Mountain man Iain is on top of the world

Jun 29 2012 by Clair Fullarton, Kilmarnock Standard

A KILMARNOCK man is on top of the world after completing a gruelling mountain bike challenge.

Iain Vause, 59, said he was elated after mountain-biking to the top of all nine Scottish mountains over 4000 feet high – in just three days.

Iain, who works at Crosshouse Hospital’s facilities department, said: “It was a brilliant feeling when I realised I had done what I had set out to do.

“It sounds funny, but I don’t know whether I would have been able to do this when I was younger.

“They say that climbers don’t really hit their peak until their in their 40s or 50s, and you need a lot of mental strength to keep going through the pain.”

Iain, who is married to Pauline and has two grown-up children, has been a keen mountaineer for many years, but has only recently begun to mountain-bike.

He wore a special harness to carry the bike during parts of his various climbs which were inaccessible on two wheels.

Said Iain: “I met a lot of great people while doing the challenge and most couldn‘t believe it when they saw the bike!

“When I told people what I was doing, they couldn’t get away with it, and many said they’d donate to my chosen charity when they got home.”

Iain chose to do the back-breaking challenge for Community Action Nepal, a charity set up by mountaineers, led by Doug Scott CBE, to help mountain people in Nepal raise their standard of living and strengthen indigenous community-based culture.

Iain said: “They do fantastic work, one example being the shelters they build in mountains for porters. Porters were dying because they were out in the open, and since they’ve built them, the deaths have stopped.”

Iain’s challenge saw him climb/bike Cairn Gorm, Ben Macdui, Cairn Toul, Sgor an Lohcian Uaine and Braeriach on day one, a total of 51.5 miles and 11.109 feet.

He then biked it to Fort William from Kingussie, a total of 48 miles on day two, before he scaled Aonach Beag, Aonach Mor, Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis on day three.

If you would like to donate to Iain’s worthy cause, please call him on 07775338513.