Pabbay and it’s neighbour Mingulay have become part of the British climbing Hall of Fame over the last decade, jostling in amongst the established royalty of Gogarth, Cloggy, Scafell and Carn Dearg as the ultimate destinations for those seeking trad adventure.

Perched off the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides, these two uninhabited islands, each only around a square mile in area, offer an extra dose of remoteness and commitment.

But it’s a right faff to get there! It’s a 5 hrs ferry from Oban…

… to Barra, but that’s only the start of the adventure.

Transferring to the Boy James, a modest sized craft, for the final leg of the journey…

… we’re whisked across thankfully calm seas by Francis the boatman for the eight miles 45mins to Pabbay…

… the third “lump” from the left, with its modest summit of An Tobha picked out below.

The final transfer, via an ex-Army landing craft…

… sees our merry band of ten Robinson Crusoes (the maximum boat capacity is 12 but sadly Bill and Paul had to drop out from the team) marooned on the island. Francis picks up the previous group of castaways (half of whom I happen to know, including Will and Simon – small world!) – they’re buzzing with tales of a brilliant week, told with a wistful gaze as they contemplate reintegration with the “real world” – and then it’s just us: Andy, Rich, Muir, Chris x2, Doc, Georgia, Ade, Hamish and me.

Frantic activity, shuttling bags up the foreshore, pitching tents and going in search of water (there’s a modest stream a few hundred metres from the campsite, down to a trickle in the drought, the lowest it’s been in Francis’ memory) and we’re settled into our homes for the next week. Just time for a quick brew / beer and a peruse of the guidebook before crashing out after an exhausting day.

Next morning, as I fire up my Jetboil, it’s hard to deny that we’ve been transported into a paradise.

Most of the main crags are on the opposite side of the island from the beach / campsite – only a mile or so, but with an annoying 170m lump in the middle, and typically about 30mins. There’s a network of paths / trods to most of the sectors (notably more defined with the passage of feet over the course of our stay) but to save you a bit of hassle here’s an overview of the main approaches and I’ve also included GPS coordinates of key ab points (usual warnings apply – use at your own risk!)

First stop on the Pabbay Paradise agenda is Banded Geo, a 70m high wall of immaculate rock. There’s a good trod which circumnavigates the summit of An Tobha before zigzagging down to a lower level for Banded Geo, Poop Deck and superb views up to the Great Arch.

Banded Geo is named for the distinctive swirl of quartz running diagonally across the face.

… but even from this distance you can see the equally clear line of chalked holds of the mega Endolphin Rush, E3 5c, picking their improbable trajectory across some outrageously steep territory (picked out with red dots in the pic below).

We abbed from a large boulder (you can get a pretty good idea of the line from the headland opposite)

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We were aiming for the obvious spike and in situ belay sling at the start of Spring Squill, E1 5b, a more amenable first foray onto Pabbay’s Lewisian Gneiss, but found ourselves too far (Climbers) right, requiring an airy traverse and a tonne of rope drag to get back on route. Thankfully there are some monster holds to break through the initial steepness. Here’s Andy setting off up the second pitch (or strictly speaking the end of the first as I belayed early with huge rope drag from the sideways start).

… and the view down to Chris and Muir who’d jumped straight on Endolphin (quite a warm up!)

Buzzing from our Pabbay initiation, we were straight back down and contemplating that line of chalked holds on Endolphin Rush. A speedy approach is recommended – place gear, pick your holds, and go – as the pump soon starts to accumulate. A final bulge brings a return to the merely vertical…

… but the holds diminish too, and there’s a tricky shallow corner up to an airy belay. Fine view back down to Muir on the first pitch of Spring Squill.

Our Pitch 2 heads off leftwards under jutting roofs for a wild pull on an obvious jug and then a steep romp to the top.

