Day 40 - 'Chiller night'

Friday, 9th September 2011

It was a pretty chilly night in the stalkers shed even though the chiller was switched off! Nevertheless, the wonderful kitchen next door in the holiday cottage made sure the team enjoyed a very civilised breakfast in the morning at a kitchen table rather than the usual plastic bowl full of cereal out of the van!

They headed off on their roadbikes with Tom Elliott and Becky also on theirs. They headed down some very scenic lanes with breathtaking scenery. Unfortunately it was too dark appreciate their surroundings at that time of the morning, but they enjoyed a day of views once the sun had risen.

Both Alex and Tom are in good spirits but their limbs are really feeling it now. In the morning they climbed 4 munros: for two soldiers of the Mercian Regiment, the team climbed Sgurr na Ruaidhe, dedicated to Pte Jason Williams and Carn na Gobhar for Sgt Michael Lockett MC. They dedicated the two further munros: Sgurr a'Choire Ghlas and Sgurr Fuar-Thuill to Tpr Jack Sadler of the Honourable Artillery Company and Marine Stephen Birdsall respectively.

The support team met them with their lunch and the roadbikes, luckily on time: driving between the various rendezvous points takes frustratingly long due to the lack of direct roads!

After a quick pit stop and a short cycle down to a power station, the team headed on up Carn na Gobhar - in honour of the Irish Guards and Sgurr na Lapaich - in remembrance of Irish Guardsman LSgt Mark Burgan. For the Coldstream Guards they continued on to climb An Riabhachan - personally dedicated to LCpl James Hill and An Socach. It was an extremely long day especially as the terrain was so boggy and the weather very wet.

Meanwhile Lewis and Ceri drove Bonnie and Henry up to some sheilings for a wild camp. It was a particularly wild off road track which Ceri and Lewis negotiated very well, especially the very narrow bridges, which only just allowed the 4x4 to pass.

Becky and Lucy meanwhile headed up to a rendezvous point to meet the team as they came off the final munro. It was incredibly boggy so really it was very important that the support team recce'd a route back for them and negotiated a river crossing along the way. Fortunately there was a wire across the river!

The team finished much later than anticipated at 0230. Bonnie did a wonderful job cooking supper for the 5 of them when they came back. Sadly the team had to be up for a 0700 start (pushed back an hour after the late finish).

End of Day 40 - the team has now climbed 238 munros and have raised £32,577.75 for our two chosen service charities - BLESMA and SAAFA. As the team reach the final week of their challenge please encourage donations to the Virgin Money Giving Site.

Day 39 Update - The team are 1 day ahead!

Thursday, 8th September 2011.

The team soared ahead of schedule today as they climbed 2 days worth of munros in one. As well as the 5 munros mentioned in the previous blog, the team also climbed 4 further munros in honour of the Mercian Regiment: A'Ghlas-bheinn - dedicated to Pte Douglas Niall Halliday and CSgt Martyn Horton, Sgurr nan Ceathreamhan - dedicated to Pte Thoman Sephton, An Socach - dedicated to Lt John Saderson and Rfn Remand Kulung, and An Soscach, as well as Beinn Fhada (Ben Attow) dedicated to Maring David Marsh.

That makes a total of 10 munros yesterday! This is an amazing achievement as they power on through the mission and on towards the finish line.

The team have now climbed 230 munros - only 53 to go! That's nothing, right?

Day 39 – Silhouetted Stags and Curious Bulls

Thursday, 8th September 2011

Tom and Alex were up and out by 0500 after a luxury bacon roll breakfast, and were off into the pouring rain again! But they were ready for the day ahead thanks to a night spent in a lovely bothy courtesy of Edinburgh University. The inside of the bothy was wonderfully decorated, and the team spent last night playing twister on the spots that were painted on the floor and then toasting marshmallows on the open fire.

