Well, the video of 3 summits..
Making this 15 minute video was the final chapter of something I wish I could do again. Months and months of planning, a lot of time, and quite a bit of money spent- were all worth it. The event couldn't have gone smoother, well we got lost at Brackenclose, and at Fort William, and I got lost on Scafell Pike briefly, yet still finished 32 mins faster than I had planned and still came in as 'silver!. The video took me a while but the result was pleasing. It tells the story better than my text updates or blog posts (which I hope you enjoyed reading by the way as they took a while and reduced my sleeping time throughout the event!). I've already thanked so many people and it's been amazing to have such support. People really want to support youngsters nowadays and so many people have said to me- 'I wish more 16 year olds were like you' which is really moving. Having people and beep at me and shout 'well done!!!' out of their cars in the street is also amazing. It brought a huge smile to my face everytime. The moment when I RAN over the finish with my walking pole thrust into the air, Foo Fighters' Everlong playing loud in the headphones and then walking through the Miners Track gate, shouting 'Booyaka!' and stopping the stopwatch at 21 hours 57 minutes was the happiest moment of my entire life. The acheivement and adrenalin rushed over me.
So yeah, the video is here below, with some of my appropriately chosen favourite music which also accompanied us on the trip, apart from Benny Hill, I hope you enjoy watching it and please leave a comment. As for donations I'm just below £1700 now which is £700 more than I was aiming for!!!! WOW! Thanks so much! I really appreciate it and you're all awesome. I still don't know who donated £50 anonymously but please let me know so I can say a huge thankyou! It's not too late to boost my totals on my fundraising page, or in person, and I'm still collecting off a few family and local people.
Keep tuned for my next project- a slightly bigger and colder Mont Blanc in August next year, where I'll be climbing the highest mountain in Europe at 4800m, with legendary 9-times Everest Summiteer Kenton Cool 1:1 in just 5 days.
Over and out- Living the Dream...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QODoGx5cCxk
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Friday, 8 July 2011
The full story continued...
So anyway, I started planning my event months and months ago although I initially decided to do this before Christmas. Then all the planning really kicked off. Why did I do this? I'm always up for a challenge and without boasting I'm pretty physically fit too. I love the outdoors and when the idea of the 3 Peaks came into my head after climbing Ben Nevis and Snowdon last year it all seemed to fit into place as I found the walks easy and the feeling of the summit great. My fitness could only improve as time passed while I started doing big walks and hill running (another hobby) and I began to get really excited for the challenge. It got better and better, as I was soon corporately sponsored by my mum's employers, FocusSB, based in Sussex and Peckforton Castle, in Cheshire (which is largely due to my stepdad working for them). I soon had my full set of gear, a full schedule made, lots of sponsorship money coming in, and my fundraising pages and blogs set up. After this it was just a matter of training and waiting for the big day. But this only came with stresses of sponsorship, organisation, heated debates with my family about my logistics and they certainly felt my stresses when things weren't going to plan with ordering things or when I was getting confused/unsure about how to do things. Before I knew it I spent a whole day packing my gear for the event and loading up the minibus...
So with a not-so-early night sleep on Monday the 4th, and fully packed, a huge plate of Spaghetti Bolognese was needed for the carbs boost that evening. Then on the Tuesday morning, I was up at 7.15 and was double checking all the gear and putting in all the food in the coolbox. At about 9.30am, we 'hi-fived' and jumped into the minibus, slammed the doors, put the postcode in sat nav and then off we went (after getting a few pictures of the team). Foo Fighter's- 'Everlong' accompanied us for the first 10 minutes of the 6.5 hour drive to Fort William. We obviously made stops, about 4 or 5, at various services. Not much happened in the journey apart from raiding the coolbox, enjoying the Foo Fighter's new album on full and thinking ahead to the event as well having a laugh, including putting on the accents of the different areas we drove through. We were both chilled out and I felt surreal that the day was finally going ahead. I rested my legs and looked forward to getting there. I felt strong but the pressure was felt.
We finally got to the destination at about 4.30 but we had a problem. This is not where I set off last time. I was hoping to set off from the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, which is where I thought I had set off last time.. (although I later found this to be the Ben Nevis Inn at Achintee). So we were at the wrong place. A quick drive down to the Visitors centre (which also joins up to the Achintee path and we realised the Youth Hostel had another path which joined up to the main tourist path and actually chopped off a good half a mile or so (but steeply!). So we got back there, and now in a rush to set off at my 5.30pm time I ran to the toilets to put the vaseline on (a lifesaver!) and got fully kitted out. The footbridge over the road was the start of my path. Got over there, took a little video and then * hi fived * and set off across the bridge with a big wave... maybe never to be seen again :P
I set off up this path really quickly.. it was steep. Got the camera out on several occasions to get pics. Joined the tourist track real quick and climbed about 300-400feet in 10 minutes. The view was scenic and the weather looked good. The path felt familiar and I was at the valley looking across to the stream quicker than anticipated. Kept going until I reached Halfway Lochan (which is nearly halfway at about 2200 feet). Not many people on the path, passed a lot on my way up but there weren't many coming up with me! A lot of these never passed me on my way down, so must have given up at the sight of the cloud which I saw coming across. Feeling strong and good, I had some of my snacks (sausage rolls, muesli bars and biscuits). It all seemed to be going well. At this time Chris would be sleeping in the minibus (although I later found out he'd hardly slept and instead gone to the local restaurant for a salad). I didn't quite manage my 4mph training page but I reached 3mph sometimes...
So I plodded onto the summit. The rain hit me as soon as I got onto the zig-zags at about 3000ft.. it got heavier. I started getting out my GoPro head camera to take little videos to show my progress and the weather.. all my videos ended with 'see you soon...hopefully!' :P
The zigzags were nice and easy then at about 3500ft I saw the sky getting greyer and wispy cloud tickling the top of the rise above me 'SH*T! I said (although I was expecting it from the forecast). Soldiered on. Got windier and on came the anorak. Thought I was all alone now until 2 blokes passed and told me I was an hour away from the top, which was 'fookin' cold' apparantely.. Can't argue there because it really did get chilly as I got higher. Getting anxious, I followed the zig-zags until my view dissipated into nearly nothing and the views across to Loch Linnhe faded. The slope eased now and I followed cairns for a while and felt disorientated. The fog got thicker and so did the rain. It was relatively flat now but needed to watch what I was doing.. Not sure what direction I followed although I remember coming across something which struck my eye. My GPS said I was at 4000ft. There was a patch of snow to my right and nothing ahead. I could see this snow had a slope up it. The fog gave me just 10 metres visibility. The phone signal had gone. So I decided that I was on my own now and I didn't know where I was, still, I decided the only way was up and followed footprints up the small patch of snow which soon cleared and I was pack on a well cairned path again. Then more snow appeared, this time, on the cornices at the edge of the sheer cliff drops. I could just see grey below them, but it sobered me up, I couldn't see anything but I knew the cliff drops dropped down to 3000ft. Thankfully the paths kept me away. And at this point down the slope came two people which was a relief! 'I thought I was the only one up here!' I shouted. 'No there's lots of people up there!' they shouted back over the wind which gusted at 45mph. As I followed the cairns, marking my GPS locations as I moved just in case, a few more groups emerged from the fog and passed me. I passed a group of 3, and then as the war memorial building arrived I was there! Reached the top in 1 hours 59 mins. Texted a few people but there was no signal to call. It was wet as hell and it really was cold, on came the gloves as my hands started to become numb- not good if you need to operate a compass or GPS. The people behind me soon followed and they congratulated me when I told them and got pics of me with my banner (which nearly blew away!) in front of the trig point and the summit shelter which I initially couldn't find. Took some summit videos but you couldn't see much. I was soon off and luckily had no problems getting down. When it came to the snow patch i decided to slide down on my backside thanks to my waterproof trousers, to the amusement of the man and daughter at the bottom. Carried on nice and quickly, even running at times, which was easy enough on my ankles. By now the head camera's batteries had died so no more videos of the Ben. My descent took slightly longer and I made it down in a total of 3 hours 52 mins- thats more than 1 hrs 30 faster than scheduled! I was down by about 9.20pm.. no headtorches needed. My stepdad had gotten no sleep and I was down so quick my pot noodle and hot chocolate wasn't ready when I got down. I was dead chuffed and still felt very energetic (god bless isotonic energy drinks!). Quote from Chris- 'bloody hell Superman, did you run down it?' Set off from the Youth Hostel at about 10pm.
