Category: News

Each week, we’ll be introducing you to one of the amazing ambassadors who are helping the #ItsUptoUs campaign by stepping up to #SaveMountainPaths.

This week, we’re meeting the inspirational and record-breaking mountain-runner Pawel Cymbalista, who the Mountaineering Scotland team had the pleasure of hearing speak as part of Tales from the Trails at the 2023 Fort William Mountain Festival. He said:

“Hello! I’m Pawel Cymbalista, a 35-year-old mountain runner, ultra runner, and coach at Pawel Cymbalista My Mountain Lab Coaching. Originally from Poland, I relocated to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands in 2013. It was there that my love for the Highlands blossomed as I explored the local hills and trails through running. Currently, I reside in the picturesque port village of Mallaig on the West Coast in Lochaber.

“Reflecting on my journey, it’s incredible to think how far I’ve come in the past decade. I was never athletically inclined, but Scotland’s influence transformed my life, shaping me into who I am today.

“Over the years, I’ve achieved numerous long-distance Fastest Known Times, including the First Unsupported Cape Wrath Trail completed in 86 hours and 49 minutes. I’ve also achieved Fastest Known Times like the Great Glen Way, East Highland Way, and Unsupported West Highlands Way. Through these endeavours, I’ve raised funds for local charities in the region.

“Apart from personal achievements, I find fulfilment in coaching others, pushing myself through running, and constantly seeking new ways to unlock my potential and reach new heights.

“My long-distance running exploits have led me to breathtaking locations that few have ever witnessed. These places range from untouched landscapes unmarked by human footprints to well-travelled areas frequented by visitors daily. Recognising the need for their preservation, I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to serve as an Ambassador for Mountaineering Scotland. This program allows me to give back to the region that has given me so much.

“As someone who utilizes these paths on a daily basis, being part of a team that spreads awareness and helps maintain our invaluable outdoor trails holds great significance for me. I am committed to ensuring that future generations, including our children, can experience the wonders of these paths for years to come.”

Find out more and donate

Each week, we’ll be introducing one of the 16 amazing ambassadors who are helping the #ItsUptoUs campaign by stepping up to #SaveMountainPaths.

This week, we’re meeting Matthew Smillie, better known on Instagram as @thescottishconqueror. We asked Matthew to tell us a little bit about himself, and why he felt like he wanted to be a part of the campaign to save Scotland’s mountain paths.

“Hey, my name is Matthew Smillie. I’m a 38-year-old personal trainer based in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire.

“The mountains are everything for me, my escape and my connection, but this is all new to myself. I’ve never been a huge outdoor person, and I never did much traveling around Scotland.

“From a young age, I got caught up in living in the central belt, and a ‘living for the weekend lifestyle’.

“But the mountains have allowed me to change that mentality and have helped me explore more of this amazing country.

“I can escape from the reality of work and daily stresses by going hillwalking most weekends, exploring Scotland and getting outdoors, being active and bagging Munro’s.

“The mountains have allowed me to live a more adventurous lifestyle and connect to fellow hikers on the same journey.

“I became an ambassador for the Its Up to Us campaign as I want others to enjoy my experience of hillwalking and getting outdoors.

“Without this campaign, and the maintenance of paths and prevention of damage on the mountains, this wouldn’t be possible.

“It’s a great experience getting out walking and exploring but we need to help leave the mountains better than we found them and reserve and restore to help this experience pass on for years to come.

“Big thanks to mountaineering Scotland for letting me be a part of this campaign.”

It’s Up to Us – the new partnership campaign from Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS), and supported by the Scottish Mountaineering Trust – was officially launched in Perth last night, at an event packed with familiar faces from the mountain community.

The new three-year campaign – which aims to raise awareness of the desperate need for investment in the repair and maintenance of informal mountain paths across Scotland – will initially focus on raising £300,000 to fund the repair of the mountain path on An Teallach in the Northwest Highlands.

The launch event – held at the Black Watch Castle & Museum – saw the premiere of the new It’s Up to Us video, which was shot on location at An Teallach earlier in May.

Team members from Mountaineering Scotland, the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Mountaineering Trust were also joined by several campaign ambassadors – including Cameron McNeish, Ross Cunningham, Kerri Wallace and Sean Green – who spoke at the event, highlighting the importance of Scotland’s mountain paths from the viewpoint of different members of the outdoor community.

