CHallenge COmplete!
Purer Three PEaks CHallenge Summary
On 17 August 2015, Captain Steve Crosby-Jones and Major Ryan McGuirk completed the Purer Three Peaks Challenge in a non-stop time of 51 hours and 16 minutes. This epic, awe-inspiring challenge in aid of Combat Stress and Macmillan Cancer Support has seen the two soldiers cycle from Ben Nevis in Scotland, to Scarfell Pike in the Lake District, finishing at Snowdon in Wales, as well as climbing each peak.
The total distance cycled was 698km (429 miles), and they climbed a combined total of 41km (25miles). A dedicated 12-strong team made up of friends and family supported Steve and Ryan. Split into three sub-teams, there were two intimate support cars for ‘bike and bloke maintenance’ and one large van aka ‘the mothership’, which carried all the field kitchen equipment.
Starting on Saturday 15 August at 10:00 at Ben Nevis, Steve and Ryan caught the support crew napping as they completed the climb in a very quick 2 hours 40 mins, which knocked 1hr 50 mins off the target time.
After changing to bike kit and having some food, they then got on the bikes for their first cycle leg to Dumbarton, which took them through a beautifully sunny Glen Coe and past Loch Lomond. Approximately six hours, 150km of cycling and a puncture later, they arrived just south of Dumbarton for some hot food and a 20-minute break.
Refuelled and refreshed, they got back on the bikes for the next 150km section. However it was clear by the first 50km intermediate checkpoint, when the sun had dropped and temperature plummeted, that cycling into the night and early hours of the morning with no sleep was going to be tough. The cold was a significant factor, and both men were showing the first signs of hyperthermia once the sun went down. This meant some very careful monitoring of their core temperatures, clothing and energy intake. Steve and Ryan needed some additional clothing, a quick rest in a hot car and lots of tea to get them going again.
After another 25km, Ryan was still suffering from the cold as his core temperature had not risen enough since the previous checkpoint. It was clear to the supporting vehicle that he was about to come off his bike, and concerned for his health, the support crew got Ryan in the warm vehicle, wrapped in blankets and with a hot drink to bring up his core temp. The decision was taken for Steve to continue alone to the next major checkpoint at Gretna Green (Kirtlebridge) on the Scottish-English border while Ryan warmed up and slept in the car. Although before we could set off, strapping Ryan’s bike to the car without a bike rack proved a challenge!! The roof box has never been so useful!
It was a relief to make it to Kirtlebridge, where the rest of the support crew waited with another hot food stop. We transferred Ryan into another car while Steve ate some delicious pesto chicken pasta and more hot tea – he also managed a 15-minute power nap in the mothership. As the sun started to rise it give us all renewed vigour, so with lots of chamois cream applied, Steve set off alone again for the last 150km towards Scafell Pike in the Lake District, via Carlisle and through Keswick. We'd lost time but were still on track for completing the challenge in less than 46 hours.
Arriving in Seathwaite to ascend Scafell Pike at 08:35, Steve and the support vehicle were greeted by the rest of the support crew including Ryan, plus a few friends and family who’d turned out to support. A quick bite to eat and change into running clothes, and Steve and Ryan, who was back to his grinning self, began the tricky climb up Scafell. Ably supported by Ryan’s two friends Karl and Rick and Ben Foster from the support crew, they completed Scafell Pike in 4 hours and 26 minutes. It was a challenging and more technical climb than Ben Nevis, plus with bike-tired legs it took longer than planned.
During the climb, the remaining support crew took the time to catch up on a bit of sleep, service the bikes and to prepare the next hot meal for the returning mountaineers. When the men got back to base camp at 13:45, everyone had some food and we got them changed back into bike clothing (much to their slight disappointment!) for the next cycle leg which would take them on to Wales and Snowdon. This would be another challenging leg as we knew there was one more cold, dark and sleep-deprived night ahead, plus the difficult navigation around Preston, Runcorn and Liverpool.
Leaving Seathwaite at approximately 14:30 (Sunday 16 Aug), Steve and Ryan negotiated their way through the stunning Lake District country with a long downhill glide from Keswick towards Windermere and Ambleside. They were soon back into some steep hills but took their first break at our Windermere checkpoint – a very quick minestrone soup and monster munch snack saw them raring to go towards Lancaster and Preston.
