Dad and I have always talked about doing some sort of mountain challenge together. He has completed the 7, 7s in the Mournes several times and I have completed The Mourne Wall. When a Facebook post about The 4 Peaks Challenge popped up on Dad’s feed, he forwarded it to me straight away. Andrew Brannigan from Down and Dromore Diocese was offering anyone interested the opportunity to join him on the challenge on 19th-22nd May. The cost was surprisingly reasonable and I think Dad and I both knew instantly that we simply couldn’t not do it!

So off we went, along to the information evening in Church House in Belfast on 14th of March. Brandy gave us an excellent - and very thorough - information pack and talked us through everything we needed to know in order to make an informed decision. He highlighted the level of fitness we’d need to undertake such a challenge and made sure we knew just how many hours we’d spend cramped in a minibus together! He presented two potential itineraries and showed us the routes we’d be hiking. It was all awfully exciting and we came away pretty certain that we would indeed be signing up.

And sign up we did! We didn’t want to miss out on what felt like the perfect opportunity for us both, and very quickly thereafter the preparations and training began. We mostly trained separately, Dad was running more lengthy runs and incorporating a weekly hike. I simply tried to get into the Mournes as much as I possibly could and joined in on a practice group hike too. I was really glad I did this as it gave me an idea of what the pace would be like during the challenge - it was faster than I expected!! But I was confident that I could manage it well. It was also lovely to get to know some of the people I’d be spending the weekend with and I came away from the group hike with increased excitement for both the company and also the challenge itself.

During our preparations, Dad and I decided that we would like to use this unique opportunity to fundraise for a charity close to our hearts - Reach Mentoring. Reach seeks to equip and empower young people to reach their full potential. Dad volunteers for Reach and I work in a local school as a Reach Mentor 4 days a week. We are also allocating a portion of our fundraising to DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee), in particular, their work in Ukraine. It seems only fitting to offer some support given the horrific war that has been ongoing there.

Now is probably a good time to mention that Dad and I have been completely blown away by the support we’ve received for this challenge. We’ve smashed our original fundraising goal of £1000 and are now hopeful that we could make an incredible £3000?! Wouldn’t that be amazing?! We’ve been so humbled by the generosity of our sponsors and have felt incredibly supported and encouraged by the many messages we’ve received too. Thank you a million times over. Honestly, I can’t tell you just how brilliant it was to get a notification that we’d received another donation or that someone had sent an encouraging word. I was checking my phone regularly as we were hiking and keeping Dad updated! The donations and messages early on Saturday morning were much needed motivation as I dragged my tired legs up Scafell Pike at 6.30am!!

And it isn’t too late to donate if you’d still like to do so. I’ll pop in the link for you below. Thank you so, so very much.

Donate here

Anyone who knows me will know that I love to check the weather forecast, so it should come as no surprise that I had been obsessively checking the weather for the 4 Peaks Challenge prior to our trip. As we got closer to our departure day, the weather forecast became increasingly worse for Ben Nevis on the Friday (20th). I was panicking and made a last minute change to my rucksack so that I would have a waterproof cover - thank you to Mark in Lila’s, Armagh for kindly lending me his Berghaus bag! This last minute change was made on Thursday morning (we were leaving at teatime on the same day) and in hindsight this probably wasn’t the best idea. More on that later.

Thursday (19th) was a bit mental to be honest. I tried to fit an awful lot into just a couple of hours and stress levels were to the max! I was also extremely nervous. There were so many unknowns about this trip - would we have any visibility, would my knee hold up, would I feel sick in the minibus, how would I cope with the lack of sleep, and did I have enough snacks!? I also hoped that I wouldn’t forget anything important! I did have a lot of stuff though! But in what felt like the blink of an eye, I was suddenly waving a tearful Phoebe off to swimming lessons and throwing the last bits and pieces into my rucksack. This was it. I was just about to go and climb the UKs 4 highest mountains in one weekend!! Yikes!!

Mum drove Dad and I to Belfast and we were in good time to meet the crew at Church House at 6pm. However, a text message came through as we drove along the West Link … ‘the ferry has been delayed by 90 minutes’. No way! Not a great start to the trip. This 90 minute delay would mean that we would be arriving at our accommodation in Glasgow at 01.20am, not 12.50pm as planned. The 5.30am start the next morning for Ben Nevis was not going to be pretty! We had to put the thought of lack of sleep out of our minds as overthinking it wasn’t going to help anyone. On a challenge like this you just have to accept that there are things outside of your control and outside of your comfort zone - it’s all part of the experience! So instead of driving straight to Church House, we parked at Common Market and headed for the bar!

