Bonhill mountaineer picks up West Highland Way record

Ian Simpson finished the iconic route, which is the equivalent of three-and-a-half marathons, in just over two days - in bitter tempertures.

A Bonhill mountaineer who was permanently injured after a daredevil stunt went wrong when he was just 12 has completed the West Highland Way in record breaking time.

Ian Simpson, 50, finished the iconic 96-mile route between Fort William and Milngavie in just 52 hours - taking an incredible sixteen-and-a-half hours off the previous winter hiking fast-packers record.

Battling through tough terrain, freezing temperatures and heavy rain showers, nothing could stop Ian’s progress, as he concluded a memorable year where he also completed the UK 3000ers challenge for reaching the summit of every mountain in the country that is over 3000 feet.

And the Scottish Mountaineering Hall of Fame member was delighted with his latest achievement.

He said: “The last section proved to be the hardest even though the terrain was not as technical.

“In the final hike I had difficulties going over Conic Hill gaining a bit of height in the dark and the conditions underfoot were slowing me down because thick ice and rain together can be deadly.

“It then rained for three hours without stopping adding to the endurance of the event itself.

“The hardest challenge when doing this in low temperatures is sleep deprivation, it affects your eye to foot coordination.

“It’s three-and-a-half marathons in around two days carrying a weight of 10kg without running – that gives you an idea of the kind of strength and conditioning that is required.”

The feat is incredible for anyone but particularly Ian who spent a week in intensive care after suffering a collapsed lung, fractured pelvis, broken leg and internal bleeding when he collided with a whisky tanker at Bonhill’s Dillichip Loan as a child.

He still lives with the scars as he’s forced to wear a special insole due to a limp caused by the incident. However that hasn’t held him back.

In his latest challenge, he dealt with temperatures that rarely rose above freezing, and dropped as low as -12 with sleeping the biggest challenge for him.

He added: “The system of power snoozing frequently for 10 to 15 minutes three to five times an evening and also for an hour or two in daylight hours destroys fatigue tiredness and reboots the brain for a better physical performance and recovery in extreme environments.

“It lets you gain more miles in a timeframe allowing you to achieve long distance in a small period of time and makes sure you’ve got the level head for a long period of success.”

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