Introducing the Five Peaks; without whom our Challenge would be somewhat, flatter.

 

 

From wales we have the 1095m (3650ft) Mt. Snowdon. She sits in the Snowdonia National Park and towers above all else in sight, the general shape from above resembles that of a starfish (with 6 "legs") and is impressive from any angle. The summit is leased to the Snowdon Mountain Railway, so if you dont fancy the walk you can still have a chat at the peak of our first mountain in the challenge. We have chosen a route to the summit however we are debating whether to follow the crib goch route, arguably the toughest challenge on Snowdon.

 

 

From the English we have Scafell Pike which is only just a mountain standing at 978m (3210ft). Situated a fairly long way from the coast in the Lake District National park, this mountain my be small but it boasts the most difficult navigational challenge out of all five mountains! To make matters better, in order to get to the coast, we have to kayak through a military firing zone! If anyone wants to meet us on the beach, please bring sensible headgear and running shoes! 

 

 

Now the scotts' offering, Ben Nevis (fondly referred to as "the Ben"). Dwarfing all others it stands at a tremendous 1344m (4409ft) the Ben sits in the highest region of scotland and dominates the skyline. Many people believe that, despite its great height, Ben Nevis is a relatively easy mountain to climb, and if you are talking about the "tourist" track up the side, you would be right (the last time Oliver was there his path was crossed by a group pushing toddlers in buggys). However! The route we intend to tackle will take two days, walking from Fort William at the foot of the mountain, all the way to "base camp" at the CIC hut. The next day we will scramble up the treacherous north face, (most handbooks reccomend this is avoided at all costs without a qualified guide - wish us luck!). 

 

 

The penultimate and smallest mountain we come to will be in Northern Ireland. Slieve Donard checks in at a measley 849m (2786ft), but its the highest in Northern Ireland and its got to be done. As yet we have not decided on the best route up the mountain, traditional five peakers would take the straight tourist track up the side - but we want a bit more of a challenge! If anyone can reccomend a more exhilarating route up the mountain PLEASE let us know!

 

 

The Finish Line of our challenge is at the foot of carrauntoohil, the tallest mountain in the Republic of Ireland. Rooted in the Killarney National Park Carrauntoohil has the look of a stereotypical mountan, big and pointy. It weighs in at 1038m (3406ft) and provides spectacular panoramic views of killarney national park. As with the last mountain we are still unable to acquire a decent map and therefore we are still not set on a particular route - again if anyone knows which route holds the prestige for the most challenging ascent PLEASE get in touch!

 

 

Finally, and possibly most importantly, the Party in Ireland on Friday the 13th of August 2010! All who have shown their support or taken an interest are more than welcome to attend - watch this space for more information!

In total we are climbing a massive 5294m (17,369ft). On top of the tremendous kayaking distance, this will be the most demanding expedition either of us have ever attempted and we are very pleased to have the support we already have. Dont forget to join our mailing list for updates on the preparation of the 5 peaks challenge, and keep an eye on our totalometer for Cancer Research UK!