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me and a couple freinds have a plan to try do the old man eather this summer or at the start of next year. there's already a lot of info out there but thort id try get some direct advice from people who'v been there before..
getting down to the stack- the current plan is to walk in. dose anyone know of any easy ways to scramble down? last time i visited the orkney islands getting down looked like the most dangerous bit, is there an easyer way down? say a nice safeish walk-able ramp a bit left or right of the stack??
we plan on leaving a rope anchored in on the second pitch for the decent (like most people do)- 50m ropes would be enough to climb and abb off wouldn't they? or should we find some 60m ones?
the second pitch- (E1 5b) should be fine - im assuming will be mostly using big cams and big hex's for it, what did you end up using for it?? as big gear goes i have 1 set of Camelots , 3-5 and a couple big hex's. should i find more before going? or will that plus the super old wooden chucks doted around the place be enough without leaving myself stupidly strung out?
aslo anyone have any other tips for us?
getting down to the stack- the current plan is to walk in. dose anyone know of any easy ways to scramble down? last time i visited the orkney islands getting down looked like the most dangerous bit, is there an easyer way down? say a nice safeish walk-able ramp a bit left or right of the stack??
we plan on leaving a rope anchored in on the second pitch for the decent (like most people do)- 50m ropes would be enough to climb and abb off wouldn't they? or should we find some 60m ones?
the second pitch- (E1 5b) should be fine - im assuming will be mostly using big cams and big hex's for it, what did you end up using for it?? as big gear goes i have 1 set of Camelots , 3-5 and a couple big hex's. should i find more before going? or will that plus the super old wooden chucks doted around the place be enough without leaving myself stupidly strung out?
aslo anyone have any other tips for us?
In reply to bodovix:
The path down is ok, a bit steep and slightly dodgy if wet but you'll be fine. There is often a rope in place but if you can get some 60m ropes they will get you down the last 2 pitches. A single set of cams and some hexes should be fine, I think Camelot 3 and 4 are useful sizes.
The path down is ok, a bit steep and slightly dodgy if wet but you'll be fine. There is often a rope in place but if you can get some 60m ropes they will get you down the last 2 pitches. A single set of cams and some hexes should be fine, I think Camelot 3 and 4 are useful sizes.
In reply to bodovix:
The walk down is fine if a little exposed.
Gear wise we had nothing bigger than a Friend #4, there were a couple of wooden wedges in-situ. The difficult part of the wide crack is short and you get rests below and above.
If you are using 50m ropes then take a third rope and tie it between the first and second belays as you won't reach the deck with 50m ropes, 60m should be fine. Simple getting back down: first (and everyone but the last one) to abseil down uses the "fixed" rope to guide themselves back to the first belay then the last one ties the top end of the rope to himself and when he's low enough the others pull him across.
The walk down is fine if a little exposed.
Gear wise we had nothing bigger than a Friend #4, there were a couple of wooden wedges in-situ. The difficult part of the wide crack is short and you get rests below and above.
If you are using 50m ropes then take a third rope and tie it between the first and second belays as you won't reach the deck with 50m ropes, 60m should be fine. Simple getting back down: first (and everyone but the last one) to abseil down uses the "fixed" rope to guide themselves back to the first belay then the last one ties the top end of the rope to himself and when he's low enough the others pull him across.
In reply to bodovix:
I found the walk down to be reasonably challenging but manageable. We used sixties and ab'd to the ground from the top of pitch two. I slung some of the original blocks as well as taking the big gear we had.
I did promise myself if I ever did it again I would take my rucksack up empty to strip old tat and generally 'Womble the climb'
I found the walk down to be reasonably challenging but manageable. We used sixties and ab'd to the ground from the top of pitch two. I slung some of the original blocks as well as taking the big gear we had.
I did promise myself if I ever did it again I would take my rucksack up empty to strip old tat and generally 'Womble the climb'
In reply to bodovix:
When I did it (back in 1979!) my climbing partner was a bit of a history buff and I was an ignorant crag rat. He suggested making the most of our half day on the main island on the way home before the ferry left and we got a taxi and visited various pre-historic sites including Maeshowe and Skara Brae. We also walked across Hoy to Rackwick and visited the Dwarfie Stone en route. All are amazing places considering they are about 5000 years old and well worth making the effort to see if you get the chance.
> aslo anyone have any other tips for us?
When I did it (back in 1979!) my climbing partner was a bit of a history buff and I was an ignorant crag rat. He suggested making the most of our half day on the main island on the way home before the ferry left and we got a taxi and visited various pre-historic sites including Maeshowe and Skara Brae. We also walked across Hoy to Rackwick and visited the Dwarfie Stone en route. All are amazing places considering they are about 5000 years old and well worth making the effort to see if you get the chance.