Got my bag repacked during the journey, we encountered a couple of deer driving down the Scottish roads (one of which, a huge stag, nearly hit us!) and when I'd posted my blog update I had some pasta and got 'in bed' at 11pm. I remember drifting in and out of sleep and at one point waking up at a lay-by where a piss-stop was much needed. The rain absolutely hammered us but I slept through most of it. Chris did a great job as this drive to Wasdale took 6 hours, not much fun on your own in the dark with rain! Coffee in a flask certainly helped.
It wasn't long before we arrived at Wasdale Head, (well, I did manage to sleep some of it but felt no better). The drive down the country lanes was quite pleasant and I got my bags ready to go with the muesli bars and my isotonic energy drinks downed. The drive along Wastwater was also very pleasant at that time of the morning with the low cloud and dawn atmosphere. We encountered a fox, and also learnt that sheep sleep on the road because it's warmer! We literally had to nudge one out of the way! Then we had a bit of a kerfuffle trying to find the start point. I was following a route suggested by a book which started at Brackenclose at the entrance lane to the campsite. But that's all I knew. So we got there ahead of schedule at 3.45am but with much walking around it took us 30 mins to find the sign at the end of the country lane to the start of the path. Not good. Chris dumped the minibus in the car park, filmed me setting off and retreated for a couple of hours kip. Not that he got much though... I sped off feeling strong but slightly weary up a route I was unfamiliar with. But it was clear to follow. I passed over Lingmell Gill and then passed the only 3 people up there who I would see during the whole walk! I followed the Brown Tongue path and then met the fork and followed up to Hollow Stones, which started to get a bit unclear to follow. It was still quite an easy walk but it's a good thing I didn't forget my walking poles like I did on Ben Nevis. At one point I was a bit unsure of my location but soldiered on. Weather wise it was crisp, chilly and clear but it started to rain a bit about 2000ft into the walk. On came the waterproofs. When I reached the top of a rise I could see what I thought was the summit but was actually a different mountain 'Hey, Scafell Pike hasn't got a cliff drop?'. Passing Scafell and Mickledore was quite scenic too. I was now somewhere I'd never been before (when I climbed it in April we went via the corridor route). I carried on too far and I thought 'Am I on the right mountain?'. Then I noticed a cairn and followed this up to the summit after passing the huge boulder with the small cairn on top. Then the slope eased and I started to recognize it a little. Lingmell Col was just below me to my left. Then the summit appeared with the monument. It was a great feeling. I had the summit to myself. The sky was colourfully broken and the cloud filled the surrounding valleys and summits but thankfully stayed above Scafell Pike largely. This was lucky, as once I had texted lots of people, called my mum, had a drink and briefly admired the view I set off. Well, I also got my summit pics (but had to rest the camera on a rock with the self timer as I was at the highest point of England completely alone!). I also got a summit vid. I made the summit in 1 hours 37 minutes approximately, getting there about 5.50am on Wednesday the 6th, ahead of schedule. On my descent, I missed the cairns and ended up down a steeper slope, then realising what I'd done, wasted some time scrambling across a steep slope to get back to the col. I saw the team I'd passed on the way up and told them they were about 25 minutes from the top and warned them not to make my mistake as if the cloud had come in I'd probably not have made it back on track quite as quickly. Cairns are a lifesaver. I followed the same route down in good time. Due to poor signal in the area I could make no contact with Chris. I got down with no injuries and intact in 3 hours 10 mins. I got my mountain whistle out and ran into the carpark to find Chris waiting with the Pot Noodle brewing. 20 mins ahead of schedule. We left on time too.. after speaking to a couple and their son about my attempt who kindly sponsored me £5. They were the only walkers we saw apart from a mysterious car parked there when we got there. The advantages of doing the 3 Peaks in the week! My ankles were surprisingly intact for a Scafell Pike descent. Got everything packed, sorted, binned, refilled etc then got out of there. A 4.5 hour drive to Snowdonia would prove difficult for us both, but 2 down, 1 to go. Getting lost would no longer be a problem but my fitness could be.
More to come but I'm off to bed now. Keep checking for updates folks!
So with a not-so-early night sleep on Monday the 4th, and fully packed, a huge plate of Spaghetti Bolognese was needed for the carbs boost that evening. Then on the Tuesday morning, I was up at 7.15 and was double checking all the gear and putting in all the food in the coolbox. At about 9.30am, we 'hi-fived' and jumped into the minibus, slammed the doors, put the postcode in sat nav and then off we went (after getting a few pictures of the team). Foo Fighter's- 'Everlong' accompanied us for the first 10 minutes of the 6.5 hour drive to Fort William. We obviously made stops, about 4 or 5, at various services. Not much happened in the journey apart from raiding the coolbox, enjoying the Foo Fighter's new album on full and thinking ahead to the event as well having a laugh, including putting on the accents of the different areas we drove through. We were both chilled out and I felt surreal that the day was finally going ahead. I rested my legs and looked forward to getting there. I felt strong but the pressure was felt.
We finally got to the destination at about 4.30 but we had a problem. This is not where I set off last time. I was hoping to set off from the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, which is where I thought I had set off last time.. (although I later found this to be the Ben Nevis Inn at Achintee). So we were at the wrong place. A quick drive down to the Visitors centre (which also joins up to the Achintee path and we realised the Youth Hostel had another path which joined up to the main tourist path and actually chopped off a good half a mile or so (but steeply!). So we got back there, and now in a rush to set off at my 5.30pm time I ran to the toilets to put the vaseline on (a lifesaver!) and got fully kitted out. The footbridge over the road was the start of my path. Got over there, took a little video and then * hi fived * and set off across the bridge with a big wave... maybe never to be seen again :P
I set off up this path really quickly.. it was steep. Got the camera out on several occasions to get pics. Joined the tourist track real quick and climbed about 300-400feet in 10 minutes. The view was scenic and the weather looked good. The path felt familiar and I was at the valley looking across to the stream quicker than anticipated. Kept going until I reached Halfway Lochan (which is nearly halfway at about 2200 feet). Not many people on the path, passed a lot on my way up but there weren't many coming up with me! A lot of these never passed me on my way down, so must have given up at the sight of the cloud which I saw coming across. Feeling strong and good, I had some of my snacks (sausage rolls, muesli bars and biscuits). It all seemed to be going well. At this time Chris would be sleeping in the minibus (although I later found out he'd hardly slept and instead gone to the local restaurant for a salad). I didn't quite manage my 4mph training page but I reached 3mph sometimes...
