Fiona Gunn, née Ducker - A life

 For what is it to die?

But to stand naked in the wind

and to melt into the sun.

And what is it to cease breathing?

But to free the breath from its restless tides,

that it may rise and expand and seek God, unencumbered.

Only when you drink from the river of silence

shall you indeed sing.

And when you have reached the mountain top,

then you shall begin to climb.

And the earth shall claim your limbs.

Then shall you truly dance

Kahlil Gibran "The Prophet"

How do justice to a remarkable woman, and share a life full of love family and adventure. Not an easy task but here is a eulogy to that remarkable person much of which was hidden under a self effacing manner and selfless character. She was a quiet Christian preferring to live her faith in acts of kindness rather than talking. Here's an insight into that person with some text and photos. The images will enlarge with a click over them if you wish.

Young Fiona already with flowers

Fiona was born in Bath 28/02/1960. A child full of character and with a mind of her own from an early age. She spent formative early years with her parents John and Mary in Africa where they were called for mission work, John flying a Cessna to various remote corners of Africa delivering doctors, medical supplies and doing important work. Mary manning the radio and bringing up Fiona and her siblings Chris, Pandy and Julia who arrived later. Fiona remembered the float plane and swimming in Lake Victoria after a Hippo check flypast, and memorable dirt track journeys to and from School in Jos Nigeria. Kenya, Sudan, Chad and Tanzania were countries they worked in over the years and John thinking nothing of a quick nip into the Ngorongoro crater to see the wildlife with family or friends. Africa left an indelible impression, some good some not so. A common thing with Mission children. Sadly we never got back to some of these places. North Africa was as far as we got and the edge of the Sahara where we were turned back because their was a war.

John, Mary Fiona, Chris and Angela (Pandy)

Fiona defending dolly from curious locals

Fiona at the Blue and White Nile junction

When a pre teen she came back to Wadhurst School in Sussex where she stayed until the family decided to come back to the UK and set up the Christian Adventure Trust on Tanera Mor just off Achiltibuie North of Ullapool. At 16 she was a boarder at Dingwall academy. Tanera was formative, it was here that a young girl evolved into a woman with a taste for adventure that could run rampant among the mountains and in the sea. Kayaking, Sailing and Mountaineering, sun bleached blond hair and brown as a berry from a life outdoors. 

Wild Child Fiona on her summer holidays at Tanera Mor

Fiona  right with one of the ponies on Tanera

The family moved from Tanera lock stock and barrel with staff in 1975 when the lease ran out on the Island. They moved to "Carnoch House" home of the late Hugh Grant, and re started as Carnoch Outdoor Centre. This ran from 1975 until 1988 before being bought and run by the Williams family as Glencoe Outdoor Centre which it is to the present day.

I first saw Fiona on her Icelandic pony riding bareback through the village with her sister Angela (known as Pandy by the family). Venga and Meshoni were the horses names. I was struck by this blond attractive girl looking a bit wild and interesting so meeting her at the Tidal pool one day didn't hesitate to ask her on a date. The date consisting of a walk to Clachaig and a pint of Cider for her and beer for me. The rest, well lets just say I had a girl/woman who didn't want to be tamed, was up for anything and always had a huge laugh and big smile not far from her face, even when half way up a deluge in Clachaig gully. 

Fiona in Clachaig gully retro style. Cynthia and her both soloed it one summer evening 1hr 50m bottom to top and back in the pub 

The 17 year old bombshell mucking about on Carnivore which she later did in proper shoes. EB's

17 years old at Dingwall Academy. A bit colder than Tanzania

At 21 Fiona was the first West Highland Way Ranger, a job she did for 3 years

She was just seventeen. Six months later we got engaged and Nov 1978 we got married in St Mary's Glencoe then moved into a tied house at Achindarroch Duror where I was working with a Forestry winch and Felling team clear cutting hundreds of thousand's of tons of old Growth forest. Some huge tree's and tragically some accidents including a fatal one to a friend. Fiona was involved as she was at home and the nearest phone for the emergency services. I was very much involved during our courtship and after with the mountain rescue team. Fiona came and helped on many rescues although not made to feel very welcome by some old hands, one of whom told her he came on rescues to get away from his wife and its no place for a woman! That she had climbed some of Glencoe's hardest routes and the complainant was no climbing star it was particularly ironic, and although it hurt it didn't bother her for long. She became a highly competent mountaineer summer and winter and shared a rope most often with me, but also climbed with many of the folks who went on to be IFMGA Guides or already had the carnet. 