Post edited at 22:16
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In reply to bodovix:
I could be wrong but I think for the descent walk past the first steep gully and take the next one - not too bad with care.
It's really worth the trouble trying to get 60m ropes if you can. The last abseil (from top of 2nd pitch) really is spectacular - after first 5m it's free hanging the whole way!
I could be wrong but I think for the descent walk past the first steep gully and take the next one - not too bad with care.
It's really worth the trouble trying to get 60m ropes if you can. The last abseil (from top of 2nd pitch) really is spectacular - after first 5m it's free hanging the whole way!
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In reply to Stephen Reid - Needle Sports:
Yes, yes.
Don't go all that way and miss out on the bountiful historic sites.
You will need whisky for the bothy.
Yes, yes.
Don't go all that way and miss out on the bountiful historic sites.
You will need whisky for the bothy.
In reply to bodovix:
We worth doing the big ab for sure. We didn't and nearly got the ropes stuck on the last pitch. A bit off a faff that is easily avoided.
I'd really recommend stripping some of the tat if you get a chance. I really wish I'd taken I knife when I was up there! You could see the tat from the cliff top.
One of my more memorable climbs for sure! We got caught in a storm and the stack got struck by lightning as I topped out the crux pitch! Luckily it stayed dry as it was so overhanging, just a freek shower! I'd recommend taking something big for after the crux, but not essential (I didn't have anything, and only shat myself a little bit
Have fun.
We worth doing the big ab for sure. We didn't and nearly got the ropes stuck on the last pitch. A bit off a faff that is easily avoided.
I'd really recommend stripping some of the tat if you get a chance. I really wish I'd taken I knife when I was up there! You could see the tat from the cliff top.
One of my more memorable climbs for sure! We got caught in a storm and the stack got struck by lightning as I topped out the crux pitch! Luckily it stayed dry as it was so overhanging, just a freek shower! I'd recommend taking something big for after the crux, but not essential (I didn't have anything, and only shat myself a little bit
Have fun.
1
In reply to bodovix:
The descent is "OK" and "fine" if you are wearing good approach shoes or boots. But if it is wet and muddy (often will be in places) and you are wearing a pair of casual shoes and a heavy sack it could be pretty scary and dangerous.
The descent is "OK" and "fine" if you are wearing good approach shoes or boots. But if it is wet and muddy (often will be in places) and you are wearing a pair of casual shoes and a heavy sack it could be pretty scary and dangerous.
In reply to bodovix:
Walk down is path traversing steep grass (Old Man of Stoer is the scary one). Would be exciting in rain but fine otherwise, same as many paths around crags.
Ab, take 60m ropes, all problems solved.
Gear, we had a normal rack to #3, wooden wedges and jammed cam in situ 3 or 4 years back. Plenty of options around that pitch.
Walk down is path traversing steep grass (Old Man of Stoer is the scary one). Would be exciting in rain but fine otherwise, same as many paths around crags.
Ab, take 60m ropes, all problems solved.
Gear, we had a normal rack to #3, wooden wedges and jammed cam in situ 3 or 4 years back. Plenty of options around that pitch.
In reply to bodovix:
Go easy on harvesting the vast amount of magic mushrooms outside the bothy if you go later in the year...
Also having retreated in gale force winds in the dark across diagonal abseil (fixed rope was in place) I would highly recommend using 60's and abbing straight down from the top of pitch 2.
Go easy on harvesting the vast amount of magic mushrooms outside the bothy if you go later in the year...
Also having retreated in gale force winds in the dark across diagonal abseil (fixed rope was in place) I would highly recommend using 60's and abbing straight down from the top of pitch 2.
Post edited at 10:21
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In reply to bodovix:
We had a fun last abseil -- our rope got caught in all the other ropes that were hanging there (this was 1996) -- cutting ropes hanging above the sea is still etched in my memory -- with the fear that I would accidentally cut my own rope.
We had a fun last abseil -- our rope got caught in all the other ropes that were hanging there (this was 1996) -- cutting ropes hanging above the sea is still etched in my memory -- with the fear that I would accidentally cut my own rope.
In reply to bodovix:
We found the walk down dead easy.
The Old Man is a remote area for the UK, take care from that aspect - getting stranded or into trouble would be a bit serious I think.
Have fun!
We found the walk down dead easy.
The Old Man is a remote area for the UK, take care from that aspect - getting stranded or into trouble would be a bit serious I think.
Have fun!
In reply to bodovix:
Try to do it in the summer. End of June beginning of July is a good time as there are less fulmars. Doing it at the beginning of the year would just be grim. If you have access to sea kayaks paddling from Rackwick round to the stack is good fun.
Also, as mentioned before, visit some of the pre-historic sites. There is far more to Orkney than the Old Man of Hoy.
