Three Peaks Challenge
Patrick takes on the UK’S Three Peaks and chooses the Svautobiography as his mode of transport
Sorry mate, your room has been taken,” says the sleepy guy at the reception of the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, the closest available accommodation option to the imposing Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. I had called to say we would be late, held up in the gridlock caused by an accident on the M6 near Manchester. It’s nearly midnight and in six hours time we will be starting the Three Peaks Challenge, which involves climbing the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales – all within 24 hours.
I’m in a group of four. Brothers Andrew and Matthew Blake are tough buggers. Andrew has just completed the London Marathon in under three hours while Matthew thinks nothing of going cycling for a week up Europe’s highest mountain passes.
I love a physical challenge but the older I get the harder the seemingly simple challenges get. You see I love a pint and a pie. There I said it.
Tony Porter makes up our awesome foursome. He will not be climbing, though, as he is the designated driver, a nonnegotiable must-have for such a rigorous challenge. Most people recommend two drivers and I will be helping him when I am physically able to.
Actually we are five in our team, because without the Svautobiography Range Rover, the most expensive production Range Rover, we would not be able to travel (in style) between the peaks. Starting price for the Svautobiography is a whopping £158,350 while ours has a couple of optional extras such as the trailer reverse park steer guide, head-up display and electric deployable towbar. The only extra you have to pay for with the SVA is the stylish event seating which hooks into the tailgate. It looks like something fit for a king, which is probably why it costs £5900 – the same amount I paid for my Defender.
I take the couch in the lounge of the hostel while the other boys retire to their rooms. A few hours later my alarm goes off and I meet the others in the kitchen for some oats and a banana. I have run many a marathon on that combo. Before we start climbing at 6.00 am I tell Tony to go and fill the 105-litre tank of the Range Rover while we take on the mountain because then we can complete the whole challenge without filling it up again!
We are all suited and booted for the climb because despite the fact that this is the middle of summer, the weather reports have predicted subzero temperatures at the summit. There are hardly any other climbers about as we begin our assault on Ben Nevis and after about an hour we reach the legendary switchbacks. By now the mist and clouds have moved in and there are no more views to enjoy. I had read that navigation at the top can be tricky when the visibility is bad, but we just follow the line of cairns and before we know it we are at the summit. It has taken us less than two hours to get to the top.
After the obligatory phone piccie we begin the descent; once we get out of the mist we can see the hundreds of climbers making their way to the top. Many are doing the same challenge. It takes us almost the same time to get down that it did to get to the top. This is due to the slippery wet rocks – the last thing you want is an injury on the first peak.
Once back in the hostel car park we quickly strip off our wet gear before before jumping into the comfortable and climate-controlled Range Rover. Andrew and Matt take the comfortable executive seats in the back while I keep Tony company. Our first stop is the Fort William Mcdonald’s for a takeaway breakfast before we make our way towards our second peak in Lake District. It’s only about 250 miles away but according to our GPS it’s going to take us five hours to get there. The roads past Glencoe and Loch Lomond are right up there with the best of them in Scotland, but when you are racing against time your head goes into overdrive
“Before we know it we are at the summit”