Step by step. Or, in Lorraine McCall’s case, one Graham at a time.
In April, the 59-year-old Highlander set out on a challenge to climb 231 Grahams, Scottish mountains that range in height from 600 to 762 metres. Earlier this month, she climbed her final peak at Stac Pollaidh, having walked more than 1,500km and climbed 12km. She had also cycled 4,000km and done some kayaking.
It was a journey that took her across Scotland, from Galloway in the south to Sutherland in the far north. They climbed numerous peaks between Angus on the east coast of Scotland and several of the Western Isles. During the day she carried her supplies and at night she camped in the wild or stayed in hostels.
In one day, McCall reached the summit of six peaks near Luss, close to Loch Lomond, during a 14-hour walk.
“It’s by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she admitted. “It’s way harder than I ever imagined.
‘Twenty years ago I did all the Munroes as a continuous journey, ten years ago I did all the Corbetts. So I think it was always in the back of my mind that I would always do the Grahams. So when it got to ten years I decided to go for it.
McCall celebrates her final climb to the top of Stac Pollaidh at the end of her challenge
McCall spent a lot of time wild camping in the Highlands during her trip
A friend of mine had climbed all the 3000ft peaks or more between Land’s End and John O’Groats the year before. I met him on his trip in 2003 and thought he was doing a great job.
“I’m so proud of myself. There were a few times I was close to giving up, but I kept going and I’m really happy with it now.”
McCall, who has recovered from three different types of cancer, is no stranger to a challenge. After completing this latest adventure – capped off with an 80-mile bike ride back to her hometown of Beauly – she entered the record books for the third time in the past 20 years.
McCall’s love affair with the challenges of the Highlands began in 2005 when, at the age of 40, she became the first woman to complete a non-stop circuit of the Munros (Scottish mountains over 900 metres high) on foot and by kayak.
Ten years later she became the first woman to complete a similar challenge at the Corbetts in Scotland, mountains between 760 and 915 metres high.
Although the Grahams are smaller than the Munros, McCall admits this was her toughest challenge yet, adding: ‘The Grahams round was much, much harder than the Munros or Corbetts rounds. I can’t even quantify how much harder it was.
‘My body is older and a bit more worn out than in previous rounds and I’ve also had to deal with three different types of cancer in the past 12 years – two colon cancers and breast cancer. That has made me slower and more breathless.
Kayaking played an important part in McCall’s journey between the mountain peaks around Scotland’s lochs and islands
McCall on her way to the summit of Ben Armine in Sutherland, nearing the end of her challenge
‘Furthermore, the Grahams, although smaller in size than the Munros and Corbetts, are much more widely spread out geographically. They have very few paths because they are much less travelled than other mountains and are often heavily vegetated.’
While global warming has long been a concern for the future, some areas of Scotland experienced their wettest summer on record this year.
The unusual conditions combined with the miles covered meant McCall had to complete additional mini-tests, but she persevered, taking only one day of complete rest during her challenge.
“To give people an idea of what the weather would be like during my round, I started with a small bottle of SPF 50 sunscreen in April,” she said. “Now it’s September and I’ve yet to drink that same bottle.
‘(Later) I put my foot in a hole and that night it couldn’t hold any weight. I borrowed some frozen peas, put my feet up in a hostel for a day and the next day it was back at it again.’
McCall has no plans to move into more Scottish mountains for the time being. Simply put, she sees her immediate future challenges in a more literary sense.
‘No plans for ten years from now,’ she said. ‘It’s just a matter of coping (with everything) and the bigger challenge is writing about what I’ve done. It’ll be a mix of the hills, Scotland and my life experiences. It’s about the journey, not just up the hills but the journey through life.’