Munros 4 MND Interview

Can you share the story of how ‘Munros 4 MND’ came about?

After Dad was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease the whole family felt pretty helpless. My three siblings and I were desperate to try to do something positive in the face of this devastating disease and to do something together as a family. Mum and Dad have always had a passion for hillwalking but Dad’s diagnosis meant it was only a matter of time before he’d be forced to give this up. Having spent the last 25 years “bagging” the Munros, and ticking off an incredible 267 of 282, it became apparent that Dad wasn’t going to be able to reach the finish line. Knowing how much this meant to both Mum and Dad, we came up with the idea of completing Dad’s Munros as his proxy, and in doing so, enabling Mum to reach her target too. So we set ourselves the challenge of completing the final 15 and trying to raise as much money as possible along the way.

You chose to raise money for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which we are of course big supporters of, having designed the Doddie’5 tartan. Why did you choose this charity?

It was an easy decision to be honest. I have been attending Scotland games for years and was at Murrayfield in November 2017 when Doddie launched the Foundation at the All Blacks game. Unbeknown to me at the time, it was around then that Dad was being diagnosed. I had been following Doddie’s journey since he announced his diagnosis earlier that year, and the atmosphere that night was electric. The reception for Doddie and his family was something that will stay with me forever. He has faced MND head on and has shared his story with the world, giving rise to a much greater awareness of the condition. The money Doddie and the Foundation have raised to fund research has given real hope to so many families that one day a cure will be found.

You have raised a whopping £25,000 for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, and you are only half way through your challenge!

When we came up with the idea at Christmas 2019 we tentatively set a target of £2,000. Needless to say our current total has well and truly smashed this and the support we have received has absolutely blown us away!

Had you, or any of your siblings, climbed a Munro before you embraced this challenge?

As kids, Mum and Dad tried to pass on their love of hillwalking to us, and I think each of us was dragged up at least one Munro. However, prior to our challenge, I think if we combined all four of our Munro totals, we’d still be in single figures!

Have you embarked on any other Scottish outdoor activities over the years?

We have always been a very outdoorsy family. Dad in particular has always been up for giving anything a try, and when we were younger, we’d often be trying out something new. We’ve enjoyed so many adventures around Scotland over the years, from rafting and canyoning to mountain biking and rock climbing, to name but a few!

Did you do a lot of training to prepare for the challenge?

Some more than others! Whilst all four of us are reasonably fit and healthy, the level of fitness varies a bit. But we’ve all tried to make sure we’re in good shape to get up the Munros. Though lockdown has made it a little more difficult to get any hill training as we all live in fairly flat areas!

Can you tell us a little bit about the planning process? How did you decide which Munro to climb first and which Munro would be the big finale?

Geography has been the main deciding factor. The final 15 are all fairly spread out, but we’ve been trying to group them together. Given we are all spread throughout the UK we’re trying to tick off a few per trip as it’s a logistical headache getting us all in the same place at the same time. We haven’t made any specific plans for the final Munro; but I have no doubt that whichever it is, it will be emotional day.

Has Covid interrupted your plans?

Thankfully we have been incredibly lucky with coronavirus restrictions. We had always planned to complete the list over two years and had always been looking at a window of May to September. To have managed to tick off 7/15 last year means we are pretty much on track as things stand.

Has there been a Munro that was more enjoyable to climb than the others?

Personally, I particularly liked Blà Bheinn on the Isle of Skye. It had a bit of everything, and we were very fortunate with the weather at the top which made for some incredible views. We’d also climbed Sgùrr na Banachdich the day before, so the legs were a little tired which made the sense of achievement even greater.

Scotland is famous for 4 seasons in one day, has the weather made affected your challenge?

I think we’d all be in agreement that the last section of Tom a' Choinich was probably the toughest weatherwise. The wind speed had been gradually increasing as we ascended, and by the time we reached the top it was pretty strong. It was as we reached the summit that the rain then started too, and the first half of the decent was very unpleasant. Fortunately, we dropped out of the worst of the weather fairly quickly, but it made for a pretty soggy trudge back to the car!

Now that you are halfway through your challenge you must be quite the expert. What have you learned that you wish you knew at the start of the challenge?

I can certainly tell you what my siblings have learned after not heeding my advice: they may look ridiculous, but midge head nets are a worthwhile investment!

I can imagine this has been a very emotional challenge to undertake....

We’ve been fortunate that so far Dad has been able to join us on all of the trips and has been waiting for our return wherever we are staying. Being able to celebrate each Munro so far with Dad and the rest of the family has been emotional but very rewarding. Unfortunately, with his mobility deteriorating, it may not be possible for him to join us for all of the remaining Munros but I have no doubt he’ll be following along with the books and maps whilst we are out, and we’ll be checking in on Facetime to tell him all about it as soon as we arrive back.

Which Munro is next on your list and how do you plan to celebrate the final Munro?

Next up we’re hoping to tick off Sgùrr Mòr; a very remote Munro north of Fort William. We’re aiming for mid-May if all goes to plan. We haven’t made any definitive plans for a celebration when we finish, as a lot depends on Dad’s condition and on any coronavirus restrictions. However, whatever we decide to do, we hope to involve the whole family, and certainly a glass of whisky or two!

Now that you are an expert, will you go back and attempt to climb all 282? Or are the final 15 enough for you?

I think that of the four of us, I have developed the bug more than the others. It is definitely something I will look to keep doing, and who knows where I’ll get to! I’ll likely try, like my parents did, to persuade my daughter to join me when she’s old enough and hopefully we’ll be able to follow in my parent’s footsteps… literally!