View source for Old Man of Hoy

{{Short description|Sea stack in Orkney, Scotland}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox landform
|image=The Old Man of Hoy, Orkney - geograph.org.uk - 8878.jpg
|caption=The Old Man of Hoy from the north
|type = [[Sea stack]]
|coordinates={{coord|58.88570|N|3.43299|W|region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(HY175007)|display=inline,title}}
|location=[[Hoy, Orkney|Hoy]], [[Orkney]], Scotland
|elevation={{convert|137|m|ft|abbr=off}}
|map=Scotland Orkney
|grid_ref_UK=HY 17635 00779
|free_label_1=[[First ascent]]
|free_data_1=[[Chris Bonington]], Rusty Baillie and [[Tom Patey]], 19 July 1966
|geology=[[Old Red Sandstone]] [[Stack (geology)|sea stack]]
|map_caption=Location within Orkney|map_relief=y}}
The '''Old Man of Hoy''' is a {{convert|449|ft|m|adj=on|abbr=off}} [[Stack (geology)|sea stack]] on [[Hoy, Orkney|Hoy]], part of the [[Orkney]] [[archipelago]] off the north coast of Scotland. Formed from [[Old Red Sandstone]], it is one of the tallest stacks in the United Kingdom. The Old Man is popular with climbers, and was first climbed in 1966. Created by the erosion of a cliff through [[hydraulic action]] some time after 1750, the stack is not more than a few hundred years old, but may soon collapse into the sea.

==Geography==
The Old Man stands close to Rackwick Bay on the west coast of [[Hoy, Orkney|Hoy]], in [[Orkney Islands|Orkney]], Scotland, and can be seen from the [[Scrabster]] to [[Stromness]] ferry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/old-man-of-hoy/ |title=Facts about the Old Man of Hoy |publisher=NorthLink Ferries |access-date=25 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118212541/http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/old-man-of-hoy/ |archive-date=18 January 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> From certain angles it is said to resemble a human figure.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radioscotland/dayslikethis/stories/my_old_man.shtml|author=Barrett, Kate|title=My Old Man |publisher=Radio Scotland|date=1963|access-date=27 October 2013|archive-date=27 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127030440/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radioscotland/dayslikethis/stories/my_old_man.shtml}}</ref>

Winds are faster than {{convert|8|m/s|mph}} for nearly a third of the time, and gales occur on average for 29 days a year. Combined with the depth of the sea, which quickly falls to {{Convert|60|m}}, high-energy waves on the western side of Hoy lead to rapid [[erosion]] of the coast.<ref name="jncc">{{cite journal |url=http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/gcrdb/GCRsiteaccount2304.pdf |title=West Coast of Orkney |last=Hansom |first=Jim |year=2007 |publisher=JNCC |access-date=25 January 2014 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054236/http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/gcrdb/GCRsiteaccount2304.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Geology==
The Old Man of Hoy is a red sandstone stack, perched on a [[plinth]] of [[basalt]] rock, and one of the tallest sea stacks in the UK.{{sfn|Seward|2011|p=230}}<ref name=wlg/> It is separated from the mainland by a 60-metre (200&nbsp;ft) chasm strewn with debris, and has nearly vertical sides with a top just a few metres wide.<ref name=jncc/> The rock is composed of layers of soft, sandy and pebbly [[sandstone]] and harder [[flagstone]]s of [[Old Red Sandstone]], giving the sides a notched and slab-like profile.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1080/00369229518736960 |title=The old man of Hoy |year=1995 |last1=Hansom |first1=James D. |last2=Evans |first2=David J. A. |journal=Scottish Geographical Magazine |volume=111 |issue=3 |pages=172–174}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottishgeology.com/geo/regional-geology/northern_isles/old-man-of-hoy/ |title=Old Man of Hoy |publisher=scottishgeology.com |access-date=25 January 2014 |archive-date=7 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007232010/http://www.scottishgeology.com/geo/regional-geology/northern_isles/old-man-of-hoy/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:William Daniell Old Man of Hoy (colour).jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|The Old Man of Hoy in 1817, when it had two legs]]
The Old Man is probably less than 250 years old and may be in danger of collapsing.<ref name=jncc/><ref name=hansom>{{cite web |url=http://www.landforms.eu/orkney/old%20man%20of%20hoy.htm |title=Old Man of Hoy |author=Jim Hansom |access-date=25 January 2014 |archive-date=1 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201180208/http://www.landforms.eu/orkney/old%20man%20of%20hoy.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The stack is not mentioned in the [[Orkneyinga saga]], written {{Circa}}1230, and on the [[Willem Blaeu|Blaeu]] map of 1600, a [[headland]] exists at the point where the Old Man is now.<ref name=hansom/> The McKenzie map of Hoy of 1750 similarly shows a headland but no stack, but by 1819 the Old Man had been separated from the mainland.<ref name=hansom/> [[William Daniell]] sketched the sea stack at this time as a wider column with a smaller top section and an arch at the base, from which it derived its name.<ref name=hansom/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/daniell-the-old-man-of-hoy-t02864 |publisher=Tate|title=William Daniell: The Old Man of Hoy |access-date=14 January 2013}}</ref>

