Day 33 - Two boys and an inflatable canoe...

Friday 2nd September

The climbing team, consisting of Tom, Alex and Tom E bound through the barn door in great spirits on Friday night after another fantastic day in the hills. But today was actually a bit different as it started with a very short (inflatable) canoe across loch Hourn. It was 0645, the wind was blowing a gale, and the tide was coming in around the small island which was home to one of the Barrisdale Estate boat houses. Tom and Alex changed into waterproof gear, got their paddles and slipped the inflatable canoe (kindly lent by Rupert) into the water. It only took about 15 minutes for them to cross to the other side which was very lucky because the boat had a few holes in it which were only found at the last minute, and by the time they had got to shore it was looking pretty deflated on one side!

Chief navigator for the day Tom Elliott was very kindly taken across the water by Craig in his motorboat, as the little blow-up boat would never have made it with all 3 of them in it! Having made sure the team had all the correct kit for the day, Lewis and Lucy escorted all the night’s kit down the loch in Craig’s boat to Kinlochourn where the vehicles stayed overnight. Ceri also had a night of luxury at the B&B there. However Sarah was not happy as he had disobeyed strict instructions to rest and had instead renovated the inside of the van, hanging things up and tidying up!

The team had a good day and did lots more running meaning they arrived back in the evening 2 and a half hours early! Rosie, Emily and Lewis had managed to get mountain bikes up a very long track which took them 4 hrs and involved pushing them up scree and over the remnants of a land slide! But nevertheless the team were extremely grateful to be able to cycle down, thus saving them a lot of time. Today the team climbed Munros including Beinn Sgritheall dedicated to Rifleman Liam Maughan and Sgurr a’ Mhaoraich dedicated to Rifleman Daniel Holkham.

Tonight’s stop was in a small barn next to a lodge. Two lovely people named Duncan and Georgie were down from London and were staying in the lodge. They were very kind to the team, inviting them in for tea and letting them shower and wash up in their kitchen. So a very big thank you goes out to them for their kindness and hospitality! Everyone then had a quick supper (a variation on macoroni cheese made on a camp stove with a quick sip of beer donated by Georgie and Duncan) and were in bed by 2200. The photo below was taken from the team’s overnight stop.

Day 32 - Sarah works her magic....

Thursday 1st September

This morning the team left the wild camp at 0500 in the dark and headed straight up the first Munro of the day with Becky, Sgurr Mor. They then continued on to do 5 more Munros, all dedicated to The Rifles. Sgurr nan Coireachan, Garbh Chioch Mhor (dedicated to Rifleman Mark Marshall), Sgurr na Ciche, Meall Bhuidhe and Luinne Bheinn (dedicated to Corporal Richard Green).

As expected, both Alex and Tom were very tired today as they were climbing with so little sleep th night before. But luckily the team had a fantastic day made even better by the amazing views. There is something so satisfying looking out into the distance at the Munros you have already climbed... The day was also mostly dry which makes a massive difference, and the team enjoyed a lovely lunch stop, talking to some very friendly people who stopped to chat to them.

The River Kingie Valley near Loch Quoich

They are now joined by 2 new support team members; Emily and Rosie Leysham. Tom Elliott and Rosie headed up the final Munro, Ladhar Bheinn (dedicated to Rifleman Jonathan Allott), to meet the team and to lead them down. The Munros that the team have climbed over the past few days have been incredibly steep and much of the time has been spent scrambling up to the top. The team were due to finish on the Barrisdale Estate at the Bothy there. This area is one of the most remote in Scotland and so this meant a 2.5 hour walk in for the support team! Fortunately Sarah had managed to get a lift down the sea loch in a boat with all the kit so the rest of the support team just had to walk themselves out. There was a bit of a rush because this particular bothy is very popular and we needed space for 9! As the support team approached the bothy they met up with Sarah who announced that the bothy was full. As faces dropped at the thought of having to walk all the way back, Sarah said she'd worked her magic and managed to get them all into The White House, a little stalkers cottage with bunkbeds, a fully equipped kitchen and a generator for electricity!!

