July 2002 - 4 Peaks challenge

So we are having dinner and Carol says one of the teams is short of a member! This for the Wooden Spoon Society's 4 Peaks challenge. Now although in a couple of weeks, I had had a "couple" of beers, so next thing I know is that I had volunteered to join.




Then I got the letter:
I am very excited to be part of a team, the ‘Cobalt Cougars’, in this year’s sponsored Wooden Spoon Society Vauxhall Four Peaks Challenge.
Wooden Spoon Society is the charity of British Rugby founded in 1983 to help those disadvantaged by physical disability, and social and mental deprivation – particularly children.

The Four Peaks Challenge – What is it really?
The team is 3 climbers and a driver. The 3 climbers each have to climb:

Ben Nevis, Scotland, 2pm 4th July
Helvellyn, Lake District, England, 6am 5th July
Snowdon, Wales 3pm 5th July
Carantouhill, S.W Ireland 7.30am 6th July

Or another way to put it –

Climb up and down 14,000ft. of mountain and drive 1900 miles in less than 48 hours. As you can imagine, we are in serious training!
There is a limit of 50 teams, and each team must raise a minimum of £3,500, and our objective is to exceed this significantly. The Wooden Spoon Four Peaks Challenge is an established event and very well supported by Challenge Sponsors ranging from Vauxhall who provide vehicles, Groupama who insure them, to Guinness who refresh us after Carantouhill – so all the money we raise goes to the charity.

....Oops...."serious taining" would probably have to occur en-route


But it was great fun, somehow we all ran most of the way, did not sleep much and finaly got to the end...


My hair still had the remains of my Marshall Mathers impression from 27 April






1. Ben Nevis - 3h30
2. Helvellyn - 1h40
3. Snowdon - 2h18
4. Carrantouhill - 3h05