Steamship Wanderers Walk 24 Peaks in 24 Hours in Support of SeafarersUK
Published: July 01, 2017
Over the weekend of 8-9 July, the Steamship Wanderers consisting of Harry Newall, Danielle Southey, Fern Rogers, Captain John Taylor and Miguel Caballero all embarked on the 24 Peaks Challenge in the Lake District for the SeafarersUK. The Challenge was a gruelling 24 Peaks in 24 hours covering the likes of Scafell Pike, Helvellyn, Broad Crag and Great Gable. This was described to us as the ‘ultimate test of endurance’ with a total ascent of over 13,000 feet.
Once we had ascended the first peak of Red Pike on the Saturday, the enormity of the challenge begun to be apparent. Ahead of us sprawled peak after peak basking in the glorious sunshine. This however was a sorry sight for us who had only managed to grab a few hours’ sleep in the local youth hostel. Nonetheless, we marched on and eventually finished the first ten peaks on Saturday evening.
Early the next morning and after a very quick turnaround which included just a small hiccup of missed wake-up calls and alarms, we were once more up and ready to go at four in the morning, all set for the remaining fourteen peaks. This time however thick cloud and strong winds greeted us as we summited the first peak of Red Screes, a clear sign that the final day would not be easy.
As we trudged on in the harsh conditions, our bodies were crying out for rest and recuperation from the previous day’s exploits. Many energy bars, sweets and chocolate kept the Steamship spirits high along with the determination to complete the challenge. As we reached the peak of Helvelyn during the early afternoon, the clouds broke and the remaining peaks sprawled out before us. We gathered ourselves and pushed on to the final peak of Grovebeck Fold, finishing the course with a highly respectable time of 24 hours and 41 minutes.
Feeling incredibly exhausted but satisfied at the same time, we made our way to the organiser’s barbeque and prize-giving where we were pleased to win the ‘Best Fundraiser’ award. The following day we got back into the min-van and made our way back to London for a heroes return and the remainder of the week in the office.
The challenge was very tough but satisfying at the same time. We were incredibly glad to raise such a significant amount for the Seafarers UK who do so much good work and we would like to encourage anyone to give a little to them or enter into the next fundraising challenge.
Our fundraising page is still open so please if you haven’t already done so have a look here.
We would like to thank all those individuals, work colleagues, associates and business partners who have given generously to this charity and help us in raising £6932.94 for SeafarersUK.