We filled our hip flasks for the weekend and enjoyed a drink and live music before making our way to Church House for 6.45pm. After quick introductions, we split into our assigned buses and embarked upon our adventure!

It was a short drive to the Stenaline and unfortunately we had some waiting to do. A few of us headed into the terminal building to stretch our legs and to avoid any more unnecessary time on board the minibus - it was to become our second home! After a long wait and just as the sun was setting, we were finally able to make our way on board the boat.

We all headed straight for the hot food counter, conscious that we might not get a proper meal for a while, and tomorrow’s Ben Nevis climb loomed in the back of our minds. I managed about half of my food before running back and forth to the loo. I tend to get a dodgy tummy when I’m nervous! Though I was particularly nervous about toileting during the challenge. I shouldn’t have been really, I completed all of my Duke of Edinburgh Awards, the Gold expedition being 4 nights and 5 days in the wild! But no-one really wants to get caught out on the side of a mountain! Especially busy ones like the 4 highest.

After food we all made our way to one end of the cabin to try and catch some winks on the softer seats. I did manage a short doze but woke up cold and needed a wee cup of tea to warm me up. The time was now 22.50pm and I was trying not to think about the 2 hour drive we still had ahead of us to get to the Travelodge at Glasgow airport!

Tiredness was creeping in during the minibus journey to Glasgow and the darkness definitely helped me to fall asleep. I think most of us managed a bit of a sleep on that journey and it didn’t feel too long before we were pulling into the Travelodge car park. All the gear needed unpacked out of the bus and we were then allocated our rooms. Dad and I had our own room for the first two nights which was really lovely. Once in the room we sorted out our gear, making sure everything was ready to go for the morning. The schedule was tight and we were to be on the road by 7am sharp. We had porridge pots set out, ready to be filled and eaten before we left and I was finally crawling into bed at 2.15am, with the alarm set for 6.10am.

Unfortunately it took me a while to get over to sleep on that first night. The sleep on the bus probably hadn’t helped, and then I’d woken myself up by sorting out all my gear before bed. I was also feeling the nerves for Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis. Would the weather be as bad as forecast? Would I be able to manage the 1345m ascent ok? So many questions whirled round my head as I tried desperately to catch some all important sleep. Eventually I drifted off into a restless sleep before being woken up by noise in the Travelodge at 5.50am. When I checked the time on my phone, I could have cried. That was just not enough sleep! I crawled back under the covers for a 20 minute doze before admitting defeat and getting up and at it. It wasn’t long before Dad’s alarm went off too and I could hear him from the bathroom flicking on the kettle. It was porridge and coffee time!

We had sufficient time to get ourselves ready and met the rest of the group in the Travelodge foyer just before 7am. We were originally scheduled to leave for Nevis at 06.30am but after the delayed ferry, we were very much glad of an extra 30 minutes in bed! We got a quick fill of our water bottles before loading up the minibus and heading off on our 2 and a half hour journey to Fort William.

The entire route from Glasgow to Fort William was simply stunning - particularly, the winding road that runs alongside the beautiful Loch Lomond and then up into the mountainous terrain of the Scottish Highlands. The excitement was really building now as we ticked off the miles and munched on Lidl croissants, finally pulling into a Morrisons in Fort William to grab a sandwich/snacks and use the toilet. I grabbed a coffee and sausage roll to scoff too! I needed to eat it quickly though because we were just round the corner from our starting point for Ben Nevis - Glen Nevis!

At this point it felt like our group had been together already for a long time! We’d travelled quite a distance but had done no hiking yet! Well, that was all about to change!

Unfortunately I ended up in a bit of a panic before we even started off for Nevis. Whilst trying to clip together the chest strap of my rucksack, one end popped off and I couldn’t figure out how to reattach it. Then I broke a nail while I was struggling to clip it back on! My rucksack felt quite heavy too and I could hear Brandy’s advice ringing in my ear from the info night about travelling as light as possible. I’d freaked out a bit about the weather forecast and - as aforementioned - had swapped my rucksack last minute. Now, not only was I carrying a rucksack that felt a bit alien on my back, I would have no chest strap support and was worrying about the weight. But I needn’t have been too concerned about worrying at all! There would be no time for such a thing! After a quick group photo, we were on our way!

As I said before, the pace on our group practice hike was quick enough. It was fairly speedy on our initial ascent up Nevis too! Thankfully, Brandy got us all together a little of the way up and split us into groups based on our pace. Dad and I were keen to stay close(ish) to the front and see how we got on. I tried to keep my focus on the present moment and not think about the mammoth challenge that lay ahead. It was going to take a little while for my legs to warm up and get into their stride.