Good luck,
Richy
Try to do it in the summer. End of June beginning of July is a good time as there are less fulmars. Doing it at the beginning of the year would just be grim. If you have access to sea kayaks paddling from Rackwick round to the stack is good fun.
Also, as mentioned before, visit some of the pre-historic sites. There is far more to Orkney than the Old Man of Hoy.
Good luck,
Richy
In reply to bodovix:
Forgot to say, take a whistle each and arrange a code. On the main pitch you are out of sight of each other and if it's windy out of earshot too, but you can hear a whistle blast. Someone told us to do this, we did, it was blowing a hoolie and we were very grateful for the advice.
> aslo anyone have any other tips for us?
Forgot to say, take a whistle each and arrange a code. On the main pitch you are out of sight of each other and if it's windy out of earshot too, but you can hear a whistle blast. Someone told us to do this, we did, it was blowing a hoolie and we were very grateful for the advice.
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In reply to bodovix:
http://thecccc.org.uk/2008/08/old-men-on-the-old-man-of-hoy/
Hopefully some handy tips here, from when I did it.
http://thecccc.org.uk/2008/08/old-men-on-the-old-man-of-hoy/
Hopefully some handy tips here, from when I did it.
In reply to bodovix:
A rope to pull yourself across on the ab back down the second pitch, was in-situ last summer when we did.
But as others have said 60m ropes makes life a lot easier and gives a nice long free hanging ab to finish off with.
The crack above the crux on pitch 2 is steady but a couple of larger cams, will make it feel more comfortable.
Lastly remember the crux is 5b and no harder. If it feels harder when you're on it, then you're doing it wrong (like I tried at first!).
A rope to pull yourself across on the ab back down the second pitch, was in-situ last summer when we did.
But as others have said 60m ropes makes life a lot easier and gives a nice long free hanging ab to finish off with.
The crack above the crux on pitch 2 is steady but a couple of larger cams, will make it feel more comfortable.
Lastly remember the crux is 5b and no harder. If it feels harder when you're on it, then you're doing it wrong (like I tried at first!).
In reply to bodovix:
If you're efficient, you'll have time to do 2 routes up the Old Man in a day - not just one
Admittedly I did this around the longest day
If you're efficient, you'll have time to do 2 routes up the Old Man in a day - not just one
Admittedly I did this around the longest day
In reply to Carless:
I think the OP's profile would indicate otherwise !
> If you're efficient, you'll have time to do 2 routes up the Old Man in a day - not just one
I think the OP's profile would indicate otherwise !
In reply to bodovix:
From memory:
The descent wasnt hard to find. It is a bit steep and shitty, you should not want to slip of it but I don't think there is any easier way unless you fancy the prospect of using a boat of some kind. I don't remember it being any worse than many other steep descents/ascents to access crags in Scotland.
We used 60s to ab. Be very careful with the last ab because its very easy to get your ropes stuck.
My partner had masses of big cams - far more than were needed. The part protected by big cams is quite short, I would say what you have is sufficient but it would do no harm to take one more. I think camelot 4, 4.5 and 5 all fitted in. (dont think they make 4.5 any more though).
A pox on hexes.
I don't remember seeing old wooden chocks.
Other tips:
Don't start out too late - its actually a good day of climbing, if you include walk in and out, especially if you faff around.
Wear expendable clothes. Because fulmars!
Wear expendable climbing shoes. Because fulmars!
Take the strongest detergent rated to for contact with human skin. Because *&*()&$ing fulmars!!
From memory:
The descent wasnt hard to find. It is a bit steep and shitty, you should not want to slip of it but I don't think there is any easier way unless you fancy the prospect of using a boat of some kind. I don't remember it being any worse than many other steep descents/ascents to access crags in Scotland.
We used 60s to ab. Be very careful with the last ab because its very easy to get your ropes stuck.
My partner had masses of big cams - far more than were needed. The part protected by big cams is quite short, I would say what you have is sufficient but it would do no harm to take one more. I think camelot 4, 4.5 and 5 all fitted in. (dont think they make 4.5 any more though).
A pox on hexes.
I don't remember seeing old wooden chocks.
Other tips:
Don't start out too late - its actually a good day of climbing, if you include walk in and out, especially if you faff around.
Wear expendable clothes. Because fulmars!
Wear expendable climbing shoes. Because fulmars!
Take the strongest detergent rated to for contact with human skin. Because *&*()&$ing fulmars!!
To GrahamD - possibly, but nothing wrong with aiming high!
To henwardian
You remind me of the aftermath of that trip - we got back to Scrabster after 4 days on Hoy/Orkney covered in vomit http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=22404 and bunged all the clothes in a launderette. Trouble was no change for detergent... so bunged the stuff in anyway
Big mistake: the inbuilt drying cycle gently cooked it - proper gag reflex emptying the machine and still the rest of the week to go...
