The Old Man of Stoer - Sutherland

[@johnnerding8551]

Our daily walk when in Culkein - just nothing else quite like it!!!!!

[@chdslDave]

Yep a gorgeous stretch of coastline in the beautiful Far North West and I hope you enjoyed my wee video! Cheers Dave

[@scrimmy45]

Beautifully filmed and a great location. It's something I have yet to do and your stunning film inspires me onwards..

[@chdslDave]

Thanks a million for taking the time to post your positive vibes Andrew and I'm delighted you enjoyed my wee video! And the very best of luck when you pay the Old Man a visit! Cheers Dave

[@j3xxy]

Thanks so much for this vid, it was very useful when planning. this trip. Went up the old man last Wednesday, a huge bucket list tick, what a beautiful day! I didn't watch the video in such detail before the climb but have just come back to it and realised we took a different (probably stiffer) route up pitch 3, oops! A few things to note - Much of the tat has been cleared away. There are now 3 nuts and a sling left for the tyrolean on the stack side and one static rope anchor point at the abseil. we came across a few bits of left gear en route and some tat anchors at the top of pitches 1 and 3. Also note there was a fulmar nest at the top of pitch 3, round to the left. The smell will give it away!

[@chdslDave]

@j3xxy thanks a million for the positive vibes, congrats on the big tick and I'm glad my wee video helped with planning your day on the Old Man! If you have not climbed it yet, you may find my Am Buachaille (The 2nd of the Big 3 Scottish sea stacks) useful if you head that way. A more serious outing than Stoer requiring a swim or inflatable but just as rewarding and another day you will remember for a long time! :-) Cheers Dave

[@j3xxy]

@@chdslDave fab! Yes, Am Buachaille is next on the list, will watch your vid for psyche with future planning! Thanks again

[@jonafriskymonsue]

One word ~ INCREDIBLE ...

[@chdslDave]

Heya Coran thanks a million for taking the time to post your kind feedback and please feel free to subscribe. You may also enjoy the vid of our ascent of Am Buachaille, the second of the classic Old Man sea stacks in Scotland! :-) Cheers Dave

[@keithsanders2120]

Well planned well filmed, as usual Dave, and good company and the dogs were content watching you, another great video keep them coming. Keith s

[@chdslDave]

+keith sanders Muchos gracias for the positive comment Keith and Ghillie +Tigger were most content having a cheeky siesta in the sun! :-) Cheers Dave

[@cindymanning9849]

Mesmeric. . . Pure beauty, sea & sky. . . -An encapsulated escape!

[@chdslDave]

Hey Cindy a maa-hoosive thanks for your for taking the time to post your positive vibes and you may enjoy my Am Buachaille vid, the second part of the Classic Scottish sea stacks trilogy! :-) Cheers Dave

[@jdhiker5576]

❤ what a beautiful video with great music👍

[@chdslDave]

Thanks a million JD Hiker for your kind words and I really appreciate your appreciation! :-) Cheers Dave

[@LHPteam]

Just found the video now and wanted to express how happy I was when I spotted my old rope in your video! I set it up in April 2016 and left it hanging after completing the climb as I didn't feel like swimming again. I'm glad it found more use!

[@chdslDave]

Ha well spotted LHPteam and thanks a million for the kind use of your tyrolean rope. I hope you had a great adventure on the Old Man like we did! :-) Cheers Dave

[@EdwardPCampbell]

Very satisfying to know it’s accessible to climbing and presumably permission to climb.

[@chdslDave]

No permission required to climb this classic sea stack Edward and one of the best VS adventure routes in the UK! Well worth making the long journey to the far North West of Scotland so I hope you pay this Old Man a visit one day... :-) Cheers

[@SlipknotOlly]

consistently great videos!

[@chdslDave]

Hi Slipknot a maa-hoosive thanks for taking the time to post your kind words! :-) Cheers Dave

[@billrobson5078]

Climbed this back in 95 and 96. After watching this superb vid,got to give it one last shot. Just need someone to climb with

[@chdslDave]

+Bill Robson many thanks for taking the time to post your kind words and I hope my wee vid evoked some happy memories for you! It is a classic day out on the Old Man so I hope you find a worthy recruit to join you and revisit it again... ☺ Cheers Dave

[@WyeExplorer]

Hi Dave I haven't visited for a while but there sure was some spectacular filming here and great perspective in relation to the climbers and the giant rock stack. Very very good. All the best and happy climbing. Mark.

