A woman has decided to celebrate her 60th birthday differently by climbing 130 Munros to raise money for the Archie Foundation.
Katy Boocock, a retired paediatric physiotherapist from Inverness, is taking on the challenge to climb all 130 “Archies” in Scotland.
An Archie is a Munro that is more than 3,250ft with a 330ft drop on all sides, giving it an arched shape.
Once Ms Boocock completes the challenge, she will have climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest 10 times.
She began her journey at the start of June by climbing Ben Ime near Loch Lomond and is aiming to raise £2,000 for the Archie Foundation through JustGiving.
Not only is she climbing every one of the Archies, but she is also walking, running, canoeing and cycling her way between them too.
Ms Boocock said: “I’ve worked as a paediatric physiotherapist for 25 years and have seen first-hand the work that the Archie Foundation does and the fantastic support they provide to children and their families.
“This challenge is something I can do to raise awareness of the Archie Foundation and hopefully vital funds.”
‘What better way to mark my birthday’
As an avid hill runner, the challenge seemed like a perfect way to celebrate a major milestone birthday.
She said: “Turning 60 is a significant milestone and one that I wanted to mark. I’m a very active person and love the great outdoors.
“I took part in the original Archies challenge a few years ago, for me, it’s a natural progression to want to try and complete the challenge on my own, and what better way to mark my birthday.”
Paula Cormack, chief executive of the Archie Foundation, said: “Katy is just amazing. The challenge she is undertaking is simply phenomenal.
“It is thanks to people like Katy that the Archie Foundation can do so much to support children and their families across North Scotland.”
Ms Boocock is due to complete her challenge on July 8 atop Ben Wyvis.
