Conquering the Old Man of Hoy — by tightrope

The Old Man of Hoy has become a somewhat of a pilgrimage for climbers in recent years, and it is believed that as many as 50 folk tackle the 449ft sea-stack each summer. Until last weekend, however, it is understood that no one has ever walked to it by highline.

Last Saturday, local photographers Peter and Rachel Hazelhurst witnessed a rather unusual sight. As they reached the top of the cliffs beside the Old Man, during an afternoon walk, they were astonished to find German slackliner Alex Shulz  tightrope-walking across to the sea stack.

“It was just truly amazing to see Alex step out on the line and walk over to the old man of Hoy,” said Peter and Rachel, who managed to document the 26-year-old’s feat by video.

After being posted online on yesterday, the video has gained over 35,000 views as of this morning, Monday.

Rachel and Peter have been blown away by this massive response. They were pleased to have had a chance to watch and film Alex completing this mammoth challenge, describing it as an exceptional experience they will never forget.