24 Lake District Peaks over 2400 ft in 24 Hours of Walking

At 6 am on Saturday May 29th, our shrunken and somewhat better prepared group consisting of Dominic, Brett, Matt, Jacqui, and I begin our second attempt at the 24 peaks challenge. It involves cresting 24 Lake District mountains that are over 2400 ft (731.52m) in hight in 24 hours of walking over two days. The Saturday peaks included Red Pike, High Stile, High Crag, Haystacks (which doesn’t count because it is under 2400 ft), Green Gable, GreatGable, Lingmell, Sca Fell Pike, Great End, Esk Pike, and Bow Fell. We set off in fine spirits and then I realised that I had left my coat behind at the hostel! Brett volunteered Dom to fetch it. This might seem strange however, Dominic is a fireman and much fitter than the rest of us. He seemed pleased to jog back the mile we had walked to fetch my coat. I was very grateful for not having to go myself. Red Pike (802m) is a mammoth climb however we were all fresh and we completed the ascent ahead of schedule and in good order. The next two peaks, High Stile (807m) and High Crag (744m), are along the ridge and don't involve much climbing. Then we descend from to a saddle before climbing Haystacks. At 597m it doesn't count towards our 24 peaks. In the picture above you are looking down from High Crag at Haystacks. You can see Brandreth (715m) and our next two peaks, Green Gable (801m) and Great Gable (899m) in the distance. By the time we reached Great Gable the cloud base had descended. From then until our final descent we were navigating in hill fog with visibility down to 50 meters. Jacqui kept our supporters and followers updated via texts and Face Book throughout the two days. Great view! From Great Gable we descend to Sty Head Pass and then begin our ascent of Lingmell (800m). During a practice ascent at the beginning of May, we came across a rescue in progress. About half way there is a very steep 5m scramble. Someone had fallen from it. A Royal Navy helicopter was in the process of lifting the injured walker. From the top of Lingmell the summit of Scafell Pike (978m)  would be easy to see, on a clear day. We couldn't see more than 50 yards however, having covered the same ground in the same conditions a month before, we knew which way to go, at least as far as Broad Crag (930m). Despite being over 2400 ft by a wide margin and directly on our path to the next peak, Great End (910m), Broad Crag isn't on our list and doesn't count towards the 24 peaks. The terrain between Broad Crag and Great End is a boulder field and there are no distinct paths. In the end, Jacqui had to lead us to it using her satellite navigation gadget. With visibility so low and our energy levels waning, we made several further navigation errors along the way to Esk Pike (885m) and Bow Fell (902m), our last peak for the day. Completing the first ten peaks took us fourteen hours. We finished Saturday's hike at Stool End Farm near Little Langdale after a six mile hike down from Bow Fell. Completing the challenge seemed a very remote prospect at this point. The first day was a real test of resolve and stamina. Hearts and minds on the way up, knees and ankles on the way down not to mention the blisters. After nursing our aching and badly worn bodies, we finally fell into our bunks at around midnight. On Sunday morning it was clear that some of our party were unable to continue. Wear and tear incapacitated all but two of our team. The fourteen peaks for the second day are Red Screes, Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield, Seat Sandal, Dollywagon Pike, Nethermost Pike, Helvellyn, Lower Man, White Side, Raise, Stybarrow Dodd, Watson Dodd, and Great Dodd. The Sun was well up on Sunday May 30th when Jacqui and I arrived at Kirkstone Pass to begin our ascent of the remaining peaks. Since the kitchen at the hostel didn't open until 7.15 and all of our food for the hike was in the fridge in the kitchen, we were forced to have a lie in and start later than intended. Eventually, we begin our climb of Red Screes (776m) at 8.25 am. It was very steep all the way up however, we had a big advantage. The start at Kirkstone Pass is already at 457m. The broken clouds were well above the peaks so we could see where we were going. This made navigation much easier. As if to counter this advantage, a chilling north west wind gusted to 45 knots throughout the day. Next was a long walk and gentle ascent (compared with Red Screes) to the top of Dove Crag (792m). Hart Crag (822m) was mostly a pleasant stroll along a ridge. We had a minor descent of about 150m before climbing up to Fairfield (873m) along the same ridge. Fairfield to Seat Sandal (736m) involves a very steep and taxing descent down a scree slope. The views were breathtaking however, my feet complained all the way down Ascending the steep grass hill of Seat Sandal was very hard work. We took a few minutes for lunch at the top and surveyed our next challenge - Dollywagon Pike (858m) which can be seen on the left on the picture above. Coming down Fairfield and climbing Seat Sandal, tested our resolve. After the long slog up the never ending stone steps of Dollywagon Pike, completing the eight remaining peaks within the 24 hour target seemed as unlikely as ever. Then things began to get easier. We almost missed Nethermost Pike (891m) because we could see Helvellyn (950m) about a kilometre ahead. Both lie along the ridge from Dollywaggon Pike. The path widens and the climbs became sedate compared with those we had already made. Being fleeced by a Lamb in the shelter at the summit of Helvellyn provided a welcome distraction. It's mother was teaching it how to share in the tourist bounty. Walking along the ridge granted our tender feet and aching muscles some welcome respite. Our 24 hour deadline was 6.25 pm. We still had six peaks to bag and only about three and a half hours to do it. It seemed just possible as we headed away from Helvellyn towards Lower Man (925m). White Side (863m), Raise (883m), Stybarrow Dodd (843m), Watson Dodd (789m), and Great Dodd (857m) were increasingly closer together. What's more, the paths transitions from stomes to spongy grass, allowing our feet a measure of relief. We were astonished and delighted to arrive at the summit of Great Dodd after 8 hours and 58 minutes to complete the 24 peaks over 2400 feet in 24 hours challenge in 22 hours and 58 minutes. We chose an unmarked route down the mountain towards Legburthwaite. It was the shortest distance back to a road. It turned out to be a difficult descent. It wasn't so much not having a path to follow or the steepness of route. It had more to do with telling ourselves that we had finished when we reached the summit of Great Dodd. It was a psychological blunder. Once I had told my feet we were finished, they refused to go any further. I had to use both walking poles as crutches to hobble down the mountain. Thanks and congratulations to all of our supporters, particularly Roland who ferried us about. Thanks to those who kept us going throughout the preparation hikes and those who made it through the gruelling first day. Meeting the challenge and getting some much needed exercise was only part of the plan. Raising money for Cancer Research was the other part. If you think our cause worthwhile, please make a donation. Any amount will help. It is easy to donate via my Just Giving site. Simply follow this link. http://www.justgiving.com/242424 Stretching the journey and challenge metaphor a little, the 24 peaks challenge could be likened to achieving a challenging sales target. All of the elements of forethought, planning, and preparation are involved. Effort, persistence, hard work, team work, and above all, determination are necessary aspects of success. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary to inspire and stretch a team of high performers, consider the 24 peaks challenge. I'd be pleased to share more of what I have learnt along the way.