Cancer patient to hit the Cape Wrath Trail

A cancer patient who was on life support earlier this year is taking on a 245-mile trek known as Britain’s hardest walk.

Martyn Wells, 50, who has stage four cancer, aims to complete the Cape Wrath Trail in a record time of less than 10 days to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

He will set out today and hike 10-14 hours a day through the Scottish wilderness with his two walking companions.

The trek comes just months after he spent 16 days on life support and two weeks on oxygen in March when he had an adverse reaction to immunotherapy and developed severe pneumonia that developed into sepsis.

The father-of-two from Worcester said: “I have to pinch myself sometimes to remind myself how lucky I am to even be here, let alone take on something as crazy as the Cape Wrath Trail.

“I am blessed to have a great team supporting me and we’ve trained hard and done all the right preparations to complete this expedition.

“All we need now is for some good luck with the weather and for our bodies to hold out to successfully complete this and raise more awareness about the dangers of melanoma, as well as much needed funding for Macmillan Cancer Support.”

Mr Wells was diagnosed with melanoma in March 2017 after he noticed a mole had started bleeding.

He went on to have six operations as the cancer spread around his body, including having his stomach removed in March 2018 after doctors found a cricket ball-sized tumour.

He has worked hard on his fitness following the set-back in March, and said he was determined to take on the challenge.

The trail starts in Fort William and is an unmarked route to Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point of the UK.

Martyn Wells.