AN EAST Lothian dad has bagged all 282 of Scotland’s Munros in memory of his late father, who died from motor neurone disease (MND) just 15 peaks short of completing the challenge himself.
Paul Choat reached the summit of his final Munro – Perthshire’s Schiehallion – last month, five years after setting himself the challenge in honour of his hillwalking enthusiast father David.
He was joined by family and friends, including his six-year-old daughter Skye, who completed her first Munro alongside him.
The challenge grew from a family effort to finish David’s own decades-long Munro quest after MND left him unable to climb.
David had reached 267 of Scotland’s 282 peaks over 3,000ft when his condition made it impossible to continue.
Paul, 40, his three siblings Matt, Adam and Becky, and their mum Judy completed the remaining 15 on his behalf, finishing just two months before David died in 2021.
Paul then decided to continue and complete all 282 himself, raising money for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation in his father’s memory.
The family’s efforts have now raised more than £117,000 for MND research.
Paul said: “It's hard to put into words.
“There was almost a sense of relief because there were numerous points when I doubted whether I'd actually be able to do it.
“But mostly, I was really pleased for dad.
“It felt like I was able to finish what he started.
“Dad never got his name on the Scottish Mountaineering Club's Munro Compleators List – I couldn't change that, but I thought if I could finish them myself, raise some money and awareness along the way, maybe that was the next best thing.”
David, a former Shell project manager who lived with his family in Aberdeen, had been a keen hillwalker for decades.
His first Munro was Ben Nevis in 1998 with Judy and Paul, then 12, and he spent more than 20 years steadily working his way through the list.
But shortly after retiring, David began experiencing weakness in his hands.
He was diagnosed with MND in 2017.
Over the following four years, the disease gradually robbed the previously active father of his mobility.
Weakness in his hands developed into difficulties with mobility and, eventually, he could no longer walk or use his hands and arms properly.
He became a full-time wheelchair user, requiring help with most aspects of daily life.
Paul, who lives in Longniddry, said: “It was devastating.
“We were already a close family, but if anything, it brought us even closer.
“The frustrating thing was that it felt like: ‘Here's your diagnosis, that's it.’
“There wasn't really anything that could be done.
“That inspired us to think about whether there was some small part we could play in moving things forward.”
By the end of 2019, the family had decided to complete David’s remaining Munros.
The family celebrated completing his final 15 with a party, cake and whisky.
David died about two months later.
Paul returned to the mountains the following year.
For his final climb, Paul deliberately saved Schiehallion, hoping it would allow several generations of his family to be involved.
Relatives ranging from his two-year-old niece to 98-year-old grandmother gathered in Aberfeldy ahead of the climb, before about 35 family members, friends and people the Choats have met through the MND community joined the final challenge.
Among them was Skye, who was just two when her grandfather died and remembers him largely through photographs.
Heavy rain soaked the group during the climb, but Skye continued to the summit alongside Paul and her mum Becca.
Paul said: “I thought about dad pretty much the whole day.
“Having mum there and having Skye there made it really special.
“As we've got closer to finishing, she's understood much more about why I've been doing it and what we're raising the money for.”
Paul Thompson, director of fundraising and engagement at My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, described what Paul and the family had achieved as “something truly extraordinary”.
He said: “Completing all 282 Munros is a remarkable feat in itself, but doing so in David’s memory – and raising more than £117,000 for MND research along the way – makes it incredibly special.
“The personal connection between David and Doddie reflects the spirit at the heart of the MND community.
“We are enormously grateful to Paul, Skye and the entire Choat family.
“Their determination will help fund the research needed to change what an MND diagnosis means for families in the future.”
To support Paul’s cause, visit justgiving.com/page/munros4mnd
Share