When Lorraine McCall set out in April on her 59th birthday to complete a non-stop round of the Grahams – a list of 231 significant mountains in Scotland – on foot and by bike, she could not have foreseen the summer of record-breaking atrocious weather.
She has also revealed that despite completing similar continuous rounds of the Corbetts and the Munros, the Grahams have been “far, far harder than anything I have ever done and so much tougher than anything I could have ever imagined”.
Today, after the four-month tour, Lorraine, reached her final Grahams summit on Stac Pollaidh in Sutherland.
She has become the first known woman to complete a dedicated round of the Grahams non-stop and self-powered (except for a few ferries).
What are the Grahams?
Like the better-known Munros (Scotland’s 282 mountains of at least 3000ft height) and the Corbetts (the 222 mountains between 2500ft and 3000ft), the Grahams are also defined by stature. The list is identified in metric measurement and includes all Scottish summits of between 600m and 762m.
The Fionas are a sub-set and classed as the “old” Grahams, being between 2000ft and 2500ft tall.
Lorraine’s non-stop Grahams challenge
In total during her round, Lorraine, of Beauly, Highlands, walked 1500km and ascended more than 120,000 metres, or the equivalent of almost 14 times the height of Mount Everest.
In between, she cycled 4000km and ascended 60,000m on two wheels, as well as kayaking and taking ferries where possible.
She has travelled as far south as Galloway, to the distant north of Sutherland, east to the region of Angus and west to reach many rugged mountains on the mainland and seven islands.
She spent numerous nights in a tent, bothies and hostels and carried all her kit, food and water in a rucksack.
Lorraine’s Munros and Corbetts rounds
In 2005, aged 40, Lorraine became the first woman to do a non-stop, self-powered round on foot and by kayak of the Munros.
Almost a decade later, she set a record as the first female to link the Corbetts in a similar way.
She has also faced three different cancers – with two affecting the bowel and also breast cancer. – over the last 12 years
Then came the Grahams – and today’s final summit
After reaching her final Graham, Stac Pollaidh at 612m elevation in north-west Highlands, today at 11.40am, Lorraine revealed: “While the Munros and Corbetts are taller, sometimes by many hundreds of metres, the Grahams have been a much harder undertaking.
“The Grahams are also spread out over a far greater area geographically – including 23 on islands – and they have very few paths because they are much less walked than other mountains and often thick and deep with vegetation.
“Added to this the cancers have made me slower, more breathless and with some toileting issues.”
Lorraine recalls the Grahams on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll, and in Galloway as some of the hardest.
She said: “At times in these areas it was hard to make progress, with thick pine forest to get through, then bracken I couldn’t even see over and wading through deep heather underfoot.
“There has been a lot of steep and rugged ground too on the west coast. The hardest stage of all was without doubt the seven Grahams on the Isle of Mull.
“The combination of difficult terrain plus terrible weather really came to a head there. It was so stormy and wet on the tops I could barely see.
“On one Graham I struggled to get back down because the wind was really strong and then I had difficulty even reaching the next hill due to a swollen river. I ended that day totally trashed.
“There has also been a lot of very boggy ground to deal with and then there has been the swarms of midges, which are very unpleasant.”
Lorraine described the Grahams in eastern Scotland as “generally easier” because the start point is at a higher elevation and the mountains have gentler slopes.
But the final stage, through Easter Ross, Caithness and Sutherland, has entailed many long and arduous days to reach very remote Grahams.
Lorraine said: “I have had extremely long days of cycling and walking and it has not been an easy finish to the challenge.
“Right now, I am struggling to even quantify how tough my latest mountains challenge has been.”
Following the hike surrounded by friends to to the final summit, Lorraine still needed to cycle another 80 miles to finish the challenge where she started in her home town.
She added: “I am so proud of myself. I have been close to giving up quite a few times but I kept going and I am now very happy that I did.
“I am also so grateful for the amazing support of so many people. The round started out as a small WhatsApp group. I didn’t even have a full plan.
“In the end, I’ve had so much support from so many people and I could not have done it without them.”
Support and motivation for Grahams rounds
The record-setting walker has high praise for many friends who have turned out to support her quest.
Lorraine said: “The round started out as a small group of friends and a WhatsApp group. I didn’t even have a full plan. In the end, I’ve had so much support from so many people and I could not have done it without them.”
Lorraine is grateful the help of a number of brands and sponsors including Summits Outdoor, Rab, Terra Nova and Radix/Vango.
Lorraine’s Grahams round has also served as a fundraiser for charity. She said: “I have been raising awareness and money for Alzheimer Scotland. A very good older friend of mine died after a long time living with dementia. My mum is now at the start of this difficult journey.”
Kirsty Stewart, Alzheimer Scotland’s Executive Lead of Fundraising and Engagement, said: “We are very grateful to Lorraine for her amazing fundraising efforts and send her a huge well done. It’s been wonderful to watch her progress over the past few months as she’s continued this extraordinary journey through some tough conditions.
“Lorraine’s story is an inspiration to all and will also help to raise awareness of dementia.
“Every pound raised helps Alzheimer Scotland continue to develop and deliver vital dementia support.”
To donate see Just Giving Lorraine’s Ups n Doons.
Also see “Lorraine’s 231 Grahams Adventure “ on Facebook and @lorrainemccall231 on Instagram.
Praise for Lorraine
Alan Dawson, the co-creator of the Grahams and the person who maintains the list, described Lorraine as “tremendously determined”.
He said: “There is a good reason why no-one has climbed all the Grahams in a continuous walk until now: They are hard work. About 10 per cent have pretty good paths to the top but that means over 200 are very tough going.
“The key issues are not navigation, exhaustion or even precipitation, but motivation and difficult vegetation.
“The concept of climbing them all in sequence, day after day, leaves me marvelling at the willpower, stamina and dogged determination required.
“Lorraine McCall has shown herself to have tremendous determination, a sense of purpose and presumably a sense of humour. Well done to her.”
Jamie Aarons who holds the record for the fastest self-powered continuous round of Munros, states Lorraine is “truly inspirational”.
She said: “Munros may have a bit more height, but Grahams take the cake for the road less travelled, not to mention having vast distances to get between them all.
“Lorraine took a silly idea that, as far as I know, had never been done before. She smiled through to the end despite many days of grim weather, mega bogs, hungry swarms of midges and no previous route to work from. I’m in awe of what she’s completed.”