Tom, Alex and Becky had a good day of climbing which started with a wonderful viewing of a stag silhouetted on the top of a hill in the morning sun. They were confronted with every type of weather too; rain, wind, sun and showers as they completed another five munros which were all dedicated to the Mercian Regiment: Beinn Flhionhlaidh, Carn Eighe, Mam Sodhail, Tom a’ Choinich and Toll Creagach. Benn Fhionhlaidh was climbed in honour of LCpl Paul Anthony Sandford and Drummer Thomas Wright and was sponsored by Bob Spencer of Risk Management UK who left the message: “Risk management UK is proud to sponsor DecAid in support of the Mercian Regiment. The sacrifices made by our Armed Forces must always be remembered. Bob Spencer MD”. Toll Creagach was dedicated to Private Brian Tunnicliffe and Carn Eighe was dedicated to Capt Sean Dolan.

The support team managed to have a few extra hours sleep when the team left until it was light enough to pack up the 4x4 with all the kit. They were then back in action: gathering everything together into the vehicle and organising for the next nights camp, stuffing wet boots with newspaper, making the next nights supper and sorting out the dirty washing.

The support team then headed down the off road track in the car next to the still very swollen river they passed yesterday and headed back to pick up the van and the trailor from a small car park at the bottom.

The 4x4 then headed off to do a recce of tonight's camping spot which is up near the damn on Loch Mullardoch. Meanwhile Lucy and Sarah took themselves off to do a shop at Aldi in Inverness and then headed up to Loch Mullardoch to meet the 4x4. There were a herd of very interested cows all around the track below the damn and a very suspicious bull that was particularly interested in the car!

Lucy and sarah meanwhile managed to speak to the very nice estate stalker who offered us his shed to camp in and the use of a very plush kitchen in the holiday cottage next door. It is normally used as a chiller for the deer meat but the stalker very kindly turned off the chiller for us so that we weren't quite camping in a fridge!

Ceri and Lewis headed up to the road bike drop off ready for the team so that they could cycle down to the shed and Henry and Tom headed up the last munro to meet Tom, Alex and Becky.

They all arrived back at around 2230 for a quick chicken curry supper and into bed by midnight.

End of day 39 – 225 munros climbed

Day 38 - Morale is high!

Wednesday, 7th September 2011

A wonderful long sleep left everyone feeling rejuvenated and their kit toasty and dry after being hung over the fire overnight. The team left in really good spirits with Rob Keane after some really good porridge!

They headed off up Ciste Dhubh first, in honour of the Royal Gloucester, Wiltshire and Berkshire Regiment and then headed west to Aonach Meadhoin, Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg, Saileag, and Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe, which were dedicated to the Yorkshire Regiment.

They also climbed Sgurr na Carnach - dedicated to Cpl Harvey Holmes, Mercian Regiment and finally Sgurr Fhuaran for LCpl Alan David Cochran and Cpl Terry Webster, also from the Mercian Regiment.

After another very wet day, the team came into Glenlicht House, a bothy owned by The University of Edinburgh mountaineering society, bang on time at 1800. They were very wet but the support team got a good fire going and the kit is slowly drying out. They all enjoyed a delicious stir-fry supper.

The team is just 10 days away from completing the mission. Alex will be the youngest person to have climbed all the munros and it will be the 2nd quickest time ever!

Day 37 - Wet & Wild

Tuesday, 6th September 2011

After a very late 0200 finish on the bikes last night and a (hopefully) shorter day today the team decided to catch up on some sleep and start at 0900 this morning. Unfortunately the weather hadn't changed overnight and even a good nights sleep couldn't revive their spirits!

The day was ridiculously wet and extremely windy; it was very tough battling against the wind and the rain all day - even the best gortex couldn't cope! Alex was very nearly lifted off his feet and they were crawling along some of the route in order to stay out of the wind. The team came across some very swollen and flooding rivers.

Despite the weather, the 'munro hopping' continued. In honour of the Royal Welsh Regiment, the team scrambled across Carn Ghluasaid, Sgurr nan Conbhairea - dedicated to Private James Prosser, and Sail Chaorainn.

In memory of Pte Jonathan Monk and Pte John Brackpool of the Princess of Wales Regiment the team climbed Mullach Fraoch-choire. The journey across A’ Chralaig was dedicated to the Royal Gloucester, Wiltshire and Berkshire Regiment.

Meanwhile half of the support team trudged into the youth hostel at Alltbeithe (only accessible by a 3 hour walk from the nearest road) and set up camp. It was a really cosy building which was very eco friendly with wind and solar powered lights, two fires which heat the water for the shower and everything is recycled bar a couple of bags of rubbish a month!

