A Tayside businessman will be scaling the heights to support rugby legend Doddie Weir.
Carbon Financial managing director Gordon Wilson has signed-up for the March for Doddie, which will see a group of big-hearted fundraisers trekking in Morocco’s spectacular High Atlas Mountains at the end of the month.
The 26-strong team, which includes Scotland national rugby coach Gregor Townsend, former internationalists Kenny Logan and Paul Burnell, and ex-England star Phil Vickery, is determined to boost the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which is providing support to victims of Motor Neurone Disease and backing research aimed at finding a cure.
The 50km challenge, from March 27 to 30, winds through spectacular mountain scenery and Berber villages, with local guides and a UK Tribal Tracks leader leading them from campsite to wild campsite.
“I have always been a big rugby fan and Doddie is a Scotland legend,” said Scone family man Gordon, 51, who has already raised more than £5,500 in sponsorship.
“As a business, Carbon has been supporting some of his fundraising events and I wanted to do something on a personal level.
“Doddie has been truly inspirational and it is great to see the Foundation enjoying support from across Scotland and beyond.
“The Foundation has already helped more than 1000 people affected by MND.”
Gordon, who is more at home on the fairways at Blairgowrie Golf Club, admits he will be venturing out of his comfort zone in Morocco.
“I have been doing a lot of cycling indoors over the winter, and recently tackled Schiehallion in rather testing conditions.
“If the weather gets better, I’m planning a weekend of Munro-bagging to round off my preparations.
“The advice has been ‘train hard, trek easy.’ Hopefully that will stand me in good stead.
“But this is definitely uncharted territory for me. That is also part of the attraction, I suppose. It has been keeping me fit over the winter.
“It is very much into the unknown and we have been warned there’s a lot of ascending and descending along the way.
“If you didn’t train for it, I suspect you’d find yourself in bother and that might still be the case.”
The Doddie team flies into Marrakech and immediately makes for the village of Imlil, at 1740 metres, en route to the Tizi Tamatert pass at 2279m.
Day two from Foussarou to Tizi Oussem will clock-up 20km, passing through a series of mountain villages and walnut and juniper groves, soaking-up stunning views along the way.
The final day is a 15km trek over Tizi Mzzik at 2500m and back to Imlil.
The “March for Doddie” can be supported at www.justgiving.com/campaign/marchfordoddie.