Despite the bad weather that had been forecast, we ascended the first hour and a half of Nevis with partial sunshine. We enjoyed stunning views and welcome warmth as we made our way up the steep steps of the popular Tourist Track. What a joy and delight to see such beautiful scenery! I had mentally prepared myself for poor visibility and pouring rain from the get-go, so it was really amazing to have had a window of good weather to set us off on our adventure in the Scottish Highlands. It made a big difference and I was really able to appreciate that next level of beauty that comes with hiking at higher heights. I wasn’t in the Mournes any more!

At around 11.30am we could see the rain coming in the distance.

I couldn’t believe that it held off for as long as it did and even before it really set in, we were treated to a beautiful rainbow!

After a quick stop to pull on the waterproofs and get out my walking poles for extra support, we continued to zig-zag our way up and through wind and rain towards the summit. The path became more and more of a scramble and I was very glad of my poles at this point!

The higher we climbed, the colder it became, and at around 12.30pm we got our first glimpse of snow! The summit was near!

Not near enough though as it was another 40(ish) minutes before we finally reached the top. Woo! What a buzz! Neither wind, rain, nor zero visibility could dampen our spirits as we whooped, cheered and celebrated reaching the top of the highest mountain in the UK! No feeling quite like it! Also no feeling in my fingers either!!

Boy was it cold on the summit and for that reason we didn’t hang around on it for long. I wasn’t keen on taking the waterproof cover off my rucksack to get out food or gloves etc, I just wanted to keep moving and get down out of the worst of the weather. We began our descent at around 1.15pm, finally getting a quick break almost an hour and a half later at 2.35pm! I was more than ready for my sandwich and hula hoops right then!!

On and on we trekked - down the seemingly endless path - the car park never feeling like it was getting any closer. Dad needed to use the loo so he flew on ahead and I took it easier on the final descent with 2 others from our group. The steps had become quite treacherous in the rain and some were very slippy indeed. I slipped a few times, falling once and hurting my wrist. Thankfully it wasn’t my ankle!! I’ll not lie, it was a very long way down. I felt every step of the way down off Ben Nevis. Again, it was best not to think about the fact that we’d be hiking not just one more mountain tomorrow, but TWO. I was most certainly questioning my life choices right about then!!

It was probably around 4.20pm when we finally arrived back at Glen Nevis car park. The toilets had closed at 4pm so I had to wait in a long queue to use the one disabled toilet that had been left open. Some of our group had just gone up to a nearby inn for a pint which meant that I had the minibus to myself to change out of my wet gear. What a blessing this was! The minibus was cramped at the best of times, and now with extra wet gear strewn and hung about, I was so grateful to be able to change into comfy, dry clothes and hang my wet gear in peace!

I decided against the walk in the pouring rain up to the inn. I was now comfy, dry and more than ready for a snack! What I would have given for a wee cup of tea right at that moment though! No such luck. I did very much enjoy a wee biscoff bun on the bus. Jack’s Mum had made a box of delicious treats for us to enjoy. We all loved Jack’s Mum!

Once everyone was down off the mountain safely, we headed off on the long road to the Lake District. This leg of the journey was 4 and a half hours of travel and I anticipated that I would sleep for quite a lot of it. No chance! I’d done my only sleeping on the minibus on Thursday night! Now I was just super stiff and uncomfortable.

We made three brief stops during the journey to the Lake District. And when I say ‘brief’ I mean brief!! Probably one of the most difficult aspects of this challenge was the general speed that things needed to happen at. We were always moving to a strict schedule, rushing on and off the bus, up and down mountains. At times I felt like I hardly had a chance to breathe, let alone pee! It became a running joke that our drivers would shoo us off the bus, having given us strict instructions to be no more than FIVE minutes or they’d leave without us! It was funny but also stressful! I struggled to remember everything I needed to have/buy/do to be as best prepared as I could for what was happening next. My mind was constantly on high alert, not forgetting my poor body that had had little to no sleep and just climbed the UK’s highest mountain that day already!

The first stop (19.35pm) was a spontaneous one for a coffee, however the coffee machine in the petrol station wasn’t working! Typical! They did have a toilet and a Krispy Kreme donut stand though. I was delighted.

Anyone watching us would have got a good laugh at us trying to walk after being cooped up on the bus with our stiffening, sore legs! From then on, we took any opportunity to hobble off the bus and stretch our legs. These opportunities were few and far between. It was quickly back on the bus and off we went again.