The team arrived in well ahead of schedule at 1800 ahead of Sarah, Becky and Lucy who were still on their way with the rest of the kit and the supper (they had to pick Becky up from the station). The team made the most of the spare time and had a quick 2 hour kip! The support team arrived and unpacked. Sarah concocted a delicious paella style supper which apparently contained a mystery ingredient...it has never been revealed and we're not sure we want to know!

They were joined for supper by Rob Keane a friend of Cpl Terry Webster who planned to spend the day with the team the next day.

After supper the boys made straight for the bunk beds and managed to get a good 10 hour sleep in total - a first!

The team has now climbed 213 munros!

Thank you to Skye Hi Mountain Guides

As the team leave Skye, they would like to say another huge thank you to Graham and Annie Patterson at Skye Hi for their generosity and kindness in supporting the team throughout one of the most crucial and challenging times of the mission.

Graham was the team's guide on Skye, and his knowledge of the Cuillin Ridge was fundamental to the team's motivation and progress.

THANK YOU!

Day 36 – Skye completed!

Monday 5th September 2011

After sleeping until 14:45 the team awoke to a beautiful day! The support team packed up their daysacks and cooked them some more pasta! Tom, Alex and Jack headed off on the road bikes to the foot of Bla Bheinn for the final munro on Skye. The climb of this munro was dedicated to Private Tony Rawson, of the Royal Anglians and was sponsored by Chris Laing. Graham headed up the munro with the team, joined by Lucy and Jack. It was fairly easy going with a good path most of the way up although lots of scrambling towards the end. It took them 4 hrs in total which was very good going.

They then hopped back on the bikes for a very long cycle off Skye, beyond Morvich and on to Ratagan where they will stay tonight at the youth hostel. They will be able to afford a later start tomorrow as they have completed the long cycle tonight. Tom and Alex are doing incredibly well.

The team have now successfully climbed 208 munros!

Day 35 – Update: the toughest endurance test yet!

Sunday 4th September 2011

This morning the team had departed from the 5 star campsite at Morvich by 06:30 and headed west on their roadbikes towards the Isle of Skye. Tom and Alex were joined by Lucy's brother Jack who cycled with the team for the 3 hour cycle to Sligachan. It was a beautiful morning and the scenery looked stunning in the early morning sun as they crossed the bridge at the Kyle of Lochalsh onto the Isle of Skye. The views certainly helped Tom and Alex take their minds of their aching limbs; you could see for miles right out to the islands beyond Skye.

Once at Sligachan Tom, Alex and the support team met up with Graham Paterson and his wife Annie from Skye Hi Guides. Graham was extremely kind in June when he took the team up for a recce on the notoriously difficult and technical Cuillin ridge. He very kindly offered to help Tom and Alex again for the real challenge and will be spending two days with them completing the 12 munros on Skye. 11 are part of the ridge and then Bla Bheinn is on its own further east.

The boys disappeared up onto the ridge with Graham at 1000 and didn't return until 0800 the following morning! In total 27 hours of climbing and scrambling on the Cuillin ridge; the team climbed and abseiled 6 munros in the dark!

For the Royal Anglian Regiment they climbed Sgurr na Mhadaidh, Sgurr a’ Ghreadaidh - dedicated to Cpl Scott Hardy, and Sgurr Mhic Choinnich for the Royal Irish Regiment; all of which were sponsored by the Romsey Ladies.

The Hicks Family sponsored Sgurr na Banachdich, climbed in memory of Capt David Hicks, Royal Anglians.

Also for the Royal Irish Regiment, the team conquered munros Sgurr Alasdair, dedicated to Ranger Aaron McCormick and Sgurr Dubh Mor. Sgurr na Eag was climbed in honour of the Royal Welsh Regiment. The team also climbed Am Bastier, dedicated to Private John Thrumble of The Royal Artillery, and Bruach na Frithe for the Royal Anglian Regiment.

They climbed the notorious Inaccessible Pinnacle, sponsored by Karen Cummings, to commemorate Lance Corporal Paul Muirhead, Royal Irish Regiment.

