Three Peaks Training Diary: Mountains and Minibuses

The latest instalment in the Three Peaks Challenge diaries comes from our Business Manager, Zoe Gilling, who is in awe of the sheer distance that the team will be covering in just 24 hours on 30th June.

At lunchtime last week, grabbing a few precious rays of sunshine in the playground with my colleagues, the conversation got onto the Three Peaks Challenge. I wanted to share with you what suddenly dawned on me as the chat went on and has played on my mind ever since.  When we think of the Three Peaks Challenge, rather obviously, we think only of the three mountains that our amazing colleagues and volunteers are going to climb in a 24 hour timeframe. What we don’t give much thought to is the bit of the challenge that doesn’t really get spoken about….the travelling between mountains.

First of all the little cherubs have got to get themselves to Ben Nevis, that’s a good eight hour journey squashed together in an uncomfortable minibus along with all their equipment and provisions. When they’ve completed the challenge that is Ben Nevis, weary and tired they have to get back into the minibus and endure a further journey, to Skafell Pike, this time about six hours and covering lots of bendy roads, let’s – let’s hope none of them suffer from car sickness.  After completion of that little challenge  (Skafell Pike I mean not the car sickness), it’s back into what at this point can surely only be described as the godforsaken the minibus for another good few hours travelling to Snowdon.   How many hours R&R they’re really going to get hurtling down the motorway or down country lanes in a mini bus I really don’t know, but I do know that we should add numb bums and stiff necks from travelling to the walking and climbing aches and pains.  How will their poor bodies recover inbetween when there’s a minibus involved?!  I don’t know, but what I do know is that as the big day approaches I’m starting to:

 a) be really glad I didn’t sign myself up for this challenge, the minibus travel itself is more than I could stand I think, and

b) respect those who are doing this for our fundraising campaign, The Reader Apprenticeship Programme, more and more.

So come on…if you haven’t sponsored them already…do it now!!!! http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/trothreepeaks