So the support team moved into the cottage, set up beds and made supper. Tom, Alex, Tom and Rosie arrived in an hour early much to the support team’s surprise and relief. Tom and Alex had had a fantastic day and spent much of it running to make up lost time! Where on earth does their energy come from?! It was such an achievement for them and they came back buzzing!

End of day 32 – 183 Munros climbed.

Day 31 - The boys go retro!

Wednesday 31st August

Today Stu navigated the first part of the day and then Becky took over later in the day to do the final couple of Munros. Meanwhile the support team administered a bike stop off and Char had a spectacular fall off one of the bikes which kept everyone amused! So too did the teams retro cycling attire which the support team had talked them into! Multicoloured lycra, and long golf socks...Tom and Alex looked a treat. It was a perfect day for it with a 20Km mountain bike ride and then a 35 Km road bike.

The support team, consisting of Lucy, James Fish and Tom Elliott walked in about 8 km to a wild camp with 3 tents for the team. Once the camp had been set up, Tom E went up the last Munro to mark out the route for Alex, Becky and Tom for when they came down so that they didn't miss the camp. The team were all in good spirits when they came off the hills but with only 4 hrs to sleep it was a quick chicken curry supper before they hit the hay for a very short kip.

All the Munros climbed today were dedicated to The Rifles. Gulvain was dedicated to Lance Corporal David Kirkness and Rifleman James Brown. This Munro was very kindly sponsored by Anthony Laing with the message "To everyone in the Rifles, we remain eternally grateful for your bravery and dedication in Afghanistan." They also climbed Sron a' Choire Gairbh, Gairich and Meal Na Teanga which was dedicated to Rifleman Aidan Howell.

The team would like to say a huge thank you to Lea Mcnally for his generosity in letting the team access tracks and for letting the support team stay in his cottage. Also thank you to Mike Pearson at the Tomdoun hotel for all his help with contacts. Below is a picture of the beautiful Tomdoun area that the team have been in.

We are very sorry that the blogs have taken so long to appear over the last few days. The team have had very little signal and have had very busy days. But stay tuned!

End of day 31 - 176 Munros climbed

Day 30 - Ceri sees the doctor...

Tuesday 30th August

Today the team did an incredible 10 Munros, all dedicated to The Rifles. Binnein Beag (dedicated to Rifleman William Aldridge), Sgurr Eilde Mor (dedicated to Rifleman Daniel Hume) and Binnein Mor. Na Gruagaichean was dedicated to Captain Mark Hale and Rifleman Daniel Wild of The Rifles and sponsored by Graham Wilson with the message "For C Company, 2 Rifles".

They also climbed Stob Coire a’ Chairn, An Gearanach, Am Bodach, Sgurr a’ Mhaim, Stob Ban (dedicated to Rifleman Samuel John Bassett), and Mullach Nan Coirean (dedicated to Rifleman Andrew Fentiman)

The day started off with a panicked phone call to Sarah at the top of a Munro in the morning. Tom and Alex could see another Munro in the distance and were not due to climb it but were worried that they were meant to! However panic subsided when Sarah confirmed that it wasn't on the list for today. Support team member Stu has done a brilliant job of altering all the summit timings and some of the route which has cut out quite a bit of time. However, in this case he went a bit over the top and calculated that the team would summit a Munro 10 minutes earlier than their previous one, subsequently cutting an hour out instantly! Sarah meanwhile made hundreds of phone calls to landowners and stalkers in order to arrange bothys, barns and pony huts as accommodation for the next few weeks. With her Florence Nightingale hat on she then took Ceri to A&E in Fort William where he had his feet and back examined.

¾ hours later, Ceri had his verdict. He was concerned by potentially broken bones (especially in his left foot) but thankfully this was not the case. Due to soft tissue damage in his feet (similar to Plantar Fasciitis but slightly worse) caused by pounding of the feet, Ceri has been told by the consultant that he cannot walk for 3-4 weeks. He also has a bruised coxyx from falling off his bike. He explains that whilst incredibly keen to continue walking through the pain, Ceri ‘took one for the team’ to make sure that the challenge was still achievable. As one can expect, having to pull out of the climbing team and fall into the support team has been incredibly difficult for Ceri but he tells us that he’s through the worst emotionally. Whilst now being a new member of the support team, Ceri is doing his bit (including doing laundry!) but Sarah is calling the shots, making sure he is putting his feet up and having an ice bath on his feet every day!

