‘The Boys’ take on The Three Peaks Challenge for Balloons

A determined team of 12 fundraisers has successfully completed the National Three Peaks Challenge, raising an incredible £3,076 for Balloons.

Starting in Scotland on 5th June, Oliver, Kyle, Brian, Will, Jack, Dave, Andy, Liam M, Liam C, Lee, Stan, and Dan, began the demanding challenge of climbing the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours.

Here, in Oliver’s own words, is an account of this amazing challenge…

“With six people travelling in each van, we took turns driving in pairs while the rest of us tried to grab a bit of sleep whenever we could. It wasn’t easy. The long drives, broken sleep, early starts, and constant pressure of the clock meant the challenge had already begun before we’d even reached the first mountain.

At 8:00 am on Saturday, we stood at the foot of Ben Nevis ready to begin. The excitement was high, but we all knew the real test was about to start. The climb was tough, but the sense of achievement at the summit gave everyone a huge boost. After making our way back down, we were back in the vans by around midday and headed straight for Scafell Pike in the Lake District.

By the time we reached our second mountain, the tiredness was beginning to set in. Legs were aching, blisters were forming, and a few of us were carrying injuries, but nobody was willing to quit. We kept encouraging one another, shared plenty of laughs along the way, and dug deep to get another peak ticked off the list.

With two mountains behind us, we faced another long drive through the night to Snowdon. Sleep was almost impossible, and everyone was running on determination more than anything else. We arrived at around 3:00 am to heavy rain, blistering winds, and freezing conditions. It would have been easy to let the weather get the better of us, but instead we embraced it. There were still laughs, plenty of banter, and a real sense that we were all in this together.

The final climb was by far the hardest. Every step hurt, and the lack of sleep, injuries, and exhaustion were taking their toll. But nobody gave up. We kept pushing each other forward until we finally reached the summit, knowing we were within touching distance of completing something special.

After descending the mountain and making our way to the finish, we completed the National Three Peaks Challenge in an incredible 23 hours and 40 minutes – comfortably inside the 24-hour target.

This challenge wasn’t just about climbing mountains. It was about teamwork, resilience, determination, and proving what can be achieved when people pull together. Every single member of the team played their part, whether they were driving through the night, keeping spirits high, or helping others through the toughest moments.

I’m incredibly proud to have taken part alongside such a great group of lads. It’s a weekend I’ll never forget, and one that showed just how much can be achieved when you refuse to give up, no matter how tough things get.

A massive thank you to everyone who supported us, donated, and followed our journey. Your encouragement meant more than you know and helped us keep going when the going got tough.”

We are so very grateful for the support of Oli and the boys! You can see a few photos from their amazing challenge below.