Man, 82, days away from competing 282 Scots Munros after setting himself massive challenge

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Scots pensioner is just eight peaks away from completing 282 munros after setting himself the massive challenge when his wife was taken into care.

Eighty-two-year-old Nick Gardner will complete all but eight on his list after setting himself the target three years ago. The grandad of four from the Highlands is showing no sign of stopping, Nick said he was 'knocked for six' in 2020 after being told that his wife, Janet, needed to move into a care home.Suffering from Alzheimer's and osteoperosis, Nick was unable to cope on his own, and instead set himself a new challenge to keep him going, with all of his climbs raising money for charity.Beginning the challenge just three months after turning 80, Nick has now gathered huge support from all over the country, with the final summit to be completed in just eight days time.He told the PA news agency: "When Janet went into care it absolutely shattered me as we were incredibly close as a couple, she was the most wonderful and caring wife , mother and grandmother possible, and now she doesn't recognise me."I was heading into some mental condition, so I thought I have to get myself a challenge, to pull me out."Having never climbed a Munro - a Scottish mountain that reaches a minimum of 3,000ft (914.4m) - the former physics teacher gave himself 1,200 days (just over three years) to complete the challenge while raising money for Alzheimer Scotland and the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS).But, with his final summit planned for about two weeks' time, Nick is on track to finish much earlier - in under 800 days."I am so close to completing it, I really feel like a child in the run up to Christmas," he said, "I have butterflies."Once he makes it to the finish line, Mr Gardner will have