The Cateran Yomp is the Army Benevolent Fund’s biggest and toughest challenge, which sees 1,000 people hike up to 54 miles in 24 hours in the foothills of the Cairngorms each year in aid of soldiers, veterans and their families.
Army veteran, adventurer and ABF supporter, Mac Mackay is this year’s Cateran Yomp Ambassador. A former President of the British Mountain Guides, Mac is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Here, Mac shares his journey from young soldier to professional mountaineer, and why the Cateran Yomp is so special to him.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m a former Army officer and now a mountain guide. I grew up on a hill farm in Sutherland Shire, in the Scottish Highlands, which has given me a lifelong love of the outdoors. I’ve been in the hills and mountains since I was able to walk.
I now run my own business from Bristol and work a lot in the Alps. I’m also the chair of trustees for Climb 2 Recovery, which is a veterans’ charity that the ABF support.
How long was your military career?
I joined in 1971, and my career lasted almost 30 years. At 15, I joined the Junior Leaders, a training regiment where you could learn military skills while continuing your education.
I was very lucky in the military, eventually commissioning as an officer and serving in both training and operational roles (including in the Royal Physical Training Corps) in many places, including Northern Ireland. In the Army, I quickly became involved in mountain training, qualifying as a mountain guide.
What have you done since leaving the Army?
In 2000, I left the Army and set up my own company (an advisory and support consultancy for mountain activities) taking people into the mountains, across the world.
I’ve been fortunate to climb the Matterhorn, Eiger and Mont Blanc in the Alps, Mount Fuji in Japan, and Ama Dablam and Mera Peaks in the Himalayas, amongst many others. Some are more difficult than others, so you have to put a lot of effort in and have a bit of courage.
In the military we rely on resilience to keep you going, and in the mountains, it is no different. It’s the typical resilience you’ll need to do the Cateran Yomp, I believe.
How are you involved in Climb 2 Recovery?
I am the Chair of Climb 2 Recovery (C2R), which was founded in 2016 by Neil Heritage, an Army veteran who lost both legs above the knee following a suicide bomb attack in Iraq. We train veterans to climb, and to get climbing qualifications, which helps them back into the workplace. C2R allows these veterans to come together and join the military family again, after they have been medically discharged or left the Army for other reasons. We have a great community of 200 veterans who take part in our courses and then meet up themselves throughout the UK.
The Army Benevolent Fund’s generous grant to C2R is so important – without the help of organisations like this, the work that we do with veterans just will not happen.
What’s special about the Cateran Yomp?
My first Yomp was in 2022, in a team of former Royal Army Physical Training Corps colleagues, but I’ve completed similar distances and ultramarathons throughout my career.
The Yomp is for anyone wishes to take up a challenge. It attracts people of all ages – from Army Cadets to people in their mid-70s to 80s. For me, it is no different to walking with my grandparents in the Scottish hills growing up, and as an Army officer. But it’s also great if you haven’t yomped before. If you don’t make it to the very end, you’ll receive a bronze or silver medal for reaching 22 or 36 miles, which is a big incentive.
The atmosphere is exhilarating, and the camaraderie is so great, it gets you to the finishing line. Plus, I’ve never seen better feeding sessions! You meet lots of people, who help if you’re struggling, and there’s banter all the way around. That’s what sets it aside.
What would you say to potential Yompers?
If you haven’t signed up yet for the Cateran Yomp, there’s still time. It is tough and you’ll need training and some resilience. But you will be supporting the Army Benevolent Fund, which is there for soldiers, veterans and their families, facing hardship and need.
And thank you and good luck to everyone taking part in this year’s event – I look forward to seeing you in June.
How would you rate your chances of evading capture by ABF supporter, Bear Grylls?
I happen to know Bear reasonably well, and I know that he’s a supporter of the Cateran Yomp, so I have to be very diplomatic in my answer! So, I would put 50/50 on this one.”
To register for this year’s Yomp, visit our website here.
Learn more about the ABF’s support for Climb 2 Recovery here.