Day 24 - The team bag a hotel room for the night!

Wednesday 24th August.

This morning the team were up and out by 0700 and the day started with a road bike to a power station (with a visitor centre!). Once there they then had a steep ascent to a dam which had to be mounted by ladder. The first Munro of the day was Ben Cruachan, which was very kindly sponsored by Claire Neilson. All of the Munros the team climbed today were dedicated to The Royal Marines. This was completed on time, with stunning views of mist and more mist. The climbers then continued to walk along the ridge top which was intermittently broken up by some nice scrambling to the top of the second Munro, Stob Daimh, which was sponsored by Colonel A.K Miller. The drop off the top of Stob Daimh was very boring and led them to the bottom of the valley. As the team dropped down they had an ominous view up through the grey swirling mist toward the dark defined profile of Munro number 3.

Beinn a'Chochuill, and the fourth Munro of the day Beinn Eunaich, were sponsored by seafreedomkayak. It was Tony from seafreedomkayak who very kindly joined the climbers for their crossing of the sound of Mull on the 1st day of the Mission. Upon summiting Beinn a'Chochuill, there was little to be seen except more mist. However on route to Beinn Eunaich, the team had to walk along a wide, winding, windswept ridge (try saying that one fast!) On this ridge they met a lovely couple who were very interested in DecAid, and promised to donate, so thankyou!

On the summit of Beinn Eunaich the team were lucky enough to have clear blue skies and great views (only joking, more mist) before hopping onto mountain bikes. The mountain bikes were exchanged for road bikes and the team had a 30 KM bike ride to the Bridge of Orchy. This ride felt especially nippy due to the presence of an STV camera crew! Upon arrival at their destination, The Bridge of Orchy hotel, the team discovered that they were allowed to stay a night in the hotel for free which was absolutely fantastic! They couldn’t quite believe their luck and tucked into a delicious dinner at around 2000. So despite what was quite a dull day up on the hill, the team went to bed with smiles on their faces!

Below is a glimpse of the Glencoe area which the team will be approaching on Friday. Despite it being very mountainous and steep, they are very excited as its beauty and fantastic walking makes it their favourite place. Becky and Tom Elliott were doing a recce today so that they are well prepared for the tough long days to come.



But before then the team will reach the halfway point in the Munro Mission so watch this space!

End of day 24 - 135 Munros climbed.

Day 23 - A comfortable start to Week 4

Tuesday 23rd August

This morning the team awoke after a fantastic nights sleep in the youth hostel in Crianlarich. The short day ahead meant that they were able to have a lie in until 0800. The extra few hours in bed in the morning and the night before were just what both the climbers and support team needed to refresh themselves and regain some much needed energy. Everyone got up very quickly though once Sarah announced the prospect of a cooked breakfast! Everyone tucked into scrambled egg on toast before saying goodbye to Rachel Mander, Sophie Archibald and Jack Lister who were leaving the team. The climbers then reluctantly headdc off for a day on the hills at a casual 0900.

After a short cycle up the road on the road bikes the team swopped their cycling shoes for their walking boots, collected their rucksacks from the 4x4 and made their way down a track to the base of Beinn Dubhchraig. This particular Munro had a long steady approach and as they ascended the weather started to close in and it became particularly foggy. The heavens then completely opened in time for the climb up the second Munro and the team got completely soaked as they climbed Beinn Oss, Ben Lui and Ben Chleibn. The team managed to pick up some good paths along the route but much of the day was spent clambering over heather and long grass. However the team did very well and managed to keep to schedule throughout the day despite the weather conditions. It was new support team member Tom Elliott's first day in the hills and he and Henry did a fantastic job navigating the team. It was all going well until they reached the forest at the end of the day and were forced to clamber through masses of thick undergrowth which the team were not too amused by! However the support met them shortly afterwards and they were in very good spirits and appeared to have enjoyed their day!

