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Boy, 7, becomes youngest ever to climb Old Man of Hoy

Cody Weishaar scaled the sea stack with his father and three friends last month.

Old Man of Hoy
Old Man of Hoy. Image: SHutterstock.

A boy from America is believed to be the youngest person to climb the Old Man of Hoy, off the coast of Orkney.

Seven-year-old Cody Weishaar completed the sea stack in August with his dad Bill and three friends.

He has beaten the previous youngest climber, Edward Young who climbed the Old Man of Hoy in 2018, aged eight.

The Weishaar family moved to Troon from Missouri, and have since explored many climbing routes around Scotland.

Seven-year-old climbs Old Man of Hoy

Mr Weishaar said he was beside his son, offering advice, on a separate rope as they climbed the notorious stack.

A boy has climbed the Old Man of Hoy on the Orkney Islands.
The Old Man of Hoy is a popular tourist landmark near the climbing spot. Image: Stock.

Cody told BBC Scotland that he was “a bit scared”, but said he would like to be more prepared for similar climbs in the future.

Fulmars, who nest on the ledges on the stack, vomit a red, oily substance at climbers, whom they see as intruders.

Cody said: “This bird had a really good aim and it spat on my face, right on my cheek.”
“At least he didn’t poop on me,” he added.

Cody started climbing at the age of two. He has also climbed the Old Man of Storr in Sutherland.

He has now set himself a fresh target off climbing some of the other 10 tallest sea stacks around the coastline of Scotland.

Dan Bailey, editor of UK Hillwalking, told the BBC it was the biggest sea stack in the UK.

He said: “I’m very impressed that any seven-year-old could physically get up The Old Man of Hoy and mentally manage the head game. I mean that’s a real achievement.”

Mr Weishaar, said the climb almost never happened due to ferry times.

But during the climb he received a phone call from Orkney Ferries to say their sailing from Orkney to Caithness had been cancelled due to a forecasted storm that evening.

With the extra time, the small group were able to complete the climb.

 

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