Three Peaks – 4 Loops – 11/12th July 2025. A Short Story of doom and glory.
Thursday 10th – Work finished for the weekend, the challenge is upon me, I headed to Halifax Station to collect 3 pals; Dante, Ted and Matt who had ventured up from London to come and support for a lap and a bit. Dropped myself back home and left Dante with my car in order to transport the rest of them up to The Dales on Friday morning. I collected Ian Whitakers VITO van, and packed it up with kit, and made a last minute decision to head up to Horton in Ribblesdale campsite that night, meaning a 3am set off from Halifax on Friday morning didn’t have to happen.
Upon arrival, I encountered a great wonderer in James Tingle, he had come up the night before too as he was aiding as a mule for my first lap, a great sight, and having a pal to share a brew and some late evening grub while watching the peacefulness of the countryside really did calm the nerves. We hit the hay around 23:00.
Alarm bells were literally ringing at 04:00 on Friday 11th, my phone was getting hammered by texts from friends and family wishing me luck. James and I awoke, had some breakfast, had plenty of liquid and I covered myself in suncream, factor 50. It was clear from the forecast it was going to be hot. 24 degrees at 04:45 certainly indicated this. 05:00 approached and Chris Dyson my other pacer wasn’t here, nervy times, however he did arrive, and we eventually set off at 05:17 for torture. This late set off prompted my phone to buzz and buzz by people who were following the tracker what was wrong, but they weren’t getting an answer. Game face on.
Pen-Y-Ghent was unbelievable, my personal favourite peak of 3 by a long way, the sunrise, conditions, were about perfect. We summited sharpish and then followed the long drag to Ribble Head, at this point I had scheduled a couple of checkpoints but as it was early, I had pre dropped some water and bars we tucked into nicely. Going up Whernside it was clear the heat was really going to hurt me for the next 30 hours. Being a portly ginger chap, heat isn’t or will ever be my friend, and with vest on, sweat pouring out, we summited in very high spirits. Down to the Hill Inn, where my parents were waiting with water, foods, suncream, you name it. We summited Ingleborough and jogged off feeling very strong. Landed at Horton ahead of time, but this was a mighty error. 5hrs 13mins Lap 1.
Leg 2: Pacers; D Makin, Ted, M Bright, C Rushworth & L Travis (the latter who’s brother; W Travis sadly lost his life a number of years ago and we did it together in his memory as a 1 lap then, which is how this idea came about, so thanks for popping along, Trav.)
It was hot. No getting around this fact, high 20s/low 30s in parts. No cloud, no wind, no shade, nothing. We progressed well however, yomping the uphill’s, gliding down and trotting on the flats, we moved well, RH Viaduct came with a welcome support wagon for food and water, so much water. Whernside went by, Hill Inn for water, Ingleborough went by well. We glided down. To the finish, nothing to report on the leg aside from pure heat, the views, awful chat amongst friends, horrendous anecdotes made it go by like a flash.
Along lap 2, we picked up a straggler in G Boardman-Lee, my brother’s best pal, who joined at RH Viaduct for the last 2 peaks, great for fresh faces and give my brother some company.
We also had a visit from my best pals across the pond, who happened to be in the UK at the time, whom had travelled up from Oxfordshire that morning to stay around the course for the day, which I’m truly grateful for, we don’t see each other a lot, but it really did make my day, Jaci brought her father, a stalwart of the American Dream, Big John as we aptly named him couldn’t quite comprehend the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales landscape or what was really going on around him.
End of the lap signified a change in my mentality, this was going to be hard, very hard, I had my feet in a bucked of water, change of top, suncream plastered on which was just sliding off, sunburn everywhere where I skin exposed (it was just too hot for anything but a vest and I stand by this). I had a good break, lots of fluids, pasta, pizza, coffee and chit chat with everyone there from parents, friends and friends of friends who had turned out. The best feeling was checking the charity website, the donations were flooding in, which is what this challenge was about.
