wannabeamazin

The Story

In the summer months the ‘3 peaks’ are commonly done in a grueling 24 hours for charity. In the winter however, the mountains present quite a different challenge – indeed completing the feat within that timeframe is impossible due to freezing temperatures, hail, sleet, snow and ferocious winds.

The idea of climbing the 3 highest mountains in the UK over the course of the Easter weekend seemed like a great way to raise money for our work. However, it was only once the group started to do some serious research (a week before departure!) that they started to realise what they had let themselves in for. None of the group were experienced mountaineers and the comments on various mountaineering websites did not make for comfortable reading:

• “Before starting you may think of them as just a few small British mountains. Forget it - in the wrong conditions, all three are potentially lethal.”
• “It is important to stress that walking and climbing in the Scottish hills in winter is a serious business.”
• “There are a dozen or so fatal accidents every year in this area during the winter season”

The weather forecast also didn’t look good:

"A bitterly cold Easter Weekend on all mountains with persistent northerly winds bringing sub-freezing temperatures. Snow showers will fall widely, especially frequent on mountains exposed to the sea in the north, and there is the risk of further widespread snow on Sunday or Monday."

Undeterred, at 7am on Friday 21st March 2008, a small group of brave volunteers set off from London and pointed their car North…