Octogenarian climber Nick Gardner looks for new challenge after scaling all 282 Munro mountains in Scotland over two years to boost Alzheimer's and osteoporosis charities; the Aultbea man completed the incredible quest in honour of beloved wife Janet who suffers from both illnesses; the USA's 2,200 mile long Appalachian Trail or Devon and Cornwall's coast could be next on the grandad of four's radar
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At 82, after all of his vertiginous exploits, Nick Gardner would surely be entitled to put his feet up and sink deep into the sofa for a little while.
Remarkably, though, the intrepid octogenarian from the Aultbea area isn’t about to sit still.
The retired teacher and grandfather of four has just scaled all of Scotland’s 282 Munros but is already busily burying his head in guidebooks to plot his next great adventure.
Having completed the feat in two years, Mr Gardner is considering tackling the USA’s 2,200 mile long Appalachian Trail.
When he turned 80, with beloved wife Janet forced to move into a care home, he realised he desperately needed a new focus to help his mental state and great sense of loss.
To that end, the pensioner tasked himself with scaling the heights to raise cash for charity for Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis sufferers like Janet.
It was a quest he completed on Saturday at the summit of Cairn Gorm to much fanfare and national media attention.
Far from preparing to slow down and don the pipe and slippers, though, dreams of new challenges have been forming.
“I’ve looked into walking the entire Devon and Cornwall coastal trail,” Mr Gardner said. “I have got myself so fit that I am not going to stop.
“I can still walk for 14 hours a day, although I have a knee problem which may mean I opt for less climbing and more walking.
“A long walk like the Appalachian Trail is something that has taken my fancy ever since I read the travel writer Bill Bryson’s book on his trip.
“Bill only ended up completing a small section, and no wonder given the distance. I would love to see how far I could get.”
Mr Gardner, originally from Leicestershire, has been with Janet since 1975. Both quit teaching jobs to move to the north-west Highlands, marry, and buy a croft.
Janet (84) has suffered osteoporosis for 20 years and, in 2016, began to decline mentally with Alzheimer’s. He has two daughters, Sally McKenzie and Maria Lumsden.
Reaching the top of Cairn Gorm meant he had climbed more than 500,000ft (152,000m), the equivalent of scaling Mount Everest 17 times.
Over 2000 people donated to his cause, with the total now close to the £80,000 mark.
“It is unbelievable. I’m quite overwhelmed by the response,” he said.
“I’m just an ordinary bloke who loves the mountains, but I do hope my story will inspire people long after I’ve kicked the bucket.”
