Their story, in their words…
Our trip to Scotland was an experience that was challenging at times, but also gave us some amazing memories. From the moment we arrived in Fort William, we were amazed by how different the landscape was from London. After a very long journey from London to Glasgow and then Glasgow to Fort William, seeing the mountains, rivers and huge open landscapes made the journey worth it.
Our first real challenge came when we climbed Cow Hill with all of our equipment. The weather was rainy and cloudy, which made carrying our heavy bags up the hill even harder. Once we reached the top, we had to get our tents up and our camp organised in the rain. It was difficult, but we quickly realised that the best way to deal with it was to work together. Everyone took on different jobs depending on what they were best at, and eventually we had everything set up, cooked our dinner and settled down for the night.
The weather was even worse the following day, so we decided to take things slowly. We went down to find streams where we could collect and filter water for the day, and while climbing around Cow Hill we even came across some goats. The rest of the day was spent cooking, playing games and having good conversations. It gave us the chance to recover and prepare ourselves for what was coming. Thankfully, the weather improved after this and stayed much better for the rest of the week.
On Day 3, we set off early from the top of Cow Hill and began the long walk towards the base of Ben Nevis. Carrying all of our equipment on our backs made it a difficult journey, but we kept pushing each other through it. Eventually, we found a good spot beside a river where we could set up camp. After getting everything sorted, we had some time to rest and prepare ourselves for the biggest challenge of the trip.
The next morning, we set out to climb Ben Nevis. We had checked the mountain forecast beforehand and the conditions looked reasonable, and at the bottom the weather was almost perfect. As we climbed higher, the views became better and better, and for a while it felt like the conditions were going to stay that way.
Unfortunately, once we reached around halfway up, everything changed. It became extremely cold, rainy and windy, and the visibility got worse the higher we went. Throughout the climb, I tried to keep everyone’s morale up and make sure that we were all moving at roughly the same pace. We eventually reached around 1,000 metres, but by then I felt that the conditions had become too dangerous to continue. It was difficult to make that decision after everything we had already put into the climb, but I knew that keeping the group safe had to come first.
The walk back down was difficult in its own way, but finally reaching the bottom and getting into the visitor centre felt incredible. We were able to dry our clothes, warm up and have a hot chocolate. Even though we had not reached the summit, I was still proud of what we had achieved. The experience taught me that leadership is not always about pushing people to go further. Sometimes it means recognising when the conditions are no longer safe and making the right decision.
On Day 5, we made our way all the way back to Fort William. After days of hiking and carrying our equipment, we decided to spend a little time in town and treat ourselves to McFlurries from the one McDonald’s there. It was a small thing, but after everything we had done, it felt well deserved.
We then made the climb back up Cow Hill to our campsite. We were incredibly lucky with the weather. The sky was clear and we could see rays of sunlight shining down towards our camp. After the rain, cold and wind we had experienced earlier in the week, standing there and looking out over the landscape was one of the most rewarding moments of the trip.
Our final day was much more relaxed. We took our time packing everything away properly and made sure we left the campsite as we had found it. Before leaving, we took in the views one last time before beginning the long journey home.
The journey back took us from Fort William to Glasgow, then Glasgow to Birmingham and finally Birmingham to London. Although the journey itself was long, we were able to enjoy some incredible views through Fort William along the way. With the weather clear, we could see the lakes, mountains, rivers and forests properly, giving us one final look at the landscape we had spent the week exploring.
Looking back, the expedition taught us a lot about resilience, teamwork and leadership. From putting up tents in the rain to carrying heavy bags for hours, we learned how important it was to rely on each other when things became difficult. For me personally, the biggest lesson was about leadership. I learned how to keep people motivated and together, but also that sometimes the most responsible decision is to stop, even when you really want to keep going. The beauty of fort William left us all in a constant state of awe, paired with our groups determination, we were left with a feeling of accomplishment and deep reward. Needless to say, the challenge of our trip was definitely worth it, leaving us with both lessons and memories for life, which we are all incredibly grateful to the Mark Evison Foundation for making possible by giving us such an amazing opportunity.
