Gracemount Bodybuilding Gym

Unfortunately, due to the extreme heatwave in the lead up to Iain and Martins Mont Blanc challenge for WDC, the rockfall in the Goutier Grand Couloir was too dangerous for them to cross. Although this is a very short section of the route, around 100 metres, they were advised by their lead guide that it was too dangerous to contemplate.

However, as they had to reduce their altitude challenge, they decided to increase the adrenaline stakes, and so they agreed a programme with thier guides to climb three ridges on the French-Italian border. The final programme that they completed is below; with a full set of photos to follow.

Day 1 : trek up to the Emmannuelle Vittorio hut in the Aosta Valley

Day 2 : summit of Gran Paradiso - a very cold and icy summit

Day 3 : climb and traverse the Cosmique Arrettes ridge in Chamonix. A brilliant day with lots of exposure and some heart-stopping moments.

Day 4 : walked over the glacier to the Italian alps and climbed the Aiguille du Tacul. Not the highest peak, though had a scary snow ascent, and an even scarier descent backwards! Stayed overnight in the Torino hut near Courmayeur.

Day 5 : an alpine start and a superb ridge climb on the Auiguille de Marbrees.

So, although they were initially disappointed with the Mont Blanc decision, they have had a fantastically challenging week and made a bit of money for our good friends at WHO DARES CARES.

Well done lads, amazing effort!

The lads successfully summited Gran Paradiso this morning: 4am start with 7 hour round trip.

They are just waiting to hear about the conditions on Mont Blanc

Great effort guys…. Warm-up done!

Make a difference....

Iain Craig, owner of ICS, and Martin Rankin, long-standing members of Gracemount Gym and former members of 23 SAS, are soon to set off on an inspiring quest to summit Mont Blanc.

Their expedition begins on 4 July in Chamonix, France, before they travel to Italy to climb Gran Paradiso (4,061m) to acclimatise and, incredibly, as a warm-up.

They will then move on to Mont Blanc (4,806m) and aim to reach the summit by Thursday 10 July, where they will proudly raise the Who Dares Cares banner as their summit flag.

Who Dares Cares is an amazing charity that provides emotional, financial and practical support to members of the Armed Forces and Blue Light Services, along with their families, who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Iain and Martin are donating all proceeds raised from this expedition to Who Dares Cares. Please give generously if you can. It really does make a difference.

The QR code takes you to the official WDC Just giving page, feel free to leave some words of encouragement for Iain and Martin, they will appreciate it.
Follow their journey online and help spread the word.

Fundraiser for Who Dares Cares Help Rab Landells raise money to support Who Dares Cares

🚨‼️MONDAY 6.30PM ITS ON! NEW BOOTCAMP!!Get ready to sweat it out in the great outdoors! 💪 Join us on 19th May at Gracemount Bodybuilding Gym for the launch of our Outdoor Boxercise & Circuit Training sessions! Whether you're looking to build strength, boost fitness, or just have fun while staying active, this high-energy class has something for everyone! Sign up today and get ready to smash your fitness goals in the fresh air! See you there!

A reach out on behalf of one of our revered iron brothers, Chick. Every penny helps towards this life changing surgery that Chick needs. Please dig deep if you can, and share.

Donate to Charlie Allan Needs Our Help!, organized by Randy Dedrickson Hi my name is Randy and we are reaching out with a sincere request for support for… Randy Dedrickson needs your support for Charlie Allan Needs Our Help!

Although you are gone, you will be missed and never forgotten by your iron family brother.

A floral arrangement has been arranged on behalf of us all at the gym.

Scotland’s very own Michael Nardone (Traces, Rome, Line of Duty) returns as ‘Frisky’ in the blockbuster series, The Night Manager. If you haven’t seen it, make sure you add it to your watch list!

Michael has been training at our gym for some time now, introduced to us by another Scottish acting legend Charlie "Chick" Allan (Gladiator, Thor 2, Transformers 5).

Michael trains mid-morning and is here most days, putting max effort into each session in the lead up to his appearance in The Night Manager 2.

Unlike Frisky, Michael won’t snarl if you want to come say hi and has a smile for everyone!

You might even see him and Chick smash out a session together on occasion! 💪🏼

ATTENTION: Only 5 days left to submit your objection(s). Take a little time now to save a lifetime of misery and loss!

The power to stop this is literally in your hands.

The QR code should take you right to the page to submit your objection(s).

Things to also bear in mind:

1. Parents already struggle for school places.
2. People already struggle for GP appointments.
3. People already struggle for dentist appointments.
4. Flooding: infrastructure (drainage) already struggles & no plans to improve it adequately have been offered – planting a few trees won’t solve the flooding problem.
5. Unmanageable increased volume of traffic and congestion; especially bad weather and bypass closures. They propose to install more crossing points and bus stops, which will add to congestion also. The traffic impact assessment only suits the planners agenda.
6. Proposal for shops, parking areas, taxi area and delivery lockers will add unimaginable congestion issues.
7. Poorer air quality, especially at peak times and if traffic from bypass is diverted to Frogston.
8. Lack of green space in this already vastly over-populated area: keep our green open areas!
9. There are many other sites currently being built which are not yet populated and the impact of these hundreds of new homes in the immediate area will be immense.
10. More threat to nature & wildlife: no adequate biodiversity conservation has been demonstrated by the planners.
11. Detrimental effect the character of the local area and they do not intend to put the power cables underground; increase risk to adventurous children.
12. Encroaching on conservation area – keep our Greenfields (Greenbelt)
13. The land is currently used for farming and farmland must be preserved, at all costs.
14. This proposal wants to contribute to locking you into 20 min neighbourhoods – fight for your freedom!
15. This proposal is manipulating the “housing crisis” and net zero policies for corporate gain, nothing else!
16. Make no mistake, they will push to develop the whole of Frogston Road if they can get away with this application; what a horrific future that would be.
17. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT AN ALLOCATED HOUSING SITE AND SIMPLY A ‘WILDCARD’ APPLICATION BY THE DEVELOPERS.

STOP IT NOW & SPREAD THE WORD.

If you do not wish to use the QR code, then the link to the planning portal page where you can submit your objections is: https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=SAZZOQEWFOV00&fbclid=IwAR1Ea7hHWEcFMqeaZrejR9IeaXCL6H3tvZCz8MT8mwDR8UwyobH3hB4JJds