In 2008 I did my first walk across the Shropshire Hills in aid of St Richard’s Hospice Worcester. Since then many miles, hills and mountains have passed under my feet as I gradually got the walking bug. I even collected some navigating qualifications along the way. The parting words from my navigation trainers on handing out the NNAS Gold certificates to the group this year was, “Don’t forget to keep the skills up”. So, whilst reflecting on the best way to achieve this, it seemed one way was to set myself a navigating challenge that St Richard’s Hospice might also benefit from.

My challenge is to find and visit every named peak in the Brecon Beacons National Park over 600 metres which officially qualifies as a “mountain” in the UK. So I have 53 to visit which will take a lot of planning and many trips! Some will be straightforward and some will be unspectacular and will be a navigating challenge but I hope to be somewhere near achieving this monumental challenge by the end of 2015.

I shall post updates on this site from time to time on progress, with my own donations per target and I will maintain a log book of all trips, including where possible photographic evidence of the targets visited. Details of some of my walks may appear in the Hospice walks programme so look out for them on www.strichards.org.uk  if you are interested in joining me on those particular trips.

My thanks go to my navigation trainers/assessors, Derek Jones & Bob Evans, who gave me the confidence and skills to carry out this challenge, and to the Brecon Beacons National Parks Mountain Centre who provided the definitive list of peaks, complete with grid references. I dedicate this challenge in memory of my daughter Vicki, my wife Dee and my good friend Bill Hopley who would have been the perfect walking companion for many of the trips involved in this challenge. (Dee and Bill were both cared for by St Richard’s Hospice).

Thank you for taking the time to read the above and any sponsorship in support of this challenge towards aid for St Richard’s Hospice would be very welcome.

Chas Reading charles@chas47.plus.com