Unfortunately our drivers were really struggling to find somewhere for us to stop for something decent to eat that evening. Lots of places seemed to have closed already and by the time we pulled into the car park of our next stop (approx 9.10pm) I was famished. Our choice was either Burger King or Starbucks, with Dad and I both agreeing to have something a little healthier. We’d had chips etc on the boat the night before and had heard we’d be getting Chinese on Saturday night. I opted for a much needed cup of tea and a focaccia from Starbucks. I was careful not to eat anything that might upset my - already fragile - tummy. I felt like I was trying to poop each and every time I went to the toilet for that fear of getting caught out on the side of a mountain!

I was so ready for some warm food in my belly though. I could feel myself fading fast and we still had a way to go. Our third and final stop was at an Asda near the Travelodge - we needed to pick up a sandwich for Scafell Pike as we wouldn’t be stopping in the morning. No surprise - with it being so late - that there wasn’t much in the way of fresh food left in the fridges. I wasn’t so keen on buying a sandwich anyway as it couldn’t be kept cool. I bought some ambrosia rice pots, sandwich bags (so I could slice up my banana bread and prep pancakes) and lucozade. I had no idea where on earth any more stuff was going to fit on the minibus though! My bags were stuffed to the brim.

Having left Glen Nevis, Scotland at approximately 5.20pm, we only arrived at the Travelodge in Cockermouth, England at midnight. Sleep was calling and the thought of having to lug all our stuff up to our room, sort through wet gear and get gear ready for another very early start was well … as you can imagine … less than appealing!

But you just got on with it and I was organised and ready for bed by 01.15am with banana bread sliced, peanut butter pancakes prepped and bagged, and the alarm set for 04.12am. Boke.

Thankfully I slept really well on Friday night. I was that exhausted. And when the alarm went off at ridiculous o’clock on Saturday morning it took everything in me to heave my tired, achy self out of the bed! Dad must have been tired too, for he poured far too much boiling water into the porridge pots and we had to fill 2 new ones instead. However, we were the first pair waiting by the minibus at 04.53am - raring to go or raving mad! I’ll let you decide!

I was glad I’d had porridge because we quickly headed on the 1 hour drive straight to Wasdale Head, starting to climb Scafell Pike at 06.30am on Saturday morning.

Lots of tired eyes in this pic as we set off on Scafell - photo by Sarah

It was another warm start to this hike and almost immediately we began to climb relentless steep steps. My legs weren’t ready for such a steep incline so soon! And once again, the pace was fairly quick and boy, was I was feeling it! I’m not really a morning person and was tired and sore from such a big day previously too. I tried not to panic myself and just kept putting one foot in front of the other. Slow and steady. Slow and steady. Every now and again, the summit of Scafell Pike would peek out from under the clouds and I’d wonder how on earth I was going to make it all the way up there!

I was determined to keep snacking and drinking on Scafell after making that mistake on Ben Nevis and letting myself get too hungry on the hike. I needed all the energy I could get for super Saturday! As I trudged my tired legs up, up and up I shared a story on my Instagram to hopefully encourage some donations. Those email notifications from ‘just giving’ gave me a much needed boost to keep pressing on! I cheerily kept Dad updated on every donation as we hiked. I was so grateful!

We had about an hour and a bit of clear ascent on Scafell before coming into the clouds. My legs were well warmed up at this point and I was feeling much more positive about the whole situation. We had zero views but plenty of camaraderie, and we were making steady pace towards the summit.

At about 08.15am, the sun even tried to make an appearance through the clouds and we got a fleeting glimpse of the stunning view and blue sky as we approached the summit. We finally reached England’s highest point at 08.25am, Dad and I swigged a nip of whiskey, scoffed some food and enjoyed posing for some group photos. Not bad for half eight on a Saturday morning!!

Summit number 2 (978m) was now completed and I was feeling strong. We made our descent back down and out of the clouds, passing lots of people on their way up. Compared to Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike felt much shorter and apart from the initial shock to the system, I really enjoyed myself!

On arrival back at the minibus, we had no time to spare! It was a quick dash to the loo and kicking off the boots before we were on the road once again. The road out from Wasdale Head was narrow and we faced some difficulty in the minibus!! There were a few hairy moments! It was a relief to get to a main road, although even the main road was twisty.

A combination of the early start, mountain climb, winding roads and needing to use the loo had me feeling less than my best for the first portion of that particular journey. The England to Wales route was another big one of at least 4 and a half hours of driving. I prayed that I wouldn’t feel sick for the entire journey. I tried to sleep but was too uncomfortable. I couldn’t distract myself with social media updates or editing photos either because looking at my phone made me feel nauseous. Eventually though, the sickly feeling passed and I requested a toilet stop. We pulled into a service station to grab lunch and use the facilities. Our legs were noticeably more stiff and sore as we hobbled off the bus this time! I ordered a coffee, a Subway and another Krispy Kreme donut to munch on as we journeyed towards Wales.

