Thursday, September 4th, 2025, will remain etched in Tony McMurray’s memory for a lifetime. It was the very day that he and his team completed the Bulgarian 56 Peaks Challenge. A professional milestone and a personal dream came together on one unforgettable day.
Here’s how the final ascend went in Tony’s words:
The plan had always been to conquer Bulgaria’s highest peak, Musala (2,925m), as the final 56th summit.
In the weeks leading up to the day, I had 17 confirmed climbers — each ready to take a day’s holiday and equally proud to wear the iconic blue shirt that has become the symbol of the Bulgarian 56 Peaks Challenge. It was also to be the largest group assembled for any peak across the 3 years of the challenge.
Then, on the eve of our ascent, I received a surprise email from Ivan — someone who had been on my distribution list for some time through a mutual friend, but whose busy travel schedule and commitments had always kept him from joining. This time, however, he was determined to be part of it. I was delighted to reply with a warm “yes” — even promising him one of our blue shirts.
My reason for commenting on this somewhat minor event, was this last-minute addition captured the very essence of this challenge: open, inclusive, and always welcoming of new energy. (Though as it turned out, Ivan was not to be our latest recruit… see below!)
As we gathered at the foot of Musala, the plan was clear: take the gondola from 1,300m up to 2,400m and then head up to the roof of Bulgaria. The starting location promised not only a spectacular photo opportunity but also a rare chance for so many in the core group to finally meet in person. Over the past three years, people had joined the challenge at different times of the year, so for many, this was their very first face-to-face encounter in one group.
At 8:30 am we came together for our “base camp” photo. What had been 17 at the start of the week was now 18 (thanks Ivan), and alongside us were two four-legged companions joining for the day — bringing the total number of dogs across the three years to three.
Ivan’s last minute inclusion was a surprise – but the gondola ride to the next stage of our journey brought a further surprise, one that once again reinforced the spirit of the challenge in so many ways.
Let me introduce Dimitar. A man working in Bulgaria’s medical industry, he had chosen at the last minute to take a day’s holiday to climb his country’s highest peak.
As we gathered at 2,400m at the top of the ski lift, Dimitar, who just happened to choose the same period of ascent as our team, started to mingle with the group and began asking questions: What’s with the blue tops? What’s this challenge about? Who are you supporting?
By the time we stopped for food and water at around 2,600m, I realized our numbers had spontaneously grown to 19! With his character, charm, and easy connection to the team, Dimitar had quickly become part of this special group of people.
Musala, while the highest peak in Bulgaria and number 56 on the list, is not the most technically demanding. And so, within 3 to 4 hours, we found ourselves approaching the summit. Emotions ran high — the culmination of over three years of the challenge finally brought us here. We reflected on all that had gone before and most importantly the children who we knew had / would benefit from our efforts. With a bottle of champagne in hand, I gave a short speech, followed by Karel who said some kind words on behalf of Ingram Micro, marking both this achievement and my own 30 years with the company in a fitting way. Before long, we realized we were monopolizing Bulgaria’s highest point, as a small queue began to form behind us while we finished our many combinations of ‘celebratory photos’.
As tradition dictates, the bottle of champagne was opened (I managed it far better than on Peak 55!), we captured our group photo, fittingly taken by our newest teammate, Dimitar and then we all headed back down with a great sense of achievement.
