The Old Man of Hoy is a 449 foot high sandstone pillar located just off Hoy, second largest of the Orkney Islands. Highly subject to the North Atlantic weather it was carved by erosion from the nearby cliffs and will eventually, perhaps soon, collapse into the sea. It was first climbed by the crack team of Bonington, Baillie and Patey in 1966 and remains one of the premier challenges of British rock climbing.

From the moment he watched the televised ascent of the Old Man of Hoy, Red Széll knew his life would be incomplete until he too stood atop Europe’s tallest sea stack. Those dreams went dark at nineteen when he learned he was going blind, and for twenty years he ignored the pangs of regret and desire every time the Old Man appeared again in his life. He was still climbing, but only indoors until he shared his dream with his buddies, Matthew and Andres, and, with an ever growing following looking on, they set out to confront the Orcadian giant. The Blind Man of Hoy is his story.

‘An inspiring and engrossing tale of triumph over adversity.’

‘Red’s climb, and the excellent book he has written about it, are lyrical and inspiring.’

‘The story of a venture that required superhuman efforts.’

‘He is a very brave man, and this is a great read.’

‘Witty and informative . . . eye-opening and inspirational.’

Red Széll is a househusband and crime writer. His first novel, Blind Trust, was published in 2011 by Indepenpress and has sold over 2000 copies. He has worked as a journalist and appears regularly on BBC Radio 4's In Touch programme for which he made an audio-diary of his climb. He lives in London with his wife and two daughters.