For the past 12 months the four have been training. Sometimes together but mostly separately. Hill climbing, cycling, running, combat training and the gym are among the activities that they participated in (and remember, by his own admission, John is not really an outdoor person) All this so that they can climb Ben Nevis, Helvellyn, Mt Snowdon and Carrantuohill, a total of 14000 ft (and don't forget the 1000 miles drive between the mountains) all in just 48 hours. Not much time for rest, I can assure you.
The event is intensely personal and quite solitary. The teams only have themselves for support; no thronging spectators and no huge news coverage, just other team members and the marshals on the lonely, lofty peaks. You have to have an enormous amount of integrity, determination, dedication, and teamwork to train to that level of fitness and then conquer all that nature throws at you (and still smile at the end of it)
Besides the training, the team had to beg, cap in hand, for sponsorship. On behalf of the team, I say a HUGE Thank You to all who have sponsored them. Your donations have made it all worthwhile.
So what has all this fuss been about? Children of course! Proceeds are going to Wooden Spoon, the children's charity of Rugby. This British and Irish rugby charity dedicate their charitable work to helping mentally, physically and socially disadvantaged young people in the British Isles.I quote an excerpt from the charity's home page
"In 1983, a group of English rugby fans were drowning their sorrows in a Dublin bar after England's disastrous performance in the Five Nations Championship. The victorious Irish fans presented the group of miserable friends with a wooden spoon in sympathy, and after a Guinness (or four), they came up with the idea of holding a charity golf match to see who deserved the honour of keeping the spoon.
The plan was scribbled onto a napkin, and put into action a few months later at Farnham Golf Club in Surrey. Over £8500 was raised and donated to a local special needs school, Park School, in the form of a new minibus. Out of a devastating rugby loss, and a tongue-in-cheek consolation prize, the Wooden Spoon charity was born!"
At the end of the challenge all 20 teams came together with the marshals and organisers to celebrated in true style. All aches, pains, blisters and fatigue were temporarily forgotten as pure adrenalin (and a little alcohol) flowed, while credit was given where credit was due.
This year, 2014, the final 4 Peaks Challenge raised an enormous £87 350.00 What a fantastic achievement for all who contributed in time and effort as well as donation.
The Marshals, without whom, the event could not be run successfully.
The Drivers Team that John was a member of won the award for the fastest time to conquer Carrantuohill. An amazing feat!
They completed the climb in 4 hours 15 minutes
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| John with his two awards |
Some interesting statistics, I thought would make for light reading...
Over the 48 hours the team climbed for 17 hours and 44 mins and the drivers drove for a further 13 hours 30 minutes. While the climbers were able to cat-nap during the driving hours and the drivers were able to cat-nap while the rest of the team were climbing, the driver (John) managed a very fragmented total of 10 hours and 30 minutes.
No wonder some couldn't keep their eyes open at the end of the Gala Dinner. And who could blame them?
Just before I pack away my laptop, the team have a request... They have accolades of their own to give.
The first one is for Sean. He is an ex-marshal who participated in the challenge this year. With his past experience he was able to give an enormous amount of help and valuable advice on training and training climbs. He and his team also made time to help Tanya, Julia and Mark up and down Mt Snowdon when the rain and bad weather was taking its toll.
The second is for the marshals on duty. They had the unenviable task of sitting on top of a mountain in driving wind and rain just waiting for hapless climbers to come their way. In spite of that they were not only on hand to promptly sign the passes in this most appalling weather, but they always had a smile and a special treat (freshly prepared snack) for the team at each of the check points. This gave the team an added boost of confidence as they went on their way.
Our very best wishes go with the Peakishness Team (as well as all other competing teams) as they all make their way home. (Sunday 6th July 2014). Our thoughts and prayers for a safe end to a fantastic challenge.
If you haven't done so already, there is still time to sponsor this remarkable team of non-professional sports men and women.
Team Peakishness Virginmoneygiving link
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/peakishness
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