Fiona and I about to do "White Wall Crack"

Fiona back right 3rd in next to Cathel MacLeod. Front runners Paul Moores, Jim Morning. The first Highland Cross event to raise funds for a CT Scanner for Raigmore. CT scans were to become a big part of life in the future. 

Fiona was also a very good skier doing her BASI 3 when in her early twenties and helping run the ski school at what is now Glencoe Mountain but back in the late 70'a and 80's was "White Corries". The outdoor centre took over the ski school and ski hire from Ronnie Weir, running it for 10 years. When Philip Rankin did some midweek opening the ski school did the ski rescue as the weekend volly's were not up. Fiona often took the lead in first aid and rescue using the MacInnes stretchers up the hill getting folk down the old chair lift to the bottom. Fiona skied with a neatness and economy of effort even on steep terrain. We messed up once in Verbier ducking some ropes on Mont Gele into a couloir, and its was rock hard ice. It was very scary near death experience in this 1,500 gully, but she held it together even managing a kick step above an ice pitch. I couldn't make the kick turn and dropped the pitch nearly loosing it totally. The cable car had stopped above us to watch and when we got to the bottom the pisteurs just shook their heads. Not sure if it was admiration or or bewilderment!

Below Easy Gully Nevis Range

Fiona was also a good sailor with an RYA senior instructors ticket which she gained at Cumbrae National Training centre on the Clyde, being assessed on the day of the famous 1986 Hurricane. We also did our windsurfing instructors awards there. Windsurfing was big part of our lives through the 80's. Any big wind day would see us loading up the boards or heading down to the Ballachulish sailing site to rip across the loch on our short boards or out to loch Linnhe for a bit of wind against tide wave action at Corran. Fiona also windsurfed the entire 26 mile length of Loch Ness on a Mistral short board, broad reaching miles more than the lochs length. She was a powerful and strong athlete, the term used these days would be ripped. With her bleached blond long hair she was bonny lass indeed. 

Spring 1979 seven months married

A foray off Arisaig on the long board during a family camping trip of which there were very many

Gunn Clan at the beach

We had married young. Fiona 18 and me 21. We had a lot of fun in our twenties, but settled after 12 years married and decided to have a family. One last adventure being us both working a full ski season in the French alps working at various resorts such as La Clusaz, Valloire, Vars, Les Orres and finally in Pra Lou until late April. From March we new Fiona was expecting as we had planned to start a family. It was hard work running the ski school, liaising with the ESF instructors and dealing with morning sickness, as well as odd days above 2,300m. Fiona didn't adapt well to altitude above 2,300m, I was fine, but I was not expecting.

On our return in May I met up with Dr Bob one of the British Association of Ski Patrollers' (BASP) founders. I had met up with Bob and fellow patrollers over the previous two years during and after the associations founding. He mentioned that the current association secretary was standing down and the position vacant. So Fiona's name was put forward and at the 1990 agm at Kingshouse she became secretary. Part time working from home it was ideal when Esther came along. She continued with BASP for the next 23 years developing both the association and first aid training programme. BASP became the leading provider of First aid and medical training for outdoor pursuits instructors and NGB's as well as many mountain rescue teams. Organising courses all over the alps and UK, and also international meets such as FIPS.  During this time we were blessed with Duncan my son and later with Rebekah. Juggling family and work long before Covid. 