The hours and miles continued to tick by and we made one final pee stop before reaching the stunning Pen-Y-Pass at around 4pm.

The car park at Llanberis Youth Hostel was full and bustling with hikers. We had trouble getting the minibus pulled up outside to unload all our stuff. After what felt like an age, we finally hauled our gear inside and awaited instructions for our rooms. All 7 of us ladies were bunking together, so we grabbed our key and headed to the room to gear up for Snowdon.

It’s worth noting that our group had been split into two minibuses - an older group and a younger group. We were often walking at different speeds and this also meant that the buses wouldn’t always be travelling together either. Our bus was the first to arrive at Pen-Y-Pass and we opted to take the high bunks in our room as it would be cruel to make poor Myrtle climb any more unnecessary steps after 3 mountains!

I made the decision to swap my rucksack at this point. The weather was looking good for the evening climb and I didn’t need as much stuff with me. I’d been carrying too much food on the previous hikes and really wasn’t eating a whole pile of it. There just wasn’t ever really much time to stop and eat during the climbs! We were always on the go, always moving fast. I wasn’t finding the Berghaus bag overly comfortable either and felt instantly at ease when I strapped my own rucksack onto my back. The sun was shining and it felt good to whip out the sunnies! I’d kept my leggings on from the morning hike but changed socks and t-shirt. Once ready, we met outside the Youth Hostel, just as the other minibus arrived. Our group set off for our Snowdon climb at just before 5pm.

Having not used my poles that morning on Scafell, I decided to give my knees a little extra support on Snowdon. At this point we’d climbed almost 7,500ft with another 3560ft still to go before bedtime. We’d had very little sleep and been on the minibus for 6-7 hours! I felt like I was going to need all the help I could get! However, the good weather had given me a big boost and the scenery was simply breathtaking. No matter which direction you looked, the landscape was incredible. I felt so very blessed to have been able to witness it, and with every inch higher we climbed, every corner turned, it just got better and better. I was in my element.

What I hadn’t enjoyed about Scafell Pike was the sudden steep incline at the beginning. On Snowdon, we were following the Pyg track from Pen-Y-Pass car park and it was a slow, gradual incline which I very much enjoyed.

Some of the lads from our group ventured up Crib Goch - a very steep, knife-edged ridge - but had to retreat down again due to the wind. The higher we climbed, the windier it became and it was a little scary at times. The path was narrow and winding, a scramble in places too as we zig-zagged towards the summit. At one point we all stopped dead in our tracks when we heard a shrill scream for help coming from the steep slopes at the other side of the lake. There were hikers down by the lake who had also stopped, but we couldn’t determine where the person was. There were some young people on the Miner’s Track, one seemed to be a bit far behind the others and we reasoned that the screaming might have been them. Regardless, a chill went down my spine when I heard that frightened scream. I felt sick to my stomach. I wouldn’t want to think that anyone was in a precarious position on those steep slopes and ridges, especially in the wind that continued to whip around and about us.

We continued on, a bit unnerved by the cry and reminded of just how dangerous it can be on the mountains. I scrambled quickly to keep up with Dad, not wanting to be isolated on a windy ridge! I kept glancing over and up to my left for I could see Snowdon’s highest point, again wondering if I’d be brave enough to make it all the way. But I sure did! Once I’d scrambled up and over the path near the top, the end was now in sight. The path widened out along the railway line and I savoured every second of that final ascent push. I now wasn’t fearful of being blown off the side of the mountain in the wind! My legs felt great and the view was breathtaking. Some lingering clouds threatened to steal the view, so we pushed hard to get to the steps up to the summit for 7.15pm.

One of our group members had been on Snowdon’s summit (1085m) several times before and said that this was the first time they’d actually made it up the steps to the trig point! Usually there is a big queue at the top! So how truly incredible it was that we were the only ones up there AND we got a spectacular view. I was enthralled. I kept saying ‘I love this’ and ‘this is amazing’ over and over again as we posed for photos at the brass plate. The brass plate on the trig point can be used to identify all the different summits and we had a cracker view of them all that night. How amazing!!

It was a quick refuel of peanuts at the top before we hot-footed it back down towards the Miner’s Track. The sun would be going down and hot food was calling my name!

I ditched my poles for the scramble back down the side of the mountain, being extra careful of my footing. We’d only started our descent when the whir of a helicopter could be heard coming in the distance and we watched it land and take off again across the ridge. The noise in the valley was deafening and I prayed that mountain rescue was out on a practice and not rescuing the poor soul who had been crying out for help earlier that night.

