Peak effort to help Scouts

Taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks in driving rain

A TEAM of 10 took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in driving rain to raise a staggering £9,000 for the 1st Wash Common Scout Group.

The team took on the challenge of a 24-mile hike over the Yorkshire peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, totalling nearly 5,000 feet elevation.

The team members were Richard Milner, Mike Eaton, Eugene Futcher, Colin Melville, Rob Beasley, Scott Tirel, Andy Strutt, Mike Goddard, Chris Hall and Phil Hamshaw.

Event organiser Rob Daniels said: “It was pretty gruelling for them all, with the rain all day, sometimes torrential, with a biting wind.”

Mr Hall decided to run the course instead of walking and finished in five hours.

“He was in quite a poor way when he got back, very close to hypothermia,” said teammate Eugene Futcher.

Six of the team walked together in nine-and-a-half hours and three walked it in 10 hours 50 minutes.

They had set a target of 12 hours to complete the trek and succeeded despite many of the paths being under water.

Mr Futcher said: “We were all happy that we finished within the 12 hours as a lot of people don’t and take longer.

“The walk was great and I’m keen to do it again at some other time.”

The team has so far raised more than £9,000, aided by match funding, for the Scout group, which will be used to renew the old Scout hut in Battery End, which is a century old.

Mr Daniels said: “We have been warned there is only another 10 years in the hut, maybe less if we have a heavy winter.”

In total, they need to raise £500,000, which they are hoping to achieve within a five-year period.

To help 1st Wash Common Scouts reach their target go to http://www.goldengiving.com/ wall/1st-wash-common-scout-group