Three Peaks National Success For Team FitFun 2015
Climbing the peaks of Britain with our group brought to mind that old saying “If you can stand with me in my toughest moment, you will stand with me forever”. Hence there is a special bond that is formed through adversity that is like no other. Soldiers can testify of it. Sports teams are made famous by it. As a result, friendships are born out of this very saying.
Three Peaks Challenge encompasses all of this. Consequently, FitFun left a lasting footprint in the lives of each and every one of our team members. For many, this was a time to let go of things that previously held them back. A time to “get out of their own way”. We faced fears head-on. We silenced negative voices, and for some, the past was laid to rest. Somehow life’s mountains seemed so much smaller the higher we climbed. When that pivotal point on the journey arrived, the young 6-year-old boy was able to get over the dinner lady confiscating his football 25 years earlier.
Starting the Three Peaks Challenge…
This year’s Three Peaks team challenge was like no other before it. We scaled the snowy terrain of Ben Nevis where other teams turned back as they surveyed the depths of the snow on top of the mountain. The cold, thin air hit the group within seconds of nearing the summit. This climb proved to be a shock to the system and a wake-up call. If at any time the enormity of the task was underestimated, then at that point was certainly the moment of realisation.
The Experience
Ben Nevis, At ten and a half miles, 1344 metres high, and Great Britain’s highest peak would define the team’s character and resolve. Furthermore, it set the tone for what lay ahead. Yet no amount of training; hours upon hours, mile after mile of walking to ‘break-in’ new boots could prepare the team for the pitch black, rainy, windy conditions of Scafell Pike. We started this climb at 11 pm, adding an enormous risk factor to the already heavy burden on tired muscle from Ben Nevis. Not only but also we lit up the woodlands with our head torches, as we trudged up the 989 metres ascent. Soon emotions were tested to the maximum along the Wasdale Head 6 mile route. “I feel like part of my soul is still up there”, the echo of many of the group members trailing voices; shivering under darkened, wet skies.
If this was the only peak climbed, it’d have been an adventure in itself. We searched and searched, almost scouring for the summit that seemed a million miles away in the unseen distance. Somehow the ‘Cards Against Humanity’ game played earlier on the coach seemed a saving grace that we’d all grasp at with open hands. At this point, we questioned why we were out in these treacherous conditions. Why were we attempting such a challenge like climbing, not one, not two but three mountain peaks? Nevertheless, in our quest to find the way in a nocturnal state, we stuck together. Cohesively we were stronger. As a group, we defied the odds. Together we watched the night turn to day. What a relief!
Welcome Snowdon
Croeso I Cymru! Welcome to Wales! Snowdon was our final peak out of the three peaks. For this reason, we approached it with mixed emotions. On the one hand, this would complete the challenge. However, on, the other hand, this would bring an end to the adventure. An end to the quest for that most intangible reward that would last as long as memory will allow. Selfie-stick moments were plenty, as the group sought to capture every angle of the beautiful scenic route along the Miners’ Track. Plus the misty summit of Ben Nevis was behind us. The pitch-black Scafell Pike experiences almost a distant memory. We now had the opportunity to revel in the marvellous views from this 723 metres ascent. Somehow the 8-mile trek up and down Snowdon was a breeze in comparison to the previous 2.
It was all worth it. The aches and pains. The tears, laughs, and triumphs; we shared all. We are proud to be called Team FitFun.
