3 Peak Challenge - We did it!

We completed the 3 Peak Challenge at the weekend! Wow...what an experience. My legs can attest to this this morning I can assure you! It was a great experience 'in the moment' but I suspect it may even be an even greater experience as we all look back and recall the laughs, the stories and the emotions of it all.?

Every day's a school day so here are a few lessons that I'll take away:

1. An expert guide is essential! Ours was @sam marshall, an ex-military man who was first class and kept us moving at some pace and as a team. As someone who's done this event in excess of one hundred times he'd earned our respect. Frequent briefs and debriefs throughout. When Sam talked, we listened.?

2. Teams that know each other tend to perform better (as opposed to public groups who randomly join others). Seems obvious but bonds are crucial.?

3. The goal was clarified right at the start. Sam said "I assume you all want to complete the challenge in good time and to do so together as a team?" Absolutely! There was to be no individual heroics or histrionics or put a better way "there's no 'I' in team....but there is a 'u' in c***" (sorry to those who might be easily offended!)

4. "Close the gap" was the mantra of the group. No point stretching the team out too far from each other. Those who fall back a bit only end up getting downhearted when they see a gap appearing. Mix the team positions up so that the pace works for the team and not just a few. Keep the team together!

5. Timings are everything. The times I've reached a summit before we've spent ages queuing to get a picture at the top then the picnic comes out and the photos get taken. This weekend - the guide took 1 photo and then we immediately started our descent. Everyone had to be prepared and focused. No time for 'fluff'.?

6. On the subjects of photos I liked the phrase around respect for the mountain. "On the mountain only take photos and leave only footprints"?

7. They say that "if you want to go fast go alone. if you want to go far go together". I understand what this is conveying but on this occasion I don't think it applies. I genuinely don't think I'd have gone as fast if I'd not been in the group. The constant push and pace kept me going far beyond what I'd have let myself off with and as for the distance bit...well I simply wouldn't have done any of this without being part of a team. Our environment shapes us...and that starts with the people we hang around with.?

8. Time together. The act of spending time with people, getting to know them better, taking the mickey is - for me - where the greatest joy comes from. The physical exertion is satisfying (in the end), the achievement of a goal drives me for sure. But the interaction. The camaraderie, for me, makes life so much richer!

9. Memory. Having been up all of the mountains before (albeit one at a time) I honestly had a different memory recall to what we experienced this weekend. Both Scafell Pike and Snowdon were much harder than I remember (perhaps that's because of the cumulative effect of the challenge) or maybe, it's just one of those things...you look back and your memory loses the detail of the pain and only remembers the good bits! So as I look back on the last few days, even with the pain, zero sleep, the chaffing, the lack of hot beverages I can't see any negatives to this experience. A hugely positive experience overall.?

And finally, all of this has allowed me to create the opportunity to raise money for a charity very close to my heart #Dementia UK. I'm currently 61% towards my target of ￡5k. Thank you to everyone who has kindly donated. Your donation matters! Thank you.?

You can donate here if you'd like to help...https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alan-smith-our-dad