But there was a fine episode when Mick very carefully stepped across a fulmar on a traverse pitch, which vomited onto a fulmar on the ledge below - the ensuing fight was a joy to behold
To henwardian
> Take the strongest detergent rated to for contact with human skin. Because *&*()&$ing fulmars!!
You remind me of the aftermath of that trip - we got back to Scrabster after 4 days on Hoy/Orkney covered in vomit http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=22404 and bunged all the clothes in a launderette. Trouble was no change for detergent... so bunged the stuff in anyway
Big mistake: the inbuilt drying cycle gently cooked it - proper gag reflex emptying the machine and still the rest of the week to go...
But there was a fine episode when Mick very carefully stepped across a fulmar on a traverse pitch, which vomited onto a fulmar on the ledge below - the ensuing fight was a joy to behold
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In reply to bodovix:
We took Motorola radios which worked a treat for communication. Got away with the diagonal abseil on the descent but I can see how ropes can easily get stuck. 60m ropes a good idea.
We took Motorola radios which worked a treat for communication. Got away with the diagonal abseil on the descent but I can see how ropes can easily get stuck. 60m ropes a good idea.
In reply to bodovix:
The walk down is trivial - you and a few other posters must be thinking of a different crag.
As to the rest, it's pretty simple abbing down with 60 metre ropes. I can't comment on the traditional fun and games.
I'd echo the making-a-trip-of-it-and-seeing-more-of-Orkney comments, though. We didn't have the time, and I wish we had.
jcm
The walk down is trivial - you and a few other posters must be thinking of a different crag.
As to the rest, it's pretty simple abbing down with 60 metre ropes. I can't comment on the traditional fun and games.
I'd echo the making-a-trip-of-it-and-seeing-more-of-Orkney comments, though. We didn't have the time, and I wish we had.
jcm
In reply to bodovix:
It was raining slightly on the walk in but I dont recall the descent being a problem.The big pitch was in the process of drying out as we reached the first stance but the initial bit of pitch 2 is easily protected. As for the rest a large hex (9?) worked well, just leap frogged it up a couple of times until the crack got a bit easier. Done in good conditions and with modern large cams fairly easy for the given grade.
Two teams who managed to top out the next day had epics on the ab and had to stay on a further day to recover stuck ropes - their first multi pitch. The ab shouldnt be a problem if you use a bit of common sense and position the rope well, not just anywhere. Last man on the ab check it out, perhaps ease the knot down a tad to get a better pull. I recall a fretted/notched edge where the inexperienced can get caught out by potentially jambing the knot.
A wonderful outing, enjoy the route. If you continue further along the cliff there are more spectacular views to be seen
It was raining slightly on the walk in but I dont recall the descent being a problem.The big pitch was in the process of drying out as we reached the first stance but the initial bit of pitch 2 is easily protected. As for the rest a large hex (9?) worked well, just leap frogged it up a couple of times until the crack got a bit easier. Done in good conditions and with modern large cams fairly easy for the given grade.
Two teams who managed to top out the next day had epics on the ab and had to stay on a further day to recover stuck ropes - their first multi pitch. The ab shouldnt be a problem if you use a bit of common sense and position the rope well, not just anywhere. Last man on the ab check it out, perhaps ease the knot down a tad to get a better pull. I recall a fretted/notched edge where the inexperienced can get caught out by potentially jambing the knot.
A wonderful outing, enjoy the route. If you continue further along the cliff there are more spectacular views to be seen
In reply to uphillnow:
!!!
I'm struggling to think of a harder Scottish E1 multipitch route? Felt E2 to me.
> Done in good conditions and with modern large cams fairly easy for the given grade.
>
>
!!!
I'm struggling to think of a harder Scottish E1 multipitch route? Felt E2 to me.
In reply to Michael Gordon:
It was HVS in 1978 and cams had yet to appear on the market - has it worn away or are we getting softer?!
It was HVS in 1978 and cams had yet to appear on the market - has it worn away or are we getting softer?!
In reply to Michael Gordon:
I did it the other month and thought the main pitch was like a long Hard VS on grit that had had a bucket of sand poured down it. That said I was very glad of my Friend 5 on the upper section.
Suicide Wall at Cratcliff for example is much harder.
> Different ideas of grades I guess (in the past).
I did it the other month and thought the main pitch was like a long Hard VS on grit that had had a bucket of sand poured down it. That said I was very glad of my Friend 5 on the upper section.
Suicide Wall at Cratcliff for example is much harder.
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
Plenty of HVS sandbags in the Peak. I can come up with harder HVS single pitch routes as well. But lets compare like with like. Any suggestions of harder Scottish E1 multi-pitches?
Plenty of HVS sandbags in the Peak. I can come up with harder HVS single pitch routes as well. But lets compare like with like. Any suggestions of harder Scottish E1 multi-pitches?
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