Posted on June 25, 2010.
Andrew Franck-Steier and two equally unfit friends, Steve Harper and Mark Bates completed the Three Peaks 24 Hours Challenge on Friday 25th June in a time of 21 hours and fifty six minutes. They started at 7am on the 24th at the foot of Ben Nevis, having settled the nerves the night before with a few drams in the various hostelries of Fort William.
With a 4 x 4 packed to the gunnels with energy drinks, camping stove and Marks and Spencer ready meals they completed Ben Nevis in a great time before the long and winding road to Scafell Pike (summit picture above). This was perhaps the most difficult of the climbs due to the heat of the afternoon but they descended by 7.30 in the evening, driving through the night to Snowdon for a midnight start. Andrew as chief navigator promptly set off up the Pyg Track only to get lost in pitch black 300 yards from the start ! At the summit at 2.00am, Andrew was disappointed to find the café closed especially as they are famous for selling the biggest pasties in the UK…..so they had no alternative than to head back from whence they had came to the finish line.
The team, exhausted but elated are incredibly grateful to everyone who sponsored them. A total of just over £5,500 was raised for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, who nursed Andrew’s god daughter (Mark Bate’s daughter) back to a full recovery from a very serious illness 4 years ago.
