Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. We completed the challenge in 21 hours 35mins, here it is in detail:

 

Thursday 7:30am - Team meets at Geotechnics Office for an 8am leave........

12:30pm....lunch and fuel stop at Duck Bay Hotel, Loch Lomond............... chicken and mushroom pie seems to be the favourite !!

1:30pm-4.15pm - Drive from Loch Lomond to Fort William stopping at Morrisons for last minute consumables and very important toilet stop.

Start touching water at Fort William - 4:45pm

Drive to Fort William Youth Hostel don wet weather gear and start challenge at 5:00pm

Weather improves greatly approx 30mins into challenge and everyone strips

During walk we pass other teams from across the country and share experience so far....including daunting journey up in 62mph restricted minibus !

7:20pm - Reach Ben Nevis Summit and take photo on trig point......highest persons in the UK !! Snow still evident in isolated pockets/cornices

7:30pm - congrats, photos and quick munch.... time to go..............

8:30pm - Heavens open and we get soaked through as no time to don waterproofs

8:50pm - Reach start point (round trip of 3 hours 50mins). Phil and Ray have gas stove and bacon butties ready for us. Wet clothes taken off and everyone drys off.........leave Fort William at 9:30pm

9:30pm-2.45am - Drive from Fort William through Loch Lomond, Glasgow........M74 Junction 8 closed !! diverted off motorway down A roads to next junction. A Steady 62mph all the way to Carlisle Junction and head off down the A595 for firstly Cockermouth then Egremont and heading further south to Gosforth, where we head off down the lanes to Wasdale.

2:45am - Reach a very quiet Wasdale Camp site......only one car in car park (we are well ahead of other teams who started in front of us. Not bad considering a lot are in cars and not a slow minibus!)

Inform Ray and Phil to expect us in approx 3.5hrs, they pitch tents and set alarm for 6:00am to allow enough time for bacon sarnies!

3:00am - Start walk for Scafell all wearing head torches

3:20am - Encounter other team (three young lads from Manchester) on path having a breather, quick chat about Ben Nevis (they did it in 5hrs...not a patch on our 3hrs 50mins - didn't mention that to them !).

3:35am - Light enough to put away heads torches

4:00am - Sunrise producing beautiful pink/red skies across the area

4:45am - Reach summit and take photos. Another round of manly handshakes, quick banana, apple and water and off we go again down the mountain

5:00am - Head off back down

5:15am - Pass other team still coming up

5:35am - Pass more and more teams coming up mountain

6:00am - Reach car park just before Phil and Ray's alarms go off.....take great pleasure in whacking tents with walking poles to wake them up !!

Car park full by now with teams starting when we are leaving at 6:20am

6:30am - Sleep time............wake up at Lancaster services for toilet, coffee, squaddie wash and fuel stop

Jack goes missing in services!!!! Ray sent to go look for.......7:00am Jack appears on bus......apparently he had a bit of a wrestle on his hands in toilet block

7.00-11:27am - Drive from Lancaster to Llanberis Pass

11:30am - Boots on and we're off for last push up Snowdon

13:15pm - Summit reached in very gusty and cold weather. We wrestle with tourists to all get around trig point to congratulate each other. Tourist takes photos of us.

13:20-13:35pm: Refreshment in cafe entrance

13:35pm - set off down mountain

14:35pm - Reach final path to car park to heroes welcome and photographs.......big team hug and set off for water down to Caernarfon.

14:45pm - Caernarfon Castle and touch the water

Pint of Lager and Chocolate Cake goes down very well indeed in Anglesey Arms next to Caernarfon Castle

3 Peaks Challenge completed in 21hrs and 35mins
Water to Water add on - 22hrs

The Reason we are doing it

 

In December 2008 Phil & Paul's grandmother, Edith May Jones was diagnosed for the fourth time in her life with cancer. Unfortunately the cancer was at such an advanced and aggressive stage that the doctors couldn't do anymore for her.

In early January 2009 Edith was admitted to St Kentigern Hospice, St Asaph. It was here that Edith recieved the compassionate nursing care and support that touched the family greatly. Edith May Jones died peacefully on January 15th 2009, ages 79 years.

On the 2nd July 2009 a team from Chester based Geotechnics Ltd and North East based Suregrave UK Ltd will endeavour to climb and descend the highest mountain in England (Scafell Pyke), Scotland (Ben Nevis) and Wales (Snowdon) within 24 hours, to help raise much needed funds for St Kentigern Hospice.

The team includes:

Phil Hayes

Paul Hayes

Stu Mccrae

Jack Dyke

Mark Davies

Ray Macklin/Phil Bain (Team Drivers)

THE HOSPICE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!!

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Thank you for your support.