A group of us wanted to something tough for charity, and something different from the usual bike ride and marathon, so we thought we'd attempt to climb the 3 highest mountains in Great Britain in 24 hours.

We chose the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, because it is a small charity which makes a real difference to the lives of poor children in South Africa. At a time when the FIFA World Cup is going on and money is being poured into parts of the country, there is another, far sadder side. The Red Cross War Memorial Hospital is the only specialist hospital dedicated entirely to children in the whole of Southern Africa. Patients come from poor, marginalised communities and more than a third of the patients are under a year old.

The challenge takes in Ben Nevis in Scotland (4406ft), Scafell Pike in England (3209ft) and Snowdon in Wales (3560ft) and some 500+ miles of driving, all within a 24 hour period. It's feeling right now to be a bit of a foolhardy choice and it seems like a long old way. Still, after a gruelling training regine (OK, we climbed Snowdon once and did a bit of walking) and several months of strict diets (Pizza) we are ready to hit the road.

We;ve also made the decision that the challenge be 100% self-funded, so we will be paying all travel, food, and supply expenses ourselves. 100% of the money received will go to charity. We're really thankful to any and all donations!

 

Ayisha Ali
Golly gosh, I'm not usually a fan of the word challenge, and no doubt I've underestimated the intensity of this, but hopefully the cause will keep me going. I've visited the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, and spent some time at the Sarah Fox Convalescent Hospital where many of them go to for after-care, and they are both truly heart wrenching places...beautiful babies and children with TB or HIV, severe burns, malnutrition, and so on, many of whom are also orphaned or abandoned.     

"We have so much yet appreciate so little, and those with so little, appreciate so much." We are fortunate to be in a position to give, especially at a time when WAGS are visiting shanty towns and hospitals wearing outfits that amount to more than some of these children need for survival. Any and all donations greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.      

James Appleby

John Appleby
I've wanted to do this for a few years and after doing the Flora London Marathon in 2009 and Mont Blanc that summer, I decided that I wanted to do a charity event this year that met 3 key objectives!

1) Lower impact on my knees - the FLM was brutal on training and execution. Walking can't be hard... right...?

2) A small charity - so we could really maximise the money going to the children. We supported a great charity last time around but I wanted to give to something where our money makes a REAL difference.

3) Self-funded - too often, charity money gets spent on the entrants! The London Marathon is endemic in this nature, I'm afraid.

I think that the 3 peaks does all of these, and is tough enough to be of interest. I hope you agree, and are able to give something towards the children in Africa.

Lastly, I want to thank my teammates for supporting my relatively laissez-faire approach to planning such an event, which consisted of a few hastily thrown together emails and conference calls.

Tristan Colgate
I used to walk up mountains when I was a boy, with my parents on holiday.  I don’t remember it being particularly difficult, enjoyable even.  Fast forward twenty years and my test ascent of Snowdon a few weeks ago came as a shock to the system.  I didn’t know my lungs could make that noise, nor that my face was capable of such an alarming shade of scarlet.  This will be a gruelling challenge, but I welcome it, and I am determined to complete it for the sake of those South African children who are unable to get the basic healthcare that we take for granted.

Serb Jodha
If I remember correctly it was a Wed afternoon onsite at a client enjoying my wonderful high cholesterol and carb induced lunch when a couple of Bluefinians mentioned the 3 peaks challenge.  I listened with intrigue about climbing the 3 highest peaks in the UK and decided to join.  I hadn’t seen anything higher then Primrose Hill up till now – so figured ‘highest peak’ was just a British over exaggeration. 

So far my training plan has included a hike up Snowdon (albeit we got lost along the way – but we found the beer at the summit), and my daily swing up the stairs leading to my flat.  My shopping trip for my kit was rather fun and I’ll likely be over accessorised for the trip. 

I look forward to the physical challenge; but more importantly the opportunity to raise funding for our wonderful charity!

Tony Harper
I’ve wanted to do the 3 peaks is a challenge for years, The achievement, views and being crammed in the back of a mini bus for 10 hours while driving through this fantastic country are too good to pass.
Raising money for a worthwhile charity close to where Bluefin has just opened an office is a real driver.

Maybe I should have done some training, but, I’m hoping that mythical powers of ‘residual fitness’, obstinacy and Mars bars will see me through.

Jan van Ansem
When the question came up if I wanted to join the three peak challenge, I signed up without much hesitation.
It seemed the perfect opportunity for me to see a bit more of the country I've called my home for the last three years.
Little did I know about the actual challenge. I was told it involved walking up three mountains with exotic sounding names, and how hard can that be, really?!
OK, that was a bit naive, and I've now learned that the three peak challenge is actually a serious challenge and requires fitness, skills and a lot of planning.
I am relieved that other team members have relevant experience and are prepared to do the planning.
Hopefully with their help this novice hill walker from the flat country manages to complete the three peaks.
I am more than happy to put up with blisters, sore muscles, aching bones and more than 24 hours in the company of my colleagues if that results into a donation to the Red Cross Children's Hospital Trust.
They do outstanding work for a very vulnerable group of people and they will spend your money well.
Please can you donate what you can to support the children who benefit from the brilliant work of the Red Cross Children's Hospital Trust.
Thank you.