‘Sheer bloody mindedness’ smashes world record endurance challenge

The 'Three Peaks Challenge', climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and 
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), is a popular endurance route and many take it on with support teams and transport in between, but Phil Meads decided to do it on foot, alone and unsupported, carrying everything he needed.

On choosing WWTW as the beneficiary of his adventure, Phil commented: “It’s a very special charity” he said. “Service men and women have given everything for their country. We all live safe and free and we all benefit from their gift to us. They’ve put it on the line for us and we should all do what we can. I actually feel very strongly about this.” 

On 15th May Phil set off from Fort William, tackling the highest peak, Ben Nevis, first. Throughout the challenge he wore a tracker, so his route could be followed and verified (and he could be found if any significant problems arose). Phil was on his own for over a fortnight and he admits that it was brutal at times.  The mental strength he needed had developed by learning from the previous challenges he’d completed, he likened it to ‘operating your engine to maximum potential’. 

There were also glorious moments. Complete solitude at times brought reflection in the high places and he met lots of lovely people: “I was inspired by the ‘fellow nutters’ out there too” he laughs “I even met a bloke walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats carrying a washing machine on his back!” 

Phil was well behind the 17-day world record initially, and it was only as he passed St Helen’s that he realised he was in with a real chance. After an astonishing 875km, and climbing a total of 17,134m along the way, he descended Yr Wyddfa and ran towards the finish, 16 days 8 hours and 39 minutes after he started. A new world record, with seven hours to spare! 

When asked if he would now go and lie on a beach for a while to recover he admitted that he always needed the next challenge to focus on “I could swim round Ibiza for my next one” he said. “I’m not a great swimmer, but that will only make it more of a challenge…”