A Tale of 3 Mountains in One Day

The UK National Three Peaks Challenge is quite simply, hiking the three highest peaks in Scotland, England, and Wales within a 24-hour period. A few years ago, I took up the challenge with some work colleagues, and what I learned was completely different from my expectations.

As a leader for charity fundraising efforts within my department at a large retail head office in the UK, my colleague and I organised everything from bake sales to art auctions, culminating in the most challenging event - the national three peaks! That's climbing 37 kilometers (or 23 miles), ascending 3,064 meters (10,052 feet), and driving over 740 kilometers (over 460 miles) to summit Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon in one day.

 

Why Did I Do The Three Peaks Challenge?

Well, it seems that doing something I never thought achievable to help someone else out is the motivation I need. That and the fact that my fellow fundraising leader said, "I'll be the team support, but I'm not hiking three mountains in a day!" So that was that. I was doing it, and that was my first lesson learned - think differently about how you can achieve your goals. Some people call it being selfless or kind. I like to think I'm helping a stranger out because I can.

 

How Did I Prepare For It?

Hiking, lots of hiking. I hiked with my husband, friends, and work colleagues. I started months before our challenge and ensured I hiked every weekend, whether at home, away, or abroad. I also stopped drinking and started running. Well, jogging! My friend and work colleague was training for the London Marathon and wanted some companionship during her lunchtime runs. So I joined her because I hate running and knew it was the only way I'd actually start running, but I knew it would benefit me. And it did, to improve my cardiovascular fitness and stamina.

I also continued my gym training. However, when you're gym training, I encourage you to engage with a personal trainer to work out a plan around any known physical issues. I didn't, and what I missed out on was building up muscle mass in my thighs to help counteract a knee problem I had been living with for years. That and proper stretching and foam rolling to alleviate the tightness in my legs. I learned a hard lesson: during the descent of Ben Nevis, my known knee pain flared up. By the time I got back to base, we had to get straight into the bus and drive through the night to our next peak - Scafell Pike. By the time I got there, my legs had seized up, and I was unable to even walk.

 

Who Was On Your Team?

Well, here was the best part of the event. The people who came together to complete a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Like-minded colleagues within the team came together, and friends from across the wider business. People from different backgrounds, hiking experience, and levels of their career. We became friends and built a lasting bond.

My next lesson was a surprise and delight. The actions of one colleague, Mike, said more to me about leadership than any training or book has ever done. He was our head of ecommerce operations and an experienced hiker. He set the bar high and achieved his goals. Due to a refuelling challenge, we were not going to achieve the 24-hour completion goal. When I was unable to walk due to a ceased knee by the time we arrived at Scafell Pike. He turned to me and simply said, "I'll wait with you and help you get your mobility back. I've climbed Scafell plenty of times before and will again. It's more important that you feel supported and get better." Together we shuffled around the foothills in the early hours of the morning. My knee stiffness eased, and I spent time stretching, walking, and resting. This allowed me (along with the help of some strong Ibuprofen) to complete Snowdon in a few hours' time.

 

So, You Failed The Challenge?