Lap 3: Pacers; Ted, GP King, G Boardman-Lee.
Start of Lap 3, was hard to get going, not because my esteemed leader and most excentric friend was characteristically late set things off quite dishearteningly, but because I was heat fried. However, we rounded the road half a mile round Horton and at the primary school my foot went, I “skidded” it on the floor and it ripped apart the skin on the ball of my foot, alarm bells hit, this wasn’t good, I couldn’t place my foot on the floor without excruciating pain, I rang my brother to get the first aid kit id packed in the van to get here sharpish, 2 mins later he arrived and medical practices that the NHS wouldn’t recommend started, we botched my foot together, hit 5 ibuprofens and was ready to go again, but at that point my excentric colleague turned up, looking like Forest Gump, shortest of shorts, king of the mountains tour do France jersey on, visor which states 5 x world champion (of what we will never know) and he was full of his usual arrogant nature, this most certainly brightened my spirit, he’d also brought along one of our scouts G Freeman. JR Clay Esq, stated “march boy, only halfway, move it big fat Cresswell” to me, never one to give sympathy, it’s certainly what I needed.
Trudging up Pen Y Ghent for a third time was in one word, dreadful. We stopped before the buttress as I was freezing, my skin was like ice, shivering uncontrollably in contrast, most members were topless at 20:00 it was still 25 degrees, I had to have a sit down, get gloves, hat and base layer on, I had heatstroke no doubt about it. We summited and descended, I then managed to regulate the body somehow and it became bearable. Ribble Head viaduct approached, I had a sit down, covered in blankets and warm drinks, ate some pasta, got back on the move, feeling somewhat revived. Summited Whernside and low and behold I did the same thing to my other foot, being so stiff I had to ask my friend to tape up my feet to stop the bleeding from the skin wo which he obliged, poor chap, it wasn’t pretty. Hill Inn came in the dead of night, we had a stop, I don’t remember much to be honest. S Cameron has joined the party another one of my brothers pal, just great to see so much support. Ingleborough, again not remember much, just remember having a snooze on the summit for 5mins until I was rudely awakened and reminded, I had 30miles to go, so we needed to move. I hobbled off Ingleborough plateau and heading down the long drag to Horton we spotted a torch light, it is now about 01:00, as we approached, a big booming voice broke the echoey stillness of the night, my pal R Whitaker had come up for lap 4 but decided to march back up Ingleborough a bit to join us, it was like a miracle, I had just gained energy, maybe the sight of a new face, fresh voice and stories just helped my mental being. Further down, 2 more torch lights, messers R Burke (who becomes a story hero later) and O Brierly joined the parade, it was truly most appreciated chaps.
We finished in Horton and I had instructed my brother to put my sleeping mat, sleeping bag and pillow in the top carpark furthest away, I needed sleep, he had done, I went for a sleep and said to him “20 mins no longer no less than now, I don’t care how Mum and Dad are concerned this is the rule” as soon as I hit the pillow I was awoken, it wasn’t ideal.
I went down to join everyone waiting for me.
