The Old Man of Stoer

Descend steep grass to reach the sea. One has to swim a 30' channel to reach the stack and then set up a tyrolean .Starting from a cluster of pitons. There are two other routes up the stack one 5.9 the other 5.11. Described is the original route .P1)Climb the landward face for 12' to gain a big horizontal crack that leads one around the corner to the left arete (cam pro)to a large corner ledge. Climb up left wards from under an overhang to reach a groove.Go directly up the crack to another large ledge on the arete.70'5.7 P2)Climb the a steep wall via a rightwards curving crack to overhangs through these using a crack.Go delicately left to ledges and continue to a cave with a thread belay.70' 5.8 P3) Go rightwards around the arete back to the landward side and right up a ramp ignoring the first upward break to gain a small ledge with a block belay.Beware of pucking Fulmers.40'5.5. P4)Climb the obvious groove to easy rock and finish up a small corner to a fine airy summit.50'5.6. Make a 150' rap mostly in space down the SE corner to a platform. Then rap to the base from the right side of the ledge.

Stor Peninsula. NW Scottish coast.

Normal rack cams and stoppers.