Medway 3 Peakers

The team have completed their physical (and mental) challenge to raise funds for Demelza Children’s Hospice and Shelterbox.

All, at the outset, novices at trekking mountains, the preparation included map reading, emergency first aid, dietary and equipment requirement advice; together with plenty of walking/stamina training over a period of months.

With the support of Medway Youth Service, who provided a minibus and Medway Rotary radios the group departed from Strood at 05.25 Wednesday 30th June, stopping overnight in Perth.

The challenge began in poor weather conditions at 16.30, Thursday 1st July as the ascent of Ben Nevis (4406ft) got underway; alongside the RFU Wooden Spoon charity event.

The 3Peakers’ working together in smaller groups all triumphed and by 23.30 the team were mobile heading south toward Cumbria and Scafell.

The journey was undertaken along quiet motorways and winding country roads but rain was the greeting at Wasdale Head; where at 06.30 the second adventure began.

Scafell (3209ft), although the smallest is the more navigationally difficult with a terrain of challenging footpaths/boulders to overcome but having accomplished this, with the requirement to forge a torrential stream, the final journey southwest began at 13.30.

Although behind time for completing within 24 hours, this knowledge didn’t reduce the determination to scale the third summit, Snowdon (3560ft). However horrendous traffic conditions delayed arrival at Pen-y-pass and the group didn’t begin their final assault along the Pyg track until 19.45.

There was some smiles and tired expressions as at 00.45 the Medway3Peakers walked off the mountain, head torches blazing, into the Llanberis village, exhausted, elated but emphatically proud of a job well done.

Geoff