximately an hour at high tide it is surrounded by water. At all other states of tide it sits high and dry on the stony beach.

ASCENT: The south face holds the only known route. Starting on the non tidal platform at the bottom center of the face, climb up to a further smaller ledge and place some reasonable gear in the lip of the overhang. Climb past the overhang to the bottom of the very prominent left trending fault line. Follow this fault to a very loose roof at about 20 meters. Place good gear in the roof cracks and traverse left across the leaning wall for 4 meters on to the seaward face. Scramble up this to the summit. Never Again 30m (E3 5C)

DESCENT: Once on the summit there are no good belay points. We used a full rope length to parcel the entire summit in two halves and then tensioned between the two. We placed a reasonable abseil stake at the top of the landward arete. (If using this stake, a back up rope is advised)

Please note if you intend to climb this stake then prepare for anything as the rock is extremely loose with NO solid holds. The 5C crux at half height is very poorly protected, as is most of the route, it is also very difficult to back off the stack as gear is always suspect.

Stackabank (landward arete) Stackabank (north face)

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