The history of our challenge walks in words and pictures
Up to date financial details and other information about our fundraising activities
Annual financial details of the totals raised from our Walkers and Corporate Sponsors
Information about The Three Peaks Challenge Walk and the surrounding countryside
Information about The Chatsworth Challenge Walk, and the Chatsworth area.
Preparation, Hints & Tips
Handy tips and sound advice for tackling those demanding challenge walks
Some interesting features associated with our walks
Information about us and why we raise the sponsored funds
All the other bits we couldn’t fit in anywhere else
chatsworth challenge
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chatsworthchallenge.com and threepeakschallenge.com are organisers of sponsored challenge walks to raise money for the Dave Owens and Frank Goodall Memorial Fund in support of nominated charities to fund cancer research, prevention, and treatment.
Total funds raised so far
£197,708.98
including... ThreePeaksChallenge
The four charities we currently represent. All of the money raised on our walks go to the four listed cancer charities to fund the research, prev-ention, and treatment of cancer.
More information >>
Corporate Sponsors (No / £)
Individual Walkers (No / £)
It’s the middle of June again, and all the begging and scraping, pleading and bullying that our walkers have gone through in recent months to raise funds for this, our fourth annual sponsored walk, is now behind them as they take to the hills on a bright and clear morning. It’s good weather again and the peaks can be tackled in shorts and t-shirts
(or topless in some cases... for the men unfortunately). This year Peter Mackie, one of the event co-organisers has devised a ‘team challenge’ to add some extra incentive to the 26 mile The team challenge is a time related and carefully constructed scheme by which younger walkers are handicapped against their older counterparts in a time related challenge. The idea being of course that everyone hopefully starts their personal challenge on the ubiquitous ‘level playing field’. Unfortunately, there’s absolutely nothing level about the three peaks, but it did add some incentive to many of the walkers, some of who could barely allow themselves time to take a break and a sit down at the checkpoint stops.
Again, we follow our ever present three peaks walk correspondent Gerard Mitchell as he recalls the day for the 2006 walk. (PL)
1. Pat and Walkers ascending Pen-y-ghent.
Although it’s still only 06:45 hrs the early morning mist that shrouded Horton In Ribblesdale during the check-in has now burned
2. The boulder track on Pen-y-ghent
1. Pat and walkers ascending Pen-y-ghent
3. Debs and Louise take time out for photo break
4. Graeme, Lee, and Tom on Pen-y-ghent
steady rhythm. This section of the walk is quite a bit steeper than it looks in this photo but the reward for getting to the top is a steady 300 metre path to the summit which allows time to get your breath back.
3. Louise and Debs take a photo break.
It’s still only 07:15 hrs but Debs Priest and Louise Lavelle have already conquered Pen-y-ghent. Although it was Debs first attempt at the Three Peaks Challenge and she’d never done this kind of walking before she made it look easy. She certainly surprised all her fellow walkers on the top of Ingleborough some seven hours later when she took a run at the trig point and vaulted straight onto the top of it. Louise has taken up the challenge in recent years but this is the first year she’s conquered all three peaks.
4. Graeme, Lee and Tom on Pen-y-ghent.
Here we see Graeme Dent, Lee Fenton, and Tom Hirst on the top of Pen-y-ghent. The lads are playing members of the Ossett Rugby Union Football Club and are renowned for setting some blistering times for the Three Peaks Challenge. Although they were late turning up and didn’t get underway until 06:25 hrs Lee Fenton (black shirt, centre) managed to get round the course by 12:25 and get back in time to score fifty odd not out for Ossett Cricket Club in the afternoon.
away and a fine sunny day looks in the making. This is where the strenuous assault of Pen-y-Ghent starts to kick in but Pat Burton (centre with cream trousers) is looking determined to make it to the top. Pat is one of our seasoned campaigners and knows that once she gets to the top of this shot there’s just the strenuous pull up the boulder-strewn track between her and the summit.
2. The boulder track on Pen-y-ghent.
Here on the boulder track we again see Pat Burton (hands on hips) taking a breather but still looking strong. Stella Mitchell (sitting down on Pat’s left) is using the recess to get her breath back, while in the foreground David Gatehouse is moving with a good
2006 Walk : Three Peaks Challenge
6. Paul and Joe Hitch on Whernside summit
7. On the way to Ingleborough
8. Phil and Vanessa with the 2006 Team Challenge prize
5. The Support Team at Ribblehead
5. The Support Team at Ribblehead.
The time is around 09:45 hrs and Louise, Debs and Pat have arrived at the Ribblehead check point. Pat looks to be too suspicious about the contents of her sandwich to pay any attention to the camera. Attending the check-in desk from right to left are Wendy Lynskey (Official Course Marshall), Phil Lynskey (Baggage Handler and Drinks Attendant), Stella Mitchell (Mini Bus Driver), and a half drunk bottle of Coca-Cola. (obviously the Drinks Attendant is falling down on the job)! Stella helps out once she's
completed Pen-y-Ghent and although she doesn’t really like it, she willingly drives one of the minibuses. In the near distance is the famous Ribblehead Viaduct, built in the last quarter of the 19th century at a cost of 127 lives. Overlooking the whole vista is the second peak of Whernside which at 736 metres is the highest of the three.