The slightly diminished climbing team, now only consisting of Tom and Alex, spent lots of time trying to persuade Ceri that he should continue on with them but understand that with his injuries he needs to pull out. This has not deterred them though and they continue on with fighting spirit. The photo below is of the two of them on the summit of one of their 10 Munros at 1930. They finished the day at approximately 2330 at a wild camp, where Stu cooked them supper and looked after them.

End of day 30 - 170 Munros climbed

Sgurr a' Mhaim

For anyone who has been closely following the team on the SPOT tracker today, you might have noticed that they missed out Sgurr a' Mhaim. Don't panic! They forgot the tracker for the 8th Munro but have photographic evidence on their other GPS locator!

Day 29 - A well earned McDonalds for the team!

Monday 29th August

Well rested after a good 8 hour sleep in the Kinlochleven AT centre and with a hearty full English/Scottish breakfast in their tummies, Tom and Alex set off at 0725 on their trusty road bikes.

The support team and navigators are trying very hard to change the route and timings so that the team are able to make up the time they lost by not being able to do the Aonach Eagach ridge on Sunday. They should hopefully be able to make up for it by the end of the week. They completed the ridge in record time yesterday due to some better weather conditions than expected. Stu and Becky are to be thanked for finding a good track up onto the ridge which saved them a lot of time. In fact they ended up being an hour ahead of schedule! The time managed to whizz by as Henry got them all into a big political debate about the educational system! Both Alex and Tom stopped off at the bike drop off at 1400 to refuel with snacks and water.

On they went; more miles and another 2 Munros which were climbed with support team members, Tom, Henry and James. Very boggy routes up and down but they managed to avoid the rain and even enjoyed a brief spell of sun at the top. Back down the hill on Mountain bikes which is always good fun...less fun for the support team who have to cycle them uphill! All the way back Tom and Alex were dreaming of the proposed stop at McDonalds in Fort William! They have been talking about this little detour for weeks so it was very lucky that they had time to do it! It was pretty amusing watching Alex cycle off with a McDonalds in one hand and trying to steer with the other!

Meanwhile the rest of the support team 'moved in' to the nights stop, the Youth Hostel in Fort William - luxury. Beds had to be made, clean clothes sorted and Sarah and Char cooked a hearty Irish Stew for supper. Ceri has got stuck into support team duties and very kindly offered to take 4 very large bags of washing to the laundrette, which certianly kept him occupied!

Alex and Tom arrived at the Youth Hostel nearly 2 hours ahead of schedule which is a record! It was time for showers and a very early nights sleep to prepare for the many wild camps and very long days over the next few weeks. As eyes started to droop over pudding the team were whisked away to bed for a very early night! Meanwhile the support team managed to completely take over the Youth Hostel dinning room by pouring over maps and making plans for the next few days.

The Munros climbed today were all dedicated to The Rifles. Meall Dearg was dedicated to Rifleman Jamie Gunn and very kindly sponsored by Alastair Rellie and Lucasta Cummings who left the the message "With great respect, affection and gratitude to the Rifles." Sgorr na Fiannaidh was dedicated to Rifleman Adrian Sheldon and Sgorr Dhearg (Beinn a' Bheithir) was dedicated to Rifleman Cyrus Thatcher.

The team are just passing the Commando Memorial near Spean Bridge. This photograph was taken when the team visited it a few months ago.

Day 28 - A wet and windy start

Sunday 28th August

The team were up at 0355 this morning and out on their bikes at 0500 for a very wet and windy cycle in the dark from the campsite at the Kingshouse Hotel, to the Glencoe Ski Centre. They were met by DecAid co-founder Rupert Laing, his sister Becky and friend Charles who had come all the way from Forres that morning, leaving at 0200! The team were delighted to also be joined by the Laing's spaniel Bumble. She looked less than impressed as she was pulled from her basket in the car and attached to her lead in the pouring rain, but I'm afraid the team had little sympathy for her! Rupert, Becky and Charles expertly navigated the team over Meall a Bhuiridh and Criese, two Munros which are very popular with mountain bikers in the summer, before heading back down to the road to meet the support team. Meall a Bhuiridh was dedicated to Sergeant Christopher John Reed of The Rifles.