The climbers were sent off on their roadbikes for the final part of the day and they peddled back as fast as they could in order for Tom to do a radio interview for Central FM. The day then continued to get even better when it was announced to Tom, Ceri and Alex that Sarah and new member Charlotte Elson had managed to get the village hall in Lochawe for the night...another warm and dry night under a roof! Really good news to have a fourth night in a building as the end of the week and the coming weekend are set to be particularly tough for the team with a couple of 20 hour days. The team are full of confidence however since they experienced even harder days in the first week.


They are all in really good spirits which is excellent as they approach the halfway mark this Thursday. Make sure you follow the team’s progress tomorrow as they conquer another 4 munros in the Bridge of Orchy area. The Munros continue to be dedicated to the Royal Marines and tomorrow Simon Hollington, Uncle of Marine Richard Hollington, will be visiting the team at their camping spot ahead of his climb with them on Thursday. He will join them for Beinn Dorain which he has sponsored as it is dedicated to his nephew.

As we approach this half way mark we would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has sponsored the Munro Mission team online and for the wonderful messages of support and encouragement. We printed them all off today for the team and they really are a huge boost for them and mean a lot. They were incredibly touched by all the support so thankyou very much.

End of Day 23 - 131 Munros climbed

Day 22 – Looking the Kit Monster straight in the eye

Monday 22nd August

The team awoke this morning to the wonderful smell of pancakes wafting through the Arrochar Cadet Training Centre. Quite a treat that went down really well with the team. However the climbers left the centre with heavy hearts, wishing they still had another hour or so in bed to enjoy the sheer bliss of proper mattresses and duvets. The support team also took full advantage of a large space enclosed by four walls, a roof and a temperature that was significantly warmer and midge free than outside to lay-out and sort out all of Tom, Ceri and Alex’s kit. It is amazing how the elusive ‘kit monster’* can steal items, but everything was relocated and placed in the correct person's box and/or bag.

*The kit monster is the entity responsible for the phenomenon of putting something down, looking away and then looking back to discover that the item, that you swear you have just place it front of you, has gone.

The sheer pleasure of staying in the cadet centre was responsible for a minor miracle on the 22^nd. The team left, bang on time at 0700, to meet Alan Harrison and Scott Houltram. Both had brought a number of friends along with them. Alan climbed Ben Narain in memory of his son, John Harrison of the Royal Marines. Scott climbed Beinn Ime in memory of Andrew, his brother, also of the Royal Marines.

Once every one had met, the team set off for a scout hut at the base of the first Munro of the day. It was another short 15 minute cycle, warming the legs on a cool and overcast morning. Jack Lister, Becky Roby and Lucy Taylor met the guys at the transition point and were ordered on a search mission in the surrounding woodland. They were ordered to hunt for the beginning of the footpath that led up to the peak and after several minutes rooting through undergrowth they found it. The path was described as “subtle” most of the way up, but not even waterfalls (quite minor ones, don’t worry!) and fallen trees could halt the Munro Mission. After the steep ascent, the twisting and turning path emerged from woods and became more substantial. However, as the team learnt earlier in the mission, when Mother Nature appears to being kind to you, take it with a pinch of salt and enjoy it while it lasts. After a short time, the lovely path turned into some rather steep crags, leading all the way to the peak of Ben Narain. Once the peak had been reached, the team turned for Ben Ime. The navigation between the first two peaks was fairly simple, but Becky came into her own leading the team across the last two Munros of the day and down some incredibly steep and technically demanding hillsides, made tougher by ever present crags. Once the team had reached a lower altitude, the terrain didn’t let up. Solid and menacing rock crags gave way to knee deep, feet soaking bogs. The going got even worse as the day wore on, with the last Munro of the day, Ben Vorlich (another Ben Vorlich, not the other the team climbed a number of days before hand) offering nothing in the way of a footpath and Alex describing the route they had taken as “only fit for mountain goats!” However, the peak was scaled none the less and the day ended with a short cycle to the Crianlarich Youth Hostel. The team arrived at the comparatively early time of 6.30pm and were treated to a beer and a very delicious chicken pie by Sarah and new support team member Charlotte Elson. Back in the wild on the 23^rd though, so the guys made sure to make the most of another night in a proper bed!