6. Paul and Joe Hitch on Whernside summit.
Still looking fit and strong at the trig point on the summit of Whernside we see the father and son combination of Paul and Joe Hitch who also made up the winning foursome in the Team Challenge competition with Vanessa and Phil. (see below). Although still only eleven Joe is a veteran of the Three Peaks Challenge, whilst Paul holds the distinction of being one of our select few Premier Gold Club members who crashed through the £1,000.00 per walk barrier for
the £1,102.00 he raised in sponsorship for the 2005 walk. The only other Premier Gold Club members (as at the completion of the 2006 walk) are Phil Hemingway for his £1,256.00 raised for the 2004 walk, and Paul Slone who managed to raise a staggering £1,717-00 for his walk in 2005.
7. On the way to Ingleborough.
With two down but Ingleborough still looming ahead this photo captures the essence of the last peak. With 21 miles complete but still ‘The Wall’ between the walkers and the final summit, Phil Hemingway, Vanessa Proctor, Gerard Mitchell and Debs Priest look to be feeling the strain. It’s good walking here on the pleasant carpet of grass but they know what is just ahead. They also know though that once it is conquered the top of ‘The Wall’ is almost at the final summit. This leaves just the 3½ mile slog (including the infamous ‘Horton-in-Ribblesdale 1½ miles’ signpost) back to Horton and a very welcome beer in the garden at the Crown Hotel.
8. Phil and Vanessa.
2006 Team Challenge winners.
Regardless of how tired they may have looked on the way to Ingleborough Vanessa Proctor and Phil Hemingway managed to tough it out and were members of the group which won the ‘Team Challenge’ with Paul and Joe Hitch who had unfortunately already left for home. In the background checking her photographic record of the day is Sharon
Cooper and to the right we believe it to be the back of Theo Papamicheal. Putting a name to the begging hand poking into the left of the photo will take a bit more doing though. Any suggestions?
(GM)
Page Acknowledgements
Text : Philip Lynskey : Gerard Mitchell :
Images : Gerard Mitchell
© www.chatsworthchallenge.com
chatsworthchallenge.com are organisers of fund raising challenge walks in support of the Dave Owens and Frank Goodall Memorial Fund to raise monies for nominated charities in support of cancer research, prevention, and treatment.
One for the lads. Debs and Louise on Whernside summit. (click to enlarge)
And one for the ladies. Tom and Graeme on Whernside. (click to enlarge)
One for the lads... and one for the ladies.
These much sought after photos come from our Three Peaks Glamour Model Photography Portfolio, and showcase again some of our aspiring young models posing in an attempt to gain wider celebrity recognition in this exciting but cut-throat business. The theme of this particular shoot is ‘minimal outdoor wear on a mountain top’.
Follow these links to the main areas associated with this page
‘‘ Your challenge is to turn up, have a great day out, and raise valuable funds in support of our supported cancer charities ’’
If you took part in this year’s walk, and want to take the challenge again, OR...
If you’re reading this for the first time, and wish to take part in our annual walk, click on the following links for more details.
(fund total raised to date after current walk year)
Another Phil Lynskey Top Tip: Girls... when out walking on the peaks, and you’ve lost a mountain, and you don’t even know which way is up, my tip is to treat it like a road traffic island in a big city you’ve never been to before on your own, and are scared out of your wits at the thought of driving in.
Just keep going round in circles until you’re on the edge of a total nervous breakdown and about to wee yourself at any moment, and then when a bloke comes along just follow him, and you’ll know it will all end up alright in the end.
Another Top Tip
Website Editors... Don’t take the piss out of three women who had a bad day out on the mountain and got a bit lost, because there's a chance that when they’ve had a few drinks they might give you a bit of a kicking!
Phil Lynskey
Website Editor
Here we see a photo of three bright intelligent women looking North, South, and West in an attempt to find the peak they’re supposed to be heading for. You know how it is ... you can never find something when you’re looking for it, and it’s always guaranteed to be in the last place you look.
Phil’s Top Tip:
“It’s the big green lumpy thing behind you” (Phil Lynskey : 2006).
Where are we ?... (click for large view)