The support team sent Alex, Ceri and Tom off on their road bikes along the A82 before collecting them back again a short way down the very exposed and windy road. Following behind them in the 4x4 it was clear that most of the teams energy was being used to stay upright as they battled against the elements! After refuelling with food and water the support team sent them on their way up Stob na Broige and Stob Dearg which was a particularly blustery walk, especially for poor Bumble! Both of the Munros were dedicated to The Rifles. Once at the top of the final Munro Rupert took himself off on a recce to see whether there was a shorter route back down to the road. After clambering down 100m of rock face and ripping his trousers in the process he decided to return to the team who were sensibly making their way down the well trodden footpath back to the road!

The team have now climbed nearly 160 Munros in just 28 days. Unfortunately Ceri announced yesterday that he has decided to temporarily join the support team. He has been suffering from an extremely painful back and his feet have been causing him a lot of problems recently. But he hopes to join the team again very soon once he has recovered.

If you are following the SPOT tracker then you will have noticed that the team have changed their routes quite a bit over the last few days. The Aonach Eagach Ridge can be particularly treacherous when it is very windy so the team decided to do it today instead which has temporarily pushed back timings. However, they are hoping to make up the lost time over the course of the week. If you are hoping to come and join the team then please e-mail decaidmunromission@live.co.uk if you would like us to confirm summit times for any of the Munros.

End of day 28 - 158 Munros climbed.

Day 27 – Another toughie....

Saturday 27th August

Yesterday evening saw the team make a change of plan. They decided to call it a day when they passed their camp at about 2130 instead of continuing on to do the final Munro of the day, Ben Starav, which would have seen them get into bed at 0130. Instead they arose at 0330 this morning and started walking at 0400 after a quick snack. They returned for breakfast before going on to today's Munros. Beinn Fhionnlaidh (Glen Etive) was dedicated to Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton and Sgor na H-ulaidh was dedicated to Bombardier Samuel Robinson and Lance Bombardier Mark Chandler, all from The Royal Artillery. Bidean nam Bian was dedicated to Captain Alex Eida from the Royal Horse Artillery. They also climbed Stob Coire Sgreamhach and all the Munros climbed today are all part of a particularly stunning section of the route and involve walking down a beautiful valley featured in the Munro Mission video on you tube.

Once the climbers were off, the support team had to head back up the boggy hill that the climbers had spent the night on, to collapse their tents and bring all their kit down. With such late nights and early mornings it has become a priority to make sure the support team are well rested to ensure they are on top form for when the team are back down at camp. They are therefore taking every possible opportunity to catch some shuteye. It has also been very wet here for the past 48 hours so they are on standby for another trip to the laundrette in Fort William (the only one for miles around!) when the team return. On Friday poor Charlotte got left at the laundrette all afternoon as the team ran out of vehicles to pick her up. The support team all felt very sorry for her until they found out that the owner of the laundrette had taken pity on her and given her a bath and taken her out for tea. She also mentioned a trip to the pub so she soon lost their sympathy!

Today was particularly long but considerably shorter after some expert rearranging by support team member Stu Buchan. He suggested the team didn't use mountain bikes for one particular part as it meant they would spend a lot of time losing and then regaining height. Instead he managed to find an alternative route which kept them as high as possible and cut numerous hours off the day. Stu navigated them to a rendezvous point at the foot of the last 2 Munros, Stob Dubh (Buchaile Etive Beag) and Stob Coire Raineach, where he handed over to Lucy at 2020. After a quick break to change socks, powder feet and eat some food, Tom, Ceri and Alex were ready to crack the final leg of the day.