All of the Munros climbed on the 22^nd August were dedicated to fallen members of the Royal Marines and sponsored by William Tracey Group http://www.williamtraceygroup.com/

Ben Vane was dedicated to the memory of Marine Darren Smith

Ben Ime was dedicated to the memory of Sgt. Andrew Houltram, Royal Marines

Ben Narain was dedicated to the memory of Cpl. John Harrison, Royal Marines

End of Day 22 – 127 Munros climbed

The BIG Blog update; Days 18 – 21 The Team emerge from the wilderness PART 2

Apologies for the lack of updates over the last few days, the team have been off adventuring in deepest, darkest Scotland and the phone signal wasn’t up to sending out the updates back to DecAid HQ.

Day 20 – Saturday 20^th August; The bonnie banks O’Loch Lomond

The team were once again up at 0600 for a 0700 start. However, despite the best efforts of the support team the team left slightly late at 0710. The long days of physical exertion mean every minute of sleep is valuable, even if it is a cheeky extra 10 minutes under the disapproving eye of Mother Hen or as she is more commonly known, Sarah! However, as Sarah was still at the Blair Castle Horse Trials, the guys got away with it. A short 20 minute cycle to warm up the legs ensued and as ever with the road bikes, the weather threatened to close in and soak Tom, Ceri and Alex. But, given the guys were only on the bikes for 20 minutes, as soon as the team popped of the bikes, the weather turned out fine. Tom, Ceri and Alex, had a strange sense of déjà vu as the next Munro to be climbed was Ben More. However, it is a different Ben More to the first one they conquered all those days ago on the Isle of Mull. Henry was left to guard the road bikes, which had to be left on the main road. Henry once again showed his cunning and craftiness by erecting a hammock by the bikes using the replacement 4x4 and a conveniently place fence post and passed most of the time until the next RV examining the inside of his eyelids!

Rupert took time out from Blair Castle Horse Trails to return Sarah to the support team. There was also a tactical substitution, Lucy for Sophie Archibald, to allow Lucy some time off and the opportunity to take in all that was going on at Blair. Sophie and Sarah then returned to the camp site to help pack up and collect Rachel, Tom’s girlfriend, before the now complete support team headed off to the location of the next two nights camp, the Arrochar Cadet Training Centre, located on the stunning shores of Loch Lomond.

Meanwhile, having woken sleeping beauty (Henry Munns) at the road bike RV at 1145, the team, still accompanied by Becky, went on to conquer another 5 Munros. The weather was stunning, just like Day 18, but once again there were steep slopes and scrambling was again the only way to summit the peaks. The descent and ascent between Beinn a Chroin and An Caisteal (the second and third Munros of the day) was particularly arduous, with no footpath and lots of hidden holes that strangely seemed to catch Becky out more than the others! The incredible views kept the team going and they went on to meet three families during the day. They met Mrs Manuel and the host she had brought with her on top of Beinn a Chroin and a prayer was read for Corporal Marc Birch. It was a very touching moment and once again reminded the team why they are doing the Munro Mission. The team went on to meet Marine Tom Curry’s father on top of Caisteal and Ian Wright on Beinn Chabchair, along with wife Rosemary and daughter Karen. Special congratulations to Karen as she had worked a night shift the night before and only managed a couple of hours sleep! The team have commented on how it is such an honour to meet families on the hills and it keeps them going when times get hard.

