LAKES 3000s

 

This weekend we took on the Lakes 3000s mountain challenge which entails climbing 4 of the biggest mountains in England: Scafell Pike, Scafell, Helvellyn and Skiddaw, each over 3000 feet. In total, the height of these mountains is the equivalent of the height of Mount Fuji. We often do mountain challenges like the national, Welsh and Yorkshire Three Peaks challenges but this year a client mentioned her friend was doing the Lakes 3000s so I started looking into it and found Jack from Adventuring and we got the ball rolling. In preparation we did various walks to train for the challenge so people could get some training but also so they could get to know each other. We ended up with 22 people undertaking the challenge.

One of the great things in life is learning from experiences and one of the things I learned from this challenge is to never underestimate anything in life. I thought it would be like the other challenges we’ve done before. How wrong was I?

The day got off to a great start when I slept through my alarms. Luckily I was getting picked up so I still made it on time. However, the bus driver did not and he was an hour late. At this point I was a little bit stressed, knowing we’d be starting the challenge an hour later than planned when we only had 15 hours to complete the mountains.

Jack met us with the other mountain guides and their logistics coordinator. They had two minibuses which would take us from mountain to mountain. From there, these guys would be taking charge, keeping us safe, coaching us up the mountains and leading the way. Our lives would be in their hands for the rest of the day. The guys were great – funny characters and they constantly reminded us to eat and drink, making sure we kept fuelled throughout the day.

Originally we were going to start with Skiddaw but the weather forecast was great so Jack knew the crowds would be out in force and so we made the decision to hit Scafell Pike and Scafell first before the masses arrived. We started those mountains at a quick pace – everyone was raring to go, the conversation and banter was flowing.

Then it starts to get difficult and reality kicks in – a steep incline and the heart is racing, or the scree falls away underfoot, or the confidence goes when scrambling up waterfalls. The weather also had a huge impact on those first two mountains. At the bottom people were still wearing layers but within 30 minutes the temperature shot up, eventually reaching over 20 degrees and it was difficult to stay hydrated and keep our salts up.

When this happens, your body starts cramping up.  This was the difficult part for me. I have endurance and fitness but once the cramping started my legs felt like lead. At this point Jack came over to me and encouraged me to eat some salty foods, he took my bag for a bit while I recovered. We did some stretching and this really helped.

When it got tough, the group started to split – we all have different abilities and confidence levels and the pace was fast. Those first two mountains was a 17km trek and by the time we got to the bottom the group was firmly split into two groups. Jack decided that the front group would move onto the next mountain and one of the other guides would bring the other group to meet us when they were all safely off the mountains. This first leg was brutal. I was worn out already, my body exhausted. What kept me going was my determination – I was not going to quit.

When we got off Scafell I changed my socks and refuelled and we set off to the next mountain. When we were on the bus en route to Helvellyn, Jack had a chat with us. He said if we had a chance of completing the challenge, we would need to do complete the next two at pace. At pace? The last two mountains was probably the quickest hike I’ve ever done! Three of the team were real endurance athletes so they agreed to go for a fell run up the next two mountains. The rest of us made a decision as a team. We decided to climb the next mountain together as a group at a more leisurely pace so we agreed to wait as long as we could for the others before setting off up to Helvellyn. We found a route that would encompass 4 other peaks (Raise, Whiteside, Lower Man and Helvellyn) and include three more trig points so we actually ended up achieving 6 peaks that day!

We got to see the sun set over the beautiful Lake District mountains before starting our descent down Helvellyn and then it got tough again. At this point we’d been awake for a good 20 hours and had walked many miles. The descent was a never ending path of stepping stones. We were tired and people’s bodies were starting to ache, joints become sore. At this point we were looking forward to getting off the mountain.

Sadly the second minibus didn’t get to us on time and we had to set off on this leg without them but they did have a meander and got to go have a pint in the pub while we were pounding down the never ending steps of Helvellyn in the dark with our headtorches on. Jack asked if we wanted to go for a pint but none of us had it in us. We were sweaty, smelly and exhausted!

I can honestly say this challenge was harder than Everest base camp and it pushed everyone to their limits. But I love a challenge and would definitely recommend the Lakes 3000s, Jack and his Adventuring company. I would suggest if you want to take on this challenge to do some training in the Lakes. Get used to the terrain, the inclines and walking at pace. Improve your endurance levels – go on long distance runs or cycles so your body gets used to exercise for long periods of time. The Lakes 3000s isn’t a leisurely hike – it’s a test of endurance.