Three Peaks 8th December 2007

Saturday 8th December 2007, arguably, the worst weekend for weather this year.  Severe gales, temperatures, snow, white-outs, horizontal rain were some of the hazards forecast we were to face. 
James Fleming, Daz Bryan, Dave Newberry and support crew met at Llanberis, Wales, on Friday 7th December to start the challenge the following day.

The three peaks, is simple, ascend and descend the highest peak in Wales, (Snowdon) England, (Scafell Pike) and Scotland, (Ben Nevis) in under 24 hours.  Why, Charity.  We were raising money for mountain rescue and air ambulance. 
The challenge is ‘normally’ done during the summer equinox, or the day that affords daylight the longest, normally around June 21st. On 17th June 2006 I had completed the three peaks challenge in 20 hours 30 minutes and it was a bit easy.  I was after something more challenging and thought about doing it during the winter equinox, around December 22nd.  In doing it in December, the weather is temperamental and there is a realistic chance of going up and down two of the peaks in total darkness. 

Daz, Dave and James, all from the same work picked up the gauntlet to take part in the challenge. 

We didn’t know each other from Adam, the only thing we had in common was a passion for the outdoors.  We had two training sessions booked for Scafell Pike.  The first was a meet and greet, walk up and down the hill.  Dave couldn’t make it which left Daz and Jim.  We met at Seathwaite did the introductions and went for a stroll up the Pike.  The conditions were fair and no sooner than we left we were back at the cars.  3 Hours 10 minutes up and down.  Not bad.

The second time we met it was for a night time walk.  Fortunately, all three of us managed to get there.  We met around 3 pm and waited till the big light in the sky went out.  The weather was okay, however navigating in the dark took more time than we might have wanted.  When we got back to the cars we had taken almost 6 hours.  Whilst it was a night navigation training exercise if we were to take 6 hours on the Pike during the challenge we would fail. 

So, the training was done.  We were now waiting for the 7th December 2007 where we were to meet at Llanberis, Wales, stay over night and ready for a 1pm start on Saturday 8th December 2007 for the challenge.

This is now where I say something like…”this is my account of the three peaks, what I saw, experienced and felt. Others will have their views and experiences, but this is mine… “

If you have stuck with the story so far you’ll likely be reading this sat in an office, at a desk, or the article might make it in a newsletter, who knows?  You’ll be warm, dry and fairly relaxed.     The weather for the weekend of Saturday 8th December 2007 was HORRENDOUS.  Arguably, the worst period of weather during 2007?  In Wales the rain was coming down in horizontal sheets with the wind gusting to 80mph on the peaks.  There was snow on all the three tops we were due to be visiting.  The rain was fierce and turning to snow with blizzard conditions at Ben Nevis.  The recorded wind chill, at the top of Ben Nevis, was -20. 

I was receiving numerous text from friends and family asking me to review what we were about to do, due to the weather.  Essentially they wanted it called off.  The weather was SEVERE! 

As the sole organiser I was feeling the pressure.  Severe weather conditions, friends and family texting in to call it off.  The odds, in terms of weather, were stacked against us.  However, I looked to Daz and Dave and neither of them faltered.  Not one of them suggested or indicated calling it off or failure.  Moral, was good.  Feck it! Death before dishonour was one of my last texts to friends and family before we set off.

It’s a joke!  Relax. At Pen y Pass we were set to go up the Pyg track.  The time was about 12:45 hrs.  I was wearing 4 thermals, North Face jacket and my Gortex waterproof trousers.  Essentially I had all my gear on.  The rain was driving horizontally through the glens.  We were due to set off at 13:00 hrs to finish off at 13:00 hrs the following day.  We had one final briefing and were waiting on the minutes counting down. 13:00hrs came.  We were off!  I strode out and set the pace which we had to keep to.  At the first style, about 2km in, Dave was falling behind.  He had injured himself. We pressed on with a firm pace and checked on Dave again.  He was limping and was evidently in pain.  Dave signalled to indicate he was turning back.  Injury is a funny thing.  It’ll take anyone out.  You could be as fit as a fiddle but picking up an injury and that’s you.  I was dreading if it happened to me.  With Dave out, it left Jim and Daz.  This was the first time I was concerned.  With me and Daz being left, there was no margin for error.  If one of us were to be seriously injured on the hill the consequences could be severe.  Feck it!  Death before dishonour!  Daz was supremely fit and I knew he would have the same attitude as me.  We pressed on.

