Thank you so much to the team and to the many wonderful people who are supporting us on this challenge – you can see a few of the other team members on their sites as follows:
Only days now to go before we embark on the challenge! Saturday 22nd August will see us scaling Snowdon and Scafell Pike before heading off on the minibus overnight to Scotland, where we will tackle Ben Nevis the next day. I am so excited but scared too! We have the most amazing pink pants to wear, courtesy of La Senza (thank you La Senza!). Luminous pink, stylish French knickers. I can’t wait to wear them! Power to the pink pants! We will certainly be spotted in them.
Sun 2nd Aug: the pink pants climb the highest mountain in the UK!
After a long and incredibly scenic train journey up to Fort William, my friend Hester and I set off to climb Ben Nevis. This is an amazing mountain – the views are truly spectacular. We spend a lot of time taking photos and getting used to the climb. This will be the biggest climb of the challenge, on a day when we will be really tired and sore, so it is going to test us big time – but it is so beautiful, I am so glad it will be mountain number three on our route! We stop for a picnic part way up and spend time talking to some three peaks challengers who have just commenced their challenge.
This mountain seems to go on forever – half way up, we start zigzagging towards the summit. The zigzags seem to be endless! A group of workmen are repairing the path at about 800 metres up – what a commute! They must be very fit. We get overtaken by all sorts of people and eventually head into cloud. Here the cairns start to weave ahead in front of us – it really does look like the moon. It’s very eerie! All of a sudden we see a thick wall of snow – surely not, in August?! We head on further up and eventually, we are there! Unlike Snowdon, there aren’t many people at the top of Ben Nevis – it’s actually quite quiet. We have a photo with the pink pants, a quick swig of limoncello to fortify us (beautifully chilled by the elements!) and then head on down because it’s a fairly chilly spot to stop for any length of time.
Going down is quite easy to start with – as we leave the scree top, we are amazed to be bathed in dazzling sunshine and some breathtaking views – I feel like we are on top of the world! This makes the whole experience so worthwhile. Further down the mountain, children skip past us, sure-footed like the hardy sheep that graze at such a gradient! Wow this hurts one’s knees! The last hour is really gruelling, as we encourage each other on down the steep steps. This is some mountain! I am so proud of what we have achieved today.
The next day, I want to try it all again but we have to head home. It’s my birthday so we celebrate with cake on our 10 hour train journey back down South…
Paula
Mount Snowdon 
Only days now to go before we embark on the challenge! Saturday 22nd August will see us scaling Snowdon and Scafell Pike before heading off on the minibus overnight to Scotland, where we will tackle Ben Nevis the next day. I am so excited but scared too! We have the most amazing pink pants to wear, courtesy of La Senza (thank you La Senza!). Luminous pink, stylish French knickers. I can’t wait to wear them! Power to the pink pants! We will certainly be spotted in them.
