Our 3-peaks challenge began with a rendezvous at Edinburgh Waverley train station, where the FCF team of myself, Roz and Bronwen got together before heading off to Glasgow airport for our pick up and onward to Fort William. At this stage I did wonder about the amount of equipment I had, as Roz and Bronwen were clearly either a) much more prepared then I was, b) cautious packers, or c) planning for the Himalayas. Turns out it was a mixture of all 3!
We met the rest of our 8-person climbing group in Glasgow, along with our guide and driver support courtesy of Maximum Adventure. So our intrepid team consisted of ourselves, a Colin, a Natalie, a Peter, a Rena and a Shaughna. The first challenge was to entertain ourselves on the trip up to Fort William which was managed with aplomb. One very short pep talk and an average dinner later and we were set for an early night ahead of a 7:00am climb start at the foot of Ben Nevis. We also took the opportunity to stock up on enough confectionary, crisps and energy drinks to sink a ship, or at least a laser class sailing boat.
Come the dawn, come a breakfast bordering on hearty and good spirits for the climb ahead. The weather was overcast but decent with a good deal of low lying cloud. We took the set path from Glen Nevis up the hill - I say hill, it's 1,344m high or 4,409ft in old money. The group went at a good pace, slowing only for a couple of breathers and some energy boosts. Around 3hrs later we were at the summit, struggling to see 6 feet in front of us.
After the heady feeling of getting summit one under our belts came the sinking feeling of having to get back down before we could head off to Cumbria and Scafell Pike. So teeth were gritted and off we set at a canter, making it down in just over a couple of hours with the group casualties being a couple of blistered feet and a few tired limbs.
The next leg was an arduous drive that we did not have to do ourselves, luckily. Our driver taking over 7 hours to get us to the bottom of the highest peak in the Lake District and England. In a small mini-bus this was no mean effort and some winks were caught on route.
So there we were, approaching 8pm at the foot of the mountain standing at around 900m or nearly 3,000ft! Glad we brought the head torches. This was a tricky climb as not only was the light beginning to fade but there was light rain, more cloud, plenty of climbers and difficult paths to traverse. Fatigue was setting in approaching the climb to the top that needed to be completed with torches and waterproofs. We thought the top of Ben Nevis wasn't welcoming but it was a cosy arm chair by comparison.
So as you can see, visibility was an issue coming down. We were also taken down the sheep path, past bolders, with no clear walkways, across slippy rocks and sodden soil. My cycling back light came it handy to try and keep the group together and the descent was slow because of the conditions. Still, nobody fell badly and we all made it down for our taxi to Wales - the last time I got in a taxi after 1am I was feeling much more chipper and was wearing a different kind of jacket altogether!The journey took several hours and we ready to climb our final peak just after 6am. It felt surreal that less than 24hrs earlier we had been at the foot of Ben Nevis. At this point the task was really starting to tell and the miles and climbs were making their presence felt. The group was doing really well and nobody was giving up or letting the aches and pains slow them down too much. Given the aim to make it to the top of the mountains in 24hrs (I will come to the myriad of ways of analysing this soon) we had 13hrs climbing time and were already down 11hrs. To my mind that left me with 2hrs to get to the top. All attempts at chivalry and teamwork were left with a nod from Bronwen and I set off like an injured hare out of a trap - making the 1,038m or 3,406ft climb in 1hr and 40mins.
My punishment was to wait at the top while the much more sensible group made the steady climb to the peak in around 2 and a half hours. After the previous climbs and travel this was such a tremendous effort by everyone that deserved stunning views of the Welsh countryside, we didn't get it!
The final descent was the hardest, unsuprisingly, and the physical exertion was pushing people to their limits. My limbs and knees were aching and Roz had pushed herself through injury to finish the challenge - her knee nearly giving way on the climb down to the trip home. Bronwen put us all to shame, the older generation showing that they do not make them like they used to! The whole group completed the challenge and were ready for our shuttle to Manchester and the train home near 11am, around 28 hrs after we had begun this epic challenge.
The end was a motorway service station, a run for the 2pm train and a much needed seat for the journey back to Edinburgh. So, over 26 miles in distance and an ascent of nearly 10,000 ft later, the 3-peaks challenge had been tamed. We did not get up and down in 24 hrs, some people allow 13 hrs for climbing (based on 11 hrs average travel) regardless of what traffic does to you, some people count just getting to the top, other shun the tourist routes etc. Whatever, all 3 of us were atop the 3 highest peaks in the 3 mainland countries of the UK within a 24 hr period and that is more than good enough for me.
As always, I am proud to call Roz and Bronwen my team mates, whose support was invaluable. A huge thank you to everyone else for their continued backing through our 12 challenges in 2012:
www.justgiving.com/teams/fcf
Our friend Anders, in his continuing fight with Cystic Fibrosis, and the many personal tales within the current spectacle that is these Olympic games are a continued source of inspiration.
Onward to August and the cycle across Scotland's central belt!
Bri.
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