A SUPER athlete has set a new record – by going up and down Ben Nevis SEVEN TIMES in 24 hours.
Mallaig fish farm worker Pawel Cymbalista took 20 hours and 40 minutes to complete the challenge on Britain’s tallest mountain on 12-13 June.
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The incredible feat comes just 10 years after the dad-of-two chucked a 20-a-day cigarette habit.
Pawel first broke the record on the 4,413ft Scots peak in 2021, after managing it in 21 hours and 49 minutes.
He said: “I ran the easier parts and power-hiked the steep parts – basically putting my hands on my knees and pushing,” he said.
“You just grit your teeth and push all the way up.”
And the mountaineer has revealed the secret to his success – a steady supply of Jelly Babies.
Following the impressive stunt, Pawel, from Poland, battled his aches and pains and returned to work just days later.
He told the BBC: “I was struggling with my legs – and my poor knees.
“But there are no excuses. It is all self-inflicted, as my wife says.”
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The fitness fanatic is now planning to set a new time for summiting Scafell Pike in England and Yr Wyddfa in Wales in 24 hours.
In August, he hopes to participate in the 215-mile (346km) Race Across Scotland.
Pawel last year set the fastest known time for completing a long-distance walking route in the Highlands.
He took just over three days to cover the 240-mile (386km) Cape Wrath Trail from Fort William to Cape Wrath.
And he was the first person to finish the route unsupported.
He slept for a total of 95 minutes on the run.
The hiker is raising funds for Mallaig Shop and Community Hub, an initiative to redevelop a former Spar shop.
Pawel remembered his first cigarette was aged 18 on a visit to Fort William.
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He joked: “Maybe it was because of the midgies.
“You can’t smoke cigarettes if you want to run.”