Just over a week ago, I was in pain, quite a bit of pain, with two out of three Yorkshire peaks completed with the last one, affectionately known as Cardiac Hill, looming ahead of me. It is fair to say that I hadn’t properly prepared, blissfully (many may say stupidly) unaware of what was actually involved in the 25-mile, 12-hour walk. My feet were screaming, coupled with my knees lovingly reminding me I was not in my twenties anymore with every step I took. Why did I decide to do this challenge? The answer was simple. I want to help support The Care Workers’ Charity and raise as much money as I can. Even though I felt broken, there was no way I was giving up.
It was a diverse walking group from both a working and fitness perspective, all tied together to complete the challenge. Starting at 7am there was a real buzz as we made our way to the summit of Pen-y-ghent. I was greeted with a rocky climb halfway up, which took me by surprise thanks to my lack of research; however, I was able to keep pace and powered up in the wind, drizzle and mist. It is fair to say that in my head, I thought that if the other two were like that, this challenge wouldn’t be all that hard. Even as I type that last sentence, I can’t believe I genuinely thought that.
I was lucky to find myself in a walking pack made up of volunteers from the National Care Forum. They were all lovely and helped keep me going by taking my mind off the steps and time, both of which seemed never-ending. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t brighten, so at the summit of Whernside, we were greeted with the same mist, drizzle and wind that we had for the first summit, so we didn’t get to see the great views, although the sense of achievement was begging to grow. Two down, one to go.
We had our final stop before the final climb to the summit of Ingleborough (Cardiac Hill). Sitting on a bank, eating a slightly squished, well-travelled sandwich, fizzy drink in hand, I didn’t know how I would get back up to get moving again. Even my Apple watch battery had died! Once we got going, it is fair to say that I was definitely bringing up the rear of our group, never mind the tortoise and the hare. I had more resemblance to a sloth, but still, we kept moving. Cardiac Hill made me cry. The steps, their steepness, and my tiredness were all fighting against me. However, one foot in front of the other eventually got the job done. I had the obligatory summit picture taken, and then it was subtly mentioned that it was a 5-mile descent! Yes, 5 miles. I remember thinking what is this sick joke. This is where time travelling, vortexes or any other magical machines should have been invented to get me to the bottom. That said, I was actually able to look up on the descent instead of at my feet and was able to enjoy some of the views on this last stretch of the walk. The end was in sight! Sophie from The Care Workers’ Charity (CWC) and one of the leaders from Global Adventure Challenges were at the finish line, welcoming us back. I have never been so excited to get my Crocs on!The sense of achievement when I sat down and looked around the room was immense and pretty emotional. My family, who had been tracking my progress, were flooding my WhatsApp, and even my 14-year-old son heaped praise on me when he saw the medal; “not bad mum”. High praise from a 14-year-old whose main method of communication is a grunt. It was one of the most physically gruelling things that I have done, and I am so proud that I did it and beat my fundraising target for The CWC. I would strongly recommend this challenge to anyone, especially if you can raise money doing it – it really is no mean feat, and any money raised can and does make a difference to whichever cause you pick.
Now comes the shameless plug; it isn’t too late to sponsor me and make a donation to the Care Workers’ Charity, simply visit:
My excessive physical challenges are done; I am definitely a one-peak-a-day girl, but I am looking forward to finding out what the CWC has planned for next year!
For more information about the great work that The Care Workers’ Charity is doing, visit: