An 11-year-old from the Lake District has achieved a remarkable mountaineering milestone, reaching his 1,000th Wainwright summit last week.
Leo Mason, who resides in Frizington on the western fringe of the national park, stood atop Yewbarrow on January 14 to mark the achievement.
The youngster was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, ADHD and hyperactivity when he was seven years old.
Rather than turning to pharmaceutical treatment, he embraced fell walking as a means of managing his conditions.
Leo, who has been hiking since he was three years old, embarked on his Wainwright journey in September 2023.
The fells take their name from Alfred Wainwright, whose seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells catalogued 214 peaks across the region.
"I just love being in the mountains and climbing," Leo said.
His parents, Michael, 38, and Toni, 36, were presented with medication options that would have altered Leo's personality and subdued his behaviour, but they chose a different path.
After discovering that tics in Tourette's sufferers are primarily triggered by stress, insufficient exercise and poor sleep, the couple withdrew Leo from traditional schooling and introduced him to hiking and rock climbing to help expend his energy.
"I always struggled at school and would cry every day to not go, which made my tics a lot worse and quite violent," Leo said.
Leo Mason has been hiking since he was three years old
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The family began educating him at home while incorporating regular outdoor expeditions into his routine.
Within several months of this new approach, Leo's tics began to fade and his sleep improved significantly.
Leo has now traversed all 214 Wainwrights on four separate occasions and is currently 145 summits into his fifth complete round. His ultimate goal is to finish 10 full circuits of the fells.
His father Michael, who has accompanied Leo on every single climb, believes his son holds a unique distinction.
He said: "He is the youngest ever person to have walked all the Wainwrights four times and to reach the 1,000-climb milestone."
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Leo has now traversed all 214 Wainwrights on four separate occasions and is currently 145 summits into his fifth complete round
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The achievement required considerable dedication from the young mountaineer.
"It has been a real challenge because we have been getting up early and doing big hikes and lots of climbing, but I have really enjoyed it," Leo said.
His father added: "We are so proud and it is amazing to see how his skills have come on in the mountains.
"He thrives out there, he doesn't moan or anything, he just gets on with it, and loves being out there and exploring."
The family chronicles Leo's adventures on a Facebook page named "Tickinemoff", which has attracted considerable attention from people facing similar challenges.
The family chronicles Leo's adventures on a Facebook page named 'Tickinemoff', which has attracted considerable attention from people facing similar challenges.
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"We get hundreds of messages from people who are dealing with Tourette's, ADHD, or other mental health issues," Toni said.
"If they are not fit and able to get out they love seeing Leo's posts and then it also inspires people to put some boots on and go out."
She noted that several followers have embarked on their own Wainwright challenges after discovering Leo's page.
The young climber has already set his sights on Scotland's Munros, the 282 peaks named after Sir Hugh Munro that include Ben Nevis at 1,345 metres. Leo has already conquered six of them.
"I love to share my adventures and massively appreciate all the support I get from everyone," he added.
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