In our Common Ground series of short interviews, we aim to find out what makes our fellow outdoor enthusiasts tick, the experiences they share and their hopes for the future. Our latest interviewee is Nick Gardner who after turning 80 challenged himself to climb all 282 Munros, succeeding in just over 2 years and raising thousands of pounds for dementia and osteoporosis charities after his wife Janet was diagnosed with both conditions.
Can you begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your background?
I come from a working class background in Leicester, England and was educated at one of the grammar schools. I was always looking at pictures of mountains and remember, as a small boy, asking my parents to take me to a mountain. They took me to Bradgate Park in Leicestershire. To this day l still remember the disappointment as l was expecting The Matterhorn!
How did you first get started? Can you remember your first trip outdoors?
It wasn’t until I was 17 years old that l had the opportunity to go on an Outward Bound course that l realised that mountains were special. At St Andrew’s University l obviously joined the mountaineering club and that’s where l began to take mountaineering seriously.
I began by hillwalking but this quickly progressed to scrambling and actual rock-climbing. My first real trip was to the Cuillin on Skye. You can imagine my thrill to see those incredible peaks. Another thrilling experience was a trip to Torridon when l was 20 and the seeds of living in the North West Highlands were sown.
Can you describe your ideal trip in Scotland?
I love bivvying. Waking up on top of a mountain is the most amazing experience l have ever had. Words cannot describe what it is like. On a summer evening l used to walk up An Teallach just to return the next morning after sleeping on the summit.
But an ideal day would incorporate a good walk or scramble – the best example being the Cuillin ridge on Skye. I have traversed the ridge many times now and it is the most powerful mountaineering experience imaginable.
What does getting outdoors mean to you?
We, humans, are all different and have varying likes and dislikes. I love the mountains and being in them. So l go to enjoy myself.
Some folk will enjoy the challenge of climbing but not me. I go to be as close as possible to such beautiful things. I feel that they, the mountains, give us so much if we respect them. I find the expression “Conquer a Mountain” extremely offensive. No one ever conquered a mountain. If it is feeling benevolent it will allow you to climb it but treat it with disrespect and it will kill you. When I could no longer look after my beloved wife, Janet, l turned to the mountains for help and they gave it in abundance. I know not how l would have coped without them. I regard them as friends.
Have your outdoors’ experiences changed you in any way, perhaps affecting other areas of your life?
When in the mountains the mundane problems of life seem to be unimportant. So l think that having mountain experiences has helped me with problems in the past. However when I realised that Janet had dementia l knew I was in serious trouble. I was devastated and knew l needed help. Hence the mountains, but not for enjoyment. I knew the medical profession couldn’t help me. I knew l had to find something big to focus on, something that was going to last a number of years.
We had moved to the North West Highlands 30 years ago as l wanted to be close to mountains as l was intending to climb all the Munros. Both Janet and l loved gardening so we bought a croft near Gairloch in Wester Ross and had a wonderful time being self-sufficient and l could climb the mountains. I soon realised that we had, arguably, the best mountains in Britain on our doorstep so l climbed our local ones repeatedly rather than drive to all those in the south. I therefore never did climb the Munros.
I was approaching my 80th birthday and thought, “I haven’t heard of anyone over 80 beginning and subsequently succeeding climbing all the Munros”. I made a few enquires and realised that this was the focus that l needed. Janet had been afflicted with osteoporosis for some time so after her dementia diagnosis l contacted both charities. They were both interested so our challenge was inaugurated. Covid delayed the commencement of the challenge but once l could get on the hills my challenge was being followed by thousands. I was being recognised everywhere and my initial fundraising target was quickly smashed. Once my challenge got underway it carried its own momentum. There was no way that l was going to stop unless an accident or serious medical problem got in the way.
Looking forward, if there was one thing you could change about Scotland’s outdoors – whether that be in something in the environment itself, or in the culture around walking and mountains, what would it be?
I find the concept that someone can own a mountain difficult to rationalise. This has been addressed to a large extent [by the rights and responsibilities set out in Scottish Access Code under the 2003 “right to roam” law] with mutual respect between landowners and climbers. However I worry that with the increasing numbers of people enjoying the outdoors, it would only take a few unsympathetic landowners to scupper the whole deal.
There are also issues around footpath maintenance and nature conservation that need to be addressed. Certainly the huge numbers of deer and their detrimental effect on the environment needs a solution, maybe it’s time to consider re-introducing apex predators like wolves?
Nick has raised over £150,000 for Alzheimer Scotland and the Royal Osteoporosis Society and continues to fundraise and inspire others. Sadly his wife Janet passed away in December 2022, a few months after Nick completed his Munro challenge. The mountains continue to offer solace.
To donate visit Nick’s fundraising page.
