We received the following sad news from John Donohoe earlier this week:

I learned today from his wife, Cynthia, that Ray Stokoe died on31 August. this year. Ray was a Legend of the early Challenge years, a huge bear of a man with an equally huge rucksack, which I would struggle to lift off the ground. His food was safe from Bothy mice as it was contained in what looked like a metal ammunition box. We first met at Melgarve bothy, where on arrival I was handed a mug of freshly brewed tea sweetened with a healthy slug of malt whisky. Plans to continue to Garva Bridge were abandoned as we enjoyed one of those special bothy nichts, swapping yarns as the heat from the fire forced us back to the rear wall. Ray's hillwalking was curtailed due to a severe respiratory disease from his years as a coalminer, but he remained indominable. Our thoughts are with Cynthia.

Ray's first Challenge was in 1981 and he became a Challenge regular until completing his 15th and last crossing in 1996. Cynthia joined him on four of his crossings. Like John we would like to offer her and the rest of his family our condolences.