Right, Here We Go – The Three Peaks Challenge Starts Here
An epic challenge across Snowdon, Scafell Pike, and Ben Nevis – by rail, by headtorch, and all to support vulnerable children through The Railway Children.
So this is it then.
Tomorrow at 4pm, I'll be standing on Crewe Station platform, probably looking a bit bewildered and definitely over-caffeinated, ready to start what might be the maddest thing I've ever signed up for.
The Three Peaks Challenge by train. Three mountains, three days, one slightly unhinged team, and hopefully enough coffee to keep us upright.
All in aid of Railway Children – a charity that does absolutely incredible work helping vulnerable kids who've found themselves in really tough spots.
What Have I Actually Signed Myself Up For?
Right, so here's the plan.
We meet at Crewe at 4pm tomorrow, jump on a train to Snowdon, and then – and this is where it gets properly mental – we're climbing Wales' highest mountain in the dark. Not at dawn. Not in daylight. In the actual dark, with head torches, trying not to fall off a mountain.
The plan is to reach the summit around midnight. I mean, I'm usually in my pyjamas by then, not scrambling up rocks in Wales. Then we come back down as the sun's coming up, which sounds romantic until you remember we'll probably be exhausted, possibly lost, and definitely questioning our life choices.
After that?
Back on the train for what I'm optimistically calling "a bit of sleep" but will probably be more like "nodding off against the window while someone snores." We'll grab some breakfast (if we can manage it) and then we're off up the Cumbrian Coast to Scafell Pike.
Now, here's where my train geek side gets properly excited.
We're going to see which route they take us on – will we go past Barrow-in-Furness? Might we spot Sellafield nuclear power station? I know, I know, only someone who works in railways gets this excited about train routes, but honestly, it's going to be fascinating.
Friday's Scafell Pike day – England's highest mountain, tackled around lunchtime when we're already knackered. Then it's the big journey north through Glasgow and up into the Scottish Highlands for the grand finale: Ben Nevis on Saturday morning.
We're aiming to be done by midday, at which point I suspect we'll either be euphoric or completely broken. Possibly both.
Why On Earth Am I Doing This?
Good question.
Back in January, I was having what you might generously call a "moment." The house sale had fallen through, Christmas was over, and I was staring at the year ahead thinking, "Right, what now?" I needed something to get excited about, something to work toward.
I'd seen friends do similar challenges and they always said how amazing it was. Plus, I love trains (occupational hazard), and let's be honest, I needed a proper challenge. So I fired off an email. "Sorry, we're full," came back. Typical. But then, two days later – plot twist – someone had dropped out and there was a space. It felt like it was meant to be.
June seemed absolutely ages away back then. Now here we are, the night before, and I'm genuinely wondering where those months went.
The Bit I'm Slightly Terrified About
Everyone keeps asking about the physical side, but honestly? I think the lack of sleep is going to be the killer. I really, really like my bed. The thought of trying to kip on a train while my brain's still buzzing from climbing mountains is properly daunting.
We've got these old Mark III carriages – the same ones they used with HST trains – so at least they're first-class seats. Between the four of us, we've got six seats, so we can spread out a bit. Maybe someone will end up on the floor. We'll see how desperate we get.
Here's the thing though – most people do this challenge the sensible way: Ben Nevis first when you're fresh, then Scafell Pike, then finish with the "easy" one, Snowdon. Not us. Oh no. We're doing it backwards, which means we'll be tackling Scotland's beast when we're absolutely shattered.
Brilliant planning, that.
I've Packed for Every Possible Disaster
My bag looks like I'm preparing for the apocalypse.
It's been scorching hot lately, so I've got shorts and sunscreen. But there's been snow on Ben Nevis recently, so I've also packed thermals and enough warm gear to survive an Arctic expedition. And because this is Britain, there's definitely going to be rain at some point, so the waterproofs are in there too.
Oh, and the essentials: jelly babies (obviously), energy drinks, caffeine tablets, and some homemade cake that might just save our sanity at 3am on Saturday morning.
We're even taking our Railway 200 teddy bear with us. His name's Waterpoo (long story involving a LinkedIn competition and a play on Waterloo Station and Pooh Bear), and he's going to be our little mascot representing 200 years of British railways. He's probably the most sensible member of the team.
It's Not Just About the Mountains
Here's the important bit – we're doing this for Railway Children, and they do absolutely incredible work. They help kids who've ended up in dangerous situations, kids who've run away from home, kids who need someone in their corner. They provide safe spaces, practical help, and hope when everything else has gone wrong.
We've been fundraising for months now, and people have been so generous it's actually been quite emotional. We've grown tomato plants and flogged them to the neighbours, held cake sales, organized competitions (who can guess how many jelly babies are in a jar, that sort of thing). We hit our £4,000 target, but honestly, every extra pound makes a real difference to a young person's life.
Come Along for the Ride
If you want to track us and make sure we're actually doing this mad thing before you part with your cash (totally fair), here is our tracking link so you can follow our every stumble up these mountains. I'll be scribbling everything down in my notebook and using a bit of AI magic to turn my probably illegible notes into proper updates.
The weirdest thing? I'm actually nervous now. Properly nervous. What if I've forgotten something crucial? What if the train's delayed? What if I'm not fit enough? What if I slip on ice? (I really, really don't like ice.) All those "what ifs" are doing my head in.
But that's exactly why this matters. It's pushing me way outside my comfort zone, and it's for people who really need our help.
Right Then, Here's the Ask
So, if you fancy supporting us – and more importantly, supporting Railway Children – there are a couple of ways you can help. You can chuck a few quid into our fundraising pot (here), or if you want to become a paid subscriber to this newsletter, every penny from 2025 subscriptions is going straight to the charity.
Win-win – you get all my ramblings for a year, and vulnerable kids get help.
Tomorrow afternoon, when I'm standing on that platform wondering what on earth I've signed up for, I'll be thinking about everyone who's backed us. This isn't just about four idiots climbing mountains – it's about showing that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when there's a cause worth fighting for.
Right, I'd better go and check my bag for the fifth time. The adventure starts in less than 24 hours, and I can't quite believe we're actually doing this.
Wish us luck – we're probably going to need it.
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Thanks!
This is brilliant! I’ll be following along. Good luck to all the team!
Good luck to you and your group Martin! I recently did a long distance multi-day walk and the mental challenge was much harder than the physical one. Also, I learnt a valuable lesson, use Vaseline for blisters. Saved me a lot of pain!