As we got to the top of Snowdon, the wind was gusting to 80 mph.  At one stage it had blown me about 6 feet, uncontrollably, off in one direction.  Driving rain had me soaked to the skin.  I was perspiring that much I couldn’t shift the moisture quick enough.  We literally stopped quick enough to get some pictures and we descended quickly to get out of the wind.  We managed to get back at Pen y Pass for 15:16 hours.  We had taken 2 hours and 16 minutes to get up and down in horrificconditions.  GRRR!

One peak down two to go.  UBER GRRR!

At Pen y Pass Dave mentioned, whilst we were changing out of our sodden wet clothes, he would miss out Scafell Pike and give Nevis a bash.  Cool!  We drove to Scafell Pike.  Vroom, Vroom…As we arrived at Scafell Pike it was pitch black.  Daz and I had got changed and set off.  As we had done our training at Scafell Pike we knew the track quite well and didn’t really need to navigate till about 600 meters, or so, from the top.  That said from, Sty Head, we marked the route with glow sticks.  Just like leaving a trail of bread crumbs to help us find our way back off the hill.  At some of the junctions or critical points we stuck a glow stick in the ground.  We had used about 7 in total. 
With the weather being bad, the rain which fell most of the day was filling up the streams, or beck’s, with water.  By the time I was about half way up my feet were soaking wet.  At the top they were really cold!  We had navigated with head torches and hand held torches all the way up and down.  The mesmerization from walking with head torches was truly hypnotic.  The threat of slipping or tripping in the dark was real.  We had set off from Seathwaite in the dark summated Scafell Pike and returned to the vehicles pretty dam quick.   
 As we approached the motors, Dave, was in crutches.  He had been to the hospital and it wasn’t good.  He was diagnosed with ligament injury.  Dave was out.  Dave and crew left to go back to Wales. 

Daz, Jim and support driver Shaun (Dazs’ brother) were left to drive to Ben Nevis and take on the Ben!

Two peaks done, one to go.  GRRR.

 

As we approached Fort William we were stopped by the Police.  The hold up was significant, in terms of time.  Whilst they were only doing their job we fully co-operated.  We knew the hardest peak was beckoning and precious time was being eating in to.  About 20 minutes it took and they let us go.  A routine check. 

We got to the bottom of the Ben, about 05:30 hours, Paul Chipperfield, from work, was waiting for us with hot drinks and hot food.  Wow, was that a welcome!  We got some hot stuff down our neck and changed for the last peak. I didn’t want to eat, at this stage, anticipating I would throw it up as soon as we started to exert ourselves, something I couldn’t afford to do.  However, I knew I had to eat something.
It was dark, pitch black.  I guess if we could see the hill, we might have had second thoughts.  I changed into full winter walking mode.  Winter boots, crampons and ice axe. 

At this stage I was really tired and physically drained.  We had to set off before 06:00 to allow us 7 hours to get up and down. 
During the summer I can do it in three hours, easy!  But, it wasn’t summer, it was winter and fiercely bad at the top, fiercely bad! 
Fuelled and changed Daz and I set off.  The pace was slow but I desperately tried to keep a forward momentum going.  Using head torches we managed to get to about the second footbridge and then the big light in the sky was turned on. 
As Daz and I walked along the foot path with the light getting better and better we stopped to take in some spectacular scenery and sights.  I was truly in awe and struck by the low mist caressing the hill tops. 

