Cumbrian boy to take on Atlas Mountains hike in memory of his grandad

Eight-year-old Frankie McMillan has captured the nation’s heart and international media’s interest over the last year – setting new records, raising thousands of pounds for charities, and inspiring other children to get outdoors.

At the age of seven, he became the youngest Briton ever to summit the highest point of Mount Olympus. Then just a few weeks after turning eight he hiked for 15 days to Everest Base Camp at an ear-popping 5,364 metres (17,598 feet).

Now Frankie is packing for his next record-breaking fundraiser – travelling to Morocco in his half-term school holiday to become the youngest person to complete the Three Peaks of the Atlas Mountains – the highest summits of the entire northern region of the African continent.

Frankie McMillan (Image: Submitted)

Frankie will be at a dizzying 4,167 metres (13,671 feet) for the second anniversary of his grandad’s death from myeloma, a form of blood cancer.

He says that being that much closer to heaven will make it easier for him to blow his grandad a kiss. He will be raising money for the blood cancer charity, the Anthony Nolan Trust.

The Trust has been close to Frankie’s heart right from the day he was born, as life-saving stem cells were harvested for the charity from Frankie’s own umbilical cord just minutes after he arrived in the world.

Internet searches and Atlas mountain guides tell that Frankie will be the youngest person ever to complete the three peaks Ras Quanoukrim, Toubkal West and Toubkal traversing the highest ridge in North Africa.

READ MORE: Cumbrian boy who bagged over 600 mountains reaches new summit

With ‘safety first’ always in mind, Frankie will climb with his mum Basia, a fully qualified mountain leader and mountain rescue volunteer in the UK, accompanied by a Toubkal specialist guide.

This time he wants to raise at least £2,000 – around thousand for each of the two years his grandad has been gone. 

To make a donation visit the GoFundMe page here.