Mark Bruce completed a year of “Everest” by cycling to the summit of the world’s highest mountain once a month in 2024.
Former guitarist Mark, who is almost unrecognizable after losing 40kg, believes he is the “fittest and strongest” he has ever been in his life as he has conquered suicidal thoughts and a dependence on alcohol.
The 34-year-old Scot, who has played for internationally renowned indie band Elephant Sessions, told us Cycling Weekly: “I almost lost my life. I have decided to leave [the band] Most of the best part of a decade was spent playing around the world with good friends and fellow musicians.
“But I was getting really tired of all the touring, and when the pandemic hit, it hit our band — and a lot of performers like us — really hard.
“In 2022, I ended up going back to live with my parents in the small town of Tyne in the Scottish Highlands, with no plan on what to do next. It was a moment when I was truly devastated.”
Mark found himself falling back into “alcohol and bad food choices” which had “become a bad habit on tour”.
“I found myself going deeper and deeper into a dark place with alcohol. I couldn’t see the future and became suicidal,” he said. Cycling Weekly.
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Mark developed unhealthy habits while on tour
(Image credit: Mark Bruce)
Mark feared for his life, at this point weighing 105kg, and knew he needed help, and he was lucky to have access to mental health support services quickly. But he continued to drink heavily and failed to stop drinking many times.
Then, that September, something changed—he got sober. He said: “I don’t know why this time was different and I decided not to think about it. I haven’t had an alcoholic drink since but the only way I could cope was to drink day by day.
“I also started cycling. I’d never been much of a bike rider but someone gave me an old bike during lockdown and I promised myself to ride one day a week when I was sober.”
As the months passed, Mark could see the difference this exercise had made. He said: “I still struggle with the need to drink, but the more I cycle, the more I want to ride. I feel better about myself and I start eating healthier.
Mark got an old bike during lockdown
(Image credit: Mark Bruce)
“I decided to focus more on training and I enjoy riding more miles, longer distances and hitting more hills.”
Mark also found the motivation to change careers, and after a year of study, he qualified as a music teacher. He now works in a secondary school in Glasgow.
He said: “I moved to a new city, started a new career and continued cycling. By this time I had bought myself a better bike and that’s when I discovered a bike rider online. Cyclist’s “Everest” video.”
How Cycling Can Help Fight Depression
Health experts reveal the powerful impact exercise has on mental health, from a quick boost in mood to lowering the risk of long-term depression.
There are many studies showing a positive link between exercise, especially moderate-intensity exercise, and the release of the “feel-good” chemicals endorphins and serotonin.
Regular exercise is also known to reduce anxiety, which can be linked to depression.
Earlier this year, the British Medical Journal published a review of 200 academic studies, concluding that “exercise is an effective treatment for depression.”
Cycling appears to be particularly beneficial for mental health. A 2023 study published in the Journal of Transport and Health found that cycling as a leisure activity can improve people’s perceptions of mental health and “vitality.”
Another 2018 survey by Cycleplan found that 75% of cyclist respondents said their mental health had improved.
Depression may also be related to higher levels of stress. A 2017 study published in the journal BMJ found that cycling is a great way to reduce stress, in part because people spend more time in green spaces.
Numerous studies, including the 2023 article “Green Spaces in Mental Disorders,” published in Current Opinion in Psychiatry, demonstrate how nature can benefit well-being.
Cycling gets you outdoors, and a 2011 study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that “exercise in a natural environment leads to greater vitality, increased energy, and positivity compared to indoor exercise. A sense of engagement while reducing tension, confusion and anger and depression.”
Also in the winter, spending more time in daylight activities, such as cycling, is recommended to help combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or the “blues.”
Everest challenges cyclists to climb the same height of Mount Everest (8848 meters) by riding the same mountain multiple times on a single climb and in a single ride. Everest attempts must be recorded on Strava, while Virtual Everest is completed on Zwift.
Mark, who is a member of Glasgow’s Ivy Cycling Club, added: “At first I thought it seemed like a completely unachievable challenge, but the idea came into my head and I wondered if I could complete Everest on my own. The idea The contagion kept growing and within a few weeks I was wondering if I could do a year of Everest climbing.
“It’s a completely ridiculous idea, so I’m also committed to raising money for charity.”
Mark chose Tiny Changes, a Scottish youth mental health charity set up in memory of singer and Frightened Rabbit founder Scott Hutchison, who battled depression aged 36 He ended his life after fighting the disease.
He said: “I remembered Scott’s shocking death so the charity resonated with me. I almost died of depression and through my work as a teacher I saw the need for young people to get good mental health Health support.”
Mark admits the Everest challenge is “extremely difficult.” This year he has climbed Everest on a different peak each month, mostly in Scotland, and used a turbo trainer at home twice. His last ascent of Everest was on December 16, again on a turbine trainer, but this time at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in his hometown.
Balancing training load and teaching job is not easy
(Image credit: Seth Tinsley)
Mark’s Everest time ranged from 11 hours and 25 minutes to 17 hours and 31 minutes, with the shortest distance being 139 kilometers and the longest distance being 272 kilometers. The number of repetitions on the road ranged from 42 to 69, with an average grade of 8.8%, with the “easiest” being 6.8% and the steepest being 13.4%.
The toughest ride was at Lecht in Aberdeenshire, which included a 20% gradient section with an average gradient of 1.4%. Meanwhile, Mount Coolport on the Rosneath Peninsula in Argyll and Bute, with an average gradient of 7.8%, has always been Mark’s favorite Everest because “it climbs pretty well”.
He said: “I’m very physically exhausted now from months and months of climbing Everest. It’s also been really challenging trying to fit that into my teaching job and get enough recovery time.
“But I’m really happy with what I’ve achieved and I’m fitter and stronger than ever.
“I’m afraid of looking back and how different things could have been, so I just feel really lucky and keep looking forward and riding the bike.”
Mark’s Everest ride documented in Eversting.com. You can see his journey on his Instagram page @adozeneverests and support him Fundraiser here.