After another 50km, we had another quick stop opposite a nice pub called the Bay Horse Inn, just south of Lancaster. As a real morale boost, one of Ryan’s friends dropped by to cheer them on, and it was tempting to stop for a pint in the pub! But onwards to Preston…
Preston was the first navigation issue – the support car and bikes got separated, with both getting lost in different places! Steve and Ryan ended up on an industrial estate where they came across a rather large aggressive dog…thankfully it was on a chain!! Convinced that the bikes had raced ahead, the support car dashed out of Preston, only to then find the bikes were also lost and still behind. It was getting dark at this point, so plenty of u-turns and phone calls later, the car and bikes were reunited and heading towards the next meal stop, essentially following the M6 west of Wigan.
The bikes arrived at the next hot food stop at 22:20, and were surprised to find the mothership had taken over the car park of the Little Elephant indian restaurant near Gathurst (south of Preston). The kind owners couldn’t be more helpful, allowing us to use the car park, and they supplied the team with a mountain of samosas and onion bhajiis to supplement the pesto pasta dish that the mothership crew had prepared. Steve and Ryan also benefited from a bit of leg massage, a change of clothes and more chamois cream application.
Refreshed, but certainly sore and tiring, the men set off on their bikes at 23:00 for the final 150 km cycle leg to Snowdon. With the support cars changed over, the mothership and remaining car packed up and headed straight for Snowdon to wait out the night.
Aware of the first night’s difficulties, the bikes and support car had frequent stops to keep checking body temperatures, clothing, food intake etc. They’d also taken two Norwegian (aka Norgie) thermal food containers with hot water and left over pasta to keep them going through the night. The car crew, comprising Ben Foster, Pete and Tim, gave Steve and Ryan all the appropriate Royal Engineer banter to keep them going, including regular abuse and music out the window. At every stop, Pete ’10-minutes’ Mackintosh, the avid timekeeper, was always helpful bellowing how long they’d had.
Approaching Liverpool and the hardest route to navigate, the GPS computer on Steve’s bike ran out of charge, so the car resorted to shouting directions from the window! With only a few wrong turns, the car and bikes successfully made it over the Mersey crossing to Runcorn, and round the corner to Chester.
Half way through the night, having crossed into Wales, on a particularly long, straight and boring piece of road past Chester, it was obvious that both men needed some sleep. After a quick bite to eat and a drink, they had a 30 minute power nap in the warm car. This was pretty important as they were about to tackle the final round of Welsh hills approaching Snowdon. Using all of their military training, and even more banter, the three support crew got as much food into the guys as possible and them back on the bike. Apparently the samosas from the Indian restaurant made amazing cold snacks at 04:00 in the morning!
As the sun began to rise over a beautiful and unusually clear Snowdonia, the dawn gave the two cyclists a much-needed psychological boost. The Welsh hills were taking their toll, and it was in this final leg that the pace slowed significantly. However, the two men finally turned towards Pen-Y-Pass and with a final push up the long, winding hill, made it to the base of Snowdon at 08:45. All 12 of the support crew waited to cheer them in and celebrate completing the 700km cycle.
The mothership had set up our top-notch field kitchen for the final time, so everyone could enjoy some much-needed breakfast ahead of the final ascent up Snowdon. Although we knew the record time had passed, the crew still got Steve and Ryan turned around into running kit quickly, so they set off for the summit at 09:25.
While the crew waited for the men to return, they cleared up and packed cars in the most astonishing sunshine. They also had time to drum up interest in the challenge with some charity buckets at the packed car park, full of people taking advantage of the clear conditions.
Meanwhile, the men, supported by members of the support crew and friends, climbed the Pyg track of a packed Snowdon. At the top, they stopped for an ice-cream and to enjoy a cloudless view of Wales before beginning the descent and the finish of this epic challenge.
At the base, the crew, friends and family waited for the returning heroes. It was especially poignant to have Ryan's cousin Rebecca, who is currently suffering from bowel and liver cancer, at the base of Snowdon to cheer them in. She is a 34 year old mother of two, who was given a terminal diagnosis in October 2014 but with the help of Macmillan Cancer Support, she is still here and fighting, and was a key inspiration for this epic challenge.
Steve and Ryan set out to beat the world record time of 42 hours and 55 minutes, and while they didn't do it, this event was always primarily about raising money for our two brilliant charities - Combat Stress and Macmillan Cancer Support. This was a challenge of unbelievable proportions, and to say that they completed it is hugely satisfying and a massive achievement. It was undoubtedly a team effort, and the two men could not have done this without the dedicated support crew. Steve and Ryan are truly thankful to everyone in the support crew for giving their time, expertise, equipment and, above all, moral support for this event. We have ALL contributed to raising nearly £7000 for the two charities. We must also thank all our supporters from afar for the messages and donations.