We finally made it down off the rocky path and onto the Miner’s Track around an hour or so after summiting. Light was fading and I was so conscious of the members of our group who were still on the ascent. It would be around 9pm when they would make the summit and then descend in darkness.

Onwards we trotted on tired legs and feet, more than ready for a hot shower and a decent meal. The path went on and on for what felt like forever, every corner we turned revealed more and more path to trek, until finally at almost 9.15pm, we could see the lights of the Youth Hostel. We’d made it!

I bundled through the door and practically crawled up the stairs to our room, knowing that Rachel would already be in there before me. We celebrated our achievement and enjoyed a quick, hot shower before pulling on some comfy clothes. It wasn’t long before Sarah and Joy arrived with the news that it was last orders at the bar at 10pm and we’d need to go down immediately! I hadn’t realised that Dad had already got me a G&T so I very much enjoyed two celebratory drinks and banter as we waited for our takeaway and for the last group members to come down off the mountain.

After closing time we were moved from the bar to a side room that had been pre-booked for our group. Here we waited eagerly for lights from the minibus and torch lights from the mountain. I joined a few others on a trek to the kitchen to find some dinnerware for us to use. I shuffled along the corridors in my slippers, legs stiff and sore! It was almost an hour before food appeared - an array of takeaway foods: pizza, chips, Indian etc. We put a box aside for Jill and Myrtle, who thankfully weren’t too far away, finally arriving around 11.30pm to whoops and cheers from the rest of us who had been happily and gratefully munching away.

I headed up to bed just after midnight as I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer! Most of the group felt the same and it was no length of time before we were all snug in bed, agreeing to set our alarms for 6am in the morning. We were all ready for a decent night’s sleep and nodding off as soon as our heads hit the pillow. However, I was stirred in the middle of the night by a noise and movement in the room. I had been sleeping facing the wall and didn’t want to move too much and wake Joy who was in the bunk below, so I closed my eyes and tried to nod off again. But I couldn’t get back to sleep with the constant rustling. Next thing I knew, I could hear the shower being turned on?! I checked my watch and it was only 4am. Why was someone showering? Why, oh why was I awake?! I should have been sleeping soundly right about now. I focused all my attention on trying to block out the noise and get back over to sleep. But it was impossible. After the shower, the noise only increased. Then the big light was switched on and a voice said, ‘c’mon guys, you need to get up!’ Excuse me?! What was happening?

I turned around and caught Sarah’s eye - she was directly opposite me in another high bunk - and she mouthed, ‘isn’t it too early?!’ at me in total bewilderment. I mouthed an emphatic ‘YES!’ back at her, looking equally as bewildered while the entire room stirred and turned towards the freshly-washed Jill. Jill was brushing her wet hair back into a pony-tail whilst glaring at us, clearly confused as to why none of us had gotten up. We tried to explain that it was far too early to get up, but initially she simply was not hearing it. Jill was adamant that she was right and we were wrong. It took a while to convince her that we weren’t leaving the Youth Hostel until 7am and our alarms had been set for 6am. NOT 4am!! I made a joke asking Jill, ‘where are you off to?’ and she retorted with ‘I’m away for a hike’. Not one of us laughed. Someone reminded Jill that we had two more hours of sleep and we all agreed that that was a good thing. Except Jill. I do hope she managed to fall back to sleep after it all. I wasn’t staying awake to find out, for as soon as Jill turned the lights back off, I was asleep.

It was a little bit awkward the next morning as we got up, dressed and packed away our gear. No-one spoke about what happened during the night. The final day had arrived, only one summit left - Slieve Donard! I had opted against washing my hair at the Youth Hostel as I seemed to have left my hairbrush behind in the Travelodge at Cockermouth. I plaited it and hoped for the best!

Thankfully our morning journey this time was a short one - less than an hour would take us to Holyhead Port to catch the Stenaline ferry to Dublin. All I could think about was the fry that had my name on it! In what felt like no time at all we drove the minibus onto the ferry and we hobbled off and up the many steps onboard. We made a bee-line for the breakfast queue, some of us headed to secure seats and others waited in line. The smell of the fry had me salivating. I was so hungry!! Yes, we’d had takeaway the night before, but by the time we were finally eating it, it was so very late that I’d gone past the point of being hungry and was just tired and ready for bed.

