Oh we like a challenge. Around six months ago the thought of taking on the three peaks - climbing the three highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales in 24 hours - seemed like a good one. A nice physical challenge in aid of charity! The idea of raising money for two charities close to Ehrmanns' heart - Pancreatic Cancer UK and Cancer Research - was good enough for 7 volunteers to sign up, namely Mark Chapman, John Brimmer, Duncan Smith, Kim Wilson, Daniela Shelton and Felicity Billington. And Calr Burdett and Keith Lay were soon roped in as co-drivers and chefs.
Within a short time the date was set, the first weekend of June and the beginning of the British Summer. We Brits are ever the optimists and had assumed that we would be blessed with some nice summer weather. How wrong could we be?
Upon arriving in Fort William , where we would embark on our first climb, as dark clouds gathered it soon became apparent the weather was going to have some treats in store for us. A last minute purchase of waterproofs was going to prove to be money well spent. Ben Nevis , the most northerly peak, was always going to be cold, however with horizontal snow storms, low visibility, and bitterly cold winds, temperatures plummeted below zero. Nonetheless the peak was reached under time and smiles were all around. After a quick descent and a few expertly cooked hot dogs we continued through the night to Scafell Pike , where we knew we were in for a tough climb but conditions were sure to be better.
We arrived at Scafell at around 4am and in torrential rain began our ascent. It soon became clear the rain was not going to let up, and as we got higher turned in sleet and hail. The summit had yet more treats in store for us with more snow, more desperately cold winds and even less visibility. Smiles were beginning to fade. We all made a speedy descent in search of warmer temperatures and reached the bottom an hour ahead of schedule.
With one more peak to climb and plenty of time, we set off on our way to Snowdon, the most southerly of the three mountains where again we were sure weather would be better. You’d think by now we would have realised luck wasn’t on our side, wouldn’t you? A last minute forecast confirmed the worst: heavy rain. After a much longer journey than anticipated (we were now behind schedule), a less than enthusiastic bunch emerged from the minibus, our home for the last 24 hours. Nonetheless we set off determined to complete the challenge with in time. But by now the team were tired, cold, and wet and the supposedly easier Snowdon seemed tougher than ever. Low energy reserves and fiercely strong winds made reaching the very top almost impossible. However the team gritted their teeth and finally made it. Despite a speedy descent the team arrived at the bottom exhausted and just over time.
Nevertheless all the pain, cold temperatures and stiff muscles were deemed worthwhile. Thanks to you, our generous sponsors, the total amount raised came in over £7000 - a tremendous achievement in itself! The money raised specifically for Pancreatic Cancer will go towards research aimed at producing an effective screening process for pancreatic cancer which will help save many lives in the future. Thank you for your support - it is greatly appreciated!
