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Name:Old Man of Hoy
Hill number:4927
Height:137m / 449ft
Section:23: Orkney Islands
Classification:Hu,Tu,1,Y
Drop:118m
Col:19m  HY176007  
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GPS Data
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Entry no.Date recordedGrid Ref.Feature / Observations / SurveyRecorded byStatusSubpointLatest review
2442329/07/2018HY 17626 00776  F: Small rock stool topped by 2 rock flags
O: Obvious summit
RichardM
Summit
Jim
2446029/07/2018HY 17625 00773  F: Northerly of 2 cairns, on northerly part of stac
O: Col c.HY 17687 00731, messy bouldery debris, exact location unclear but GPS and Richard's altimeter suggests 22m above MSL, suggesting P115m
RHW
Summit
Jim



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Logged Descriptions  (logged by 21 users)ByDate of Ascent
as other non-climbers viewed from the adjacent cliffs on windy wild wet daygrumpy29/03/2023
Alan Whatley and I touched cairn simultaneously (our final P100m HuMP), Rick and Richard a few minutes later. Dry but v windy, a few fluffy puking fulmar chicks. Led by Tim Hamlet, R & R back roping us on the pitch 2 downclimb. Superb climb E1 5b***. Northerly of 2 cairns, on northerly part of stac, which seems gradually parting from rest! Been a stac since 1600s. Col at about 20m based on GPS and altimeter readings at sea and col. Subsequently worked out this was my 5000th P300ft (P91.44m) summit worldwide - excellent!RHW29/07/2018
8 hours with a great bunch.Alan Whatley29/07/2018
A fine climb led by guide Tim Hamlet in company of Richard M, Rob W, Alan W. Led the first pitch and crossed the 5a traverse without backrope at rear of group having safeguarded those ahead. A good fight with the overhanging crack on top rope to Richard. Easier going from there using a tracer line back. Fine top corner pitch to summit and Highland Park 12 yr old to celebrate. Three abseil descent set by Tim and supported by Richard and myself to get the group down. The second ab from the Haven stance memorable, then a free 60m finale ab to the beach below. Bravo all.nordicstar29/07/2018
By the classic East face - original route. A very fine day out in the company of an enthusiastic team of Rick, Rob and Alan with Tim at the sharp end of the rope. A fine line, a little steep and strenuous in places but with ample angular holds and spacious stances in delightfully exposed positions. Congratulations to Rob and Alan on this their final HuMP. A 60m mainly free hanging abseil from the top of the 2nd pitch delivers you neatly to the sea level boulders at the base of the stac. Day of bright sunshine, scattered cumulus and a fierce 40mph southerly wind.RichardM29/07/2018
Pitches 1, 3 and 5 this time. Taking Steve up.Kevin2903504/07/2017
Got as close as the adjacent cliff top to take a photo of The Old Man himself and then take a selfie with him....just like a tourist! Realising only too well that the summit is beyond my reach.ad-lib11/06/2017
Led pitches 2 and 4. Superb day.Kevin2903521/07/2016
Jill Robertson24/08/2014
victimofmathema08/08/2012
Like everyone else looked at it wistfully from the cliff.Martin R16/05/2012
Walked to cliffs with Theo. First of two visits.Skerryvore07/10/2004
H Richard Tait14/06/2002
Climbed up the standard tourist route, E1 5b, with Mick Tighe (leading) and Bruce Maltman during Assynt MRT training. I needed a tight rope to get over the crux. This was at the limit of my seconding ability and it felt great to be on the summit as the ferry went past :-)assynt_bob20/05/2000
JohnG88801/06/1993
Highly memorable - all of it - but especially the diagonal abseil descent required on our 50m ropes whilst clipped in to a guiding handline to get back to the stance at top of pitch 1. Climbed with Pete Hemmings - Easter 1990 during a brief high pressure good weather window. A wooden wedge was still there in the crux crack bashed into place by Rusty Baillie (with Bonington) in 1966 on the 1st ascent. Puffins on the ledges just feet away, and biscuit like big holds on the easy upper section and the shock of seeing daylight through the last crack, looking right through the stack! Map evidence (wiki) hints that the stack is only 250 yrs old, and there is a painting from 1817 showing it with 2 'legs'. Bonington re-climbed it at the age of 80 and its been base-jumped off. Our last ab ropes would not pull down from an angle, so after another night in the bothy rushed back at dawn, tied all our gear to one rope to extend to 60m and pulled directly from the boulders below -worked.Chris Pearson15/04/1990
Dan and Charlie, night in Rackwith bay bothyTamCollie14/09/1985
We didn't encounter anyone else.summitsup15/06/1982
peterstanding02/08/1976
JtwoUD15/09/1975
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