Earlier this week my brother Oli and I set off on the biggest adventure of my life and oh my goodness it was an experience I will never forget. On Monday morning we left Henry and the kids in the Lake District where we had stayed the night before and after a few hugs we jumped in the car and headed north. The drive up through Scotland was amazing as the scenery is something else up there, it did however, make the whole thing a lot more real as the mountains got bigger and more snow covered. We stopped for a late lunch not too far from our destination and the nerves really started to settle in.

Then just before 5PM we parked up at the bottom of Ben Nevis and got our kit together. The weather at the bottom was great, but you could easily see how people get lulled into a false sense of security that the mountain itself would be the same. Oli’s partner, Faye, who was our incredible support crew, wished us a final dose of good luck and we set off on the hour.

We set off with high energy and enthusiasm, chatting and looking forward to what was to come. The weather was kind to us on the way up and the views were breath-taking. There was a lot of laughing navigating the waterfall that crosses the path and we basically had the mountain to ourselves. Further up we crossed the mist line and said goodbye to those views, then a bit further up we found the snow line and donned the crampons. By the time we reached the plateau the snow was thick and all you could see was white. There was a slightly scary moment when a swirl of mist cleared to reveal a sheer drop under an overhang of snow which made it clear how easy it would be to make a fatal error. It was surreal making our way up to the summit in those conditions and the feeling of overwhelming joy when we spotted the top was amazing. We didn’t hang around at the top though and started heading back down within a couple of minutes.

On the way back down the wind picked up a bit and it started snowing, we did however get below the cloud line before it got dark so were treated to those views again. The drink on the side of Oli’s bag had actually started to freeze so we drank that pretty quickly too. We managed to get below the waterfall before the darkness swallowed everything. It was honestly like a light went out. Even with head-torches on we both had a couple of slips and we also spooked a few sheep. We made it back to the car 4 hours and 50 minutes after setting off.

We bundled into the car and devoured some snacks that Faye had gone to find. The drive back down to the Lake District gave us both chance to have a bit of sleep. Although we did stop at a service station for a quick pit stop, we must have looked quite a sight in our unusual attire but none of us cared remotely!

We arrived at the bottom of Scafel Pike in the dark and set off straight away at around 4AM. This was definitely a moment where my body screamed at me- “What the actual frick are you doing?!” It was dark and cold, my legs were already like jelly and the path up this one is basically straight up. We then had a slightly hair-raising moment where we lost the path slightly whilst crossing the river, not an experience I’d like to repeat in the dark!

It started to get lighter and we made some mountain friends- a mum who was being dragged up the mountain by her 2 teenagers- we shared a couple of stories then they overtook and disappeared up into the mist that was also at the top of this one. We knew Ben Nevis would be covered in snow but we weren’t actually prepared for it on this one so hadn’t bought the crampons along for this climb so the surprise sight of snow and ice made for an interesting challenge. We slipped and slid our way up and were very relieved to see the top of this one too. Again, there was no hanging around at the top though as it was also a white out.

We headed back down, with more slipping and sliding, the good thing was that once we were back below the cloud line we were treated to the stunning views that we’d missed on the way up. We also passed many people on their way up and were able to pass on some encouraging nods and the confirmation that yes there was snow at the top.

We arrived back at the car 3 hours and 54 minutes after setting off and literally jumped straight in the car and set off. This was the moment where we realised timings wise we actually would maybe be able to complete all 3 peaks in 24 hours, providing luck stayed on our side. We both managed a bit of sleep on the journey over to Wales and even though we hit a bit of traffic we made good time.

This was however, where our luck ran out. We arrived at the bottom of Snowden to rain and wind. The path was full of people heading down and we picked up our pace as the weather got worse and worse. My trusted pink boots were ruined within the first half an hour and my feet were wet through. Our hands were frozen too, so there were no cheerful videos and photos to document this mountain. She threw everything at us and our bodies were screaming at us by this point. We pushed on as the rain turned to sleet- this alone wouldn’t have actually stopped us. It was the wind. The gusts got stronger and stronger till they actually started blowing us off our feet. There were less and less people about as we crossed the halfway point. We pushed on and spoke to some of the last people making their way down, they warned us that the wind was only getting worse the higher you went and that there was an actual weather warning heading our way. Finally two thirds of the way up, with the top almost in sight, we huddled under one of the train bridges and had the conversation we really didn’t want to have. It was hardly a conversation to be honest, we both knew there was only one sensible decision to be made. As heart-breaking as it was, we made the call to stop, it just wasn’t safe to carry on past that point.

It was truly gutting to start heading down but we realised very quickly it was absolutely the right call. The wind was savage and we had to hang on several times, trying not to get blown off. We also came across an older couple who had also made the same call we had- they were very experienced mountain walkers and they confirmed that no-one else would be able to make the summit that day.

We arrived back at the car 3 hours and 15 minutes after we had set off, we were cold and wet, with shrivelled fingers and toes and feeling absolutely destroyed by this last beast (bitch!) of a mountain. We stripped off in the car park and clambered into the car and got under towels and blankets heading towards our little cottage sanctuary, fantasising about a hot shower.

In summary, I am so proud of what we achieved and even though we couldn’t finish that last bit of Snowden I know it wasn’t our choice- the weather made that choice for us. It’s also slightly encouraging to realise that we would have made it in the 24 hours if the wind had been kinder. It was one of the best experiences of my life, I also think it was the hardest- physically and mentally it pushed me to my absolute limit. I didn’t warm back up again for another 24 hours, when we had a good soak in the hot tub at the cottage and my body was in complete agony for days afterwards, my legs actually felt bruised.

A couple of people have asked whether I would try it again- as it stands it would be a no. I absolutely gave it my all and am content with the effort I put in. There’s always going to be a risk that something other than your own abilities would stop you from completing it and at the moment I wouldn’t want to try and re capture this experience, it was the right call to stop when we did but I don’t know if I could take that disappointment again especially as it’s not myself I’m disappointed in- it’s the weather.

On a final note I just want to say a few thank yous. To Henry and the kids for being believing in me and for putting up with me chatting about weather forecasts and equipment lists for weeks, but also for picking me up after. To friends and family who provided all the messages of support and encouragement leading up to and during the challenge- I honestly don’t think I could have even attempted it without a handful of people thinking I could actually do it. To Faye, the most incredible sister in law you could ask for, thank you so much for driving us literally all around the UK and for keeping us going and keeping us on track- you are honestly a hero! And finally, Oli- I really could not have done any of this without you, you were the best companion on the best adventure ever and without your help I would have stood no chance at getting up the first peak, let alone getting to where we did. Thanks Mountain Goat and good luck with your little run tomorrow (only my crazy brother would do the 3 peaks challenge and a marathon in the same week!), super proud of you.