Boy, did I enjoy that fry onboard! I was re-energised and fuelled for the last climb! Pity I’d to wait so long until we were actually at the foot of Slieve Donard - we’d a bit more minibus journeying to do! After yet another toilet stop, we made our way to more comfortable seats and enjoyed a bit of craic during what can only be described as a Stenaline stretching session! Sarah whipped out her roller tube and we nearly all had a go on it. The calves were feeling more than a bit tight that Sunday morning!!

I didn’t stretch too much, but took a wee mooch around duty-free instead, purchasing a gift for my daughter. Then it was time for a cuppa and a tunnocks teacake before bundling back on board the minibus and heading for Applegreen Service Station. Our bus was allowed a half an hour break at Applegreen so as to let the other bus motor on and get a head start on Donard. We hoped to get a group photo at the summit, so needed to stagger the starting times accordingly to allow that to happen. We were instructed to have lunch at Applegreen but I couldn’t stomach anything more after the fry. I knew I’d be hungry eventually so made sure to pick up a wrap, some crisps and a carton of fruit. I was craving something healthy!

This leg of the journey would be Dad and I’s last on the minibus. Hooray! We were getting collected straight from Newcastle once we’d descended Donard. The final leg on the minibus didn’t feel bad at all. We must have become accustomed to it by then - we had travelled almost 1500 miles in it over the course of the weekend!

As we neared Newcastle we received a phone call from Brandy warning that we might find it a struggle to get a space in Donard car park. The overflow car park wasn’t open and it was a lovely, sunny, Sunday afternoon in the popular seaside town. Brandy suggested that we could park at the rectory alongside the other minibus - Myrtle’s husband wouldn’t mind! And after trying and failing to park in Donard car park, that’s what we did. One final toilet stop in the rectory bathroom and I found myself preparing my rucksack for the 4th and final time. But I couldn’t find my poles! After a quick search on the minibus I reckoned that I’d left them under my bunk bed at the Youth Hostel in Wales. It didn’t really matter anyway - I was confident that I’d manage Donard without them.

I remember wondering to myself on my last practice hike up Donard how I was going to feel on the last peak of the challenge. I really couldn’t comprehend how I was going to fare. My best guess was that my legs were going to ache and that I would find it a struggle. I’ve climbed Donard many, many times but never after the 3 highest mountains in the UK back to back! Donard was the last peak I climbed during the Mourne Wall Challenge though, and that is a climb I won’t ever forget … for all the wrong reasons! I’d taken an energy gel on the ascent up Commedagh and within minutes I started to feel sick. I cannot stress to you just how poorly I felt. With every single step I felt like I would vomit. I wanted to crawl into a ball and die. Instead, I crawled up Donard like a snail that day. I was a sorry, sorry sight. You can read that (also ridiculously long blog!) here.

So off we went on our final ascent of the challenge. The pace was quick - I think we were all keen to just get up and down as quickly as possible!

I updated my social media to let people know we were on our way and continued to do so as we climbed the Devil’s staircase and the steep ascent from the saddle. I was feeling strong and weirdly content to have finally made it to Donard. It was more of a ‘hill’ than a mountain in comparison to what we’d just climbed! More importantly though, it felt like home. The familiarity of Donard was so reassuring. I knew exactly how long each section would take and the end was now very much in sight.

We didn’t really stop for a break, instead, we made tracks towards the summit where we knew everyone else would be waiting for us. I updated my Instagram stories as the summit appeared in sight, celebrating the completion of an epic, epic challenge.

What an incredible feeling it was to reach the summit of Donard that day. As I made my final steps to the top, I was greeted by clapping and cheering - it was a very emotional experience. I had also cried when I reached Donard’s summit during the Mourne Wall challenge, however, on that day I felt like I’d reached the end of myself and was feeling very, very poorly. This time on Donard couldn’t have been more different! I cried with joy and happiness - the happiest of happy tears indeed! What an achievement! Dad and I hugged once again, as we did on each and every summit, sharing in an unforgettable experience.

We celebrated on the summit together as a group - and what a group it was! Such a brilliant bunch of people to share this experience with. I couldn’t have wished for better. We made sure that everyone was wearing their ‘4 peaks’ t-shirt, before snapping that all-important final group picture together and descending Donard.

Dad and I were among some of the first of our group to begin making our descent. The pace had quickened and we were more than ready to get down to meet Mum, my husband, Matt and daughter, Phoebe. And I actually really enjoyed the trek down, the weather was favourable and I was feeling just so very, very chuffed to have completed the challenge!

