Earlier in the year, Iona’s close friend and previous walking partner, Erin, moved to Australia for a year, which promoted father and daughter to start hiking together, starting with Mount Keen.

Then, they decided to tackle the iconic Ben Nevis, at 4,413 ft. There are two main routes up the mountain, and they decided to take the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel route, where they’d camped the night before the attempt. With it being mid-August, there were some additional challenges apart from the hike itself, including midges, a blazingly hot sun, and Alan’s altitude cramps, which is a condition diagnosed by doctors where leg cramps get worse at higher elevations as it’s related to oxygen levels.

Overcoming the altitude

Alan got cramps on a previous hike up Lochnagar’s 3,700 feet in May.

“When we got to the summit, he was in bits,” recalls Iona. “Both of his legs cramped up, and he couldn’t get them to stretch out.”

However, Alan was determined to make the hike up Ben Nevis.

“We knew he’d get the cramps going up Ben Nevis, so I’d brought along some cramp remedy sachets, although I didn’t read the ingredients,” says Iona.

“Before starting out that morning, he took a little of the sachet contents but pulled a face and said they tasted vile. Turns out, the so-called remedy is mostly vinegar, and they caused instant heartburn – and it turned out they did nothing to ease the leg cramps, despite dad braving the awful taste to take four or five more during the hike, in case they’d actually work sometime.”

It was about 9am when they started for the peak, and it was already warm. As it was such good weather, they thought the early start might let them avoid the possible crowds of other hikers, but a descending hiker had already counted 250 people on the path in just half an hour. The mountain typically attracts over 125,000 walkers each year.

Divide and conquer

Iona admits she likes to simply stride ahead and reach her goal, while her father had to cope with leg cramps. Almost immediately, Alan struggled with the heat and midges, so he encouraged Iona to go ahead. They decided to make the hike at their own individual pace, maintaining contact by phone throughout the climb.

Despite being determined to make a fast ascent, Iona still took time to admire the view on the way. “About halfway up, there was this stunning cloud inversion,” she says. “The clouds sat right beside the path with clear views up to the summit. It was a strange experience because walking through the clouds left me damp with their moisture, yet I was sweating from walking in the sunshine. When I came back out of the clouds, my hair was soaked, and I was covered in moisture. It was stunning!”

Iona reached the summit in three hours and 22 minutes, then waited another 90 minutes for her father to join her.

“I phoned my dad every so often, asking how he was getting on. I think he was trying to tell me he was getting on a lot better than he actually was. I kept saying, can you show me where you are? He’d reply that I really didn’t want to know!”

Despite his leg cramping and slower pace, Alan’s total time of roughly five hours was respectable, although he admitted to only completing the route because they were doing it together and for Breast Cancer UK. Breast Cancer UK are a prevention-focused charity who are pushing breast cancer research in new directions, putting pressure on those in power and providing education that empowers people to take control of their health. Studies show that being active can reduce your risk of breast cancer by around 20%, which is why Iona and Alan’s commitment is about more than just raising money.

Not out of the woods yet

After lunch, and taking some photographs, the two could take their time going back down, and then look forward to relaxing back at the campsite as the afternoon turned to evening. Trouble was, Alan was still having challenges.

“He was still getting severe leg cramps, and that meant he could really get into his sleeping bag properly,” says Iona. “Then, after finally getting some sleep, he woke up covered in midge bites and with swollen, sunburned legs despite both using sun cream and midge spray. Only my dad was affected, and he declared he’s never doing it again!”

However, since then, Iona and Alan completed a three-Munro circuit in September, starting from the ski centre at Glenshee (at about 1,000 ft elevation). In Scotland, a Munro is a Scottish mountain with an elevation of more than 3,000 ft, of which there are 282. Walking the entire circuit of the Cairnwell, Carn Aosda and Carn a Gheoidh took the pair about four hours, with the first Munro being the steepest climb.

For Iona, the challenge of bagging Munros and other high mountains in the UK continues. “I’ve completed 10 Munros and 10 Wainwrights, including England’s biggest peaks of Scafell Pike and Helvellyn, and Skiddaw and Skiddaw Little Man,” she says. “I’d also love to go up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), as it’s the only major UK peak left on my list. However, as Yr Wyddfa is in north Wales, the journey will take about nine hours, so it’s probably a challenge for next year.”

And who knows, maybe her father will go with her to Wales – and at least the midges won’t be so bad!

To donate, visit Iona’s JustGiving page here. If Iona’s story has inspired you, simply click here to find out how you can get involved in your own fundraising effort for Breast Cancer UK, or contact the team here to get started.

The Scottish Housing News Charity Spotlight feature highlights the vital work of charities across Scotland each Friday. To include your local charity, whether housing-related or not, send your story and images to us at newsdesk@scottishnews.com.