The total distance cycled was 698km (429 miles), and they climbed a combined total of 41km (25miles). A dedicated 12-strong team made up of friends and family supported Steve and Ryan. Split into three sub-teams, there were two intimate support cars for ‘bike and bloke maintenance’ and one large van aka ‘the mothership’, which carried all the field kitchen equipment.
Starting on Saturday 15 August at 10:00 at Ben Nevis, Steve and Ryan caught the support crew napping as they completed the climb in a very quick 2 hours 40 mins, which knocked 1hr 50 mins off the target time.
After changing to bike kit and having some food, they then got on the bikes for their first cycle leg to Dumbarton, which took them through a beautifully sunny Glen Coe and past Loch Lomond. Approximately six hours, 150km of cycling and a puncture later, they arrived just south of Dumbarton for some hot food and a 20-minute break.
Refuelled and refreshed, they got back on the bikes for the next 150km section. However it was clear by the first 50km intermediate checkpoint, when the sun had dropped and temperature plummeted, that cycling into the night and early hours of the morning with no sleep was going to be tough. The cold was a significant factor, and both men were showing the first signs of hyperthermia once the sun went down. This meant some very careful monitoring of their core temperatures, clothing and energy intake. Steve and Ryan needed some additional clothing, a quick rest in a hot car and lots of tea to get them going again.
After another 25km, Ryan was still suffering from the cold as his core temperature had not risen enough since the previous checkpoint. It was clear to the supporting vehicle that he was about to come off his bike, and concerned for his health, the support crew got Ryan in the warm vehicle, wrapped in blankets and with a hot drink to bring up his core temp. The decision was taken for Steve to continue alone to the next major checkpoint at Gretna Green (Kirtlebridge) on the Scottish-English border while Ryan warmed up and slept in the car. Although before we could set off, strapping Ryan’s bike to the car without a bike rack proved a challenge!! The roof box has never been so useful!
It was a relief to make it to Kirtlebridge, where the rest of the support crew waited with another hot food stop. We transferred Ryan into another car while Steve ate some delicious pesto chicken pasta and more hot tea – he also managed a 15-minute power nap in the mothership. As the sun started to rise it give us all renewed vigour, so with lots of chamois cream applied, Steve set off alone again for the last 150km towards Scafell Pike in the Lake District, via Carlisle and through Keswick. We'd lost time but were still on track for completing the challenge in less than 46 hours.
Arriving in Seathwaite to ascend Scafell Pike at 08:35, Steve and the support vehicle were greeted by the rest of the support crew including Ryan, plus a few friends and family who’d turned out to support. A quick bite to eat and change into running clothes, and Steve and Ryan, who was back to his grinning self, began the tricky climb up Scafell. Ably supported by Ryan’s two friends Karl and Rick and Ben Foster from the support crew, they completed Scafell Pike in 4 hours and 26 minutes. It was a challenging and more technical climb than Ben Nevis, plus with bike-tired legs it took longer than planned.
During the climb, the remaining support crew took the time to catch up on a bit of sleep, service the bikes and to prepare the next hot meal for the returning mountaineers. When the men got back to base camp at 13:45, everyone had some food and we got them changed back into bike clothing (much to their slight disappointment!) for the next cycle leg which would take them on to Wales and Snowdon. This would be another challenging leg as we knew there was one more cold, dark and sleep-deprived night ahead, plus the difficult navigation around Preston, Runcorn and Liverpool.
Leaving Seathwaite at approximately 14:30 (Sunday 16 Aug), Steve and Ryan negotiated their way through the stunning Lake District country with a long downhill glide from Keswick towards Windermere and Ambleside. They were soon back into some steep hills but took their first break at our Windermere checkpoint – a very quick minestrone soup and monster munch snack saw them raring to go towards Lancaster and Preston.
After another 50km, we had another quick stop opposite a nice pub called the Bay Horse Inn, just south of Lancaster. As a real morale boost, one of Ryan’s friends dropped by to cheer them on, and it was tempting to stop for a pint in the pub! But onwards to Preston…
Preston was the first navigation issue – the support car and bikes got separated, with both getting lost in different places! Steve and Ryan ended up on an industrial estate where they came across a rather large aggressive dog…thankfully it was on a chain!! Convinced that the bikes had raced ahead, the support car dashed out of Preston, only to then find the bikes were also lost and still behind. It was getting dark at this point, so plenty of u-turns and phone calls later, the car and bikes were reunited and heading towards the next meal stop, essentially following the M6 west of Wigan.
