Meet the 81-year-old climbing Scottish mountains for his sick wife

Climber Nick Gardner ascends Buachaille Etive Mor in Scotland, Britain (REUTERS/Russell Cheyne)

At the windswept summit of Buachaille Etive Mòr, a Scottish peak more than 1,020 metres (3,350 ft) above sea level, 81-year-old Nick Gardner stops to gaze down at the rugged peaks, lochs and valleys visible through the drifting clouds.

"It's so exciting every time I still feel like a little boy," he said. "I need my hat and gloves on, and my windproof jacket, but it's absolutely magnificent. I'd much sooner be here than in a centrally heated house."