So I plodded onto the summit. The rain hit me as soon as I got onto the zig-zags at about 3000ft.. it got heavier. I started getting out my GoPro head camera to take little videos to show my progress and the weather.. all my videos ended with 'see you soon...hopefully!' :P
The zigzags were nice and easy then at about 3500ft I saw the sky getting greyer and wispy cloud tickling the top of the rise above me 'SH*T! I said (although I was expecting it from the forecast). Soldiered on. Got windier and on came the anorak. Thought I was all alone now until 2 blokes passed and told me I was an hour away from the top, which was 'fookin' cold' apparantely.. Can't argue there because it really did get chilly as I got higher. Getting anxious, I followed the zig-zags until my view dissipated into nearly nothing and the views across to Loch Linnhe faded. The slope eased now and I followed cairns for a while and felt disorientated. The fog got thicker and so did the rain. It was relatively flat now but needed to watch what I was doing.. Not sure what direction I followed although I remember coming across something which struck my eye. My GPS said I was at 4000ft. There was a patch of snow to my right and nothing ahead. I could see this snow had a slope up it. The fog gave me just 10 metres visibility. The phone signal had gone. So I decided that I was on my own now and I didn't know where I was, still, I decided the only way was up and followed footprints up the small patch of snow which soon cleared and I was pack on a well cairned path again. Then more snow appeared, this time, on the cornices at the edge of the sheer cliff drops. I could just see grey below them, but it sobered me up, I couldn't see anything but I knew the cliff drops dropped down to 3000ft. Thankfully the paths kept me away. And at this point down the slope came two people which was a relief! 'I thought I was the only one up here!' I shouted. 'No there's lots of people up there!' they shouted back over the wind which gusted at 45mph. As I followed the cairns, marking my GPS locations as I moved just in case, a few more groups emerged from the fog and passed me. I passed a group of 3, and then as the war memorial building arrived I was there! Reached the top in 1 hours 59 mins. Texted a few people but there was no signal to call. It was wet as hell and it really was cold, on came the gloves as my hands started to become numb- not good if you need to operate a compass or GPS. The people behind me soon followed and they congratulated me when I told them and got pics of me with my banner (which nearly blew away!) in front of the trig point and the summit shelter which I initially couldn't find. Took some summit videos but you couldn't see much. I was soon off and luckily had no problems getting down. When it came to the snow patch i decided to slide down on my backside thanks to my waterproof trousers, to the amusement of the man and daughter at the bottom. Carried on nice and quickly, even running at times, which was easy enough on my ankles. By now the head camera's batteries had died so no more videos of the Ben. My descent took slightly longer and I made it down in a total of 3 hours 52 mins- thats more than 1 hrs 30 faster than scheduled! I was down by about 9.20pm.. no headtorches needed. My stepdad had gotten no sleep and I was down so quick my pot noodle and hot chocolate wasn't ready when I got down. I was dead chuffed and still felt very energetic (god bless isotonic energy drinks!). Quote from Chris- 'bloody hell Superman, did you run down it?' Set off from the Youth Hostel at about 10pm.
Got my bag repacked during the journey, we encountered a couple of deer driving down the Scottish roads (one of which, a huge stag, nearly hit us!) and when I'd posted my blog update I had some pasta and got 'in bed' at 11pm. I remember drifting in and out of sleep and at one point waking up at a lay-by where a piss-stop was much needed. The rain absolutely hammered us but I slept through most of it. Chris did a great job as this drive to Wasdale took 6 hours, not much fun on your own in the dark with rain! Coffee in a flask certainly helped.
It wasn't long before we arrived at Wasdale Head, (well, I did manage to sleep some of it but felt no better). The drive down the country lanes was quite pleasant and I got my bags ready to go with the muesli bars and my isotonic energy drinks downed. The drive along Wastwater was also very pleasant at that time of the morning with the low cloud and dawn atmosphere. We encountered a fox, and also learnt that sheep sleep on the road because it's warmer! We literally had to nudge one out of the way! Then we had a bit of a kerfuffle trying to find the start point. I was following a route suggested by a book which started at Brackenclose at the entrance lane to the campsite. But that's all I knew. So we got there ahead of schedule at 3.45am but with much walking around it took us 30 mins to find the sign at the end of the country lane to the start of the path. Not good. Chris dumped the minibus in the car park, filmed me setting off and retreated for a couple of hours kip. Not that he got much though... I sped off feeling strong but slightly weary up a route I was unfamiliar with. But it was clear to follow. I passed over Lingmell Gill and then passed the only 3 people up there who I would see during the whole walk! I followed the Brown Tongue path and then met the fork and followed up to Hollow Stones, which started to get a bit unclear to follow. It was still quite an easy walk but it's a good thing I didn't forget my walking poles like I did on Ben Nevis. At one point I was a bit unsure of my location but soldiered on. Weather wise it was crisp, chilly and clear but it started to rain a bit about 2000ft into the walk. On came the waterproofs. When I reached the top of a rise I could see what I thought was the summit but was actually a different mountain 'Hey, Scafell Pike hasn't got a cliff drop?'. Passing Scafell and Mickledore was quite scenic too. I was now somewhere I'd never been before (when I climbed it in April we went via the corridor route). I carried on too far and I thought 'Am I on the right mountain?'. Then I noticed a cairn and followed this up to the summit after passing the huge boulder with the small cairn on top. Then the slope eased and I started to recognize it a little. Lingmell Col was just below me to my left. Then the summit appeared with the monument. It was a great feeling. I had the summit to myself. The sky was colourfully broken and the cloud filled the surrounding valleys and summits but thankfully stayed above Scafell Pike largely. This was lucky, as once I had texted lots of people, called my mum, had a drink and briefly admired the view I set off. Well, I also got my summit pics (but had to rest the camera on a rock with the self timer as I was at the highest point of England completely alone!). I also got a summit vid. I made the summit in 1 hours 37 minutes approximately, getting there about 5.50am on Wednesday the 6th, ahead of schedule. On my descent, I missed the cairns and ended up down a steeper slope, then realising what I'd done, wasted some time scrambling across a steep slope to get back to the col. I saw the team I'd passed on the way up and told them they were about 25 minutes from the top and warned them not to make my mistake as if the cloud had come in I'd probably not have made it back on track quite as quickly. Cairns are a lifesaver. I followed the same route down in good time. Due to poor signal in the area I could make no contact with Chris. I got down with no injuries and intact in 3 hours 10 mins. I got my mountain whistle out and ran into the carpark to find Chris waiting with the Pot Noodle brewing. 20 mins ahead of schedule. We left on time too.. after speaking to a couple and their son about my attempt who kindly sponsored me £5. They were the only walkers we saw apart from a mysterious car parked there when we got there. The advantages of doing the 3 Peaks in the week! My ankles were surprisingly intact for a Scafell Pike descent. Got everything packed, sorted, binned, refilled etc then got out of there. A 4.5 hour drive to Snowdonia would prove difficult for us both, but 2 down, 1 to go. Getting lost would no longer be a problem but my fitness could be.
More to come but I'm off to bed now. Keep checking for updates folks!
Thursday, 7 July 2011
From what seems like a long time ago... The full story.
So despite having to keep my blog updates short-ish through the event I really should write a big post summing up what formed a smooth and successfully unproblematic event which will live with me for the rest of my life.. Here's the last minute prep and team before departure!
But for those who want to know the basics and nothing else-
Set off over the footbridge and started the timer at Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, at 5.31pm on the 5th of July. Summitted Ben Nevis in 1 hours 59 mins. Arrived back at the minibus about 9.23. Total descent time- 3 hours 52 mins. WELL ahead of schedule.