Checking the pace, I reckoned that we’d be finished between 7-7.15pm and so we were. I couldn’t believe that I’d snagged a wee PB on Donard! Only minutes after we arrived back at the minibus, our family arrived to greet and celebrate us! My sister even showed up as an extra special surprise! We milled around for a little while, chatting, celebrating and basking in the evening sun. I regretted not getting Mum to bring some Prosecco! After some time we said our thank yous and goodbyes before bundling our stuff into the boot and heading home. Boy was it nice not to be in a minibus for this drive! Once home, I enjoyed a nice hot shower and a much-deserved Chinese takeaway.

So there you have it, GB’s 4 highest peaks completed in 3 days! So very surreal. It still feels so very surreal!

I was so glad that I’d swapped my days in work for the week that followed. Usually I’m off on a Thursday, but took the Monday instead. I enjoyed a lovely lie in before meeting Dad for a coffee and a walk around The Mall. My legs felt surprisingly fine and it was good to keep them moving. I noticed a huge difference in my recovery after this challenge compared to anything else previously. I had trained well for the 4 Peaks, and this really showed, both in my enjoyment of the challenge itself and in how good I felt afterward. In the days that followed the Mourne Wall Challenge, my legs were in agony - I had to walk backwards down the stairs! This time, my body felt grand, it was just the lack of sleep that I was feeling. Nothing that a couple of early nights couldn’t cure.

As I finally bring this piece to a conclusion, I’d like to mention a couple of things:

Here are some statistics for all you stats nerds out there;

4 Peaks in 3 Days (Ben Nevis; Scafell Pike; Snowdon; Slieve Donard).
A total of 14 hours sleep over the weekend
A total of 1,427 miles travelled in the minibus (with just about enough space to breathe!)
Approximately 90,000 steps taken and a total ascent close to half the height of Everest. WOW!

I absolutely loved completing this challenge - especially with Dad. It was so very special to accomplish it alongside him.

“We are now in the mountains and they are within us.” ~ John Muir

We are so grateful to Mark Hawthorne from Lila’s in Armagh for kitting us out with brilliant gear. He has been incredibly generous and supportive. His knowledge of outdoor gear is second to none, please go visit the store or browse/buy online and he will keep you right. Mark fitted me a pair of Salomon boots last year and they have been game-changers for my hikes.

For the 4 peaks, Mark advised me on a new coat by Scottish outdoor brand, Keela - and as you can see from the many photos in this post - it served me very well during this challenge!

The entire challenge wouldn’t have been possible without Andrew Brannigan. His organisation, preparation and guidance throughout was so appreciated by us all. A shout out must also go to the minibus drivers - these guys hiked too! Incredible! I also can’t forget to shout out my lovely colleague and friend who dropped a homemade box of peanut butter balls into work before the challenge - Louise, you are a superstar!

Thank you also to some amazing local businesses who supported us in this challenge;

Birch - The friendly staff at both the Birch Newcastle and Castlewellan cafes kept me fuelled up and caffeinated on many of my practice hikes. They even made a donation too. Well worth checking out for delicious coffee and food.

We are Born and Bred - The fab Linzi gifted us some class hip flasks - they were perfect for a celebratory swig on the summit! We also got some cosy socks to keep our toes all snug and warm on the long mini bus journeys.

Mourne Way Apparel - Noel sent me a beaut fleece and tee from his Mourne-inspired outdoor clothing range, along with two class carabiner mugs. I can’t wait to take them into the Mournes on more hiking adventures!

Trek NI - David generously sent Dad and I two Trek NI tees. I’m a proud Ambassador for this amazing brand and wouldn’t be without my Trek NI x Madlug rucksack when I’m out on hikes. Use code ‘TREKMYLITTLEDUKE’ to avail of 10% discount.

Nutrilean - After I worriedly posted on my social media about my disaster trying to find protein balls that I liked, Nutrilean kindly got in touch and offered to send me some goodies for the challenge. Unfortunately they didn’t arrive (NOOOO) but I’m looking forward to trying out some bits from their brilliant range soon.

True North Life - The lovely Jenny kindly gifted me a new infinity band and pair of sunglasses from her range. I never hike without my multipurpose infinity band and have built up a nice wee collection! Jenny has created the most beautiful, practical and eco-friendly outdoor accessories range, all whilst supporting the RNLI. She is a hero and an inspiration!

The Ulster Gazette - thank you for featuring a piece on our fundraising challenge!

Thank you also to the guys at Klean Kanteen who recently got in touch and are sending some fab pieces of kit for future outdoor adventures! You will soon be able to grab 15% discount when you shop through my link too.

A final thank you to anyone who has so kindly donated or encouraged us. We are just over £100 away from hitting £3000 for our chosen charities. We cannot quite believe it! If you’d still like to donate, you can do so here.

Let the planning for the next adventure now begin …