The boys finished a bit later than planned at 9pm. However, they were in for such a treat. Not only was there the alluring prospect of a warm bed and hot showers, the Cadet Camp’s mess hall had produced an epic pizza dinner for them! It made a big change to the usual camp produced food. Not that Tom, Ceri and Alex had anything to complain about, but they really enjoyed something so different! As if a warm bed, hot shower and delicious pizza weren’t enough for the lads, Anna Wylie, a sports physio, also agreed to come and help the team. However, Tom, Ceri and Alex exchanged some nervous looks as they lined up for the treatment. They had all heard a few horror stories about legs being bent in some very painful ways. However, after 20 days of constantly using your legs, a sports massage is exactly what was needed. In fact Anna was quite surprised at how good the guy’s bodies seemed to be coping with the demands they are putting them under. The guys have now all reached a plateau as all of their bodies have adjusted to the routine. Let’s hope a few small niggles and the occasional sore feet are all the chaps have to deal with. A special thank you (directly from Tom, Alex and Ceri) to Anna for being so gentle!

All of the Munros climbed on 20^th August were dedicated to fallen members of the Royal Marines.

Ben More was sponsored by George Lopes and dedicated to the memory of Marine Dale Gostick

Stob Binnien was dedicated to the memory of Marine Neil Dunstan

Cruach Ardrain was dedicated to the memory of Marine Alexander Lucas

Beinn Tulaichean was dedicated to the memory of Marine George Sparks

Beinn a Chroin was sponsored by Charlene Birch dedicated to the memory of Sgt. John Manuel, Royal Marines, Cpl. Marc Birch, Royal Marines and Marine Damian Davies. Charlene Birch has a special message; “In Memory and Dedication to Cpl John Birch Royal Marine. KIA Afghanistan. Dearly missed and loved by all who knew him. A devoted Husband, Son, Brother, Grandson, Nephew, Uncle and Friend. Treasured Memories of happier times, Always in our thoughts, Forever in our hearts. Lest we Forget."

An Caisteal was dedicated to the memory of Cpl. Robert Deering, Royal Marines, L/Cpl. Ben Whatley, Royal Marines and Marine Tom Curry

Beinn Chabhair was dedicated to the memory of Marine Gary Wright

End of Day 20 – 121 Munros climbed

Day 21 – Sunday 21^th August; Is this a kayak or a Banana?

The team awoke after all the treats of the previous evening with high spirits. Not even the rain could dampen their enthusiasm as they ventured out at 7am on their road bikes. The team were joined by Becky once again they made their way to the Inverbeg Holiday Park. They were greeted by Sophie and Sarah from the support team who just happened to have 4 kayaks for the team to use to cross the beautiful Loch Lomond! A massive thankyou goes out to Bob from Lomond Adventure who let the guys’ use the kayaks free of charge and even gave a donation. Ceri and Alex had a slight moment when they convinced themselves that they wouldn’t fit into the kayaks, but after a little encouragement and a lot of squeezing, all of the craft took to the water and set off across the loch. At approximately 8am, everyone had reached the other side. However, no-one is quite sure what happened to Alex as they approached the landing at Rowardennan. He managed to make a number of 360^o turns and started mumbling that his kayak was like a banana! Jack Lister and Rachel were there to observe this strange docking manoeuvre and once they had finished laughing, they helped the guys change and prepare for the climb ahead. By 8.45am everyone was en route to the top of Ben Lomond on a lovely, well walked path. The climb was dominated by low cloud, but by the time the team had reached the top and preparing to descend, the weather had cleared. The team were wished well by scores of walkers heading to the top to enjoy the scenery and when the team had reached the foot of the mountain they were greeted by Leona Walker, there in memory of Corporal Steve Walker, Royal Marines. Leona presented the team with a fantastic bottle of whisky, which will be greatly enjoyed, especially as the nights start to draw in over September.

Upon returning to the kayaks to re-cross the loch, Alex, keen to not to repeat his ‘navigational malfunction’ insisted on trying 3 other kayaks. In the end, he just had to suck it up and get back in the ‘banana boat’. The team returned to the Cadet Training Centre on the road bikes for a spot of lunch. After consuming another awesome meal provided by the kitchens at the centre the team set off for a couple of hours on the road bike and swapped to the mountain bikes at Achadunan. Unfortunately, the path was un-manageable on the bikes and the team were forced to walk much sooner than they had anticipated. This added approximately 45 minutes onto their journey, but they were determined to make it to the top, as they were climbing Beinn Bhuidhe in memory of Cpl. Stephen Curley, Royal Marines and Marine Scott Taylor. Unfortunately, the ground under foot was incredibly unpleasant and after a few tumbles and very wet feet, the guys renamed Beinn Bhuidhe, Beinn ‘Boggy’!