The team were glad to have a good footpath up to the saddle in between the final 2 of the day which were done in the dark. The winds really started to pick up and by the time they reached the summit it really was quite blustery. The team could see the end of a very, very long day in sight and managed to get back down to the road in 3 hrs which was very good. They then met up with Stu and Becky who administered the change onto roadbikes. Becky set off with them for the 8km cycle into the camping spot at the Kingshouse Hotel however she got a puncture about 1 km from the tent and had to push her bike the rest of the way. Back at camp Sarah had a very warming bacon risotto waiting for everyone which was much appreciated. The team ate their supper in their sleeping bags and were asleep by 0100. However they were up at 0400 the next morning for another very long day....The team are doing very well but are looking forward to a decent night’s sleep!

End of day 27 - 154 Munros climbed

Day 26 – A tough one...

Friday 26th August

This morning a very tired team were awoken at 0600 and practically forcefed their breakfast in order to wake them up. All three of them felt very sleep deprived as they only manage to get about 4 hours sleep. Sarah and Lewis on the other hand didn't make it to bed. They were up fixing bikes, making sandwiches and sorting out other important things for the busy day ahead. Thankfully both of them managed to catch up on sleep later in the day.

New support team member Stu Buchan took the team up the Munros today which were very boggy, and although the views were absolutely stunning, the team were really feeling the lack of sleep as tiredness truly kicked in. Glencoe is the team’s favourite area and they have been looking forward to it the most. It was a glorious morning and the scenery looked fantastic.

Today was always going to be a long day and by about 1900, the team had already climbed 6 Munros, all dedicated to The Royal Artillery. Meall Non Eun and Stob Coir an Albannich were the first two, with Stob Coir an Albannich dedicated to WO2 Michael Smith of The Royal Artillery. They were delighted to meet the McIlroys who represented the Highland Gunners and climbed today's 3rd Munro, Glas Bheinn Mhor, In memory of Sergeant David Wilkinson. Glas Bheinn Mhor was kindly sponsored by Rachel Wilkinson with the message "A million years from now my heart will ever hold you."

The team also climbed Beinn nan Aighenan, Ben Starav and Beinn Sgulaird. The team added Beinn Sgulaird (dedicated to Bombardier Craig Hopson) to today's route which was initially going to be climbed the next morning. We apologise for the confusion that these last minute changes in plan have on people following the team on their online route maps and trackplotter. However in situations like these, the climbers have to make sure that they are changing routes to accomodate how they are feeling at the time. These days are getting so long that if cutting a bit of time off one day makes all the difference. Unfortunately though, due to the last minute change in timings, the team were very sad to miss the Sawyers who had come up from 2 9 commando Plymouth to climb Ben Starav in honour of Captain Tom Sawyer in black tie!

After all of this the team met at an RV point to collect the roadbikes just before 1900, a little later than expected. They cycled to a small car park where they were given bowlfulls of chorizo pasta and three helpings of pudding! They sat in the van for an hour whilst the support team refueled their camelbacks with water, crammed as much food into their daysacks as possible and tended to their feet which are looking very much like prunes! Ceri is starting to have back troubles but it only seems to be a problem when he stops and sits down. The balls of his feet are still fairly numb but no one can fault his morale which considering his nasty bike incident yesterday is remarkable.

Alex is as usual very jolly and always meets the support team after a long day with jokes and banter.

Tom is in very good spirits and doing exceptionally well during these very tough days. He still absolutely loves the cycling part!

The support team sent them on their way at 2000 up a very steep and boggy hill which didn't have much in the way of a path. The support team had been up there earlier in the day to set up two tents with all the kit the team would need for a nights stay. It took about an hour and a half to get to the beautiful spot which was high up overlooking two lakes. Sadly it was too late and dark for the team to see the views when they got in. The support team left Becky up there so that she could cook them supper (number 2!) and check that they were all ok. Tom Elliot took the climbers up the very boggy hill (by now a well rehearsed route). They were due to get back to the camp at about 2300 but we have yet to catch up with Tom E to find out how they got on.

The team have got another couple of very tough days ahead of them before things become a little easier. It is amazing how much confidence they all have in each other. It was definitely a bonus to have had a really tough week (week 1) as it has given them a lot of confidence that they can do it again.

