Charity Hike up Scafell Pike!

On the 2^ndof May 25 staff members from Heart of England Training took on the challenge of climbing up Scafell Pike. We did this is support of the Young Minds Charity. With a target of raising £250, we managed to raise a whopping £2,143!

Scafell Pike

Scafell Pike is the highest peak in England. It is roughly 978 meters/ 3210 feet high. Located in Cumbria, Scafell Pike is surrounded by beautiful scenery with endless walks to go on as well as gorgeous lakes that stretch for miles.

The Lead-Up

We had the pleasure of staying at The Wasdale Head Inn, which can be found directly outside the starting route of Scafell Pike. As soon as we all arrived, we quickly set our things down and got ourselves ready for the challenge. Young Minds kindly sent us some t-shirts and banners so that we could take a group photo to be put on our social media.

It was estimated to take around 6 hours to get to the top of the mountain and back down. We were preparing ourselves for the long, arduous Journey. Moral was set high as the weather was on our side. So with the sun shining down on us, everybody was happy to be enjoying the outdoors and trying something new.

We were all setting our own pace whether that be walking up individually, or in groups. This was to ensure that nobody felt rushed or pressured to get to the top as it was not a race.

Staff Feedback

One of our staff members that climbed the pike was Aaron Dhokia. He is a Business Administrator at Heart of England Training. Aaron told us that he really enjoyed the whole experience.

“It was more mentally challenging than I predicted it would be. However, the high team morale gave me the extra boost I needed to climb the peak.”

“The whole trip had a positive aura as we raised money for a brilliant cause.”

The Halfway Point

When we reached what we estimated to be a rough half-way point about 2 hours in. We stopped to rest, but more importantly, to take a look around and really take in the amazing views. The Skies were blue, everybody was still feeling happy, excited, and eager to get to the top. Its not everyday you climb up a mountain after all!

Another member of staff that came along the journey was Ruth Dawson, who is our Office Manager. She said…

“I found it surprisingly fun! I felt the group dynamic helped get us all up there (along with the temptation of a shot of Dan’s whisky). The scenery was stunning, and I enjoyed seeing the random sheep along the route!”

After what felt like hours, we all managed to make it to the top! It was extremely windy at the top and its safe to say a few of us nearly toppled over. Everyone described the views as just amazing, it is not a view that you get to see often. We all had a deserved rest and a well-earnt celebratory shot of whiskey!

The Journey Back

But that wasn’t the end, because now we had to climb all the way back down again. Some may say that the journey down is the easiest; but in our case you would be wrong! Because Scafell Pike is such a steep mountain, it is in fact all uphill! So as hard as it was to come up, it was even harder to come down! But we were all relieved to be making our way back to the hotel none the less.

As soon as we arrived back, we all got ourselves tidied up, and had a well earnt rest on the benches outside the Wasdale Head Inn. We enjoyed the warm sunshine and putting our feet up with a nice cold beverage!

Joanna Cardwell, who is one of our National Apprenticeship Account Managers at Heart of England Training, shared their experience also.

“I found it challenging but so much fun at the same time. Standing on the top was exhilarating and doing it for Young Minds gave me a real drive to climb. Love the team effort to get everyone to the top. It was so lovely to chat to staff members that I wouldn’t ordinarily speak with and to intermingle with different groups on the way up and down.”

We Did It!

To end the day on a positive note we all shared our experiences over dinner at The Wasdale Head Inn. We also held a surprise awards ceremony for our staff to congratulate them further on the achievements that they have accomplished.

Matthew Barry, our Marketing and Recruitment Director at Heart of England Training said…

“What a fantastic experience, driving into the Wasdale Valley the views of the mountains are breath taking. Our group was made up of 25 diverse staff of all ages. Everyone threw themselves in to the challenge of climbing England’s highest mountain. We could see clearly over the Irish Sea to the West and the mountains to the East. I would do it again tomorrow!”

Lowri Hayward, who is our Marketing Apprentice at Heart of England Training, was gathering the content throughout her journey up the mountain. She said, “I really enjoyed climbing this mountain, I haven’t done something like that since I was little, so it felt really good to experience it again.”

“It was a lot harder than I expected but with the sun shining on me and knowing that I was doing it for a good cause, I pushed through and enjoyed every single moment. I would do it again!”

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We Hiked Scafell Pike!