Set off from Brackenclose at Wasdale Head at just after 4.15am on Wednesday morning. Summitted via the Brown Tongue path/Hollow Stones route in 1 hour 37 mins (5.50am). Arrived back at Brackenclose at about 7.25am.. in 3 hours 10 mins total time. Still on schedule. We departed soon after.
Set off from the Pen-y-Pass car park up the Pyg Track for Snowdon at about 12.23pm. Summitted in nearly 1 hours 30. Arrived back at the bottom of the Miners Track at about 3.24pm. Total time 3 hours.
So that means I completed the National 3 Peaks Challenge in... 21 hours 57 minutes! I'm now the youngest person to complete the challenge solo in under 24 hours. That's a brilliant feeling. I couldn't have done it without my stepdad driving me though, which was just as hard physically. I owe him. I'm now going to get my name in the press and on the 3 Peaks database, and soon on their records page on their website (www.threepeakschallenge.org.uk). Sadly G.W.R showed no interest!
But there's more to the story. It was an adventure of a lifetime and a lot happened in 24 hours!
But for now folks I'm off to bed afraid. There's a lot to be written and lots of pics to upload. It will be here very soon and then you'll see all the pics and anecdotes of the most rewarding yet hardest 24 hours of my life
But for those who want to know the basics and nothing else-
Set off over the footbridge and started the timer at Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, at 5.31pm on the 5th of July. Summitted Ben Nevis in 1 hours 59 mins. Arrived back at the minibus about 9.23. Total descent time- 3 hours 52 mins. WELL ahead of schedule.
Set off from Brackenclose at Wasdale Head at just after 4.15am on Wednesday morning. Summitted via the Brown Tongue path/Hollow Stones route in 1 hour 37 mins (5.50am). Arrived back at Brackenclose at about 7.25am.. in 3 hours 10 mins total time. Still on schedule. We departed soon after.
Set off from the Pen-y-Pass car park up the Pyg Track for Snowdon at about 12.23pm. Summitted in nearly 1 hours 30. Arrived back at the bottom of the Miners Track at about 3.24pm. Total time 3 hours.
So that means I completed the National 3 Peaks Challenge in... 21 hours 57 minutes! I'm now the youngest person to complete the challenge solo in under 24 hours. That's a brilliant feeling. I couldn't have done it without my stepdad driving me though, which was just as hard physically. I owe him. I'm now going to get my name in the press and on the 3 Peaks database, and soon on their records page on their website (www.threepeakschallenge.org.uk). Sadly G.W.R showed no interest!
But there's more to the story. It was an adventure of a lifetime and a lot happened in 24 hours!
But for now folks I'm off to bed afraid. There's a lot to be written and lots of pics to upload. It will be here very soon and then you'll see all the pics and anecdotes of the most rewarding yet hardest 24 hours of my life
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
I've done it folks! The whole thing!
Bloody delighted to announce that I completed the 3 Peaks this afternoon about 3.30pm after just 3 hours on Snowdon in 21hrs 57 minutes! Set off up the Pyg track from Pen-y-pass on time and made it up in 1hr 30. Very very hard underfoot due to sickness, tiredness and lack of sleep (probably all related)! The last one is always the hardest! Much much busier than the paths of Scafell Pike, of which I had the summit to myself when I got there which was awesome! I need an early night as I've had 6 hours sleep in 36 hours and 22 miles of walking and 10,000ft of ascent! Getting lost on Scafell Pike didn't even put me off.
I need to sleep now so I'll just go and have a long bath and either today or tomorrow I'll upload all the details and pics for you to enjoy! :)
Live the dream folks!
I need to sleep now so I'll just go and have a long bath and either today or tomorrow I'll upload all the details and pics for you to enjoy! :)
Live the dream folks!
Summit number 2
Despite being unable to find the start and getting lost on the descent I summited Scafell Pike in 1 hr 37 (5.50am) via Wasdale Head and down in overall total of 3hr 10. Had summit to myself and luckily good weather! Back's killing me now but off to do the third and final peak. Both tired. Well on schedule but feeling sick. 2 Down 1 to go! Thanks for all messages so far they mean a lot :D
Will update in more detail when home.
Will update in more detail when home.
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
1 down, 2 to go!
Summited Ben Nevis in 1 hrs 59!! Not the best start originally as I couldn't find our starting point and forgot my walking pole! (Back hurts now!). Finished it in a total of 3hrs 52. summited faster than I planned it would take to get down! Brilliant. Set off from the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel just afte 5.30. It felt weird that I was doing something I've been planning for so long! Hugely relieved, as forecasted, the weather was dire. I was walking about 3mph then as I got to the zigzags I felt great. Got to the 'halfway lochan' in 45 mins which means the steepest bits are done with. I took a few breathers but it was all good. At just over 3000ft the cold came in and a bit higher up (as warned by a Walker who told me it's effing cold up there!!) the fog started tickling the path ahead. 'Crap' I said, but all electronics were stashed away, on came the anorak and I soldiered on. The paths stayed clearish but I was almost alone apart from some folk who told me I was 15 mins away. Soon I was engulfed in fog, wind picked up with 45 mph gusts and blissful silent gaps now and then. The heavens opened and the rain got heavier. The vis got to about 10 metres. But thanks to the cairns I made it. I'd love to tell you more but we're driving to Wasdale now (5 hours) for number 2. Feeling strong and buzzing. Off to bed now and i'll keep you posted. Will go into detail when I have my beloved laptop! Over and out living the dream! :D
1 hour till arrival...
We're just 1 hour from The Glen Nevis Youth Hostel where I'll be starting off. 2 huge pots of pasta have given me a boost. It's been dry but there's some nasty Grey patches lingering over the peaks in front of us. We've just called in to the most vile service station toilets I've ever seen. Was keen to get out of there. The Green Welly Stop saved the day as I managed to get some Vaseline for rash prevention. Just passed the Highlands Road sign. Will be there soon and kitted out for the first leg. Oh and ironically we're listening to Long Road to Ruin by the Foo Fighters. Good times.
More than halfway...
130 Miles to go. 20 Miles from Glasgow. The rain hammered down as soon as we passed the Welcome to Scotland sign. It's just started again. Damn. Feeling strong otherwise, chillin' out, enjoying Foo fighters new album which is awesome and eating lots of snacks. In 3.5 hours I'll be kitting up. Oh and I've forgotten the Vaseline. Not good.
En route...
Driving through the Lakes as I write this. Set off at 9 in good spirit. Got 230 miles to go. 100 done so far with no problems. Weather improving as we drive North, goody good!
Monday, 4 July 2011
The big day's arrived (nearly!)
Hi folks,
Months of planning, hours of stress, hours of anxiety, hours of research and many many hours of painful training with hundreds of miles ran, walked or cycled within the past months. I've struggled to combine exam revision and 3 Peaks planning (but succeeded, albeit a bit more biased to my 3 Peaks). And it's here. It feels a long time since I was climbing Scafell Pike as a training walk with my uncle in April. That was an easy walk, with excellent weather.
So the minibus is fully loaded apart from the coolbox and rucksack which will go in tomorrow.The coolbox has been stocked up with a variety of pasta, sandwiches, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, crisps, fruit, muesli bars and other carbohydratey-calorific treats. Nothing particularly healthy. But I'll be burning off over 4500 calories in 24 hours, so I think you can let me off.
