Lancaster & Morecambe Group Beat The National Three Peaks Challenge!
This weekend saw a team of ten intrepid people from the Lancaster and Morecambe area, headed up by John Manley of Building Pan Services Ltd, take on not only The National Three Peaks Challenge but also the worst that a British mid-summer weekend could throw at them, all for the benefit of local charity CancerCare.
The team comprising Claudia and Phil Carillo, Hazel Dawson and Dave, Paul Leamy, Paul Norman, John Bowskillo, Gary Taylor and Lisa and Andy Hyam ably supported by drivers Martin Grave and Mike Armistead were originally going to set off from the Morecambe/Lancaster area around 10:00 am to take on Ben Nevis late afternoon and then drive through the night so that the next stage Scafell could be attempted at first light on Sunday morning, proceeding then to the final challenge of Snowdon.
But the on Saturday morning the predicted weather for the summit of Ben Nevis, gale force winds and torrential rain, caused the group to change plans to drive instead to Snowdon for the first leg. This would mean however that Scafell Pike would need to be climbed in the dark, before going on to take on Ben Nevis.
At around 2:30 pm our group of ten started off for the top of Snowden in conditions which, although cold were not too arduous and all were down safely and heading for the Lake District by just after 6:00 pm, with spirits high.
However, on the drive north, the weather conditions deteriorated to such a point that when they arrived ready to ascend Scafell at 11:30 pm, not only was it darkness with heavy cloud but they were in driving rain and winds, and serious decisions had to be made about whether to continue or abandon the challenge.
With fantastic spirit they agreed to attempt the ascent but were then met with a further decision when a stream that they would normally ‘splash’ through turned out to be waist high for one member of the team. They would have to cross this torrent again on the way down when it could have been in even greater spate, a further two hours later. Again the decision had to be made whether to continue or abandon the project but once again they all agreed unanimously to carry on and they all arrived safely back at the starting point tired, weary and wet at around 5:00 am ready to start the long drive to Fort William in Scotland.
The approach to Ben Nevis was started at around 11:00 am on Sunday morning and at least the conditions, if not warm were far more favourable than the last energy and morale sapping peak and with the end at last in sight spirits were lifted for this final ascent.
Brilliantly at 6:00 pm everyone was safely down from Ben Nevis and the National Three peaks Challenge had been tamed despite British summertime doing its best to wreck the long laid out plans of our group. All were pretty exhausted but well apart from a couple of blisters and are jubilant at having achieved their goal, the results of which will provide much needed funds for a great local charity CancerCare.
A great thank you to all that have participated, and those who have donated and thebestof Lancaster is proud to have been associated with, and assisted with this challenge.
But it is not over yet! YOU can still help by recognising the guts and determination that has gone in beating the National Three Peaks Challenge by making a donation now. Contact John Manley email buildingplanserv@aol.co or David Morgan email Lancaster@thebestof.co.uk with whatever you can pledge. Thank you.
