KU students take on the Three Peaks Challenge

Kingston Students will scale the three largest peaks in Britain in less than 24 hours to raise money for Mountain Rescue UK.

Ben Stevens

For the ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ 14 KU students will go on a gruelling ascent up the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales on the first weekend of June 2013.

3407 meters in 24 hours

Cat Boyd, 22 and a fourth-year aerospace and astronautics engineering student, organised the charity fundraising event.

“We decided to raise money as we have undertaken such a huge challenge. We are already running fortnightly-sessions to get our cardio up, and during Easter we are going to be walking up and down Tower Block at Penrhyn Road to help our thigh muscles,” she said.

The hikers are to conquer Scafell Pike (England), Ben Nevis (Scotland) and Snowdon (Wales) which in total are 3407 meters in just 24 hours.

Inter-club trip

For the first time in the challenge’s history, there will be students from a mixture of recreational sports clubs. Involvement in the event ranges from members of the KU kayaking, climbing, skydiving, sub-aqua, karting and sailing clubs.

“I’ve wanted to do this for years as I love walking and the outdoors but was always put off by the high transport cost. Then I realised it was affordable in a bigger group. When no club at KU wanted to run this trip I just decided to create the first inter-club trip and organise it myself,” said Boyd.

Third-year geology student, Tina Burton, 21, is a member of the sub-aqua club, who will take on the challenge. She said: “I love the outdoors, and this was something I looked at doing before but I didn’t have the time, now I have the chance I’m going to give it a go.”

“Charity most applicable to all our sports”

The hikers are attempting to raise £750 towards Mountain Rescue UK. The money will go towards specialist training and equipment to help save the lives of hikers or climbers that get stuck on the mountain. So far, the charity received £150, a donation which is solely funded by the public.

Ms Boyd said: “We chose Mountain Rescue as it was most applicable to our event, and is also the charity most applicable to all our sports as they help climbers, hill-walkers, and climbers in the outdoors.

All participants are covering the trip’s costs, such as the minibus hire and youth hostel accommodation, themselves and without any funding from the University.