Thanks to Carl Rogers and Tim Mosedale for advising me on how to use a map and compass. It's something I foolishly overlooked and though I'd be fine with, but knowing the forecast was poor, being imcompetent with my navigation was concerning me. Did some last minute research on the web, contacted Tim (a mountaineering instructor from Keswick who's climbed Everest twice from both sides, www.tim-mosedale.co.uk and Carl Rogers, an experienced walker/climber from www.marabooks.co.uk. Got the maps and compass out and did some practice. Then I realised my running watch has GPS! So I've got both to play with on the journey down tomorrow and should have both with reasonable knowledge in an emergency.
So let's cut the jibber-jabber and get onto the interesting stuff. The forecasts for Ben Nevis are poor. Heavy rain means low cloud down to 750m or lower which is going to make it tricky for me navigating the dangerous summit plateau (with a lovely 3000ft cliff drop to avoid). But there's nothing I can do except go up there, be safe and be well equipped. The forecasts for the other two are more reassuring but not exceptional. Wish I'd done it last week...
With over £1100 confirmed raised (and estimated to reach £1300) the fundraising has gone exceptionally and surprisingly well. I'm not far off some of the other 3 Peaks teams, and bear in mind they've got 5 or 6 in the group to do the work- and I'm on my own! But I couldn't have done it without support and generosity from family, friends, my sponsors and the public who have donated. I've mentioned all of you before and there will be a huge thankyou list at the end because what you've done all means so much.
As for updates- I'll be posting them here throughout the event tomorrow via my stepdads phone (only in the car however). Got a 7 hour drive to Scotland. Leaving at 8.30am and departing Ben Nevis at 5.30pm so I'm down while it's still light-ish. I'll give more info nearer the time about what's going on. A day I've looked forward to for so long is almost here and I feel quite surreal. It's been a good fun challenge so far before the event! No doubt it's going to be a rewarding and triumphant experience if I succeed, and with an average 73% success rate the odds are high. I've done lots of planning and preparation, I'm well equipped, motivated, determined and ready to do this.
Keep updated (sorry for the huge post, although it is the last one before the big day!) via this blog. Wish me luck! It's still not too late to donate if you haven't done so already. Failure might be an option, but giving up never will be. Time to live the dream and prove the doubters wrong, oh, and to smash this record!! :)
Months of planning, hours of stress, hours of anxiety, hours of research and many many hours of painful training with hundreds of miles ran, walked or cycled within the past months. I've struggled to combine exam revision and 3 Peaks planning (but succeeded, albeit a bit more biased to my 3 Peaks). And it's here. It feels a long time since I was climbing Scafell Pike as a training walk with my uncle in April. That was an easy walk, with excellent weather.
So the minibus is fully loaded apart from the coolbox and rucksack which will go in tomorrow.The coolbox has been stocked up with a variety of pasta, sandwiches, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, crisps, fruit, muesli bars and other carbohydratey-calorific treats. Nothing particularly healthy. But I'll be burning off over 4500 calories in 24 hours, so I think you can let me off.
Thanks to Carl Rogers and Tim Mosedale for advising me on how to use a map and compass. It's something I foolishly overlooked and though I'd be fine with, but knowing the forecast was poor, being imcompetent with my navigation was concerning me. Did some last minute research on the web, contacted Tim (a mountaineering instructor from Keswick who's climbed Everest twice from both sides, www.tim-mosedale.co.uk and Carl Rogers, an experienced walker/climber from www.marabooks.co.uk. Got the maps and compass out and did some practice. Then I realised my running watch has GPS! So I've got both to play with on the journey down tomorrow and should have both with reasonable knowledge in an emergency.
So let's cut the jibber-jabber and get onto the interesting stuff. The forecasts for Ben Nevis are poor. Heavy rain means low cloud down to 750m or lower which is going to make it tricky for me navigating the dangerous summit plateau (with a lovely 3000ft cliff drop to avoid). But there's nothing I can do except go up there, be safe and be well equipped. The forecasts for the other two are more reassuring but not exceptional. Wish I'd done it last week...
With over £1100 confirmed raised (and estimated to reach £1300) the fundraising has gone exceptionally and surprisingly well. I'm not far off some of the other 3 Peaks teams, and bear in mind they've got 5 or 6 in the group to do the work- and I'm on my own! But I couldn't have done it without support and generosity from family, friends, my sponsors and the public who have donated. I've mentioned all of you before and there will be a huge thankyou list at the end because what you've done all means so much.
As for updates- I'll be posting them here throughout the event tomorrow via my stepdads phone (only in the car however). Got a 7 hour drive to Scotland. Leaving at 8.30am and departing Ben Nevis at 5.30pm so I'm down while it's still light-ish. I'll give more info nearer the time about what's going on. A day I've looked forward to for so long is almost here and I feel quite surreal. It's been a good fun challenge so far before the event! No doubt it's going to be a rewarding and triumphant experience if I succeed, and with an average 73% success rate the odds are high. I've done lots of planning and preparation, I'm well equipped, motivated, determined and ready to do this.
Keep updated (sorry for the huge post, although it is the last one before the big day!) via this blog. Wish me luck! It's still not too late to donate if you haven't done so already. Failure might be an option, but giving up never will be. Time to live the dream and prove the doubters wrong, oh, and to smash this record!! :)
Raised some more money at Duddon Fair on Saturday
Raised another £25 at the Duddon Primary School Summer Fair on Saturday afternoon. A bit slower than the Kelsall fair but also raised some interest which could bring more money in via the fundraising page. Very hot day!
Sunday, 3 July 2011
My full schedule just in case you're interested...
Depart home no later than 9am.
2-3 stops on the way when necessary.
Arrive at Youth Hostel no later than 5.15pm.
5.30pm- CHALLENGE BEGINS. Alex departs Ben Nevis.
8.30- Alex to reach summit and attempt radio contact
8.40- Alex to start descent from summit
10.30- Chris awake and ready to leave.
11pm latest- Alex arrives back at the minibus. Depart for Wasdale- 6 hours. 1 small stop IF NECESSARY.
4am- Arrive at Wasdale Head. Alex departs Scafell immediately.
6am- Alex to summit Scafell Pike. Radio contact.
6.10am- Alex begins descent of Scafell Pike.
7.15am- Chris ready to leave.
7.45am latest- Alex to finish Scafell Pike. Depart immediately to Pen-y-Pass- 4 hours 45.
12.30pm- Arrive Pen-y-Pass. Alex departs Snowdon immediately. If necessary Chris drives to Llanberis.
2.30pm- Alex should summit Snowdon.
2.40pm- Alex should descend Snowdon. Radio contact.
4.00pm- Alex completes Snowdon. SUCCESS! Challenge ends.
5.30pm latest- Alex completes Snowdon.
Obviously if I get ahead of schedule too quickly it could mean I do Scafell Pike in more darkness, so I will probably still try my ascent but don the headtorches and if I get lost wait for the daylight.
2-3 stops on the way when necessary.
Arrive at Youth Hostel no later than 5.15pm.
5.30pm- CHALLENGE BEGINS. Alex departs Ben Nevis.
8.30- Alex to reach summit and attempt radio contact
8.40- Alex to start descent from summit
10.30- Chris awake and ready to leave.
11pm latest- Alex arrives back at the minibus. Depart for Wasdale- 6 hours. 1 small stop IF NECESSARY.
4am- Arrive at Wasdale Head. Alex departs Scafell immediately.
6am- Alex to summit Scafell Pike. Radio contact.
6.10am- Alex begins descent of Scafell Pike.
