Man climbs 15 mountains in one day for bereaved military children
When Scott Plant signed up for the Welsh 3000s, he had no idea he was about to take on the hardest hike in the UK. The challenge – to climb 15 mountains in 24 hours with no transport – sounds almost impossible.
But with Scotty’s Little Soldiers at the front of his mind, he completed it, raising vital funds for bereaved military children in the process.
“My partner’s children are Scotty Members, so I’ve done a lot with the charity over the years,” he says. “I've been on Scotty’s holidays with them, I've watched the kids open Christmas and birthday presents Scotty’s sends them, I’ve seen the constant support they offer all year-round. I always tell anyone who wants to do a bit of fundraising to think about doing it for Scotty’s, because I’ve seen first-hand that the money goes to the right place.”
Scott and his friends waving the Scotty flag
The first mountain
Despite having never climbed a mountain before, Scott was keen to get involved. He took on the challenge with four friends and started climbing the first mountain – Mount Snowdon – at 2:30am. He had only looked up the challenge for the first time a few hours earlier.
“I googled it was while we on our way to Snowdon to start the ascent. I don’t know if I was more shocked or excited!”
Scott at the beginning of the challenge
Wind, weather warnings and wallets
The previous day, there had been a weather report warning of 100mph winds. As a result, some of his friends dropped out, but Scott refused to be deterred.
“There were originally meant to be ten of us taking part – five from Yorkshire and five from Wales – but the guys from Wales ended up dropping out due to the weather warnings. There were winds of over 100 miles per hour, which obviously isn’t massively safe when you’re clinging to a cliff face. Maybe we should have done the same, but we’d already booked a hotel and there was no chance we were going to lose that money – we're from Yorkshire!”
The fog and clouds were so dense that Scott could barely see in front of him for most of the first mountain, but once he reached the top the air had started to clear. For the first time, he realised how huge the challenge really was.
“I thought there would be a ridge connecting the mountains we could walk across, but that wasn’t the case. You literally have to go up and down, up and down, up and down 15 mountains. Without a doubt, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Scott's view descending one of the mountains
Training for the Welsh 3000s
In preparation for the hike, Scott had been going on regular walks of 20 miles with a 25kg bergen on his back. The training helped, but the steepness of mountain terrain caused him to struggle.
“Coming down I was like a mountain goat, but the climb was incredibly difficult. We traversed road, a gravel track, shaly rock, grass and even the ridge along a waterfall. We were all helping each other the whole way – there’s no way I could have completed it on my own. Downhill I was in my element, helping the other guys along. Uphill, when I was struggling to feel my legs, they were there pushing me forward. It was physically and mentally exhausting, but we had a good laugh. That’s what helped us finish it.”
Ascending a steep section of Mount Snowdon
Climbing 15 mountains in one day
Due to the dangerous weather, four mountains were closed off, meaning Scott and his friends had to climb four different, slightly smaller mountains to reach their target of 15. Despite this, they still covered a massive 30 miles in only 13 hours.
“I was exhausted by the end, but it just felt so good to finish. We’re planning on doing it again in the summer and smashing out every mountain. We hardly slowed down the entire time – we were just grabbing three or four minutes at the top of each peak to have something to eat and snap a quick photo before moving again. I didn’t want to sit down because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back up.”
The Welsh 3000s mountain path
Supporting bereaved military children
As a result of his efforts, Scott has raised £1,429 for Scotty’s Little Soldiers – money which will help us ensure we can continue offering emotional, educational and practical support to bereaved military children and young people.
“I had hoped to get around £500, but the donations just kept rolling in. That gave me even more determination to complete the challenge, as I’ve seen just how important everything Scotty’s do really is.”
If you'd like to donate to Scott's fundraiser, click here.
Scott and his friends atop one of the mountains
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
Inspired by the experience of Army widow Nikki Scott, following the death of her husband Corporal Lee Scott in Afghanistan in 2009, the charity, which was set up in 2010, provides support and guidance to hundreds of bereaved military children and young people throughout their childhood.
Services offered to Scotty’s members include access to child bereavement support, guidance to parents and carers, personal education and learning assistance (including grants), and fun activities such as holiday respite breaks and group events. These are all designed to remind the children and young people supported by Scotty’s that they are not alone.
Scotty’s Little Soldiers’ founder, Nikki Scott, said: “Climbing one mountain is incredible, let alone 15 in less than a day! Scott’s determination is infectious and it’s great to hear how much his partner and her children benefit from our support. Every penny he’s raised will help make sure that we can continue to help bereaved military children just like them.”
