Last weekend I took part in a Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Urban Saints. The three tallest peaks in England, Scotland & Wales over three consecutive days. It was pretty tough but it was also pretty awesome too. And pretty!
We planned to start as far from home as possible & then make our way towards Hitchin as we travelled - we being my two neighbours (Dom & Timea), their two friends (Chris & John) & myself. We drove through the opening day up the spine of England, through the dramatic Borders, along the stunning (yet nerve-wrackingly winding) banks of Loch Lomond & finally witnessing the perfect sunset vista of the majestic Glencoe region. It was an exhausting but ultimately rewarding trek in its own right before a night in a little backpackers hostel in the heart of Fort William.
It seemed like the whole place was packed with like-minded hikers but by the time we departed the next morning, the town seemed deserted. Clearly we were behind the crowds - who, it seemed, were already off to conquer Ben Nevis, long before any normal person would choose to be up on a Saturday morning. The next surprise was just how lovely a day it was - this hot sunshine was not what we had seen in the brochure...
There are two main things to note when climbing Ben Nevis in the height of season. Firstly the main ascent is actually pretty dull - as mountain climbing goes (or so I'm told). Secondly, it will be utterly packed. In fact on this day, it was like ants climbing a steep driveway; plus it often felt like getting stuck behind a line of caravans on a country lane. Albeit a rather wheezy, sweaty caravan! That's not to say it wasn't visually breathtaking to behold - and the beautifully clear skies helped with this - just that once you've seen the valleys & hills sink away beneath you, all they do is get smaller & more distant.
It's also not say that it's not a tough climb. In fact, Nevis grabs you from the first path, with one of the most draining sections being the initial path up round the neighbouring hillside to get to the base of the peak itself. Again, the unexpected heat didn't make this any easy (i was the only one of our party to "risk" wearing shorts that day...) Then it's relentlessly "up", zig-zagging as you go. You reach what appears to be a top only to discover another ascent beyond this one!
It was well before this that I realised that my new hydration pouch was not exactly working out for me. In fact, its mouthpiece wasn't even properly machined so there wasn't a hope of me getting a drink at all. With a pen knife & some determined improvisation, we eventually fixed it but it was fast seeming that dehydration & sunburn might be the biggest threats to the opening day of our challenge. This made the fact that we passed a small patch of snow - desperately clinging on to the slopes like the obscure size in a clothing sale rack - all the more bizarre an experience.
Despite the battering our legs were already taking, we did make it to the summit & it was a pretty impressive place too. A flat-ish mountain top with plenty of space and views for many miles. There was the obligatory photo-opp-ready plinth that the steady stream of tired hikers casually queued to mount for THAT photo that proved they'd done it after all. Far more fascinating was the ruins of an old observatory & a bad weather shelter - basically a two-man locker that seemed rather unnecessary on a beautiful day such as it was (although no doubt literally a lifesaver for many past climbers). Equally inexplicably as we sat on the highest point of the whole UK, I was able to call Michelle with beautiful clarity thanks to Vodafone. Even now, I'm not sure she quite appreciates the significance of her standing in a coffee shop in Hitchin Market square speaking to someone on top of the UK's tallest peak...
Coming down again was surprisingly equally demanding & often just as processional. Probably the main difference was that we had the same air of quiet satisfaction (aka smugness!) that we had seen on those fortunate enough to pass us on our way up. We saw some sights it must be said; a surprising number of tourists in jeans & plimsols; a man in a kilt carrying a toy donkey & others dressed as lifeguards complete with buoys & even a mankini. Further down we witnessed a group wheeling mountain bikes up the boulder-strewn pathway. To this day, we maintain they were asking for trouble!
By the time we had made it down again - those walking poles coming in very handy this time - we were actually quite behind schedule. This caused some uncomfortable panic in our party as we still had a lengthy drive to our second hostel in the Lake District ahead of us. Equally discomforting (although in a more physical sense) were the aching limbs and widespread sunburn - the unexpected side effect of a day spent up amongst the clouds.
As we headed away, through the dizzying splendour of Glencoe once again, I was left feeling that it had been another great reminder of the sheer epic scale of the creation & just how tiny we are in comparison to it (&, of course, its Creator too...) That, & I really hope my legs don't seize up before it's my turn to drive!
So that was day 1 & our most arduous climb? Perhaps - but if we were thinking it was all going to be easy from here on in, we would need to think again!
[Remember, you can still sponsor me for this epic endeavour at my fundraising page]
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