New book charts adventurous life of a one-time Royal Marine and Ullapool GP who died while abseiling from a Sutherland sea stack
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The remarkable life of GP and mountaineer Tom Patey, who plunged to his death from a Sutherland sea stack 52 years ago, is told in a newly published book.
“One Man’s Legacy: Tom Patey” chronicles the life of the pioneering adventurer who tragically lost his life on May 25, 1970, while abseiling from the Maiden, a sea stack off Whiten Head on the eastern side of the entrance for Loch Eriboll. He was aged just 38.
The book has been written by well-known Inverness-based author Mike Dixon and has been launched by the Scottish Mountaineering Press.
Dr Patey’s story is charted through previously unseen records and archive images.
Born at Ellon, Aberdeenshire and educated at Ellon Academy and Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen, he studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen.
He served for four years as Surgeon Lieutenant in the Royal Marines at the 42 Commando School at Bickleigh, and in 1966 received a Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct, after assisting in an incident where two climbers were killed after a fall.
While at Bickleigh, he would regularly open up new climbs on the Devon tors.
Dr Patey went on to work for 10 years as a GP in Ullapool.
The biography covers every aspect of Patey’s life in rich detail, from youthful forays on the Aberdeen coast to remarkable first ascents across Scotland and explorations in the Alps, Norway and the Karakoram.
He climbed extensively in Scotland and many of his early exploratory routes were on Lochnagar.
He made the first winter traverse of the Cuillin ridge with Hamish MacInnes, David Crabbe and Brian Robertson in 1965.
But he also achieved notable ascents in the Alps and the Karakoram including the first ascent of the Muztagh Tower (7273 metres) with John Hartog, Joe Brown and Ian McNaught-Davis in 1956; and Rakaposhi (7788 m) in 1958 with Mike Banks.
He particularly excelled on winter routes and in 1966 together with Rusty Baillie and Sir Chris Bonington, pioneered the route up the 449ft high Old Man of Hoy in Orkney which they repeated with others on a live televised BBC outside broadcast in 1967 to 15 million viewers.
In 1968, he and Ian Clough were the first to climb Am Buachaille, a sea stack off the coast of Sutherland.
He often dropped all other commitments for the prospect of a good time and preferred travelling light – sometimes even leaving his gloves behind him on ice climbs. He had a disrespect for climbing ropes unless he deemed it to be absolutely necessary.
Author Mike Dixon says: “Patey rejoiced in the ridiculousness of the whole endeavour and avoided seeking any meaning or trying to justify it.
“Climbing was important to him, but he could always stand back and see it for what it was. What comes across in all his accounts is someone having enormous fun.”
Known for his flamboyance and ability to burn the candle at both ends, Patey’s musical talents – he knew a variety of irreverent climbing songs – and gift for satire garnered him friends from far and wide and enabled him to transcend social boundaries.
The book is supported by a foreword from Mick Fowler – voted the “Mountaineers’ Mountaineer” in a national poll – and first-hand insights from some of the leading climbers of the last century, including Sir Chris Bonington, Joe Brown and Paul Nunn.
“One Man’s Legacy: Tom Patey” by Mike Dixon costs £30 and was released on November 30 by Scottish Mountaineering Press.