With two 4* routes in the bag, and another 6 days ahead (or so we thought – spoiler alert) Andy and I decided to rest on our laurels – it’s a Marathon not a sprint. We wandered over to Poop Deck to see how the rest of the crew were getting on

Hamish on Pabbarotti, E1 5b

Georgia on The Stowaway, S

… and Chris on Bogus Asylum Seekers (?) E3 5c.

Back over the hill to base camp (having stashed most of the gear and ropes at a strategic point above the Great Arch – no point humping huge loads back and forth, but by the end of the week it’s a job to remember what’s been stashed where!)

Stopping off to refill bottles from the trickle formerly known as a stream – a 6ft length of hose was a life-saver.

Veggie paella for ten (who’d have thought you could get vegan chorizo?)

… and a sociable evening in our commodious base camp. Meanwhile, ten has become twenty, as another crew has arrived to join the fun.

Day 2, up bright and early…

… and we’re off to the Great Arch – the most iconic bit of rock on the island and home to its most famous route: Prophecy of Drowning, a 4* 4-Pitch, 100m E2 taking the line of hanging corners just left of the arch. Here’s a view from the following day including a team on the adjacent The Priest

Ab Point 56.851810° N 07.593453° W

It’s a full 100m ab down to sea level ledges and it’s worth being careful with rope protectors on the way down as the Gneiss is notoriously abrasive.

P1 is a romp up the edge of the main wall (here’s Muir starting up later in the day)…

… until a committing pull around the arete brings the gut-wrenching exposure of the first of the hanging corners. It’s not at all obvious where is the best spot to swing round, and wherever you choose you’ll want long extensions on any gear before you go. Here’s Muir making the step around.

A series of corners link for 35m of 5b fun, including a thin section where the jugs run out. For some reason I took it into my head to link P2 as well for a full 60m rope stretcher – just about manageable with very careful rope work, but not particularly recommended. Here’s the view down to Andy at the P1-P2 junction.

… and approaching the P2 stance

P3 is the crux 5c pitch, with some delicate bridging…

and then a bit of a pull through a bulge.

P4 is another absolute belter, with a juggy corner and a wild but surprisingly amenable traverse out right beneath the huge roof. Prophecy completed, though nobody drowned – and a bonus tick as I start making my way through the the extra routes to complete Hard Rock Volume 2.

Prophecy has a sister route, The Priest, E1, taking a parallel line to its left, and rumoured to be every bit as good. Rude not to do it whilst we were in the area.

It didn’t disappoint. The first pitch gets you level with the arch, from where P2 heads rightwards into more grooves…

P3 is another wild traverse, this time out left beneath the capping roofs, and by now the sun has come around and it’s really toasty!

Two days in and I’ve pretty much fulfilled my ambitions for the trip (based on admittedly limited research). Keen to stick with the “Big Routes” theme, Andy and I headed over to Grey Recess. A chat with the other crew as we set out suggested that a couple of their team might already be out there after an early start to climb Spit in Paradise, and sure enough we found a rope in situ for the 100m free hanging ab down to sea level.

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One of the more outrageous raps you will ever encounter, possibly worth the 4* without even climbing. You get a full dose of exposure as you spiral downwards, with the foot of the ab at least 20m out from the crag. We introduced ourselves to John and Neil, fully embroiled in their own adventure on Spit in Paradise, E4 6a…

Here’s the view of the rap line from the side…

… and a version with the rope highlighted!

… and a shot of me rapping in taken by Neil.

… and Andy spiralling to sea level with John and Neil visible above.

Our objective was U-th, a 3-pitch E3, taking the right wall of the recess (a direct version of U-ie). Adjacent but set at 90 degrees, the first pitch was in the shade and still gopping wet from the condensation.

After two days of steep climbing on juggy rock with bomber gear, this was all a bit harrowing – thin, balancy moves with fiddly spaced gear, and to make matters worse the sun was just arriving, getting in my eyes and toasting me before it had chance to dry the rock. Felt hard for E2 on the day (leave it until noon).