[@chdslDave]

Hey Mark many thanks and I know the feeling as it has been a crazy-busy summer over here but great to hear from you and keep up your good work as well mate! Happy Wednesday! :-) Cheers Dave

[@davidmoore976]

Well done Dave. Brilliant. Great memories of doing it about 20years ago. I did the swim. son Alan led most of climb thus getting all the Fulmar puke!. Left the camera on the grass by Lighthouse but it got returned a few weeks later so have a few photo memories too.

[@chdslDave]

+David Moore Hey David a big thanks for your kind words and I'm stoked that you enjoyed my wee video! It sounds like it also evoked some happy memories for you, fulmer puke and all, so happy days! :-) Cheers Dave

[@pauldavies9360]

stunning! thanks for the upload

[@chdslDave]

Thanks a million Paul for your kind words and glad you enjoyed my wee video! :-) Cheers Dave

[@cydwalker9738]

My favorite part was the dog in the pool 1:24. Adorable!

[@chdslDave]

Ha ha Cyd yep it was a pretty hot day and Ghillie was obviously a hot dog so required a bit of cooling down! :-) Cheers Dave

[@myrddinmuse]

Oh man, that's cool. Rock looks totally amazing.

[@chdslDave]

Hey Eben many thanks for taking the time to post and the Old Man of Stoer, with it's rough grained superb Sandstone rock is definitely one to add to your bucket list! :-) Cheers Dave

[@purplecloudsphotogra]

Lovely vid! Please could you point me in the direction of the closing credits music by any chance?

[@chdslDave]

+Philip Oldham Heya Philip and many thanks for your kind words. The lovely music is called Parachute by Bruce Maginnis and Kate Henshaw from Audio Network! Cheers Dave

[@purplecloudsphotogra]

Cheers Dave, a really nice tune.. got to get up to Stoer!!

[@24934637]

I'm REALLY surprised at the grade! I would have thought that the approach and retreat would justify a HVS or more likely an E1 grade with having a technical grade of 5a!

[@chdslDave]

Hi 24934637 I think you could make a case for HVS due to the seriousness of the approach and all, but it is only the first pitch which is quite tough at VS 5a. However you can walk around the back of the Old Man and avoid this pitch altogether! Cheers Dave

[@24934637]

@@chdslDave LOL, I know an E9 where you can walk round the back and avoid that part! ;) The Old Man and this route specifically looks to be really nice, and surprisingly clean for a sea stack. Didn't seem to be much in the way of loose rock either, was that actually the case?

[@chdslDave]

You often sacrifice the quality of climbing for the adventure on a sea stack. However the Torridonian Sandstone on the Old Man is superbly solid and hard with very little in the way of choss! One of the best routes of its grade in the UK... :-) Cheers Dave

[@alexthomas5178]

so how did you get down? ;)

[@chdslDave]

Pug, The Don and I still have not got down Alex and we are still all stuck on the summit and it is damn freezing up here! Could you come and rescue us please mate? ;-)

[@keithsanders2120]

You'l have to live of the fat of the land for a while at least.

[@chdslDave]

+keith sanders Ha ha we have been living off sea cabbages and fulmar wings for yonks! Things are getting pretty desperate up here mate... ;-)

[@Vicentecarmonagonza]

👏👏👏👍👍 beautiful

[@chdslDave]

+Vicente Carmona Hi Vicente and glad you enjoyed my wee video! Happy Saturday! :-) Cheers Dave

[@penman1289]

Can anyone do a vidio of getting down thanks

[@fahimahmed-tg6br]

so nice

[@chdslDave]

Thanks fahim! Cheers Dave

[@marksynthmynesteamthelatra3222]

Dangerous Challenging ... ...and part of me wants to climb it.

[@chdslDave]

Go for it!

[@jusmeig]

Superb, bravo. Was there some slings there already for abseiling back down? how did you get onto it to setup the tyrolean? Incredible video...don't know how I missed this vid 😀

[@chdslDave]

Heya jusmeig many thanks for your kind words as ever and there was a whole bunch of slings + tat on top for the rap back down. And the Tyrolean was already in-situ so there was no need for anyone to swim across! Look out for my next vid of the second classic Scottish "Old Man" sea stack called Am Buachaille coming out very soon... :-) Cheers Dave