July 2025
Earlier this month, our chair of trustees, George (aged 73), his wife Veronique and their friend Adel Tyson took on took on a very personal version of the Three Peaks Challenge—climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in just over 34 hours. It was tough, emotional, occasionally hilarious, and wildly successful. Not only did they conquer all three summits, but they also raised more than £25,000 (and counting!) for Wessex Rivers Trust.
Here’s George’s story - with commentary from Adel, who is a professional athlete and was George’s coach and hiking companion.
Setting Off
Last Tuesday, Veronique and I picked up a VW campervan in Southampton, and by the following morning, we were on our way to Fort William. Adel, who began her journey in northern Italy, somehow managed to beat us there via planes, trains, and automobiles.
That evening, we met Adel in the cinema-restaurant in town before heading to the Glen Nevis campsite, where Veronique quickly mastered the art of campervan living—raising the pop-top roof, boiling the kettle, and wrangling duvets into beds. Adel took the upper bunk, while V and I shared the lower—cosy, to say the least.
We were up at 4:45am for a makeshift breakfast and some chicken sandwiches packed by V. Adel raised an eyebrow at my choice of footwear: heavy stalking boots. “Why are you carrying an extra two kilos on your feet?” she asked, sprinting off in trail shoes.
Peak 1: Ben Nevis (1,345m)
We set out at 5:20am in grim conditions—low cloud, drizzle, and a forecast of wind. The tourist path may start gently, but it soon turns into a relentless stone staircase. I was huffing and puffing early on, but Adel, true to form, wasn’t having any of it. “Put a sock in it and keep walking,” she said. So I did.
Somewhere along the way, my old rucksack unzipped itself and jettisoned my fleece and walking poles. Adel gallantly retraced her steps for the fleece but the poles were gone—along with any lingering hope of sympathy.
We summited at 8:59am. No view—just thick mist—but what a feeling. One peak down.
The descent was quicker but rough. I slipped, face-planted a rock, and gave myself a cracking black eye. Legs cramping, soaked to the skin, we made it back to Veronique at the visitor centre in 6 hours 31 minutes: 17.7km walked, 1,328m climbed.
Luckily, the centre had a walking pole. Without it, I doubt I’d have managed the next two.
Peak 2: Scafell Pike (978m)
Veronique drove us south while I passed out in the back of the van. At Wasdale Head in the Lake District, we were back on our feet by 6:30pm, chasing the sunset.
The route is shorter than Ben Nevis, but steeper, and we took a wrong turn. Somewhere amid the scree slopes, Adel led us up a brutally steep gully. She bounded ahead, occasionally checking that I hadn’t fallen back down the 300m of loose rock.
“I knew we had an hour of clambering to go, and the summit towering above us,” she later said. “I looked back and said, ‘There’s nothing I can do to make this better. We just have to keep going.’ George said, ‘I know. I’m fine.’ That was that.”
We reached the summit with just enough light to admire the views, then down we went via the correct path, arriving at 11pm. 4 hours 40 minutes, 10.2km, and 910m of climbing. A grand total of 54,150 steps for day one.
Rather than stay at the campsite Veronique had scouted (which she diplomatically described as “fairly unpleasant”), we pulled off the road beside Wast Water and slept in the van.
Peak 3: Snowdon (1,085m)
By 4:45am we were up again, with the outline of the mountains glowing in the dawn. Veronique and Adel took a dip in the lake; I declined. One cold sausage later and we were off.
We reached the foot of the Pyg Track just before 10am, with the car park already full and the heat rising.
Day two was hard. Very hard. Adel, multitasking as ever, held a phone session with a client and responded to emails while I wheezed along behind. Every 50 metres I stopped to get my breath back. At one point I told her, “I’m not sure I’m going to make it.”
“Well,” she said, “we’re not calling mountain rescue for you,” and walked on.
Good psychology. So I did too.
Eventually, we reached the summit ridge, and just below the top, there was Veronique once more, perched on a rock. She’d charmed her way onto the otherwise full train with a story about meeting her geriatric husband finishing the Three Peaks Challenge. The station staff were lovely and gave her a place.
After a café break at the summit, the three of us descended the long but gentle Llanberis path. Each time the train rolled by, my legs begged for a lift, but to no avail.
We reached the bottom at 3:15pm. 4 hours 31 minutes, 13.1km walked, and 768m climbed. Day two step count: 27,760.
Adel sweetly gave me a little badge saying ‘Three Peaks’, and she and V - the stars of this show - gave me a hug. Job done, sore feet and calves, with a black eye coming along nicely!
Adel’s Reflections
“From the moment George suggested this as a fundraising challenge, I had no doubt he’d complete it. When he asked, ‘Are you sure I can manage this?’ I always replied, ‘It’s just walking, George.’ Dismissive, perhaps—but I knew how strong he was.
That said, I did panic slightly when I led us off-course on Scafell. There was George, scrambling up shale in the blazing sun with no breeze and a crow laughing at us from a rock above. I hadn’t spoken to him for 40 minutes. When I finally said, ‘There’s nothing I can do to make this better, but we have to keep going,’ he just said, ‘I know. I’m fine.’
When we made the summit that evening, I couldn’t have been prouder. No one else will quite believe what he did that day—but I’ll always know.
And yes, we laughed the whole way down about my terrible navigation.
For anyone who thinks ‘it’s only walking’, well… yes. But it’s tough walking. It’s relentless. If you’re a fan of 9-hour single-leg squats, George and I can wholeheartedly recommend the Three Peaks Challenge.”
Final Thoughts
It’s not too late to contribute to George’s challenge in support of Wessex Rivers Trust. The total is already over £25,000, and with Gift Aid, that number will grow further.
To donate, visit:
Thank you to everyone who supported this wild and wonderful journey.