Pitch 2 is a complete contrast – a steep, thuggy crack with a bit of offwidth thrown in for good measure, more of a wrestling match than a climb. Great lead Andy.

Pitch 3 offers yet more contrast, with an undercling traverse beneath a roof…

… into wild exposure at the foot of a hanging corner – but now we’re back in jug city!

Here’s Andy topping out.

… and a final shot of Neil and John on the finishing corner of their route.

A magical sunset that evening…

… picking out the Cuillin Ridge in the distance.

After “going large” for three days, we settled for the slightly more relaxed Hoofer’s Geo, with the luxury of a scramble down access and routes to around 30m.

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Still shady until early afternoon…

The eponymous Hoofer’s Route is a tremendous pitch, really challenging for E1 with the morning smegginess when it probably deserves an extra E-point. Here’s Andy getting decent gear after the initial run out, before pulling over the roof.

More or less the same spot, three hours later, and a completely different experience on Bint There Dun It, which shares the start and the grade but felt at least a grade easier in the golden glow.

We did a couple of other HVSs and were about to award ourselves an early finish and start making plans for the next day. I fired up my Satellite Communicator for a weather forecast and was greeted by the flashing message icon.

Hi there,
Becca on the Boy James here we are going to have to take both groups off Pabbay tomorrow as the weather is breaking. First group to be ready for 12 and 2nd group to be ready for 1.30ish can you please pass this on to the other group. Becca

Oh bugger – that meant leaving at noon on Thursday rather than 4pm on Saturday, with the trip cut short by two and a half days. That certainly had us revisiting the “knock off early” plan, and Andy floated up As Sound As Mr JA, E2 5b (and maybe worth E3?) Immaculate climbing…

… and stunning rock architecture. A fitting end to the trip.

Muir and Georgia squeezing in a final route, with Mingullay in the distance.

Meanwhile, pandemonium reigned as hasty messages to the group prompted the recovery of gear stashes and ab ropes from across the island. Not to mention having to deliver the bad news to the other group (luckily no one shot the messenger!)

The encroaching end of our stint on the island prompted different reactions, with a few opting for a leisurely start and a last dip in the sea. Meanwhile five desperate rock junkies were up early with tents struck for a couple of consolation routes. Rosinish Wall, immediately across the beach from the campsite, isn’t what you’ve traipsed across for, but is a handy spot for a YECTOYD (You Either Climbed Today Or You Didn’t).

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Here’s Hamish on Baby Don’t Hurt Me, E1 5b, a stiff steep pitch

… and Chris following Autoclave, HVS 5b, a mildly harrowing but strangely satisfying chimney tussle.

The early arrival of the Boy James prompts a dash back across the beach

More bag shuffling (I swear we’re taking more off than we brought – packing everything out of course!)

… and farewell to our desert island home (or surely au revoir)

Over on Barra shortly after lunch, we’re relieved that the Oban ferry is still running the following day and they can squeeze us on (despite the online booking saying no space for the van). Tents pitched on the patch of common land opposite the ferry terminal (seems to be tolerated for an overnighter)

The afternoon stretches out, and there’s no sign of the weather breaking, so a few of us opt to extend things to a two-crag / two-island day.

Vatersay is Barra’s conjoined sibling, connected via a short causeway. Swallow Cove is a 30mins yomp over the hillside / clifftops to a gorgeous, tranquil setting. It’s not quite in the Pabbay league but it’s a very pleasant spot to pass a sunny afternoon.

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Here’s Muir on Annie Jane, E2 5c and highly recommend.

… and Andy, unable to resist his curiosity, on a new(ish) variant on the arete right of Sounds of Vatersay E2/3ish.

Excellent curry in Cafe Kisimul (highly recommend for your last night – suggest booking) and a couple of beers in the Castlebay Hotel (to the discordant pounding of 90s electro-pop) and it’s time to hit the sack with alarm set for 4.45am to make the 6am ferry.

Distant silhouette of the Cuillin – Pabbay isn’t just a destination, it’s a journey.