Lap 4: Pacers; D Rushworth (Father), J Rushworth (Uncle), A Percy, R Burke, O Brierly, R Whitaker
Slow and steady was the aim here. Slow and steady. We rounded PenYGhent without any mishaps and then the long walks to RH Vidacut ensued. If anyone wished to know the locations of streams of pools of water on the 3 peaks loop, pleas let me know, I know them all down to the individual grid reference. Every stream each lap had had a head dunk from most members, but this lap especially, we were just waiting for them. RH Viaduct came, and my friends from lap 2, decided they wanted more glory, so joined us again it was great to see. A good squadron of people yomped up Whernside, to which point my feet were just numb and I was walking on the outside of them, I genuinely thought id disfigure them after this such was my walking/hobbling style for the last 13 hours and reminding 9 hours. Coming off Whernside as many know, are the steps of despair, they are disgusting, we all descended at varying paces but R Whitaker stuck with me at the front, I’m not sure how, but going downhill on stairs I was ok, we marched towards the little barn/café before The Hill Inn and received a phone call from R Whitakers parents stating to “buy an ice cream, we will put it through the business” things like this do make an accountant really chuckle. R Whitaker bought 2 ice lollies, I can safely say they were the best things I think I have ever consumed. We rounded the road and to the checkpoint for water and food, to which point, The US contingent had returned bringing with the Dan (The Pan) Wilson which was a very high spirited surprised and our other great friend had travelled by train all the way from Dundee to see me in, C Millar I salute you. The boys, dad and uncle rounded the bend, we had 15mins, to cool off, refresh, catch up. Then it was it, the last one, the biggie, the least favourite of the 3 in my opinion, Ingleborough. We started, it was steady going, the heat just hadn’t subsided at all. We finished the limestone pavement, and this is where R Burke became folklore, wapping off his pants and boxers and borrowed what only could be described as 1L of Sudocrem which was applied everywhere he could touch, big thick thighs didn’t save his life, watching him walk, really did make me smile and thankful I didn’t look that bad. We reach the infamous “ridge climb” I as call it, everyone who’s been up Ingleborough knows what I mean. However, at the top there is a glacial Esque stream. We hit the stream, every man and his dog had heads in this, just to cool off, R Burke did what could only be described as a belly slide/seal launch down the small slope and landed in the pool head first, but the view of his backside was black shorts with white sudocream seemly visible all over, it was a sight to behold and really lifted everyone’s spirits, thanks for playing out squire. Between there and the spirit an unexpected surprised occurred when our friend A Kitchen had travelled up that day (forgetting it was that day) and was waiting just below the summit to join us and walk us home, a las, we’ve now lost him to a life in California, a great man. We hit the summit, it was a relief, 12 peaks done, lots of photos, lots of memories. To have a picture with my Dad and Uncle at the top was the pinnacle for me, part of the challenge was to raise money for Bowel Cancer for which my Grandfather, their father passed away from on October 7th 2024. But it was not over, as JR Clay Esqu would say “keep moving fattie, its not over until she sings”, the longest 4 miles of my 31-year existence occurred, treacle was underfoot with pain in every step.
We hit the road and finished in the carpark. Surrounded by friends and family I couldn’t of asked for anything more special. My Grandmother had been brough up kindly by my Auntie for the finish, and it did bring a tear to my eye being reassured by her how proud my Grandfather would’ve been.
It was done.
98.5 miles
20,700ft elevation gain
33:15:23 total time
£8.5k raised for 4 charities: Bowel Cancer, Headway, Bowel Cancer & Overgate Hospice
My 4 charities were chosen for 4 reasons:
Headway – mine and A Percys good friend P Silvester had a terrible bike accident in July 2024 and is still to this day recovering from a traumatic brain injury
Overgate Hospice – A local Calderdale Hospice
Bowel Cancer – My Grandfather lost his life to
Breast Cancer – my Great Auntie lost her life, not directly from this, but suffered with this in her life
Notes to future undertakers:
- Don’t do it if its going to be over 22 degrees.
- Ask me for notes on streams
- Change shoes (personally I think this would’ve helped as I didn’t)
- Make sure you have a great support team
- Treat the route with the respect it deserves, it’s only The Dales but 20k climbing isn’t easy
- I’m happy to support anyone foolhardy enough to attempt, hit me up
- Eat
- I took on around 30L of liquid in 33 hours, I had 2 wees. It wasn’t enough.
- Do it, it’s a cracker, a fine day and half playing out
- It will give you memories to last a lifetime, you decide if good or bad.
I just want to take the opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone who took part, I can’t thank everyone but certain people like my parents and brother were invaluable that day, the support and reassurance they have were deeply unwavering. The people that travelled such long distances to be there will never be forgotten.
Cheers all,
To the next one…
Will Rushworth