Highland woman first to complete mountain challenge — after she recovers from three types of cancer
A Highlander has become the first person to complete an extraordinary four-month mountain challenge today.
Lorraine McCall, who has recovered from three types of cancer, hiked, cycled and travelled by boat non-stop to 231 significant peaks in Scotland known as Grahams.
Like the better-known Munros – Scotland’s 282 mountains of at least 3000ft height – the Grahams are also defined by stature.
The list is identified in metric measurement and includes all Scottish summits of between 600m and 762m.
In total during her continuous round, which started on April 16, the 59-year-old walked 1500km and ascended more than 120,000 metres, or the equivalent of almost 14 times the height of Mount Everest.
In between, she has cycled 4000km and ascended 60,000m on two wheels, as well as kayaking and taking ferries where possible.
She has travelled as far south as Galloway, to the distant north of Sutherland, east to the region of Angus and west to reach many rugged mountains on the mainland and seven islands.
The most summits “bagged” in one day was six near Luss, close to Loch Lomond, during a 14-hour walk.
Lorraine has also spent many nights sleeping in a tent, bothies or hostels and she has carried a heavy rucksack with all her kit, food and water.
Today (September, 5) at 11.40am, after reaching her final summit Stac Pollaidh at 612m elevation in north-west Highland, she said: “It is the hardest thing I have ever done by far. It has been much harder than I could have ever imagined.
“But I am so proud of myself. I have been close to giving up quite a few times but I kept going and I am now very happy that I did.”
To complete the feat, Lorraine then needed to cycle 80 miles back to her hometown of Beauly.
Lorraine is no stranger to epic mountain circuits. In 2005, aged 40, she became the first woman to do a non-stop, self-powered round of the Munros on foot and by kayak.
Almost a decade later, she also set a record as the first female to link another huge list of mountains known as the Corbetts (mountains between 2500ft and 3000ft) in a similar way.
This week, she said: “The Grahams round has been much, much harder than either the Munros or Corbetts rounds. I can’t even quantify how much tougher it has been.
“My body is older and a bit more worn out than it was on previous rounds and I have also had to deal with three different cancers – two bowel cancers and breast cancer – over the past 12 years. This has made me slower, more breathless and I have some toileting issues.
“In addition, the Grahams, while smaller in stature than the Munros and Corbetts, are spread out much further geographically. They have very few paths because they are much less walked than other mountains and often thick with vegetation.”
Lorraine’s Grahams round has also served as a fundraiser for charity. She said: “I have been raising awareness and money for Alzheimer Scotland. A very good older friend of mine died after a long time living with dementia. My mum is now at the start of this difficult journey.”
Kirsty Stewart, Alzheimer Scotland’s executive lead of fundraising and engagement, said: "We are very grateful to Lorraine for her amazing fundraising efforts and send her a huge well done.
“It’s been wonderful to watch her progress over the past few months as she’s continued this extraordinary journey through some tough conditions.
"Lorraine’s story is an inspiration to all and will also help to raise awareness of dementia.”
Alan Dawson, the co-creator of the Grahams and the person who maintains the list, described Lorraine as “tremendously determined”.
He said: “There is a good reason why no-one has climbed all the Grahams in a continuous walk until now: They are hard work. About 10 per cent have pretty good paths to the top but that means over 200 are very tough going.
“The key issues are not navigation, exhaustion or even precipitation, but motivation and difficult vegetation.
“The concept of climbing them all in sequence, day after day, leaves me marvelling at the willpower, stamina and dogged determination required.
“Lorraine McCall has shown herself to have tremendous determination, a sense of purpose and presumably a sense of humour. Well done to her.”
Jamie Aarons who holds the record for the fastest self-powered continuous round of Munros, states Lorraine in “truly inspirational”.
She said: “Munros may have a bit more height, but Grahams take the cake for the road less travelled, not to mention having vast distances to get between them all.
“Lorraine took a silly idea that, as far as I know, had never been done before. She smiled through to the end despite many days of grim weather, mega bogs, hungry swarms of midges and no previous route to work from. I'm in awe of what she's completed.”
