Army veteran Craig Lundberg has become the first blind person to complete the Five Peaks Challenge – with the help of his nine-year-old son. The feat also meant Max became the youngest person to scale the highest mountains in Britain and Ireland. Craig, 40, from Liverpool, lost his sight in 2007 when he was hit by two rocket-propelled grenades during a second tour of duty in Iraq as a Lance Corporal in the 2nd Battalion Duke of Lancaster Regiment.
Aged 22 he suffered a broken jaw, nose, cheek, and left arm, needing metal plates in his face and arm, and plastic surgery. Now a successful property developer, his life was transformed by guide dogs Hugo and Comet, and he has run marathons and played blind football for England. His latest challenge with Max has raised more than £3,400 for Centre 56, a Merseyside charity which supports children affected by domestic abuse.
On successive days last month, the father-and-son duo scaled Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) in Wales, Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland and Carrauntoohil in the Republic. In total they climbed 5,269 metres (17,286 feet) – roughly the same height as Everest Base Camp – and walked more than 35 miles, with 39 hours travelling between each.
Craig said: “I did the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall with Max’s older brother Ben three years ago when he turned nine, and Max wanted to do something even more challenging when he turned nine.” The dad suggested doing the better-known Three Peaks Challenge – the three highest peaks in Britain – but Max told him he wanted to do “something more exciting”, so they added in the Irish ones.
“I honestly didn’t know if he’d be mentally or physically strong enough, if I’d be navigating some of the tougher sections blind, but knew we had to give it a go,” Craig said. “Having been so close to dying when I was in the Army, one thing I’ve learned is you have to grab life with both hands, a mantra our whole family follows.”
Over the next few months, the pair trained with a series of long walks on the Sandstone Trail in Cheshire and the Glyders in North Wales, Craig assessing if Max was up for the challenge. He said: “We got stuck in terrible weather on top of some ridge when I could see how cold and scared Max was – but he stuck it out, determined to get through it, so I knew we could give the Five Peaks a go.”
While Craig’s wife Nicola and their two other children Ben, now 13, and Sofia, seven, flew off for a holiday in Dubai, on his 40th birthday, Craig and Max drove up to Ben Nevis to start their challenge. They were joined in Scotland by friend Callum Edge, who helped guide Craig, before Callum’s wife Debbie took them to Scafell Pike and Snowdon in the same day.
Craig said: “With Snowdon we went up the easier but longer Pyg Track but realised we had a ferry to catch from Holyhead if we wanted to get to Ireland that day, so had to run down the shorter but trickier Llanberis route. Max was amazing, running ahead and shouting at me about hazards so I didn’t fall – of course I couldn’t see him but I could hear he was loving every minute.”
At the top of Slieve Donard, they were surprised by another former running partner of Craig’s, Alex Rigby, who had seen their progress online and arrived ahead of them unannounced. “Alex made a generous donation to Max’s fundraising total and also handed him an envelope with £50 in cash, telling him how proud he was, this money was just for him to enjoy himself,” Craig said.
Max then guided his dad up a treacherous 320-metre gulley on the Devil’s Ladder as part of their final peak, Carrauntoohil. Craig said: “Max guided me with calm, courage and care, something most adults couldn’t handle.”
He added: “Max isn’t even 10 and he’s stood on top of every country in Great Britain and Ireland, he’s guided me running blind down mountains – and loved every minute. Together we’ve proved that limits don’t define us.”
● To donate to Max’s total, go to: centre56.enthuse.com/pf/five-peak-challenge