North Stack (

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

: Ynys Arw, meaning "rugged island") is a small island situated just off Holy Island on the north-west coast of

Anglesey Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...

. The area has been an important location in the development of

traditional climbing Traditional climbing (or trad climbing) is a type of free climbing in rock climbing where the lead climber places removable protection while simultaneously ascending the route; when the lead climber has completed the route, the second climber ...

in Britain and has several notable classic, and also extreme, climbing routes.

Description

North Stack is the site of a redundant

fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...

warning station, comprising a number of buildings, including the Trinity House Magazine, built-in 1861, where shells for the warning cannon were stored. These buildings now house a bird-watching observatory,North Stack
holyhead.com. Retrieved 31 December 2010. giving a view of

South Stack South Stack () is an island situated just off Holy Island on the northwest coast of Anglesey, Wales. Geology South Stack is an island known as a sea stack. It was formed by the wave erosion of sedimentary rocks that once connected the isla ...

lighthouse across Gogarth Bay, and the studio of artist Philippa Jacobs. North Stack, or Gogarth North Stack, can also refer to the headland opposite the island.

Rock climbing

The

Precambrian The Precambrian ( ; or pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pC, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of t ...

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...

cliffs of this headland, including the North Stack Walls and Wen Zawn, are a well-regarded area for rock climbs in Britain, and contain important

routes such as ''A Dream of White Horses'' ( HVS 4c, Ed Drummond and Dave Pearce, 1968), ''The Cad'' ( E6 6a,

Ron Fawcett Ron Fawcett (born 6 May 1955) is a British rock climber and rock climbing author who is credited with pushing the technical standards of British rock climbing in traditional, sport, bouldering and free soloing disciplines, in the decade from the ...

, 1978), ''Skinhead Moonstomp'' ( E6 6b, Andy Pollitt, 1986), ''The Bells, The Bells!'' ( E7 6b,

John Redhead ''Indian Face'' is a traditional climbing route on the rhyolite "Great Wall" of the East Buttress of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, in Wales. When English climber Johnny Dawes completed the first free ascent of the route on 4 October 1986, it was graded ...

, 1980), ''Conan the Librarian'' ( E7 6b,

Johnny Dawes Johnny Dawes (born 9 May 1964) is a British rock climber and author, known for his dynamic climbing style and bold traditional climbing routes. This included the first ascent of '' Indian Face'', the first-ever route at the E9-grade. His influe ...

, 1986), and ''The Hollow Man'' ( E8 6b, Andy Pollitt, 1988).

Crash site

The stack was the site of a crash of a

B-24 bomber The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...

of the US Eighth Air Force on 22 December 1944 that killed the eight crew on board."Anglesey World War II plane tragedy memorial service to be held on 70th anniversary
daily.co.uk, Retrieved 17 December 2014.

Gallery

Ynys Arw - North Stack near Caergybi (Holyhead), Ynys Mon, Wales 09.jpg, The main island of 'Ynys Arw' which gave its name to the peninsula (or headland) Image:Gogarth Bay, Holyhead - geograph.org.uk - 86044.jpg, North Stack: the small island at the end of Gogarth Bay and the headland opposite Image:Trinity_House_Magazine,_North_Stack,_Holyhead._-_geograph.org.uk_-_97365.jpg, Trinity House Magazine, North Stack

References

External links

Rock climbing at North Stack
{{Islands of Anglesey Islands of Anglesey Uninhabited islands of Wales Precambrian Europe Quartzite formations Trearddur Tourist attractions in Anglesey Climbing areas of Wales