Afterwards, those who attended had the chance to chat about the campaign in the sunshine outside the Black Watch Museum.

A massive thank you to everyone who came along to the launch, and to all those who have already donated to the campaign.

Now we need your help! You can find out more or donate, and follow along using #It’sUptoUs and #SaveMountainPaths

The new It’s Up to Us campaign from the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS) and Mountaineering Scotland kicked off with the award of the 60th anniversary, £100,000 Diamond Grant from the Scottish Mountaineering Trust (SMT).

It’s Up to Us is an ambitious three-year partnership campaign to raise £300,000 for much-needed path repairs on one of Scotland’s most iconic mountains – An Teallach – whilst raising awareness of the desperate need for investment in the repair and maintenance of informal mountain paths situated on land outside of Scotland’s national parks and NGO estates.

The award was announced at the Dundee Mountain Film Festival on Saturday 26th November 2022, during which Stuart Younie, CEO of Mountaineering Scotland, and Dougie Baird, CEO of OATS, accepted the generous award from the Scottish Mountaineering Trust’s Chair, John Fowler.

John Fowler, Chair of the Scottish Mountaineering Trust, said: “There were a number of worthy bids for the Diamond Grant, but the Trustees were really impressed by the ground-breaking approach that OATS and Mountaineering Scotland have come up with.

“Their imaginative funding model to support our paths will have a major impact on Scotland’s mountain community for many years to come. Using the repair of the path on the iconic An Teallach as the prototype is a great idea as it is such a large and important project. We look forward to working with them going forward.”

Mountaineering Scotland CEO, Stuart Younie, explained: “Scotland’s informal hill and mountain path network plays a vital role in helping us to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of being active outdoors, which was never more evident than during the pandemic.

“Active tourism also makes a significant contribution to the Scottish economy and to local communities across the highlands. Our access may be free from charges, but it does come at a cost, and we need to recognise the cumulative impact of recreational activity on our landscape and do something positive to address it so it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.”

CEO of the Outdoor Access Trust Scotland, Dougie Baird, added: “We no longer have access to European funding, which has provided significant support for path and habitat restoration projects in the past, with no funding from the government to replace it.

“The ‘It’s Up to Us’ project will be vital in showing that mountaineers and conservationists can come together to solve the problems at An Teallach and other mountains on private land, whilst also highlighting the desperate need for government support for this type of work in the future. It’s fantastic to have received the Scottish Mountaineering Trust’s Diamond Grant to kick start the project.”

This special birthday award – the biggest in the Trust’s history – is the latest in an extensive line of grants set up to aid deserving mountain projects. Over the years, the Scottish Mountaineering Trust has contributed more than £1.7m to a wide range of recipients, from a new mountain rescue base to a student training weekend and a mountain film festival, all with the goal of helping more people to experience and enjoy our incredible mountains.

It’s Up to Us is a new three-year campaign to raise awareness of the desperate need for investment in the repair and maintenance of informal mountain paths across Scotland. Initially, the campaign will focus on raising £300,000 to fund the repair the mountain path from Dundonnell on An Teallach – one of Scotland’s most iconic mountains – which has become badly eroded due to its popularity and the extremes of Scottish weather.

To kick off the campaign, a new launch video has been filmed on location in Dundonnell, with key supporters and ambassadors travelling to An Teallach in the Northwest Highlands to take part.

Alongside Mountaineering Scotland CEO, Stuart Younie, and OATS CEO, Dougie Baird, It’s Up to Us campaign ambassadors Ross Cunningham (@ross_cunningham_hiking), Lorna Bray (@gurl_on_the_hill) and Benjamin Barendrecht (@benjamin_barendrecht) joined the filming, each taking the time to talk about the importance of Scotland’s mountain paths and why we so desperately need the new campaign in order to save them.

Taking place over two days, Duncan Bryden, Chairman of OATS, John Fowler, Chairman of the Scottish Mountaineering Trust, Brian Shackleton, President of Mountaineering Scotland and Helen Gestwicki, Membership and Communications Manager for Mountaineering Scotland also joined the filming.

Despite some very Scottish, windy weather, the filming was a huge success, and everyone involved had a fantastic few days in the hills, discussing their love of mountain paths and getting to know one another.

The new video will premiere at the official It’s Up to Us campaign launch in Perth, which takes place on the 25^th of May at the Black Watch Castle & Museum, before being shared across social media.