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Your next challenge?: The Cateran Yomp

Written by Fiona

January 03 2017

Entries have opened for Scotland’s largest outdoors endurance walking event, the Cateran Yomp in Perthshire and Angus.

The challenge calls for walkers to trek up to 54 miles in 24 hours on June 10 and 11, 2017.

The event focuses on the Cateran Trail, which normally takes five days to walk. Instead, yompers are encouraged to hike 54 miles, 36.5 miles or 22 miles in just 24 hours through the stunning hills and glens of Perthshire and Angus.

Route of the ancient Caterans.

The route follows old roads and ancient tracks across a varied terrain of farmland, forests and moors.

Walk through a beautiful Scottish landscape.

Walk for charity

The Cateran Yomp also raises vital funds for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. Last year, a total of £550,000 was raised by the 1,054 trekkers to reach a total of £2.35 million over six years of the event. The Cateran Yomp has grown to become Scotland’s largest endurance fundraising event.

The top fundraising team in 2016, William Grant & Sons, raised an amazing £15,954.

ABF The Soldiers’ Charity supports soldiers, veterans and their families in times of need in areas such as education, housing, employment and well-being to facilitate a stable future for soldiers and their families.

Robin Bacon Chief of Staff, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, said: “We are excited, delighted and proud to be staging the Cateran Yomp in 2017, the seventh year of this arduous but tremendously uplifting team challenge across the magnificent landscape of Perthshire and Angus.”

“The ABF The Soldiers’ is rated as the No1 charity in the UK (by Third Sector Survey 2016) for ‘delivering on our promises’ and ‘using our money well’ and we are proud of who we are and what we do.

“We look forward to seeing the yompers raring to go on the start line.”

Cateran yomp ambassador

Stewart Harris.

The ambassador for the Cateran Yomp 2017 is Stewart Harris, a former infantryman, who served with 1st Battalion The Welsh Guards. He has received support from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and wants to give back to the organisation that helped to turn his life around.

While on tour in Afghanistan in 2012, a roadside bomb hurled Stewart’s vehicle into a ditch leaving him with brain damage. He has been left partially sighted and partially deaf.

In the same year he witnessed three of his comrades being shot dead by an Afghan policeman. Stewart was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder before leaving the Army at the age of 30 after 13 years of service.

Stewart hopes as many people as possible will sign up to do the Cateran Yomp. He said: “I look forward to meeting everyone in beautiful Perthshire – and showing you the support you have shown me and The Soldiers’ Charity.”

 

To register for the Cateran Yomp see soldierscharity.org/yomp Registration before February 28 costs £80/£60 per person including all food, camping if required and surprise activities along the way. The cost is £99/£80 after Feb 28.

What past yompers say

Winning team in 2016.

First place in the Cateran Yomp 2016 was awarded to Team Couch Potatoes, Will Stober, Adam Rackley, and Finton West, from London, who completed the full 54 miles in 11 hours and 45 minutes.

Finton said: “Teamwork got us round this varied course. We’ve run marathons together before but never a distance like this. The event was really well set up and organised with everything we could need or want. The incredible support can make the all important difference to a finishing time.”

Fastest military team.

Fastest military team finishing in 12 hours 30 minutes was Army Training Regiment, Winchester, made up of Louisa Steer, Ben Gallagher and Matthew Moores.

Louisa said: “Our strategy was trying to catch up with people ahead of us. Everyone was really encouraging all the way round and that helped a lot too.”

Husband and wife team from Dundee, Tim and Jackie Heilbronn (Team Dub n Mire), finished third place in 13 hours 15 minutes. They have competed in five Cateran Yomp events since 2012.

Tim and Jackie Heilbronn.

Tim said: “We have loved every moment of our time taking part in the Yomps over the years. The volunteers are superb and one of the reasons we come back every year. We have made so many friends doing this event. We were gutted though to have arrived so early at Auchintaple that we missed the Macsween haggis and bashed tatties.”

Why not sign up to the Cateran Yomp in 2017?

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