7.15am- Chris ready to leave.
7.45am latest- Alex to finish Scafell Pike. Depart immediately to Pen-y-Pass- 4 hours 45.
12.30pm- Arrive Pen-y-Pass. Alex departs Snowdon immediately. If necessary Chris drives to Llanberis.
2.30pm- Alex should summit Snowdon.
2.40pm- Alex should descend Snowdon. Radio contact.
4.00pm- Alex completes Snowdon. SUCCESS! Challenge ends.
5.30pm latest- Alex completes Snowdon.
Obviously if I get ahead of schedule too quickly it could mean I do Scafell Pike in more darkness, so I will probably still try my ascent but don the headtorches and if I get lost wait for the daylight.
Friday, 1 July 2011
My last big training walk!
The big day closes in on me.
Everything has been bought for the challenge now except the food for us. These calorific treats shall be picked up on Monday from the local Co-op. I've produced a 10 page report with everything in, in agonizing detail. It contains the schedule, 'golden rules', back-up driving routes in case the sat nav fails, lists of equipment I have and food we have (useful for packing beforehand). It wouldn't make much to sense to anyone else but half of the challenge is planning it well. Everything from weather forecasts (which I'll do last minute) to my destination postcodes and my walking routes in case a search party is needed (hopefully not) is on it.
Well I now know that when I collect every donation I'm going to have a minimum of £1200. I'm sure most of these people will donate (well, hopefully they keep to their word). Can I just say a HUGE thankyou to everyone who has donated, either from one of my corporate sponsors, or from the various sponsorship forms/collection boxes in various locations, on my fundraising page and those donations given to me/my family directly. I really appreciate it and to have met my target, which I doubted I'd reach, a week before is bloody brilliant. Although legally 50% of all sponsorship money can be spent on paying for the activity by the person who is doing it.. this WILL NOT be the case. Apart from £75 from one of my corporate sponsors, FocusSB, every donation will go to my charities and split equally 50:50.
So- so far, 1200 (and probably 1300) would buy 1200 saplings (young trees) in Borneo, so continuing with the restoration projects already ran by one of my charities, REACT. It could also pay for a full 24 hours of a senior research scientist's time in finding cures for cancer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Walked 12 miles earlier today in a nice 2hrs 50. Nice easy walking, nothing like what I'll be doing on Tuesday evening and Wednesday. But I'm ready for it.
Thanks go to Gary Porter @ Chester Chronicle for posting more info about my attempt in this week's issue, having picked up on the story from this blog about me being backed by John Barnes. More media coverage should help to raise my profile and raise more money. Thanks also go to Mike @ The Boot Inn, Willington for sponsoring me £100 as well as another £70 on his sponsor form there. Good stuff.
T-shirts are done, everything's raring to go.
As Edmund Hillary once said about Everest- 'well, we knocked the bastard off'. Time to go and do just that!
Everything has been bought for the challenge now except the food for us. These calorific treats shall be picked up on Monday from the local Co-op. I've produced a 10 page report with everything in, in agonizing detail. It contains the schedule, 'golden rules', back-up driving routes in case the sat nav fails, lists of equipment I have and food we have (useful for packing beforehand). It wouldn't make much to sense to anyone else but half of the challenge is planning it well. Everything from weather forecasts (which I'll do last minute) to my destination postcodes and my walking routes in case a search party is needed (hopefully not) is on it.
Well I now know that when I collect every donation I'm going to have a minimum of £1200. I'm sure most of these people will donate (well, hopefully they keep to their word). Can I just say a HUGE thankyou to everyone who has donated, either from one of my corporate sponsors, or from the various sponsorship forms/collection boxes in various locations, on my fundraising page and those donations given to me/my family directly. I really appreciate it and to have met my target, which I doubted I'd reach, a week before is bloody brilliant. Although legally 50% of all sponsorship money can be spent on paying for the activity by the person who is doing it.. this WILL NOT be the case. Apart from £75 from one of my corporate sponsors, FocusSB, every donation will go to my charities and split equally 50:50.
So- so far, 1200 (and probably 1300) would buy 1200 saplings (young trees) in Borneo, so continuing with the restoration projects already ran by one of my charities, REACT. It could also pay for a full 24 hours of a senior research scientist's time in finding cures for cancer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Walked 12 miles earlier today in a nice 2hrs 50. Nice easy walking, nothing like what I'll be doing on Tuesday evening and Wednesday. But I'm ready for it.
Thanks go to Gary Porter @ Chester Chronicle for posting more info about my attempt in this week's issue, having picked up on the story from this blog about me being backed by John Barnes. More media coverage should help to raise my profile and raise more money. Thanks also go to Mike @ The Boot Inn, Willington for sponsoring me £100 as well as another £70 on his sponsor form there. Good stuff.
T-shirts are done, everything's raring to go.
As Edmund Hillary once said about Everest- 'well, we knocked the bastard off'. Time to go and do just that!
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Sunday, 26 June 2011
I've done it folks!
I've not done the walk yet, but it's just 9 days away!!
But what I have done is met my target- I've raised at least £1000. I've already sent off £582 to my charities- but I've collected another £50, and I've got at least another £480 to collect from sponsors!
This figure doesn't even include sponsorship which I expect to receive from some of my family, or 7 sponsor forms in my local area.
It'll be collected after the event and transferred to the fundraising page shortly!
So my money raised could be reaching £1100, or even £1200. That's awesome. £1200 would plant 1200 trees in the Kinabangtan River, Borneo, where REACT do most of their replanting and reforestation work on forest corridors which helps to connect the isolated patches of forest which basically gives Orang-utans, Elephants and Sun Bears a chance of being able to successfully live and breed. This will drastically prevent their extinction and bring them out of the red zone.
Obviously my charities are getting a 50:50 split. With this money, Breakthrough Breast Cancer could buy a transilluminator, an important machine for scientists to study DNA in experiments, or it could pay for a full 24 hours of a senior scientists time to do important research into breast cancer causes.
The big day will be here before I know it- excited but anxious! Wish me luck and keep donating!
But what I have done is met my target- I've raised at least £1000. I've already sent off £582 to my charities- but I've collected another £50, and I've got at least another £480 to collect from sponsors!
This figure doesn't even include sponsorship which I expect to receive from some of my family, or 7 sponsor forms in my local area.
It'll be collected after the event and transferred to the fundraising page shortly!
So my money raised could be reaching £1100, or even £1200. That's awesome. £1200 would plant 1200 trees in the Kinabangtan River, Borneo, where REACT do most of their replanting and reforestation work on forest corridors which helps to connect the isolated patches of forest which basically gives Orang-utans, Elephants and Sun Bears a chance of being able to successfully live and breed. This will drastically prevent their extinction and bring them out of the red zone.
Obviously my charities are getting a 50:50 split. With this money, Breakthrough Breast Cancer could buy a transilluminator, an important machine for scientists to study DNA in experiments, or it could pay for a full 24 hours of a senior scientists time to do important research into breast cancer causes.
The big day will be here before I know it- excited but anxious! Wish me luck and keep donating!
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Fundraising is going really well!
Thanks go to Jenny and Den Ware, friends of my parents, who aswell as letting me borrow their walkie talkies for the event- have sponsored me £60 online! Brilliant! £60 has been pledged by both of my grandparents too :) My new banner is also on it's way, the old one with the error on will be stuck to the back window of the minibus during the event.
