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An 82-year-old man mentioned he’s “prepared and really excited” to scale the ultimate peak in his mission to climb all of Scotland’s Munros.
Nick Gardner has made headlines for setting himself the problem to scale the nation’s 282 highest peaks since his spouse Janet, 84, was moved right into a care dwelling after growing Alzheimer’s illness and osteoporosis.
The grandfather-of-four, from Gairloch, within the north-western Scottish Highlands, set off into the hills in July 2020 to start his spectacular feat.
Now, simply over two years later, he’s about to embark on a bid to bag his closing Munro – Cairn Gorm.
Talking to the PA information company forward of his climb on Saturday, Mr Gardner mentioned: “I actually am completely prepared and really enthusiastic about ending the ultimate Munro.
“I actually really feel like a toddler on Christmas eve.
“There can be lots of my mates and a few of my household becoming a member of me, so it’s going to be an enormous day.”
Having by no means climbed a Munro earlier than – a Scottish mountain that reaches a minimal of three,000ft (914.4m) – the previous physics instructor, by the top of his problem, may have climbed greater than 500,000ft (152,000m), the equal of scaling Mount Everest (8,848m) about 17 instances, and walked an unimaginable 2,000 miles (3,218 km), a distance much like mountain climbing from Edinburgh to Greece.
Spreading the phrase about his mission alongside the best way, the skilled climber has raised greater than £50,000 for Alzheimer’s Scotland and the Royal Osteoporosis Society.
Employees and volunteers from each charities can be becoming a member of him for the ultimate climb, in addition to mates and his two daughters and 4 grandchildren.
A piper has been organized to play on the summit.
One in all his two daughters, Sally McKenzie, has nominated him to Guinness World Data for the oldest individual to climb the Munros.
Having accomplished seven Munros within the final 10 days alone, Mr Gardner mentioned he’s trying ahead to giving his knees a relaxation after he has reached the ultimate summit.
“The final three in Knoydart that I did have been actually robust,” he mentioned.
“We sadly had dangerous climate for Ladhar Bheinn, so it was a bit tougher.
“As a result of I had already organised this closing day, and for folks to hitch me, I simply needed to push on by way of, and I made it.
“I’ve had no accidents, however my knees are actually drained. Will probably be good to offer them a relaxation.”
Talking about how he feels being hours from finishing the epic problem, he added: “It should in all probability be an anti-climax on the finish of all of it.
“Doing this closing climb, I think about, goes to be very emotional.”
Mr Gardner mentioned he was “knocked for six” when his spouse Janet, needed to be moved right into a care dwelling.
Feeling on the point of a psychological breakdown, he mentioned he wanted to discover a problem to maintain him going.
Having all the time felt at dwelling on the mountain facet, he set off to bag all of Scotland’s Munros.
To donate to Mr Gardner’s trigger, go to www.justgiving.com/workforce/nicks-munro-challenge.
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