Brave duo dodge bears and fires during epic 2,650 mile charity trek

Chris and Jack Murphy dodged wildcats, black bears and wildfires as they trekked from the Mexican to Canadian borders during an epic adventure that lasted almost six months.

The siblings took on the Pacific Crest Trail in aid of Diabetes UK to say thank you for the help they have given Jack, 29, who developed Type 1 diabetes at just 10-years-old.

Chris, 32, told the Glasgow Times how they battled heat exhaustion and soldiered on with agonising blisters on their feet to complete the gruelling 2,650 mile trek across some of America’s most testing terrain.

The adventure took him through Nevada’s notorious Death Valley – one of the hottest places on earth – and the Mojave Desert as he covered the first 1,200 miles on his own before being joined by his brother when he reached northern California.

Chris said: “It was incredibly tough, but also very rewarding knowing that I was doing the walk for a charity that means so much to us as a family. There were so many challenges, like the lack of water and searing heat in the desert to the sheer strain on the body of walking up to 30 miles every day.

“After making it to North Carolina, I had to navigate my way through dense trails for around 500 miles. It took four weeks and this part of the journey was really tough terrain and pretty testing at times.”

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Jack flew out and joined Chris at the Oregon and Washington border as the Bridge of Weir brothers found their planned route diverted to avoid raging forest fires.

Chris explained: “At one point, our options were to either turn around and go back 60 miles or take an alternative route that would be an additional 70 miles.

"We decided to keep going, which involved being surrounded by smoke pretty much the entire time and walking with scarves wrapped around our faces. 

"It was pretty tough and we were meeting hikers who had turned back as they couldn't handle it. You have to make a lot of hard decisions and the entire time you're looking and worrying about how much food you have left."

They also passed through the High Sierras mountain range, which is about 500 miles long and extremely isolated. At one point, the pair spent around 10 days without seeing a road or building.

Chris said: “While camping we could hear black bears about 20 metres away from our tent. We had to hide our food in bags and place it in the trees to keep ourselves safe.

“Mostly the bears were just curious and would move on after a while."

As well as filtering around five litres of water each day for drinking and cooking, the pair had to ensure that Jack's insulin was always kept at the correct temperature.

Jack said: "We would have to dip the insulin bags in the streams we walked past to keep them cool during the day.

"There were long stretches without any water, so I was a bit worried about the insulin overheating.”

The brave brothers have raised over £7,500 so far through the marathon trek, with donations still pouring in.

Chris added: “Everyone’s generosity has been amazing. It was difficult, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, made even more special because I got to share it with my brother.”

Jack suffers from Type 1 diabetes, a condition that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. This means the pancreas can no longer produce the life-saving substance, leading to high blood sugar levels that can lead to amputation of limbs, cause strokes, heart attacks or sight loss.

A Diabetes Scotland spokesperson said: “Everything we know about diabetes, every drug, device and development, has only been possible because of research. Over the years, our scientists have made incredible breakthroughs and while there is currently no cure, Diabetes UK continues to fund and champion research to help find new treatments.

“Our much-needed work wouldn’t be possible without the determination and generosity of incredible fundraisers like Chris and Jack.

“All funds raised go towards Diabetes UK’s work funding life-saving research and ensuring everyone living with diabetes gets the care and support they need.”   

For Chris, diabetes is a cause that will always be close to home.

He adds: “We have family members who are affected by diabetes and Jack lives with Type 1, which is tough for him every day. We try and raise money for Diabetes UK every chance we can. It affects so many people and I would like some day for there to be a cure.”