[1] 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.
[2] 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.
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.
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.
[1] In 1966 he received a Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct, after assisting in an incident where two climbers were killed after a fall.