For those of you who like a gruelling, physical challenge there is no better place to push yourself to the limit. The iconic Langdale Pikes in the Lake District are a formidable sight and the views from the top go a long way to compensate the pain caused by the 1,700m climb to get there. With 15 miles of undulating fells and 10 summits to reach, I hope your knees are up to the job. Mine were not and the incalculable, cruel descent down from the final peak, Sergeant Man, was excruciatingly painful and as daylight started fading 12 and a half hours after our 6:50am start I have to admit I was massively regretting the whole thing. I only had myself to blame, after all it had been my idea.

After an internet search of Lake District Walking Challenges, the website where2walk suggested climbing 10 of the Langdale Pikes in 24 hours.  ‘Comparable to the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge’, it seemed achievable for our mixed ability group. In my opinion it  was a far harder challenge.

Starting from the car park at New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel you slowly but surely start the 902m steep, strenuous ascent to the first peak of the challenge, Bow Fell, the sixth highest of the 214 Wainwright Fells. From here you rise and fall over the remaining 9 peaks, Esk Pike, Rossett Pike, Pike o’ Stickle, Loft Crag, Harrison Stickle, Pavey Ark, Thunacar Knott, High Raise and finally Sergeant Man. The inspiring scenery is stunning and you won’t fail to be charmed by the moody- ever changing skies, endless mountains, sea views, lakes, tarns and waterfalls. They come in ample amounts – as do blisters, aching joints, fatigue and contemplative map reading!

The first 3 peaks are onerous, and so it would be easy to give up at this point.  The walk between Rossett Pike and Pike o’ Stickle was discouraging to say the least. The terrain was depressingly boggy and wet . It’s hard to contemplate at that moment that you still have 7 peaks left to go.  I hadn’t trained sufficiently or given my new walking boots time to wear in, more fool me. I was really, really suffering and so the trainers came out ( did I mention the word fool?) I think trench foot started setting in not long after that – I was in a sorry state unlike my fellow challenge companions who seemed to be far more capable than I – considering I was the youngest of the bunch.

Just as I was deliberating abandonment, the Langdale Pikes appeared, and like the famed London buses, five came along at once! Moral at this stage started to rise and  the exhilarating  scramble to the top of Pike o’ Stickle got our adrenalin racing. The views at this stage quelled any thoughts of surrender and we continued on – trench foot and all!

Although less altitude is climbed than the National Three Peaks, and less ground covered than the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the Langdale Ten’s difficulty lay in its longevity and relentlessly tough terrain. Flat, well laid paths were scarce, micro routes had to be plotted carefully, often hopping from rock to rock across the bolder fields or boggy marsh land.

Somehow we managed to survive our afflictions and even though we felt slightly dampened by the sheer number of hills we had to climb, we did in fact fulfil our objection to summit all 10 peaks within daylight hours. Each accomplished summit brought with it an enormous sense of triumph and victory. We did it!

It was a challenge equally as arduous as it was wondrous, satisfactorily enabling me to make a good dent in  my personal challenge of Peak Blagging all of the Wainwrights, I only have 199 left to do!