I must confess, at this stage, I was really tired and struggling!  However, it was about to get more demanding. As we were walking up the Path, we were relatively sheltered by the wind.  Just past half way we came across the first patch of snow.  As I have mentioned already, all the peaks had snow on them.  However, on Nevis it went from a few inches to knee and thigh deep in snow. 

As we were getting closer to the summit the snow was getting deeper and deeper with the wind picking up.  We were about a kilometre away from the top.  I could run that in a few minutes, okay maybe 5 minutes, but this last kilometre would take an hour.  I was so, so tired and walking in the snow was so draining.  Thankfully, Daz took the lead, making a path in the snow for me to follow.  I was ‘chin strapped’ at this stage.  I couldn’t take the lead; I wasn’t strong enough, at that stage, to make the steps in the snow for Daz to follow.

I really felt like rolling over and sleeping for a wee while.  So tired, so physically exhausting. 

As we were getting closer to the top we were relying on GPS to take us to the cairn. 

The conditions were HORRENDOUS.  It was a white out.  If Daz had stepped 10 paces in front of me we would have become separated.  Visibility was 5 meters or so.  The wind picked the grains of snow up and blasted it in to our face.  We couldn’t lift our faces up to see.  Our hose pipes of water were frozen, Dazs’ eyebrows had ice on them, our outer shells of waterproofs were frozen the wind chill was -20oC we were at the summit but couldn’t find the cairn.  It took us about 15-20 minutes to find it.         

 It was SEVERE!!!!  Once we got to the cairn, it was picture time and then we were off!  In a bid to get off the top quickly we came close to a cornice with a vertical drop to death…but that’s another story…

We managed to get our bearings and eventually we were out of the maelstrom conditions on the top.  We were on our way down! 

Daz had a hip flask with whisky, for medicinal purposes.  We stopped a short way down and shook hands and had a wee swig of whisky.  Three peaks were almost done. 

On our way down the Ben we passed a number of walkers going up.  Some were kitted out with the gear, mountain boots jackets etc.. Most were not.  The Ben, in the conditions we were under, is not a place to be.  Indeed, if I wasn’t doing the three peaks, I wouldn’t have chased for the cairn at the top. 

As we got closer to the bottom the euphoria was starting to kick in!  About 1 kilometre away we met up with Paul on the track.  As we were getting close Daz and I kept looking at our watches.  We were going to do it well within the time!  However, if we ran the last wee bit we could make it less than 23 hours.  Feck it!  Death before dishonour! 

We crossed the bridge, the finish line, outside the Youth Hostel having taken 22 hours 52 minutes to complete the three peaks in December, arguably, during the worst weather conditions of the year.         

        

Euphoria, jubilation, cheers, high fives, well done, who’s the daddy were all abundant.  We did it!  

However, taking on such a challenge is impossible without the support and encouragement of others. In time honour fashion I would personally like to thank My work, Kevin Kneeshaw, Paul Chipperfield, Shaun Bryan, Cliff Richards, Charlton Slack and my family for the encouragement and support!

Dave, due to injury, pulled out.  To Daz, my admiration and respect for faultlessly driving forward without whimper to achieve our goal!          

The three peaks challenge, in winter, is a severe test of metal, it’s not for everyone and not everyone could do it. 

Pain, passes.  Fame is forever. 

On Saturday 8th December 2007, Daz Bryan and Jim Fleming did the three peaks in 22 hours 52 minutes, arguably during the worst weather conditions of 2007.

Jim on the Left and Daz on the right.You can still make a difference and sponsor me or Daz. 

Dig deep into your pocket and make an effort to get in touch and give something, please.  Is this one of the more difficult and severe challenges undertaken with the help from Landmarc Support Service, my work, arguably, yes.

 

          
However, that was then and this is now.  Three peaks is a walk in the park compared to the next challenge. 

June 2008 will see the most difficult challenge. 

Exhaustion, isolation, failure, despair and injury will almost definitely occur and complete failure in the task is possible. 

Feck it!  Death before dishonour… It’s a joke; remember…more news coming soon. 

Fortune favours the brave…