The team finally finished the day at 10pm. They returned to the Cadet Centre a fair way behind schedule and very tired. Despite having climbed only two Munros, the team had done an awful lot of biking, which not all the team enjoy. However they enjoyed a lovely dinner of homemade lasagne and apple strudel, all cooked by Sarah.

All of the Munros climbed on 21^th August were dedicated to fallen members of the Royal Marines and sponsored by William Tracey Group http://www.williamtraceygroup.com/

Ben Lomond was dedicated to the memory of Cpl. Steve Walker, Royal Marines and Cpl. Chris Harrison, Royal Marines

Beinn Bhuidhe was dedicated to the memory of Cpl. Stephen Curley, Royal Marines and Marine Scott Taylor

End of Day 20 – 123 Munros climbed

The BIG Blog update; Days 18 – 21 The Team emerge from the wilderness PART 1

Apologies for the lack of updates over the last few days, the team have been off adventuring in deepest, darkest Scotland and the phone signal wasn’t up to sending out the updates back to DecAid HQ.

Day 18 - Thursday 18^th August; Every Silver Lining...

When Mother Nature gives you sun, you are pleased. When Mother Nature gives you no footpaths, you are less pleased. Tom, Ceri and Alex were blessed with a lovely summer day and were all for making the most of the glorious weather after a number of incredibly wet days. So they set off into the hills only to discover that not only were there no footpaths to help them on their way, there was also an awful lot of scrambling to be done. For those of you who have never had to scramble, be thankful. It is somewhere between full on climbing and crawling (vertically) on your knees. Very dignified! Making matters worse, Mother Nature then decided that the team were in danger of sun burn and sought to rectify this by sending rain.

The support team welcomed back an old friend. Lewis Ashton rejoined the team after a short time away. After picking Lewis up from Pitlochry, the support team head further down the road to Braemar to pick up supplies, wash some very smelly socks and pick up a few more bits of waterproof kit so the lads are better equipped to face the wet, autumnal weather that seems to be following them around the highlands. Sarah also headed off for a well-earned break at the Blair Castle International Horse Trials where DecAid was the charity appeal of 2011.

Tom, Ceri and Alex finally arrived at the camp site, just east of Comrie, in the dark and pouring rain. The team (or Tom) demanded hot chocolate and scones as soon as they dismounted their mountain bikes to help recover some energy, warmth and all important morale. A more nutritious course of lamb tagine and a mountain of couscous followed the rather strange starter. The team went to bed with the happy thought that the BLESMA veterans from their home in Crieff, had supplied them with delicious looking pack lunches which Lucy had picked up when she met Nancy Johnston during the day. A special thanks to Nancy and all the lovely people at the BLESMA home in Crieff.

All of the Munros climbed on 18^th August were dedicated to fallen members of the Royal Marines.

Creag Mhor was sponsored by Whetman Pinks Ltd. and was dedicated to the memory of Marine Richard Watson. http://www.whetmanpinks.com/

Sgiath Chuil was dedicated to the memory of Marine Ben Reddy.

End of Day 18 – 111 Munros climbed

Day 19 – Friday 19^th August ; Two wheels, good. Four wheels, bad.

Tom, Ceri and Alex, once again mounted their trusted steeds (the mountain bikes) and set off towards Ben Chonzie on fairly good paths. Better than the previous day’s no paths. The climb was fairly epic owing to the steep side of the mountain. However, as the old saying goes, what goes up, must come down. After a swift descent, the team executed a swift transition onto the road bikes and set forth to conquer Ben Vorlich.