Scottish Ski Patrollers training with the PHGM Modane crew at Tignes FIPS 2005. Fiona 2nd left

The family meant everything to her. "I love you to the moon and stars" her favourite saying

She used her instructional skills to help all our family become competent skiers and rock climbers as well as she herself taking to mountain biking like a duck to water, and our 3 children enjoyed it. Many family holidays were to the 7 Stanes, weekends at trail centres, or constructing our own tracks around Glencoe. She and I also road biked, entering Sportive rides or weekly road racing or time trailing with West Highland Wheelers or North Argyll cycle club. 

MTB Glen Feshie

Etape Caledonia

After 48 off road miles in the 3G's cycle race. We also won a pairs at a 10 under the Ben

After Cancer struck first in 2011 she raced less but did a lot of time keeping for the clubs. Always a good club volunteer. Until 2018 we biked a lot but that year the Cancer returned and major surgery on her skull between her eyes and then radio therapy set her back. Very few folk realised she had this as it wasn't visible. She basically had her forehead removed and put back but such was the surgical skill the big scars were under the hairline and not seen after the staples were out. She referred to the staples as her Tiara. She was back on the bike in a couple of weeks. I had by then got back into outdoor rock climbing as had my son Duncan, and the girls inside climbing.

During Chemo her project was clearing "The Secret Garden"

The secret garden was and is a work in progress which was her therapy as much as any treatment. Its now in the good hands of a group of community volunteers who all loved Fiona.

A woman who liked her hands in the soil and had very green fingers even the week before passing. She often used the language of flowers to express how she felt in giving plants to folks that had some meaning  to how they were.

Fiona's mastectomy and surgical implant and rebuild  of her chest wall meant she couldn't climb but she did belay us all, and in particular held my ropes from below on some hard sport climbs. She probably shouldn't have mountain biked but loved the thrill of a gnarly trail. She biked up until 3 months before she passed away. Despite an electric bike which she reluctantly bought, it was getting too much. 

After leaving BASP in 2012 she worked at West Highland College UHI until she passed away, enjoying 10 years with some great folk who became friends for life. She was a remarkable woman. Her grandmother who was a formidable lady aptly described her when she said "Ducker women are full of vim and vigour". 

Julia, Granny at 100, Angela (Pandy) and Fiona remarking that Ducker women had "Vim and Vigour"

Motor replacement in a Dyson. She loved cars and between us we stripped an engine and re bored it and replaced it and the gearbox ourselves when just married, and she serviced the carburettor and was really good at setting engine timing.

Fiona doing a bit of Yoga at 10,000ft above Durango the Colorado bouldering mecca

"Vim and Vigour". Very true, I count myself lucky to have married one with it in spades as she kicked me up the backside and made me whatever it is I became never ceasing to encourage, cajole and support. She supported me in mountain rescue, climbing, and all aspects of my life. It was she who recognised I had a good brain and should go into adult education and University. When I received my MBE I always thought it was hers and the family's more than mine. Behind every man is a good woman. That woman was Fiona to me and she was a stunning woman in every aspect. That she was in my life for 45 years is something I will always thank God for. We always felt we were the best for each other, and that glue kept us together until death parted us.

MBE day with the Queen at Holyrood. She was so proud and yet it is she and the others worrying at home while we are out on the mountains that deserve the medals

40th Wedding Anniversary

Two oldies

                   She lived to see Daisy our Grand daughter. A delight to us both

On the Death of the Beloved by John O’Donohue

Though we need to weep your loss,
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,
Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn
Brightening over our lives
Awakening beneath the dark
A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice
Found for us
A new music
That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze
Quickened in the joy of its being;
You placed smiles like flowers
On the altar of the heart.
Your mind always sparkled
With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,
Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer
From the old distance of our names;
Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,
As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,
We know our soul's gaze is upon your face,
Smiling back at us from within everything
To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory,
Where we would grow lonely without you.
You would want us to find you in presence,
Beside us when beauty brightens,
When kindness glows
And music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth,
Darkest winter has turned to spring;
May this dark grief flower with hope
In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:

To enter each day with a generous heart.
To serve the call of courage and love
Until we see your beautiful face again
In that land where there is no more separation,
Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,
And where we will never lose you again. 

Fiona Gunn 28.02.1960  - 25.08.2022