Matthew Reed: Ain't no mountain high enough

When did you last do something out of the ordinary? Until last weekend, I’d have to say it’s been too long to remember. Then, inspired to support the British Heart Foundation, I found myself along with two very good mates at the foot of Ben Nevis about to embark on the 3 Peaks Challenge.

Suddenly the months of planning and training seemed a long way away and there we stood, finger poised on the stop watch, about to begin the toughest test of endurance and mental strength that I’ve been through since my last job interview!

After scuttling up the southwest face through evening sun, thick cloud and snow, by 10pm we were back in the car. We headed for the border, only to encounter a road closure, which meant a detour adding a precious 40 minutes to our time.

We made it to the Lake District, and at dawn, started up Scafell Pike. The light had a milky morning haze and as the sun rose, flame-like streaks licked the horizon. Tramping over broken slate and boulders, it was like being on the moon.

Reality kicked in as we started seeing fellow challengers, and then satisfyingly passing them by.

It wasn’t so much climbing these peaks that was toughest, it was coming down. After the elation of reach the summit, the pressure to get to the next mountain kicks in, yet you have to navigate the descent. You don’t anticipate in training that this is actually the hardest part physically.

Nevertheless, we made it back to the car and picked up the coast road into North Wales and Snowdon. A gentle start lulled us into a false sense of security; it was midday, we were making good time and the terrain was positively pastoral. But by the final section, I felt like an extra in The Lord of the Rings, with my hobbit-like legs struggling up Mount Doom.

At the summit, we indulged in a mass congratulations session with the other climbers, but not for long. We still had to get down again before we could stop the clock. We took the railway line as, though longer, it was an easier path and we realised that if we blitzed it, we could achieve a time starting with 22 hours, not 23. So we gave it a final push and made it.

We scaled 10,000ft, walked 26 miles, and consumed thousands of calories, all in a grand total of 22 hours 46 minutes. That must a record for an insurance man surely?

As I sit at my PC now, I can’t quite believe it. Yet I’ve got the photos and the blisters to prove it. It’s not often that we have to push ourselves to the edge of our ability, but it’s refreshing to be focused on one goal; to plan and then think on your feet, to depend fundamentally on yourself, but to have the invaluable support of a team. It just goes to show that if you do get out of your comfort zone, and strive for more, the results are there to be enjoyed.

Matthew Reed is chief executive of PowerPlace.