What is it like to complete the National Three Peaks Challenge?
What is it like to complete the National Three Peaks Challenge?
Travel consultants Ollie and Gav from Kingston Upon Thames based A&G Travel Group set out to climb the National 3 peaks in 24 hours for the charity C.H.E.F. (The Catering Hospitality and Education Foundation)
Gavin Legg and Ollie Banks from A&G Travel Group who sponsored the event, tackled the National Three Peaks Challenge recently. They had to climb the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales within the space of 24 hours! The guys swapped their business suits for walking boots and completed the challenge with 18 minutes to spare.
Local residents Tessa and Wayne Blything founded The Catering, Hospitality & Education Foundation (C.H.E.F) in 2021 to help prevent and reduce both poverty and financial hardship of those living in Lesotho, having seen the challenges first hand whilst living there. C.H.E.F. raises money in the UK to fund small business start-ups & education for people in Lesotho, southern Africa and has been A&G Travel Groups chosen charity to support this year.
We asked Gavin and Ollie for a report on what it was like to take on the famous challenge:
Gavin Legg;
“What a great experience! Having signed up to help raise money for Tessa and Wayne’s Charity C.H.E.F, I felt a little daunted by the challenge, but I needn’t have worried. It was so well organised, from the guides leading us up the right paths, to the catering, accommodation and drivers to get us in between the mountains on time. The weather and traffic were on our side, so we just had to keep up our end of the bargain and get up and down the mountains in time. After a rather over enthusiastic early pace, we settled into our rhythm and with the help of the guides, completed the challenge in 23 hour 38 mins. A great group of people to do it with, and a real sense of achievement when we made it back to the bottom of Snowdon within the time. All fuelled by Wayne’s Irish Stew and exceptional cheese and pickle sandwiches, it was a tough but thoroughly enjoyable weekend, and something I would highly recommend. The guys did a great effort with the fundraising, so I think we have raised a significant sum, for a great charity doing important work in Lesotho.”
Ollie Banks;
I was asked to join the challenge a little later than the others as a substitute and I feel very grateful that I was involved (I can say that now its finished). There were a few restless nights wondering if I had put in enough training or whether I had packed enough kit for all eventualities but with a great support team behind us and an enthusiastic bunch of guys to do it with I needn’t have worried. From the very first email, to getting picked up in the minibus and getting us to the start of each mountain, the whole challenge was planned impeccably by Wayne and Tessa – all that was needed now was us to actually get up and down the 3 peaks. We had 3 excellent guides who were all amazing and very chipper particularly at 01:30am at the bottom of Snowdon, not sure what we would have done without them. Overall it was a great experience and the whole team were delighted to have completed the challenge in 23hrs and 38 minutes, the Mcdonalds breakfast on Monday morning never tasted so good 😊
A&G Travel Group are an award winning and financially protected corporate and luxury travel agency who provide a professional service with a personal touch. They pride themselves on creating luxury, bespoke authentic holidays dedicated to individual requirements. Everyone receives a dedicated consultant, years of expertise, and have 24 hour support whilst you are away.
