Page 76 - Phonebox Magazine November 2014

Thousands raised by Olney mums with mountain trek
On the 13th September, a group of local mums (Charlotte Agnew, Vicky Walker, Claire Williamson,
Hayley Rook and Emma Harris) took on the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in Yorkshire, walking just shy of a marathon (24.5 miles), climbing 7063 feet, (2153 metres) in 11 hours 44 minutes, successfully completing the 12- hour challenge. We are now feeling a few aches and pains but a great sense of achievement.
It was back in March that we decided we needed a challenge. Something that would help us lose our baby weight and regain our fitness. We settled on the Yorkshire Three Peaks as we all enjoyed walking, so it would be enjoyable to train for.
The motivation for doing the hike was to raise awareness of Dravet Syndrome and raise money for Dravet Syndrome UK, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by it through medical research and family support.
Dravet Syndrome is a life limiting genetic condition that causes severe epileptic seizures alongside other conditions such as learning disability, ataxia and autism. Children with Dravet Syndrome are at a higher risk of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) than children with other types of epilepsy.
The reason for selecting this charity was to support our friends, Tim and Kim O’Grady, whose son Toby (pictured top right) was diagnosed with this genetic condition when he was six months old.
And so, after six months of training, the day had finally arrived. We left our accommodation at 6.45am to travel to the starting point of the hike in Horton- in-Ribblesdale. We met our guide, and at 7.25am, we left the Post Office car park to set off on our challenge.
Once we were in our stride, there was no stopping us ... until a few metres from the top of the first peak when we were faced with vertical rocks we had to climb up! We all managed it though, with Hayley leading the way. Amazing, considering she is not fond of heights! Determination had definitely set in at this point! Getting to the top was well worth it, just for the views. We were actually above the clouds.
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Having reached the top way before the allotted time, we took the opportunity to have a quick snack before we took the long trek to peak number two. Spirits were high as Claire received a text from her husband to say sponsorship had just reached over £2,000. We had a lot riding on this!
We were walking well on the approach to Whernside, and our guide informed us that we would need to be up the top by 1.30pm in order to complete the three peaks within the 12 hours. A quick bite to eat and a sugar boost given by jelly babies, haribo and lucozade tablets set us on our way. We had an hour and a half to get there. Walking up Whernside, again, gave us the most picturesque views. What wasn't so enjoyable was the constant stepping as we ascended the mountain. Everyone seemed in good spirits and other walkers were there to offer support and words of encouragement on the way, but it was hard and really slow going in places. Renditions of "she'll be coming round the mountain" carried us up there and we reached the peak only 15 minutes behind our target time. And there we were, again an overwhelming feeling, and now two-thirds of the way there!
Ingleborough, the third and final peak was now in our sights, and as we walked, a well placed advertisement boosted our step .... ‘pint of orange squash with ice, £1’. We stopped at the snack shack to regroup and decided whether we were going to continue to the third peak. If we weren’t able to climb the peak quick enough, we may well have lost the light. There was no question though, we would complete with head torches if necessary.
We snaked our way over to Ingleborough through the fields. A gentle climb that we were all enjoying. Then we heard our guide say ‘you'll all be fine....just don't look up!’ This gentle climb we were all enjoying, suddenly became very steep. We literally found ourselves rock climbing now up ‘the chimney’, but to be fair to our guide, she was right. It looked a lot worse than it actually was! And before we knew it we were there. We’d got to the top of the third peak!! Technically, we’d done it, we’d climbed the three peaks, but now there was the small matter of getting down. The next six miles proved to be the longest six miles
Desert Trek
I
through mountainous desert in Jordan with a group of total strangers. The trek involves walking for eight or more hours each day for five days through the Shara mountains, canyons, wadis and desert, camping out in Bedouin tents each night, until we reach the magnificent city of Petra.
Before you think that I must be some kind of super-fit bionic woman, let me put you straight – I am definitely not. I am not a sporty type and, previous to my training for this trek, you would be far more likely to find me lifting a glass of wine than a dumbbell at Caveman Conditioning.
So, why am I putting myself through this terrifying ordeal? Because over the last year my life has been touched by tragedy, watching loved ones suffering from serious illness like cancer and Alzheimer’s, and I wanted to do something positive in the
t’s 5.26 am and I am wide-awake. My stomach is churning as I think about the week ahead of me. Soon I will be
making the gruelling 120-mile trek