Not long after the support crew had waved the lads off, disaster struck. The 4x4 became trapped by the most notorious off-road trap, a ditch! Eventually, Ian, a heroic worker from the local estate appeared on the horizon to come and rescue the stranded vehicle. Lewis had to drive the stricken vehicle to Perth to swap it for a hastily arranged replacement. It all worked out in the end as the rest of the support team were recovered by the van and the rest of the day’s transitions went without incident. The team once again finished the day in the pouring rain. Can you see a trend emerging...?

All of the Munros climbed on 19^th August were dedicated to fallen members of the Royal Marines.

Ben Chonzie was sponsored by Marches Care Ltd. http://www.marchescare.co.uk/

Ben Vorlich was sponsored by Brigadier Jack Johnston, Nancy and Toby. They have a special message for the RAMC; “Remembering all our troops and special thanks to all RAMC personnel for the valuable work they do."

End of Day 19 – 114 Munros climbed

Day 17 – 106 Munros down, only another 177 to go!

Wednesday 17^th August 2011

This morning Lucy and Jack joined the team up a fairly gentle Munro (Meall Nan Tarmachan) in the morning sun. In high spirits the climbers enjoyed beautiful views and a calm morning. Alex tested out his brand new walking boots which he had to get Sarah to purchase as his feet have swelled up so much he could no longer wear his other ones! He is very pleased with them even if they are a size too big!

The team left the camp half an hour late but after climbing the first Munro in record time the team caught up and were then ahead of schedule. The support team are threatening to wake the team up half an hour earlier tomorrow so that they leave on time! The team returned back to a track to pick up mountain bikes for the final stretch back to the vehicles while Lucy and Jack jogged back. 

At the vehicles they changed into their fetching lycra gear and hopped onto their road bikes for a 15 km cycle to the base of the next Munro (Meall Buidhe). After negotiating some wonderful highland cattle (Highland Coos!) that were very intrigued by the team’s bikes they peddled on up some pretty steep hills and around some very windy roads. The scenery was fantastic.

In no time the team were up and down the second Munro, back on the mountain bikes and down to the vehicles for a quick lunch pit stop. Henry had done a fabulous job having everything laid out and the 4x4 was very neatly organised! 

The climbers made their way up the third Munro (Stuc an Lochain) enjoying the scenic climb and the very friendly walkers they met on the way up. A few false summits and the team were on the top of Munro 105!! Back down and another quick pit stop with the support team before heading off for the final Munro of the day (Meall Ghaordaidh). The team have had lots of stops with the support team today which they like as it gives them a chance to chat and boosts their energy levels. The support team are getting very well rehearsed at having everything ready for them; snack box out, cycling shoes lined up, lycra in named piles and protein shakes at the ready! 

Tonight they are camping below the damn at Loch Lyon by the power station. It is still fairly windy but a nice evening despite being a little chilly! Today they have also been joined by Rachel Mander, a new support team member. Kedgeree for supper! The team have now climbed 106 Munros which is absolutely fantastic. Only another 177 to go!

Day 16 - Fish and chips and an early night!

Tuesday 16^th August 2011

Today the guys had a really fantastic day with a group of 11 Regiment Explosive Ordnance Disposal members (bomb disposal guys!). They met 10 of them at Boreland Farm (the eco bunk house they camped outside and borrowed facilities from). After a breakfast of cereal, juice and jam sandwiches, the team and the EOD bods headed off up through the farm and out onto the hills at about 0730. Unfortunately this was a bit behind schedule as Alex needed another session with foot specialist Si Long, but these things are important if his feet are to survive the next few weeks. 

The EOD members joined the team for the first Munro (Meall Greigh) and were met by another 14 who were waiting at the top of the second Munro (Meall Garbh). This gave the team a real boost, having such a fantastic new group with them and new groups at each summit. So the team send a big thank you to everyone who joined them today. The third squadron had come all the way especially from Belfast! Everyone was in good spirits and the climbers are enjoying having Si with them.