Sometime in the early nineteenth century, a storm washed away one of the legs leaving it much as it is today, although erosion continues.<ref name=hansom/> By 1992, a 40-metre (130&nbsp;ft) crack had appeared in the top of the south face, leaving a large overhanging section that will eventually collapse.<ref name=jncc/><ref name=wlg>{{cite web |url=http://www.scapaflow.co/index.php/wildlife_and_landscape/geology/the_old_man_of_hoy |title=The Old Man of Hoy |publisher=Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme |access-date=25 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203064923/http://www.scapaflow.co/index.php/wildlife_and_landscape/geology/the_old_man_of_hoy |archive-date=3 February 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name=hansom/>

==Human activity==

===Climbing===
The stack was first climbed by mountaineers [[Chris Bonington]], Rusty Baillie and [[Tom Patey]] in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Mountaineering Council of Scotland |title=1966 climb: The Old Man of Hoy |url=http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/climbthru/1966hoy.html |access-date=25 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810022955/http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/climbthru/1966hoy.html |archive-date=10 August 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Thompson|2011|p=231}}</ref> From 8–9 July 1967, an ascent featured in ''The Great Climb'', a live [[BBC]] three-night [[outside broadcasting|outside broadcast]], which had around 15 million viewers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/greatclimb/sec3_pg3.shtml|publisher=BBC Scotland |title=The Great Climb |access-date=10 December 2011}}</ref> This featured three pairs of climbers: Bonington and Patey repeated their original route, whilst two new lines were climbed by [[Joe Brown (climber)|Joe Brown]] and [[Ian McNaught-Davis]] and by Pete Crew and [[Dougal Haston]].<ref>{{harvnb|Latter|2009|p=452}}</ref>

In 1968 Christine Crawshaw became the first woman to reach the summit of Hoy. In 1997, [[Catherine Destivelle]] made a solo ascent of the Old Man of Hoy; she did so while four months pregnant; her climb is captured in the 1998 climbing film, ''Rock Queen''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/60887087|title=Rock Queen (featuring Catherine Destivelle)|website=Vimeo|date=2 March 2013 |language=en|access-date=2019-03-24}}</ref> This climb was filmed and has often been credited as the first solo ascent, but the Old Man had previously been soloed in October 1985 by Scots climber Bob Duncan; like Destivelle, he backroped the second, crux pitch, though he also [[Roped solo climbing|backroped]] the top pitch because "it looked harder from below than it turned out to be".<ref>{{cite web | newspaper=Scottish Daily Express | url=https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/stunning-scottish-landmark-could-disappear-27593705 | title=The stunning Scottish landmark that could disappear 'overnight' | first=Tasha | last=Hall | date=21 July 2022 | accessdate=12 December 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Old man of hoy.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The Old Man of Hoy, 2004]]
Red Széll became the first blind person to climb the Old Man, despite suffering from [[retinitis pigmentosa]] that left him with 5% vision. With assistance from Martin Moran and Nick Carter, he scaled the stack in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2013/06/30/blind-climber-red-szell-old-man-of-hoy-ascent-was-dream-come-true |title=Blind climber Red Széll: Old Man of Hoy ascent was dream come true |author=Liz Roberts |date=30 June 2013 |work=grough |access-date=27 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/old-man-of-hoy-success-for-blind-climber |title=Old Man of Hoy success for blind climber |author=Tina Gardner |date=28 June 2013 |work=British Mountaineering Council |access-date=27 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="b" />

The youngest person to climb the Old Man is Edward Mills, who was 8 years old when he completed the climb in 4 hours 55 minutes on 9 June 2018, to raise money for the charity ''Climbers Against Cancer'' as his mother had terminal breast cancer. He was accompanied by his trainers, Ben West and Cailean Harker.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-44423914 |title=Boy, 8, youngest to climb Old Man of Hoy|date=10 June 2018 |work=BBC |access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref>

