A Cumbrian boy has completed an epic trek up north Africa’s highest peak in memory of his grandad.
Mountain whiz kid Frankie McMillan, aged eight, from Gosforth, successfully summited Toubkal, the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains, on November 5 along with his mum Basia.
It’s a trek that saw the pair climb over 13,671ft, stay in mountain refuges and face freezing temperatures – but they also battled some bigger setbacks that unexpectedly changed the course of their journey.
The pair set out to climb Toubkal, along with several other peaks in the mountain range, at the end of October.
But the evening before their climb of Toubkal was set to begin, Frankie fell ill and was forced to return to the nearby village for rest.
Basia said: “He was sick just after dinner and we were already packed for the Toubkal expedition and everything was ready, but my first thought straight away was we have to get back down.
“I couldn’t possibly wake him up at 4 o’clock in the morning after being sick to take him up the highest mountain in north Africa.
“But we always say wherever we go that the most important thing is that one, we enjoy it, and two, that if we are not well, we turn back and it was one of those moments.
“Even though Frankie really wanted to go, I had to make the hard decision for us to turn back at that point. I didn’t want him to have memories of being unwell, I wanted him to really enjoy it.
“So first thing in the morning we left the group we were climbing with so they could go up Toubkal and we went back to the village.
“It was hard and disappointing, but at the same time it was a good lesson, because not everything always happens how you want it to.”
While Frankie woke up feeling much better, Basia said they still had to abandon the climb in order to give Frankie the chance to fully rest and recuperate in a safe environment.
But little did the pair realise that the stars would align and give them a second chance at climbing Toubkal.
Basia added: “We got a message saying our flights were delayed and it made me think well maybe this is happening for a reason.
“The weather forecast was totally different, Frankie was feeling totally fine and we thought why don’t we give it a go while we rebook our next flight.
“I texted our guide who had been lovely with Frankie and he said yes, I will arrange everything, don’t worry, you are family now we will sort it out.
“I told Frankie and said it’s your decision, we have to change the flight, would you like to give it another go and his face just lit up, he couldn’t believe it.
“So we took the leap and I didn’t tell anyone what we were doing except my husband, I just didn’t want to add any pressure.”
The pair then went on to successfully climb Toubkal – and Frankie got to use his first pair of crampons, that were specially made to be small enough to fit his feet.
Basia said: “When we went up there people were cheering Frankie on and once we’d done it, we couldn’t believe it. I started sending messages and telling people and they were in shock too.”
The trip was also extra special for Frankie and Basia as they were climbing in memory of Frankie’s grandad, Andrew McMillan and raising money for the Anthony Nolan Trust.
Frankie did not get a chance to properly say goodbye to his grandad, so the pair made a plan to send his grandad their love from the Atlas Mountains – a place where they felt they could be closer to him.
Basia said: “It was very emotional, Frankie didn’t know what to say, so I offered to help him with words and we blew a kiss and waved and shed a little tear as well.
“A bird also flew just over us and was sort of hovering above and we were saying to each other maybe grandad is sending us a bird to say that he’s listening. It was just really lovely.”
Basia said overcoming the adversity they faced during the trip had proven a learning experience for both herself and Frankie.
She added: “I think it was a lesson in being proud of how far you’ve come and that you can make plans but they don’t always happen or go the way you wanted them to.
“But when we made it, it was about perseverance and that when the right moment comes you will make it if you put your mind to it, but that if you don’t make it, all you can do is try your best and that trying your best is the most important thing.”
Summiting Toubkal also isn’t Frankie’s first big achievement as earlier this year, he became one of a handful of children to climb to Everest Base Camp which he breezed through with the support of his mum.
He’s also climbed the Wainwrights twice over and last year, he became the youngest Briton ever to climb Mount Olympus, one of Europe’s highest mountains, at just seven years old.
You can still donate to Frankie and Basia’s fundraiser for the Anthony Nolan Trust here.