At the top of Sgurr Nan Guillian the team had a sip of Speckled Hen ale which had been given in honour of Capt David Hicks, Royal Anglians.

Graham hardly ever does the ridge in one go and has never done or known anyone to do such a large chunk in the dark, so it really was a massive achievement and to keep going for 27 hours is pretty incredible! But the team were rewarded with the most amazing views and incredible sunsets along the way. They had a wonderful day although it was by far the toughest endurance test they have had so far.

When they arrived at Glen Brittle memorial hall (for walkers and mountaineers), Tom, Alex and Graham were fed pasta bolognese before climbing into bed. They got a good 6 hours sleep before being awoken at 1445 to climb Bla Bheinn. Meanwhile the support team spent time cleaning their vehicles, fixing bikes and sorting food supplies as well as accommodation for the next few days, and writing press releases for the local and national press on the team's achievements so far.

They have now completed over 200 munros!

The team reach Skye!

The Munro Mission team are now on the shore of the beautiful Isle of Skye. They were doing the Cuillin Ridge yesterday and continue to climb it today, but they have absolutely no signal and so we currently have no communications with them. But fear not. The climbers are in the very safe hand of Graham Paterson from Skye Hi guides so they are being well looked after! We shall have an update with them as soon as possible. Below is a photograph of Carbost where the team were last night.

Whilst the climbers have been doing their thing, the support team have had a day of cleaning vehicles, bicycles and sorting things out. No rest for them!

The team will now have climbed over 200 Munros! The end is in sight!

Day 34 – The boys celebrate Lewis’ birthday with 11 Munros!

Saturday 3rd September

What a day! The team were up and out this morning by 0500 with Henry Munns as navigator. It was pretty wet in the night and was pouring when they opened the barn door. However rain wouldn’t dampen the spirits of the team as it was support team member Lewis's 20th birthday! The day was incredibly long, with the guys on their feet for another 20 hours. But amazingly they are now back on track and have managed to catch up the whole day that they lost earlier on in The Mission. The team are in great spirits and are feeling really good. This has given them a massive boost and loads of confidence for the final 2 weeks. Henry did a great job navigating them over some tough Munros and they managed a total of 11 by the end of today.

The team climbed Garbh Chioch Mhor, Spidean Mialach and Creag a’ Mhaim , all dedicated to The Rifles. They then climbed Druim Shionnach which was dedicated to Marine Paul Warren of The Royal Marines. Aonach air Chrith was dedicated to Lance Corporal Darren John George of The Royal Anglian Regiment, and Maol Chinn Dearg was also dedicated to The Royal Anglian Regiment. Sgurr an Doire Leathain was dedicated to Lance Corporal George Davey of The Royal Anglian Regiment.

The next Munro, Sgurr an Lochain, was dedicated to Corporal Darren Bonner of The Royal Anglian Regiment. Tom Elliott had gone to meet his mother Christine Bonner at the foot of Sgurr an Lochain and take her up. It was pretty tough going all the way up and back and although it ended up being a long day for her, Christine was very pleased to be able to lay a plaque at the top of the Munro as well as a heather posy in honour of her son.

Creag nan Damh was also dedicated to the Royal Anglian Regiment, and Sgurr na Sgine was dedicated to Rifleman Stuart Nash and very kindly sponsored by Bill Nash and Region 3 UGLNSW & ACT. Lastly, The Saddle was dedicated to Corporal Stephen Thompson of The Rifles.

It was wet and cloudy all day but the guys kept a good pace. They also met some really nice people along the way who had heard of the Munro Mission and were very keen to get a photo of the team which they are going to try and get it in Trail magazine! Luckily the weather cleared towards the end of day and they managed to get into camp over 2 hrs early ready for support team member Lewis Ashton’s birthday! Sadly Lewis had to leave to pick Tom Elliott up so there was no time for birthday cake. But the team enjoyed a wonderful sausage and mash supper before hitting the hay at around 2200.

End of day 34 – 196 Munros climbed. They’re almost at the 200 Munros mark!

The team are now on the beautiful Isle of Skye. Below is a photo of the early morning sun on Skye this morning (Sunday), as the boys do a 4 hour cycle, approaching the Kyle of Lochalsh.