The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
A dog rescued after its owner died is on course to become the fastest canine to bag all of Scotland’s 282 Munros. Picture: Saltire News.
Dog and his owner have already bagged 187 iconic peaks – and aim to complete full set by centenary of Sir Hugh’s death
A dog that was rescued after its owner passed away is on target to become the fastest to bag all of Scotland’s 282 Munros.
Springer spaniel Genghis was adopted by former soldier Mac Wright in 2016.
The retired working dog was initially taken to the Scottish mountains for exercise, but in the last year alone has bagged 187 Munros.
Mac, 51, now hopes to complete the full set of mountains more than 3,000 feet by Genghis’s 11th birthday in September next year.
Next year also marks the centenary of the death of mountaineer Sir Hugh Munro, after whom the peaks were named.
Mac, from Milnathort, said yesterday: “Last September when Genghis reached nine years old, we were amazed to discover he had climbed 70 Munros in just over a year – many of them three or four times over.
“We decided then to stop repeating the same hills and try to climb all 282 of the Munros, and we became baggers.
“The most in one day so far was seven on South Glenshiel Ridge. The most difficult was probably Stuc a Chroin, where I had to carry Genghis off the hill wearing crampons – it was a steep ice descent and he was quite new to it all.”
Mac, who served in the armed forces for 25 years and now works in construction, added: “We’re averaging one every two days at the moment but the idea is to complete them all by the time Genghis is 11.
“We’re on 187 so we’ve less than 100 to go now. We walk all the way through winter so we should be able to finish in the centenary of Sir Hugh Munro.
“Other dogs have bagged Munros but I don’t know of any doing them all in such a short space of time.”
Mac and Genghis hope to complete all the mainland Munros before crossing to Skye, which Mac predicts will pose their biggest challenge.
Genghis has his own climbing boots to protect his pads, as well as winter jackets and waterproof coats for adverse weather.
He also wears a strong harness with a handle on the back during steeper climbs in case he needs to be picked up.
On slippery routes, Mac also attaches a climbing rope to Genghis’s harness for safety.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “It’s fantastic to see that Scotland’s unique Munros are a pedigree destination for dog owners.
“Pets like Genghis are a huge part of family life nowadays so it’s important that visitors can include them in their holiday plans.”