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AfriKids’ partner, Alpha FMC, smash the 3 Peaks Challenge!


A huge thank you to all those at Alpha FMC who took part in the 3 Peaks Challenge a few weekends ago. The team have raised an impressive £2,114 so far to support our work in Ghana, as part of our current partnership with the Global Financial Markets Consultancy. Here Alex Bowie, a consultant who took part in the challenge, gives you a taste of what it was all about:

The Three Peaks Challenge is one of the UK’s toughest endurance challenges which involves climbing the three highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales back-to-back, including a night ascent of Scafell Pike in the Lake District:

  •  Ben Nevis, in Scotland (1344m)
  • Scafell Pike, in England (978m)
  • Snowdon, in Wales (1085m)

 For our team of 14 challengers departing from London and Edinburgh, the challenge included travelling over 1000 miles in our two 7 seater Ford Galaxy vehicles (rated family car of the year 2010) over the course of the weekend, hiking the distance equivalent to a marathon (42km) and covering over 3000m of ascent, all within c. 24 hours, give or take some transport delays.

Team Alpha

 The challenge was really tough – as the team neared the summit of Ben Nevis the wind and damp mist pushed the ‘real feel’ temperature including wind chill below freezing with any bare skin feeling ice cold in seconds. The weather cleared further down the mountain and it was pleasantly warm by the time we reached the cars at the end of the first climb. After a quick turnaround (ok, maybe 20 minutes of ‘Alpha faff’ too) we jumped into the vehicles and hit the road for Carlisle where we would collect Alex G and Charlotte for the final two peaks; them having completed an equivalently tough peak in Penrith that morning…

In darkness we began the ascent of Scafell Pike around 10pm, and took pleasure in overtaking a number of other groups as we completed the ascent in under two hours while watching trains of torch lights following us up the mountain from other groups. We descended as the mist blew in and pushed on to arrive back at the vehicles by 2am – time for a quick nap while the drivers pushed through the night to take us to Mount Snowdon as the sun was rising through North Wales.

After our 4th (or 5th ?!) McDonald’s of the weekend we arrived at Snowdon with tired legs and a number of niggling strains and injuries but in good spirits – the sun was shining and it was our final peak! The group pushed on, opting for the flatter Miners Track to begin with before ascending steeply to the summit – again, covered in mist and cold we descended slowly with tired legs but were rewarded with a fantastic and clear view of Snowdon further down the mountain before returning to the vehicles for the long journey home.

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored us, we are very grateful for your support. For anyone who would still like to donate and support such a great cause, our fundraising page is still live at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Alpha-FMC1

The AfriKids 3 Peaks Challenge Team consisted of Alex Bowie, Alex Davies, Alex Glaister, Anthony Boakye-Mensah, Andrew Mason, Andreas Nystrom, Ben Elvidge, Charles Rabier, Charlotte Close-Smith, David Cox, Dom Locket, Khati Norakidze, Tim Quaye and Ed Gutierrez (our mountain guide).

We would like to say a special thank you to our drivers Ben Elvidge and Andrew Mason who did an incredible job driving unfamiliar vehicles on unfamiliar roads for over 1000 miles. Rumour has it that Andrew has already pre-ordered a Ford Galaxy for his next adventure …


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AfriKids UK Head Office:
AfriKids, Unit G05,
The Record Hall,
16-16A Baldwin's Gardens,
London,
EC1N 7RJ 

+44 (0) 207 269 0740

AfriKids Ghana Head Office:
PO Box 166
Bolgatanga
Upper East Region
Ghana

+233 (0) 3820 97134

Registered charity in England and Wales: 1141028
Registered NGO in Ghana: DSW/3024
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