After escaping Dartmoor for a while, WITC, amongst others, have just returned from completing the national Three Peaks Challenge. The mission was to reach the summits of Scotland's, England's and Wales' highest mountains in the quickest time possible without breaking speed limits!
For those who need the reminder - the three peaks are Ben Nevis (1344 metres), Scafell Pike (978 metres) and Snowdon (1085 metres). In total, thats about 10000 feet of ascent.
Of course, the mountains are only half the story. There is 23 miles of walking, some walking and navigating at night, bad (foggy, windy, damp) weather, tricky river crossings (Dartmoor prepares you for these!) not to mention the 500 miles of driving between car parks.
Nothing can prepare you for the lack of sleep, the hurting and hunger that kicks in on these little 6 hour road journeys.
Its a Challenge alright.
Four began the challenge. Three completed it, with one forced to withdraw through injury. Scafell Pike was by far the toughest, with the wettest feet, roughest terrain and requiring most navigation. Though Ben Nevis took longer than any of us predicted. We even broke into a jog on the descent of Snowdon to ensure we achieved a sub 27 hour time!
Total time taken: 26 hours and 57 minutes.
Total money raised for charities Macmillan Cancer Care and Teenage Cancer Trust: £1500
Images from top: Scafell Pike summit; Looking down on Glen Nevis; Early morning ascent of Lingmell en route to Scafell Pike; High river level on slopes of Snowdon.
2 comments:
Try running it!
LOL. Thanks for the suggestion there! I thought I was gonna collapse just jogging down Snowdon's Miners Track. A teensy bit disappointed we didn't complete the trek within 24 hours, but achieving it at all in less than perfect conditions was worth celebrating.
Post a Comment