Over the last few days we have all been so touched by the incredible generosity of the local people. On Thursday the team were interviewed by Alan Thomson from STV. He very kindly managed to get us a night in the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. We are also grateful to Nadia and Duncan who were so generous in giving us all a bed for the night for free and for looking after us all so well. The use of a drying room has become sheer luxury as has a kitchen in which to eat breakfast away from the midges. We also owe a massive thank you to Mr and Mrs Lawrie who have let us camp on their grass verge for 2 nights now. With such wet weather we couldn't be more grateful for the use of a loo and hotwater! The cup of tea and KitKat went down very well too!

End of day 26 - 148 Munros climbed

Day 25 – The team make it to the halfway mark!

Thursday 25th August

Today marked the halfway point in the Munro Mission, and what a day it was to mark this point. After a lovely night in The Bridge of Orchy Hotel, the team had a quick breakfast and the last shower for what may be some time. They were out of the hotel (see below) by 0600, with their wet kit all dry thanks to the drying room facilities. A massive thankyou goes to all at the hotel for their generosity and letting the team stay the night. It was hugely appreciated by everyone.

Today the team met DecAid patron Simon Hollington and Alan Thomson from STV. After the attempted filming session in the torrential rain last night, Alan kindly decided to come and meet the team this morning for some action shots on the hill and a few interviews with Tom, Alex, Ceri and Simon.

After about 45mins of posing and interviews the team were on their way. Simon Hollington met the team ready to climb the first 2 munros of the day, Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh. The first Munro, Beinn Dorain, was sponsored by Simon and Anne as it was dedicated to their nephew Royal Marine Richard Hollington who lost his life from injuries sustained in Afghanistan last year. It was an absolutely stunning day. Blue skies and the warmth of the sun really helped to lift everyone’s spirits especially as it was a bit colder this morning! The team are certainly starting to feel the temperature difference as they approach September and head further North. The photo below shows Simon and the team on the summit of Beinn Dorain (Munro number 136) at 0855 today.

The climbers had a really good day; spirits were high and they were extremely pleased to meet Ed Parker (founder of walking with the wounded) and his daughter Kitty on the hills. This photo below shows then on the bealach between Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh at 0945 today.

The team went on to climb Beinn Mhanach which was dedicated to Corporal Danny Winter and Beinn a'Chreachainh dedicated to Lieutenant John Thornton, both of The Royal Marines. Earlier on in the day Tom had worked out that at exactly 1524 the team would be exactly half way through the Munro Mission! 24 days and 6 hours in....The photo below shows the exact moment as measured by their Nitewatches!

The team were walking until 1600 when they picked up bikes for a quick 45minute cycle down a beautiful track to the road bike stop. There were a fair few river crossings to negotiate on their way down and not all of them went smoothly. It was especially treacherous for Becky who flew off her bike into one such river, getting more than a little damp! But the day didn't finish there for the Munro Mission team...

With a new DecAid member joining the support team, the boys out on hill, a fresh attitude and raring to go, spirits were high as the climbers set off for the later part of the day. The team changed their initial route for the evening, adding the first 2 from tomorrow’s route on to the end of today as they were concerned about the length of the days. This included Stob Ghabhar, dedicate to Lance Bombardier James Dwyer of the Royal Artillery, kindly sponsored by climber Ceri and his wife Jo. There were some more challenging routes to overcome this evening and they proved to put the team to the test at the end of a long and tough day in the Scottish highlands. However, they all arrived safely at their final bike stop to pick up the road bikes and enjoy a steady ride into camp. Ceri unfortunately suffered a rather scary crash bursting a tyre and finding himself buried in undergrowth. Still in one piece though, if a little shocked and stiff as a result of the crash, it was a relief to find camp where there were dry clothes, warm food and a bed waiting for them all. The team were allowed to camp outside a very kind gentleman’s house and use his outdoor facilities (including a toilet and hot water!!). The Munro Mission team are constantly amazed at the generosity shown by the locals and the positive reception DecAid receives. Being able to camp in private grounds and make use of facilities and hot water makes such a difference to everyone involved. At the end of the arduous day, not finishing until 0130, it was quick to bed ready for an early rise the next morning.

End of day 25 - 142 Munros climbed.