Michael McCourt
Michael's Three Peak Challenge
Fundraising for Crisis
Story
On Wednesday morning, I awoke at 06:00 to meet the team in Euston and board the train to Scotland. We arrived at Ben Nevis in the early evening and began the biggest of the three mountains. As we ascended, the silent serenity of the Scottis
h highlands was replaced by a steep climb to the sub-zero and snow-capped summit. The contrast was like stepping in to another world, almost as though we walked through the wardrobe in to Narnia. Two hours later, we reached the summit, before descending in to darkness.
We then drove several hundred miles through the night, arriving at the Lake District in the early hours of Thursday morning. We donned our wet clothes and stumbled out in to the darkness; ascending the unforgiving Scafell Pike in the cold, wet and windy blackness of night. As we approached the summit, we were wind beaten and soaked through; my artificial kneecap – due to an accident when I was younger – was stiff and swollen with the cold. I had to hobble slowly to the summit – supported by the team. As we descended, the wet and windy weather was incessant and the visibility was low. Every step was made with caution and the descent became nothing more than a drudging shoe watching slog.
As I arrived at the foot of the mountain, I limped back to the car, feeling defeated and disappointed – certain that I couldn’t climb Snowdon in my current condition. However, several hundred miles, one short snooze and too many painkillers later, I felt up to the challenge. We arrived in Snowdonia at about 17:00 and began the final climb. For the first time, in what felt like forever, the rain held off. We were dry and the views that surrounded us were spectacular. We pushed hard to reach the summit before sunset. There were some close encounters with steep falls and even one crevasse, but we made it safe and sound – if a little wind worn. As we descended, we flicked our head torches on and climbed down the rocky route back to the foot of the mountain.
It was one hell of an adventure and all for a great cause. If you would like to support me, whatever you donate, AMV BBDO will match that donation – so that even 50p will be an extra pound to the total raised. Anything you can spare will be massively appreciated.
Thanks for your support.
It was one hell of an adventure and all for a great cause. If you would like to support me, whatever you donate, AMV BBDO will match that donation – so that even 50p will be an extra pound to the total raised. Anything you can spare will be massively appreciated.
Thanks for your support.