87-year-old Milton Keynes veteran with sight loss becomes oldest person on record to climb Ben Nevis
Written by Charlotte Millions
Retiree John Banfield climbed the UK’s highest mountain on Armed Forces Day, raising money for blind veterans and inspiring his community with a message of resilience, courage and never giving up.
An 87-year-old veteran living at an ExtraCare retirement village has become the oldest person on record to climb Ben Nevis, completing the extraordinary challenge with courage, humour and the support of those around him, despite sight loss, difficult terrain and a demanding descent from the summit
John Banfield, who lives at ExtraCare’s Shenley Wood Village in Milton Keynes, reached the top of Ben Nevis on Armed Forces Day, 27 June, in support of Blind Veterans UK. Standing at 1,345 metres, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the UK and the British Isles, making John’s achievement a heartening celebration of determination, endurance and community pride.
John, a former national serviceman who served from 1958 to 1960, chose Armed Forces Day for the climb as a meaningful way to honour his own forces background while raising money for a charity close to his heart.
John had climbed Ben Nevis once before, 22 years ago, at the age of 67. Returning in his eighties, and with impaired sight, he found the mountain far more challenging this time, but remained determined to see it through.
“There’s been a major rockfall on Ben Nevis and it was a challenge,” he said. “It was brutal in some places, but we did it.”
John credits RAF veteran Gary Thomas, a former RAF mountain rescue volunteer from the Isle of Man, with helping him complete the climb safely. Because of John’s sight impairment, Gary acted as his guide and “pathfinder”, carefully helping him navigate gaps between rocks and stretches of difficult terrain.
Even when the climb became tough, John’s mindset never wavered. He says the challenge was powered by determination, duty and a deep refusal to give up. “I wouldn’t have let anyone down. It’s do or die. You have to get it done. It’s all in the mind.”
Narrowly missing Princess Kate’s own efforts up the mountain, John reached the summit in just five and a half hours, far quicker than he had expected. Reflecting on the moment, John said: “I couldn’t believe it. I thought it’d be 10 hours. I was feeling elated.”
At the summit, he was met by an unforgettable show of support. Almost 300 people congratulated him after hearing he could become the oldest person on record to climb the mountain. “At the top everyone surrounded me and I raised my hands to cheer, they were all shaking my hand, that was a memory I will never forget. It brought tears to my eyes.”
One fellow climber joked: “I’m 26 years old and you’ve got up here faster than I have.”
Reflecting on the climb and his life experiences, John said his approach has always been rooted in positivity. “I’m a very positive person. If you think you can do it? You can do it.”
John’s climb made it onto morning tv with BBC Breakfast team members climbing alongside him and featuring his story for the Rise and Shine segment.
For John the adventuring isn’t over and he’s already looking ahead to a new challenge. John’s climb is a warm and powerful reminder that later life can be full of courage, achievement and new experiences, and that with determination, support and spirit, remarkable things remain possible at every age.
To donate to John’s climb visit: Blind Veterans UK
Charlotte Millions
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