Sea Stacks Climbing Odyssey

Sea Stacks Climbing Odyssey Itinerary

Day 1: The group will meet at the Old Man of Stoer car park at 9am (although this might change according to tides and weather). A short walk and scramble down leads us to either a swim or a tyrollean traverse to get across. We will climb up the 4 pitch original route at VS 5a and take a single abseil off back to the ground. After the climb, the group will then drive to Sheigra and set up camp for the night.

Day 2: The group will head in along the track to Sandwood Bay and branch off to scramble down and swim across to Am Buachaille . We will then climb Am Buachaille located near Sandwood Bay. We will climb up the Landward face at VS 4c and then abseil back down and swim back to shore. We will then drive over to Scrabster to be prepared to get the ferry to Orkney and then Hoy first thing in the morning the next day.

Day 3: We will get the first ferry across to orkney and then the next available ferry to Hoy. From there we will have a taxi to take us to Rackwick where we will ditch water kit we do not need and walk to the Old Man Of Hoy to climb in possibly finishing with a stunning sunset abseil back down. We will then spend a night in the bothy or camping outside depending on space.

Day 4: We will take a more relaxing day where we wake up in Rackick Bothy, we could go for a quick dip in the sea then get a taxi back to the ferry and take the two ferries back to the mainland. From here we will part our ways.

Accommodation on the trip will be wild camping or staying in bothies depending on how busy they are.

We are proud to recommend local accommodation options within the area for people when you are up either pre or post your Sea Stacks Odyssey Course:

Aviemore:

Youth Hostel A budget friendly option for people.

Coylumbridge Hotel Aviemroe – good for groups and families alike.

Premier Inn – always a good shout.

Rothiemurchus Campsite – situated in the stunning forest, this is a beautiful budget friendly option.

Glenmore Campsite – situated at Scotland’s highest beach, Loch Morlich has phenomenal views across to Cairngorm Mountain.

Newtonmore & Surrounding Areas:

https://www.wherestagsroar.co.uk/ award winning accommodation in the Highlands – perfect to stay at while up on an outdoor adventure.

Invernahavon Caravan Park – a bit quieter than the others as it is a little further away from the hustle and bustle of Aviemore.

Dalraddy Holiday Park – a family and dog friendly campsite.

We pride ourselves on providing as much kit as possible for you.  However, the list below is what we recommend you should bring to your Sea Stacks Odyssey Course:

• Travel insurance. (We are insured for all our trips, but we recommend everyone has their own travel insurance as well.)
• Lunch, water.
• Personal medication
• Sun cream, midge net
• Waterproofs (it is Scotland after all)
• Sturdy footwear.
• Transport between venues (ferries are included in the cost)
• Food
• Tent, Roll mat, sleeping bag, stove and all camping equipment.
• Swimming equipment – we have to swim to a couple of the stacks (not far 10m or so).
• If you wish you can bring your own helmets and harnesses, if you prefer to use ours then that is fine as well.
• Climbing shoes, chalk bag.

Here at Highland Outdoor Adventures, we pride ourselves on providing as much as we can but you are welcome to bring your own equipment if you do prefer. The list below is what we provide you with on the day.

• All instruction.
• Ferry Tickets
• Helmets
• Ropes
• Harness
• Helmets
• All Technical Climbing Gear
• All first aid and safety equipment.
• Transportation for 2 people. Pickup can be arranged from elsewhere if needed.
• Photographs of the day provided for you at no extra cost! If the weather is good we will have a DSLR professional camera  so we can take photos and videos of your adventure and you can look back at the day for years to come. If the weather is less favourable we will bring a GoPro (as it is waterproof) so we will still be able to take photos for you.