TEAM S&G COMPLETE THE NATIONAL 3 PEAKS CHALLENGE

In conjunction with Tenovus Cancer Charity, S&G took on and completed one of the toughest challenges in the UK.

Over the weekend of 26th and 27th May, a select band of employees took on and completed the National Three Peaks Challenge.

Fourteen S&G volunteers were tasked to climb and conquer the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales within a 24 hour timeframe alongside 250 other volunteers.

Training programmes and fitness routines were implemented in the months leading up to the challenge with all the volunteers sacrificing their evenings and weekends walking the Brecon Beacons once, twice and even three times a week with the aim of being in peak condition for this event.

After receiving a briefing from the British Military on Friday afternoon at the Ben Nevis Visitor Centre, Team S&G were primed for action for the following morning. So at 4am, all three S&G Teams were at the bottom of Ben Nevis ready to start the challenge. Approximately four hours later with the temperature already reaching 25 degrees, the first of our walkers returned from the summit, closely followed by the rest of them over the course of the next hour. All slightly weary but in very good spirits, they jumped into the support vehicles and sped off to Scafell Pike.

All Team S&G had trained extremely hard for this challenge, however what they didn’t account for were the soaring temperatures and lack of air in the mountainous regions.

Scafell Pike was by far the most exhausting and energy sapping of the mountains. Temperatures were in the early 30s but despite this, at 4pm all members left side by side to face this challenge head on. By this stage 5 of the 26 teams that started the challenge at Ben Nevis had dropped out.

Unfortunately, due to a combination of exhaustion and injury, a handful of S&G walkers failed to reach the summit of Scafell Pike and had to retire propecia online buy from the challenge. They were by no means alone as other teams were falling by the wayside at regular intervals.
With sunlight fading and the time nearing 8pm, the first batch of walkers returned to bottom of the mountain. Tiredness was evident on everyone’s face with their bodies being stretched to their limits as the remaining members of Team S&G arrived safe and well. Refueling and running repairs were priority as the walkers rehydrated in attempt to restore energy levels to as normal level as possible whilst travelling to North Wales for the final leg.
As Saturday night turned to Sunday morning, Team S&G turned their attention and last efforts towards Snowdon. This final mountain is a challenge in itself but after two mountains completed and walking in the dead of night, this was a massive task. So at 1.30am and morale still incredibly high, off the walkers trudged side by side into the darkness.

Remarkably, every single one of the walkers who ascended Snowdon, reached the summit.

At around 6am Sunday morning Team S&G were gathered in the car park of Snowdon Visitor Centre celebrating completing one of the most grueling and physically and mentally tough challenges in the U.K.

Head of Corporate Development at Stephens & George and one of the Team Leaders who completed the entire challenges in 25 hours and 35 minutes was Vanessa Jones. Mrs Jones said, “I have to say the effort and camaraderie of everyone in Team S&G was immense. This challenge provided us with not just a physical challenge but we had to overcome mental fatigue as well. I can only thank Tenovus Cancer Charity for providing us with the opportunity to participate, but also thank and praise my colleagues who were inspirational and showed what can be achieved through teamwork and endeavor.”
All the money raised by the S&G walkers was donated to Tenovus to support cancer patients and their families.