Book Reviews Roly Smith
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One Man ’ s Legacy : Tom Patey
Mike Dixon Scottish Mountaineering Press , £ 30 ( hb )
It ’ s been over 50 years since the publication of the much-loved collection of Tom Patey ’ s writings , poems and songs in One Man ’ s Mountains ( Victor Gollancz , 1971 ). So the time is long overdue for a proper biography of the mercurial but charismatic Scottish climber . This book is essential reading for anyone even vaguely interested in the life of Patey , who died in May 1970 at the age of only 38 , when he fell to his death while abseiling after the �irst ascent of the 120-foot Maiden sea stack off the north coast of Scotland .
Dixon does a great job in recording the career of this larger-than-life product of the 1950s bothy culture , who was as well-known as an hilarious raconteur and squeezebox musician as he was for his skill as tough , pioneering and fearless climber . The son of a Scottish Episcopalian Church minister , for 10 years Patey was also a respected GP in Ullapool , in the far north-west of Scotland . This gave him easy access to pharmaceutical substances , which in some cases may have assisted his climbing performance . His multitude of �irst ascents include the fearsome Zero Gulley on the north face of Ben Nevis in 1957 , the �irst winter traverse of the Cuillin ridge in 1965 , and some notable �irst ascents in the Alps and the Karakoram , including the Muztagh Tower in 1956 and Rakaposhi in 1958 . All are faithfully recorded in this noholds-barred account of his short but eventful life , illuminated by many previously unseen photographs most notably by his good friend , Guild stalwart and Golden Eagle winner John Cleare .
It is evident from this revealing biography that Patey shared many of the apparently sel�ish traits of that other mercurial climber of the 1950s , Don Whillans . He would often refuse to join in the day-to-day domestic duties around a camp , leaving them to others while he singlemindedly concentrated on his lead climbing role , which was especially evident when negotiating dif�icult mixed climbing terrain .
East Dartmoor ’ s Lesser- Known Tors and Rocks
Max Piper The Dartmoor Company , £ 24 ( pb )
There are only about 160 named tors named on the Ordnance Survey ’ s 1:25,000 Outdoor Leisure map of Dartmoor . But this new book , by a 20-year-old �irst-time author , comprehensively lists and describes no fewer than 300 in the often-overlooked and forgotten “ Far East ” of the National Park . The name tor for these prominent rock outcrops comes from the Celtic word twr , and the east of Dartmoor as de�ined in this book includes the parishes of Chagford , Lustleigh , Manaton and North Bovey , to the north and east of Widecombe .
This is a beautifully photographed and totally fascinating survey of these longforgotten and often tree-obscured outcrops . They go by such attractive names as Twizzle Tree Tor , Puggiestone , Pepperdon Hole Rocks and The Cob Loaf . Most charming of all is perhaps Figgie Daniel on Easdon Down , which is a smaller version of the more famous Bowerman ’ s Nose on Hayne Down , and apparently named after a local shepherd who had a large nose !
Many of these forgotten tors are enclosed in deep woodland and not always easy of access , and although many are also quite insigni�icant and hard to �ind , all have their unique character and local stories . Quite a few , such as the four Wray Cleave Wood tors and the massive Rook ’ s Hole Tor – locally nicknamed the “ Whale Rock ” – are every bit as large and impressive as the better-known
6 outdoor focus / winter 2022