{{Short description|Scottish mountain climber (1932–1970)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{EngvarB|date=November 2019}} '''Thomas Walton Patey''' (20 February 1932 – 25 May 1970) was a Scottish climber, mountaineer, doctor and writer. He was a leading Scottish climber of his day, particularly excelling on winter routes. He died in a climbing accident at the age of 38. He was probably best known for his humorous songs and prose about climbing, many of which were published posthumously in the collection ''One Man's Mountains''.
==Early life== Patey was born on 20 February 1932 at Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.<ref name="BMJ obituary">{{cite journal |title=Obituary:T. W. Patey |journal=British Medical Journal |date=27 June 1970 |volume=2 |issue=5712 |page=800 |doi=10.1136/bmj.2.5712.799}}</ref> He was educated at Ellon Academy and Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen. He studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen, graduating in 1955 with a MB ChB.<ref name="BMJ obituary"/>
==Medical career== After becoming fully registered as a doctor, he served for four years as Surgeon Lieutenant in the Royal Marines at the 42 Commando School at Bickleigh.<ref name="BMJ obituary"/> Patey then worked for eight years as a general practitioner (GP) in Ullapool, in the far north-west of Scotland.<ref name="Herald death">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lpVAAAAAIBAJ&pg=1983%2C5075731 |title=Noted Scots Climber dies in fall |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=26 May 1970 |page=1 |access-date=20 June 2017}}</ref>
==Climbing== Patey first became interested in climbing while he was in the Scouts, but it was at University in Aberdeen, that he first revealed his full talent as an exploratory climber, captaining the Lairig Club. Much of his early exploratory routes were on Lochnagar and neighbouring Cairngorms. A dedicated climber, he often dropped all other commitments for the prospect of a good climb. Patey's preference of travelling light extended to leaving his gloves behind on some ice climbs and he had a disrespect for climbing ropes unless they were necessary.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}} While he was at Bickleigh, he would regularly open up new climbs on the Devon Tors. He cared little about recording these climbing details, since that way, if routes were left unblemished and apparently virgin, those following could have a similar excitement in their experience. This generosity of spirit, along with his exuberance and irrepressive energy, left a lasting memory with his companions. His irreverent climbing songs would often be accompanied at a piano by incessant humming through a comb and paper.
He climbed extensively in Scotland (making the first winter traverse of the Cuillin ridge with Hamish MacInnes, David Crabbe and Brian Robertson in 1965), as well as achieving 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kXdAAAAAIBAJ&pg=4852%2C4457754 |title=Autumn books > Savage mountain. Rakaposhi by Mike Banks |first=W. H. |last=Murray |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=1 October 1959 |pages=10 |access-date=8 October 2024}}</ref> In 1968, he and Ian Clough were the first to climb Am Buachaille, a sea stack off the coast of Sutherland.<ref>[http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/sutherland/sandwood-bay.shtml Sandwood Bay] on walkhighlands.co.uk</ref>
In July 1966 Patey, Rusty Baillie and Chris Bonington climbed to the top of the Old Man of Hoy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nn9AAAAAIBAJ&pg=3025%2C2702258 |title=Old Man of Hoy conquered |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=19 July 1966 |pages=8 |access-date=8 October 2024}}</ref> The three pioneered the route up which was repeated with others on a live televised BBC outside broadcast on 8–9 July 1967.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EGtAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bKMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2960%2C1146247 |title=Camera Conquest of Hoy |first=Hamish |last=McInnes |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=7 July 1967 |page=22 |access-date=20 June 2017}}</ref>
On 25 May 1970 he fell and died while abseiling from The Maiden, a sea stack off Whiten Head on the Sutherland coast.<ref name="Herald death"/>
==Personal life== Patey married Elizabeth Davidson<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/past-times/6476452/1970-famous-ellon-mountaineer-tom-patey-dies-in-sutherland-accident/ |title=1970: When famous Ellon mountaineer Tom Patey died in Sutherland accident |first=Susy |last=Macaulay |work=The Press and Journal |date=27 May 2024 |access-date=8 October 2024}}</ref> and they had three children.<ref name="BMJ obituary"/>
==Awards and honours== In 1966 he received a Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct, after assisting in an incident where two climbers were killed after a fall.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44138/supplement/10981/data.pdf |title=Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct |work=Supplenment to the London Gazette |date=11 October 1966 |page=10981}}</ref>
== Legacy == In 1971, the collection ''One Man's Mountains'' was published.<ref name="Climber">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ytA9AAAAIBAJ&pg=5309%2C2249746 |title=Books of the day: Climber |work=The Herald |date=11 December 1971 |pages=14 |access-date=8 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1972_files/AJ%201972%20276-279%20Books%20of%20Year.pdf |title=The Books of the Year |first=Mike |last=Banks |journal=Alpine Journal |year=1972 |pages=278–279}}</ref>
In 2022 a playground was opened in Chapelton named Patey Park.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andonova |first=Denny |date=2022-05-27 |title=Nature-inspired playground unveiled in memory of north-east mountaineer |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/4345089/aberdeenshire-chapelton-elsick-playground-duchess-of-fife/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Press and Journal |language=en-GB}}</ref>
''One Man's Lecacy'', written by Mike Dixon, was published in 2022.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.northern-times.co.uk/news/new-book-charts-adventurous-life-of-a-one-time-royal-marine-296244/ |title=New book charts adventurous life of a one-time Royal Marine and Ullapool GP who died while abseiling from a Sutherland sea stack |first=Mike |last=Merritt |work=Northern Times |date=11 December 2022 |access-date=8 October 2024}}</ref>
==Bibliography== *''One Man's Mountains'', Tom Patey, 1971, {{ISBN|0-575-01358-3}}. Collected by his great friend Chris Bonington with his Introduction. ISBN No:- 0-86241-664-7 first published by Victor Gollanz Ltd. 1971<ref name="Climber" /> *Peter Donnelly, 'Patey, Thomas Walton [Tom] (1932–1970)', [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/63795 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography], Oxford University Press, 2004
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Patey, Tom}} Category:1932 births Category:1970 deaths Category:Scottish mountain climbers Category:Scottish rock climbers Category:Mountaineering deaths in Scotland Category:Royal Navy officers Category:People educated at Ellon Academy Category:People educated at Robert Gordon's College Category:Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Category:20th-century Scottish medical doctors Category:Scottish general practitioners Category:Recipients of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct