Phoenix VS The Mountains
30th August 2010
“I like a challenge.” That statement started 16 employees of Phoenix Surveying & Safety off on a rather big adventure.
On the 19th June 2010 a team of staff from Phoenix Surveying & Safety Equipment attempted the 3 Peaks Challenge whereby they had to climb the three highest mountains in UK with 24 hours.
Joint Managing Director Martin Purchase (MP) was the driving force behind the endeavour: “Even though we emerged from the recent recession stronger than ever, recent times have left their mark on everyone. Coming together to attempt a challenge like this can only help strengthen employee ties and team building. The challenge is centred on our goal of raising £10,000.00 for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) by the end of 2010. CHSW is a local charity that provides much needed care and support for Children who will not live to see adulthood. Importantly CHSW services provide care and support for the whole family, helping relatives through the day to day life of caring for a family member in a ‘home from home’ environment.”
“After a brief vote it was decided that the ‘3 Peaks Challenge’ was the event for us, but we had to do it right.”
Is there a wrong way to climb three mountains for charity?
MP explains: “There is currently a building movement against large scale events whereby hundreds, if not thousands of people partake in a mass charity walk or climb. The problem is that these large scale events are conducted at the expense of the surrounding countryside, thousands of people meeting in small villages and towns with one or two public toilets and inadequate litter disposal will inevitably cause problems for local residents and wildlife. To that end, we brought Activus Outdoors (www.activusoutdoors.co.uk) on-board who provided the guides and knowledge required to attempt something like this.”
MP Continues: “Our flight to Scotland was late which then translated into a rushed evening meal and four hours sleep in a hillside lodge before the sixteen strong Phoenix team gathered at the base of Ben Nevis on the 19th June at 7:00am sharp. We set off on a clear sunny day surrounded by beautiful Scottish countryside, in fact we had perfect weather throughout the challenge which aided greatly in its successful completion as well as benefiting us with some beautiful views during all three climbs.”
“After a lot of effort, two torturous bus journeys between Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales, a few injuries, and what must have been over a hundred sandwiches, we finished the challenge with around ten minutes to spare!”
“The effort and determination shown throughout the event was inspiring, everyone involved came away with a well-deserved sense of achievement having pushed personal boundaries further than was previously thought possible.”