The bikes arrived at the next hot food stop at 22:20, and were surprised to find the mothership had taken over the car park of the Little Elephant indian restaurant near Gathurst (south of Preston). The kind owners couldn’t be more helpful, allowing us to use the car park, and they supplied the team with a mountain of samosas and onion bhajiis to supplement the pesto pasta dish that the mothership crew had prepared. Steve and Ryan also benefited from a bit of leg massage, a change of clothes and more chamois cream application.
Refreshed, but certainly sore and tiring, the men set off on their bikes at 23:00 for the final 150 km cycle leg to Snowdon. With the support cars changed over, the mothership and remaining car packed up and headed straight for Snowdon to wait out the night.
Aware of the first night’s difficulties, the bikes and support car had frequent stops to keep checking body temperatures, clothing, food intake etc. They’d also taken two Norwegian (aka Norgie) thermal food containers with hot water and left over pasta to keep them going through the night. The car crew, comprising Ben Foster, Pete and Tim, gave Steve and Ryan all the appropriate Royal Engineer banter to keep them going, including regular abuse and music out the window. At every stop, Pete ’10-minutes’ Mackintosh, the avid timekeeper, was always helpful bellowing how long they’d had.
Approaching Liverpool and the hardest route to navigate, the GPS computer on Steve’s bike ran out of charge, so the car resorted to shouting directions from the window! With only a few wrong turns, the car and bikes successfully made it over the Mersey crossing to Runcorn, and round the corner to Chester.
Half way through the night, having crossed into Wales, on a particularly long, straight and boring piece of road past Chester, it was obvious that both men needed some sleep. After a quick bite to eat and a drink, they had a 30 minute power nap in the warm car. This was pretty important as they were about to tackle the final round of Welsh hills approaching Snowdon. Using all of their military training, and even more banter, the three support crew got as much food into the guys as possible and them back on the bike. Apparently the samosas from the Indian restaurant made amazing cold snacks at 04:00 in the morning!
As the sun began to rise over a beautiful and unusually clear Snowdonia, the dawn gave the two cyclists a much-needed psychological boost. The Welsh hills were taking their toll, and it was in this final leg that the pace slowed significantly. However, the two men finally turned towards Pen-Y-Pass and with a final push up the long, winding hill, made it to the base of Snowdon at 08:45. All 12 of the support crew waited to cheer them in and celebrate completing the 700km cycle.
The mothership had set up our top-notch field kitchen for the final time, so everyone could enjoy some much-needed breakfast ahead of the final ascent up Snowdon. Although we knew the record time had passed, the crew still got Steve and Ryan turned around into running kit quickly, so they set off for the summit at 09:25.
While the crew waited for the men to return, they cleared up and packed cars in the most astonishing sunshine. They also had time to drum up interest in the challenge with some charity buckets at the packed car park, full of people taking advantage of the clear conditions.
Meanwhile, the men, supported by members of the support crew and friends, climbed the Pyg track of a packed Snowdon. At the top, they stopped for an ice-cream and to enjoy a cloudless view of Wales before beginning the descent and the finish of this epic challenge.
At the base, the crew, friends and family waited for the returning heroes. It was especially poignant to have Ryan's cousin Rebecca, who is currently suffering from bowel and liver cancer, at the base of Snowdon to cheer them in. She is a 34 year old mother of two, who was given a terminal diagnosis in October 2014 but with the help of Macmillan Cancer Support, she is still here and fighting, and was a key inspiration for this epic challenge.
Steve and Ryan set out to beat the world record time of 42 hours and 55 minutes, and while they didn't do it, this event was always primarily about raising money for our two brilliant charities - Combat Stress and Macmillan Cancer Support. This was a challenge of unbelievable proportions, and to say that they completed it is hugely satisfying and a massive achievement. It was undoubtedly a team effort, and the two men could not have done this without the dedicated support crew. Steve and Ryan are truly thankful to everyone in the support crew for giving their time, expertise, equipment and, above all, moral support for this event. We have ALL contributed to raising nearly £7000 for the two charities. We must also thank all our supporters from afar for the messages and donations.