In July 2021, our team collectively plan to complete the West Highland Way in a completely new way. Instead of just hiking, running or cycling the 94 miles from Milngavie in North Glasgow to Fort William, our unconventional challenge will encompass all of the above (and adding a swim for good measure too). 

I'm joining in for the Swim, Bike and Hike sections of the challenge... After the seriously crazy people have run the first 22 miles... 

Swimming from East to West across the width of Loch Lomond, the UK’s largest inland body of water. With Ben Lomond as a backdrop and Inchmurrin as a potential pitstop, this 3 mile traverse of the expanse of fresh water promises to land us on the shingle beach of Luss. Here we will trade wetsuits for two wheels as we cycle parallel to the trails of the West Highland way. The route will start fast, flat and technically challenging as we skirt past the ever-narrowing Loch Lomond on one side and the densely packed Arrochar forests to the other. At Crianlarich, the lochside view is replaced by expansive, rolling hills. The climbing will start at this point, subtly at first, leading into the first of two big climbs from Tyndrum into Glen of Orchy and Glen of Orchy up to the Rannoch Moors. The reward for these gruelling ascents will be the eroded supervolcano of Glencoe, replicating the rigors of Devil’s staircase on the traditional route. From here will be a white-knuckle descent through Glencoe and crossing Kinlochleven ending the arduous route at Fort William.

On the second day we will take ourselves up and down Ben Nevis, hiking the highest mountain in the UK and staking our claim as having completed one of the toughest challenges – all in aid of Tommy’s the Baby Charity.

So why Tommy’s? The charity was founded by two doctors back in 1992, where appalled by the consequences of pregnancy complications and premature births, began fundraising to find ways to prevent and treat these life-altering complications that can result in consequences such as miscarriage, stillbirth and cerebral palsy to name a few. In 2021, Tommy’s has grown to become the leading UK charity helping make pregnancy safer, and is a charity very close to the hearts of many of our team members.