In 2019, [[Jesse Dufton]] became the first blind climber to lead an ascent on Old Man of Hoy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-48536019 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |title=Blind climber leads an ascent of the Old Man of Hoy |date=6 June 2019 |access-date=4 July 2023}}</ref> The climb was the subject of the 2020 film ''Climbing Blind''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2020/05/20/climbing-blind-reviewan-uplifting-portrait-man-wont-held/ |publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |title=Climbing Blind, review: an uplifting portrait of a man who won't be held down |author=Michael Hogan |date=20 May 2020 |access-date=4 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/may/20/climbing-blind-review-a-tale-of-tenacity-adaptation-and-hope |work=[[The Guardian]] |title=Climbing Blind review – a tale of tenacity, adaptation and hope |author=Rebecca Nicholson |date=20 May 2020 |access-date=4 July 2023}}</ref>

The youngest female to climb the Old Man of Hoy is Sophia Wood, who was 10 years old when she completed the climb in just over 3 hours in June 2023. She traveled from the southeast of Virginia USA to Hoy Scotland UK and completed the climb with her two guides Edmund Hastings and Alex Riley. Sophia used this climb to start a fundraiser to help introduce climbing to kids with the "Boys and Girls Club" in her local area. <ref>{{citation |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJrah7fb56c&t=4s |title=Youngest Girl to climb Old Man of Hoy!!! Orkney Islands, Scotland UK|date=13 June 2023 |work=self |access-date=13 June 2023}}</ref>

There are seven routes up the stack, the most commonly used of which is the original landward facing ''East Face Route'', graded [[Grade (climbing)#Adjectival grade|E1 5b]] (Extremely Severe).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orkney-seastacks.co.uk/oldman.htm |title=The Old Man of Hoy |publisher=orkney-seastacks.co.uk |access-date=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=69 |title=The Old Man of Hoy: the routes |author=Chris Mellor |publisher=UKClimbing |access-date=25 January 2014}}</ref> A log book in a [[Tupperware]] container is buried in a [[cairn]] on the summit, as an ascensionists' record.<ref name=b>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=5602 |title=The Blind Man of Hoy |author=Red Szell |publisher=UKClimbing |access-date=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref name=bear>{{harvnb|Grylls|2009|p=234}}</ref> As many as fifty ascents of the stack are made each year.<ref name=bear/>

===Highline===
[[File:Slackline at Old Man of Hoy.jpg|alt=Alexander Schulz walks slackline at the Old Man of Hoy|thumb|Highline walk of Alex Schulz]]
On 10 July 2017, [[Alexander Schulz]] completed a [[Slacklining#Highlining|highline]] walk to and from the summit, at {{convert|137|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the sea on a line {{convert|180|m|yd|abbr=on}} long.<ref>{{cite news|title=Balancing act - the high wire walk to the Old Man of Hoy|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-40553202|access-date=10 July 2017|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

===BASE jumping===
Roger Holmes, Gus Hutchison-Brown, and [[Tim Emmett]] made the first [[BASE jumping|BASE jump]] from the stack on 14 May 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUCLPJpdbV0  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/lUCLPJpdbV0 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Old Man Of Hoy - BASE 1st Descent |author=Roger Holmes |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=10 December 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Hutchinson-Brown died 11 days later during a jump in Switzerland.<ref>{{cite news |work=The Scotsman |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/angus_hutchison_brown_1_1078381 |title=Angus Hutchison-Brown |date=1 July 2008 |access-date=25 January 2014 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924143301/http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/angus_hutchison_brown_1_1078381 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 27 July 2019, two Poles, Filip Kubica and Dominik Grajner repeated BASE jumped from the top.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pETYt-EvKw&t=5s  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/2pETYt-EvKw |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Old Man Of Hoy - Climb & B.A.S.E. |author=Filip Kubica |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=27 October 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of sea stacks in Scotland]]
*[[Clogwyn Du'r Arddu]], major British rock climbing venue

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ULw_9xQg_ygC |last=Grylls |first=Bear |author-link=Bear Grylls |year=2009 |publisher=Random House |title=Bear Grylls Great Outdoor Adventures |isbn=9781905026524}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5NoTtY3HkegC |title=Scottish Rock: North |last=Latter |first=Gary |year=2009 |publisher=Pesda Press |isbn=9781906095079}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NxlIZSIBU0QC |title=Geology for Everyman |first=Albert Charles |last=Seward
|publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2011 |isbn=9780521238977}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mYW8LAHLNzoC |title=Unjustifiable Risk? |year=2011 |publisher=Cicerone Press Limited |isbn=9781849653138 |last=Thompson |first=Simon}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q56034514|title=The Rock Queen}} [[Catherine Destivelle]]'s solo ascent in 1998

{{South West Orkney}}
{{Orkney Islands}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}

[[Category:Climbing areas of Scotland]]
[[Category:Landforms of Orkney]]
[[Category:Stacks of Scotland]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Orkney]]
[[Category:Hoy, Orkney]]