So, so far I've collected £373.27 (not including the £75 online from Jenny and Den Ware). I still need to collect money from Barbara Wilkie (who has very kindly raised £50 for me!), the money pledged by my family and grandparents, the money from my various sponsorship forms in various locations of which I have no idea how much has been raised by them yet, the £100 from my sponsor Peckforton Castle as well as the chance of donations from the general public and a few people on my sponsor forms.
My stepdad's just transferred all my cash donations onto my fundraising page. So my confirmed total now is £447. I've totalled up and estimated how much I've got still to collect and I reckon I've raised £757 so far!
Thanks for all the support guys. You're all awesome and I really appreciate it. Sorry for the long posts. 2 weeks today we'll be driving down to Scotland! Getting nervous but very excited.
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Fundraising and training update- 18/6
Hey guys-
Training-wise (probably the most crucial part of the run-up!) I've not been doing a great deal BUT HAVE FAITH IN ME! I'm off out on a 8.5 mile walk tomorrow, on relatively flat and easy ground, as that is all I have in my area, but I'll do it very quickly. I could also do with a good pace to burn off the excessive calories of TWO Sticky Toffee Puddings with Toffee Sauce and Ice Cream, the 99 Flake, the Steak Pie, and the Bread + Butter pudding with custard that I had today! But it was my birthday, after all! I don't normally eat as bad as that.. well... not that often...
Meanwhile on my birthday (which was technically yesterday) I didn't have a particularly ceremonious or chilled day. I always hoped to do the 3 Peaks while I was still 15 to make my record even more impressive and harder to beat, but through being very busy with exams this wasn't feasible at all. Doing it on the longest day (which is in 2 days?) would have been ideal but it would have only given me 1 extra hour daylight..
So anyway- I was up at 7, got out with the dogs and then got back to go down to the Kelsall Primary School Summer Fete in my walking gear and a rucksack full of material at 10am. I set up a little table with all of my sponsorship forms, posters, my Chester Chronicle article printed out etc, along with my banner. You may have noticed my banner on my picture- it actually has an error with it, the REACT logo is there instead of my Peckforton Castle Logo.. I've got a new one coming in the post free of charge- thanks to make-a-sign.co.uk!
So I got a lot of people interested on the way in to the fete at 11am. In total I raised a brilliant £78! £46 of that came from my sponsorship form/donation box on my table. I need to go and collect £5 after the event from one of my old dinner ladies (I haven't been at Kelsall for 5 years- funnily enough I was talking to my old teacher who recalls my last day there, and I left high school a month ago- everything seems so small and goes very quickly!). I gained a lot of interest on the day and I hope those people also got onto my blog ok- and if they have- THANKYOU! Lots of people had seen me in the paper and were very keen to support me. I didn't know a lot of the people who kindly donated but if you signed my sponsor form I'll try and call round to thank you afterwards! Special thanks to the kind blokes on the door who pointed everyone in my direction- that helped! Funnily enough one of the chaps is also a 3 Peaker who did the challenge in 18 hours 48 last year. He had an identical itinerary to me- maybe I can do it in the same time too?
The rest of the money I raised was very very kindly donated by Harry and Diane from Kelsall Plant Centre/Shed City. The Plant Centre has sadly closed hence they were selling off their old stock, I used to work for them, they invited me down to help and kindly gave me 20% of their takings- £32, which totalled £78 all together. Not bad at all for a couple of hours- and it was good fun too (had a good chat to my old teachers and a mooch around!)
I also want to thank Barbara Wilkie, from Weetwood Ales, (www.weetwoodales.co.uk), for taking a sponsorship form and helping me to raise another brilliant £45 in sponsorship for me! Much appreciated! Also thanks again to Diane and Harry from the garden centre, a big thumbs up to Jenny and Den Ware who have kindly lent me their 4 Walkie Talkies for the event- which has saved me £20 in hire costs. Thanks to Gary Porter @ The Chronicle for posting a brilliant article about me last week which has really brought the interest in. I now have sponsorship forms in the Co-op, Boot Inn and the Chemist in Kelsall (and soon to be one in the butchers, Peckforton Castle and the Royal Oak).
I've now got 16 days to train and plan. My schedule is done. I've raised about £550 now- can we double that? I think so!
Training-wise (probably the most crucial part of the run-up!) I've not been doing a great deal BUT HAVE FAITH IN ME! I'm off out on a 8.5 mile walk tomorrow, on relatively flat and easy ground, as that is all I have in my area, but I'll do it very quickly. I could also do with a good pace to burn off the excessive calories of TWO Sticky Toffee Puddings with Toffee Sauce and Ice Cream, the 99 Flake, the Steak Pie, and the Bread + Butter pudding with custard that I had today! But it was my birthday, after all! I don't normally eat as bad as that.. well... not that often...
Meanwhile on my birthday (which was technically yesterday) I didn't have a particularly ceremonious or chilled day. I always hoped to do the 3 Peaks while I was still 15 to make my record even more impressive and harder to beat, but through being very busy with exams this wasn't feasible at all. Doing it on the longest day (which is in 2 days?) would have been ideal but it would have only given me 1 extra hour daylight..
So anyway- I was up at 7, got out with the dogs and then got back to go down to the Kelsall Primary School Summer Fete in my walking gear and a rucksack full of material at 10am. I set up a little table with all of my sponsorship forms, posters, my Chester Chronicle article printed out etc, along with my banner. You may have noticed my banner on my picture- it actually has an error with it, the REACT logo is there instead of my Peckforton Castle Logo.. I've got a new one coming in the post free of charge- thanks to make-a-sign.co.uk!
So I got a lot of people interested on the way in to the fete at 11am. In total I raised a brilliant £78! £46 of that came from my sponsorship form/donation box on my table. I need to go and collect £5 after the event from one of my old dinner ladies (I haven't been at Kelsall for 5 years- funnily enough I was talking to my old teacher who recalls my last day there, and I left high school a month ago- everything seems so small and goes very quickly!). I gained a lot of interest on the day and I hope those people also got onto my blog ok- and if they have- THANKYOU! Lots of people had seen me in the paper and were very keen to support me. I didn't know a lot of the people who kindly donated but if you signed my sponsor form I'll try and call round to thank you afterwards! Special thanks to the kind blokes on the door who pointed everyone in my direction- that helped! Funnily enough one of the chaps is also a 3 Peaker who did the challenge in 18 hours 48 last year. He had an identical itinerary to me- maybe I can do it in the same time too?
The rest of the money I raised was very very kindly donated by Harry and Diane from Kelsall Plant Centre/Shed City. The Plant Centre has sadly closed hence they were selling off their old stock, I used to work for them, they invited me down to help and kindly gave me 20% of their takings- £32, which totalled £78 all together. Not bad at all for a couple of hours- and it was good fun too (had a good chat to my old teachers and a mooch around!)
I also want to thank Barbara Wilkie, from Weetwood Ales, (www.weetwoodales.co.uk), for taking a sponsorship form and helping me to raise another brilliant £45 in sponsorship for me! Much appreciated! Also thanks again to Diane and Harry from the garden centre, a big thumbs up to Jenny and Den Ware who have kindly lent me their 4 Walkie Talkies for the event- which has saved me £20 in hire costs. Thanks to Gary Porter @ The Chronicle for posting a brilliant article about me last week which has really brought the interest in. I now have sponsorship forms in the Co-op, Boot Inn and the Chemist in Kelsall (and soon to be one in the butchers, Peckforton Castle and the Royal Oak).
I've now got 16 days to train and plan. My schedule is done. I've raised about £550 now- can we double that? I think so!