As this was happening, the support team were having a lie-in before packing up the tent. Steve and Becky went off and did bike/car cleaning whilst Sarah and Lucy spent rather a lot of money buying food for the team in Tesco’s and driving around all of Scotland getting kit for the team. They bought a new waterproof for Ceri in Braemar, and walking poles too to ease the pressure on his feet; a new trend set by Alex which Tom has yet to catch on to. They would like a special thankyou to go to the lovely man who works in the Munro shop in Pitlochry for being very helpful!

Henry, Si, the climbers and the EOD went off up 7 Munros together and were ahead of schedule, getting to camp at about 1600 before Lucy and Sarah! The team were camping by a dam on the edge of Loch na Lairige and fish and chips were bought by Steve and Jack to keep them going. The team had very luckily had a very dry day but on arriving at camp it was incredibly windy. A broken tent pole and pegs which wouldn't stay in the ground meant that the tent was on the verge of taking off all night! 

Don't forget that you can follow the team's progress in real time via their spottracker.

Video update 1 revealed....

The first video update is finally here! Catch a glimpse of the team's first few couple of days on the Munro Mission.

Day 15 – The team receive some tragic news...

Monday 15^th August 2011

After an epic day and a very late finish the night before, the team were lucky enough to have a lie in today and woke up at about 0900ish. They were in Blair Atholl Campsite and so were able to have a nice shower and a slightly more relaxed morning before leaving at 10:30 on their roadbikes. They started the day by climbing the Munro Schiehallion and met Mrs Rainer and her father-in-law who were very kind and donated to DecAid and bought 2 t-shirts, so thankyou very much!

During the day Jack and Steve from the support team did a recce for the campsite they would be staying in that evening. They met a very helpful man on a lawnmower/tractor who gave them invaluable advice on access routes into hills so a big thankyou goes to him. Jack then had a lovely time as he went off and chatted up some blonde farmer’s daughters.... Meanwhile Lucy and Sarah stayed behind doing admin type stuff. As per usual they did LOADS of washing of smelly socks and wet bits and pieces before bringing the climbers their lunch. 

Yesterday the team were joined by Rupert’s friends Si Long and Jamie MacDonald who joined the climbers on their road cycle after lunch. They all rode together quite quickly which Tom greatly enjoyed. However there was a lot of bike envy going on as Jamie and Si are said to have amazing bikes. At least that was the climber’s excuse for not going downhill quick enough! They rode all the way to the carpark at the base of their next 4 Munros and the climbers plus Steve, Jack and Lucy went up together. Everyone was quite chirpy as they climbed at a good pace in the beautiful evening. The nice weather meant that the group were able to enjoy amazing views, looking out for miles and seeing how far they had come. The Munros were on what seemed like a ridge(ish), and were very pretty, yet when they came to the top of the last Munro of the day the team were confused by what seemed to be two peaks on each side. They couldn’t decide which peak was actually the top! Jack and Steve placed a bet on it and after looking at the map, Steve was the lucky winner of a pint to be enjoyed at a later date.

The problem however is that after making it to the top, you then have to come back down. The walk down the Munro was very long and the team had to make their way through thick heather and bog back to where they started. It was very painful on their knees and there was also a lot of fence crossing in the dark which almost resulted in Tom doing himself some serious injury on barbed wire. Furthermore Jack completely misnavigated them and they ended up at the wrong point which meant they had to walk along the road. However, the team could now proudly say that they had made it up their 94^th Munro and were now officially a third of the way through.

The climbers made their way down to the base of the Munro at 2300 and ahead of schedule. They got into their cycling gear and onto their road bikes to cycled  the 12k back to camp. The team were camping outside an eco farm/bunk house and were able to use their showers and facilities which was wonderful. Sarah cooked them all a lovely risotto but unfortunately managed to burn her fingertips really badly in the process. She is now sporting white bandages on the tips of her fingers and is looking a little like Mickey Mouse. The boys were in bed by about 0030 after Si did an excellent job on Alex’s feet and spent hours taping them etc. which will do them the world of good. Today was the first day of the Munro Mission’s 3^rd week and in the first 2 weeks the team have summitted 90 Munros, climbed the equivalent height of Mt Everest four times and covered almost 500 miles on foot, bike and kayak. An incredible feat already.