Friday, 17 June 2011
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Training progress update...
Well firstly, exactly 3 weeks today at this very time I should be nearing the bottom of Ben Nevis. I've set myself a target of 5 hrs 30 for it which should be easily manageable as I'll be jumping out of the minibus at the bottom (well, not literally) full of energy.
Earlier today I walked 13 miles. I don't have any mountains near me, or any particularly big hills. I'm nearly 2 hours away from the nearest National Park, Snowdonia, to train on. As well as training on terrain and slopes as similar to the ones I'll be going up in my challenge, I've realised that I need to test myself for long distances over the period of time I'll be walking for. So with basic walking gear on, I set off to Frodsham Hill from my house. It was winding country lanes most of the way, so I was walking on smooth and not particularly challenging terrain but I wanted to test my general endurance fitness. I walked the 13 miles in a reasonable 3 hrs 20- with only very few and brief stops. This also included going up steep Frodsham Hill to Frodsham crag, where there are lots of sandstone boulders and cliff faces which I go rock climbing on. I had a look around here, and paused my GPS watch for 30 mins or so. My watch is going to be an extremely valuable tool in my challenge- it gives me my distance, my pace, my time and my average mile times etc. This hill was the hardest part of the walk. I averaged a good 4mph for the whole of the walk, which isn't bad considering I had done a previous 2 mile dog walk and 10 mile bike ride (to and from school) that morning. The only downside was that I forgot to put on my walking socks and soon found myself with sore feet walking quickly on the hard roads. I also need to invest in some Vaseline for the challenge! Ouch!
Meanwhile mum picked up some energy isotonic gels and a powdered isotonic drink for the challenge to give me extra boosts. I'm only meant to have one per mountain. I originally planned to stock up my calories (also shown on my GPS watch) via Snickers and Mars Bars. Well through research I've found that these actually give you a sudden boost when needed but also a sudden downfall which leaves you feeling more tired. Isotonic energy drinks/gels give you a sudden peak of lots of energy which lasts- should be handy when I'm lagging behind on Snowdon... I've also ordered a vinyl banner, 90 x 40cm, with all of my awesome charities logos and sponsors on with all relevant info. I'll hold it up in triumph when I get a picture taken of myself at the summit of each mountain- firstly as proof that I've reached the top and also to promote my event!
That's all for now folks. Tick-tock....
Earlier today I walked 13 miles. I don't have any mountains near me, or any particularly big hills. I'm nearly 2 hours away from the nearest National Park, Snowdonia, to train on. As well as training on terrain and slopes as similar to the ones I'll be going up in my challenge, I've realised that I need to test myself for long distances over the period of time I'll be walking for. So with basic walking gear on, I set off to Frodsham Hill from my house. It was winding country lanes most of the way, so I was walking on smooth and not particularly challenging terrain but I wanted to test my general endurance fitness. I walked the 13 miles in a reasonable 3 hrs 20- with only very few and brief stops. This also included going up steep Frodsham Hill to Frodsham crag, where there are lots of sandstone boulders and cliff faces which I go rock climbing on. I had a look around here, and paused my GPS watch for 30 mins or so. My watch is going to be an extremely valuable tool in my challenge- it gives me my distance, my pace, my time and my average mile times etc. This hill was the hardest part of the walk. I averaged a good 4mph for the whole of the walk, which isn't bad considering I had done a previous 2 mile dog walk and 10 mile bike ride (to and from school) that morning. The only downside was that I forgot to put on my walking socks and soon found myself with sore feet walking quickly on the hard roads. I also need to invest in some Vaseline for the challenge! Ouch!
Meanwhile mum picked up some energy isotonic gels and a powdered isotonic drink for the challenge to give me extra boosts. I'm only meant to have one per mountain. I originally planned to stock up my calories (also shown on my GPS watch) via Snickers and Mars Bars. Well through research I've found that these actually give you a sudden boost when needed but also a sudden downfall which leaves you feeling more tired. Isotonic energy drinks/gels give you a sudden peak of lots of energy which lasts- should be handy when I'm lagging behind on Snowdon... I've also ordered a vinyl banner, 90 x 40cm, with all of my awesome charities logos and sponsors on with all relevant info. I'll hold it up in triumph when I get a picture taken of myself at the summit of each mountain- firstly as proof that I've reached the top and also to promote my event!
That's all for now folks. Tick-tock....
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Training is going well...
I'm currently walking at over 4mph on my training walks, last week I walked a hilly (but unfortunately mainly road) 7.7 miles in 1hr 55. Keeping up my 4mph pace near enough all the way!
5/7/2011- 16 year old goes for 3 Peaks Challenge mountain record!
Hey everyone,
Firstly thanks to all of you for taking the time to visit this page...
Let me introduce you to my challenge and hopefully I can inspire you to kindly sponsor me and benefit 2 very worthy causes... and my record attempt! My charities are shown to the left of the page, fighting environmental issues like preventing the Orangutan going extinct and fighting Breast Cancer via research, education and campaigning- they are both very reliant on your kind donations and do important work which needs funding. The money I raise will be split 50:50 between them.
On the 5th of July 2011, I shall be doing a very tough and physical endurance event called the National 3 Peaks Challenge. The 'challenge' is to climb the 3 highest mountains in the United Kingdom, Ben Nevis (1344m), Snowdon (1038m) and Scafell Pike (978m) within a strict time limit of 24 hours. This includes 24 miles of walking, and nearly 10,000ft of ascent! I shall have little sleep on my 10 hours worth of car journeys in between- my legs will be aching! The time driving from Ben Nevis (Fort William) to Scafell Pike (Wasdale Head) will be 6 hours, the time driving from there to Snowdon (Llanberis) will be 4 hours- this is included in my 24 hours time. I am aiming to complete Ben Nevis in no more than 5 hours 30, Scafell Pike in 3 hours 30 and Snowdon also in 3 hours 30.
I am being driven on the 900 mile journey (starting at my house in Cheshire) by my stepdad who had kindly offered his services along with his 9 seater minibus for plenty of space to stretch my aching legs. My itinerary includes me setting off up Ben Nevis (Tourist Track) at 5.30pm, which leaves me walking down it in the dark (hopefully with awesome sunset views at the summit), then I shall ascend Scafell Pike (Brown Tongue/Hollow Stones route) in the barely-light dusk of the next morning and finish on Snowdon (Pyg track up, Miners track down) in mid-day before 5.30pm to complete the challenge!!!
Where does the record attempt come in? Well, I'll be doing all of this walking and trekking completely on my own. My own navigation and experience will get me up the mountains. Not many people do the challenge solo. Also, not many 16 year old's do the challenge solo, in fact, if I am successful then I will OFFICIALLY be the YOUNGEST PERSON EVER to do the 3 Peaks Challenge SOLO! And trust me folks, I will be successful, the only thing that'll stop me is dangerous weather or an injury!
I have kindly been corporately sponsored by FocusSB, based in Sussex, Peckforton Castle and Tarvin Cars. They are covering my fuel costs etc, as well as donating to my charities which is brilliant.. but will you help me too?
I'd be extremely grateful and appreciative of any donations and sponsorship!
Saturday, 28 May 2011
How to donate money and sponsor my record attempt!
Hi guys, if you want to sponsor my record attempt then please visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/alexstaniforth3peaks
or email me at alex@cheshire-wildlife.co.uk for more info about how you can donate in other ways.
Thankyou for your support!
or email me at alex@cheshire-wildlife.co.uk for more info about how you can donate in other ways.
Thankyou for your support!
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