However at the weekend the Munro Mission team received some tragic news. On Friday, Lieutenant Dan Clack of 1^st Battalion The Rifles lost his life in Afghanistan. As a former member of Exeter UOTC he was a wonderful friend to many of the DecAid team and so his loss has been felt strongly. DecAid’s thoughts and prayers are with the family of Dan and of course his fiancée Amy. He will be missed very much and always remembered. This tragedy highlights how important DecAid’s mission is, and reminds us all of why we are doing what we are doing. Please join us in honouring and supporting the brave men and women of our British Forces and their families. 

Lieutenant Daniel Clack

Day 14 - A monumental effort

Sunday 14^th August 2011

Sunday has to be the longest day for the Munro Mission team so far without a doubt. On Saturday night the boys didn’t arrive at camp on Blair Atholl Estate until about 2400 which was extremely late considering they had to be up again at 0400 the next morning. As one can imagine, they were incredibly tired, but the support team were there for them on arrival with food and made beds (or sleeping bags...). They team were tended to and force fed before being put straight to bed without much chatter as they all knew what they were facing the next day.

The next morning (or perhaps the same night, it’s hard to know which one’s which sometimes.) the team were up at the ridiculous time of 0400. Alex was really struggling with his feet as they were so swollen that he could barely get his shoes on. But the team have to push on regardless so the boys gritted their teeth and walked out into what was luckily a dry morning. Thankfully there was no rain and so the boys had dry feet (which makes a change) but unfortunately a river crossing put an end to that.

 Feet never stay dry for long...

The climbers walked until 1300 and ticked off the first four Munros of the morning without too much trouble. They then picked up their mountain bikes and continued on them for a while. The climbers caught up with the support team at 1500 and were provided with a late but very substantial picnic lunch consisting of sausages, soup, pasta and more to keep them going. This week the team have also been joined by Jack Lister and Steve Taylor which is great as new faces make a big difference to all of the Munro Mission team. 

After a very substantial meal, everyone headed up one more Munro (Beinn a’ Ghlo) while Rupert, Jack, Steve and Henry pushed the mountain bikes to top so that the team could cycle them all the way down to the foot of the 6^th Munro of the day, Braigh Coire Chrunin-bhalgain, kindly sponsored by the Griffiths family. The bikes were then transferred to the support team again so that they could cycle them to the next point for the climbers to ride them back to camp at the end of the day.  Rupert and Jack up walked slighltly up the hill to meet the team and bring them to their mountain bikes. Tom is really enjoying the cycling and it gives the team a welcome break from being on their feet, but unfortunately not everyone feels the same way (Ceri!)

During all of this Henry and Sarah came back to catch up on sleep whilst Lucy and Sean made dinner. After a lot of waiting, the boys finally arrived back at about 0130 very very tired. Despite the gargantuan effort that today required, the team were very thankful for it to be out of the way and they were looking forward to a bit of a lie-in the next day. 

 A welcome break from rain..

The team are now beginning to reach a point where they are not only physically tired, but mentally exhausted too. They are doing incredibly well yet the end still seems so very far away. Incredibly though the halfway point is approaching and they are keeping their eyes on the prize.

It is an incredible achievement to even be as far into the challenge as they are now, and 90 Munros are safely under their belts. The support team are also doing an incredible job getting up with the team (or even before!), going to bed with them and making sure everything is in place inbetween. They are working together like a well oiled machine and they will be getting some more new faces over the next few days so the whole team will appreciate that a lot.

Please show the DecAid Munro Mission team that what they are doing is worthy of support, and help us reach our target of £80,000 for our military charities. They have raised almost £18,000 already and deserve every penny and more.