Story
In 2026 I will be hiking a minimum of 52 UK mountains, summits and peaks, raising money for CALM.
My name is Joe, and in 2026 I will be climbing at least 52 peaks around my everyday working life.
Mental health has alway been an important subject to me, as it has been something I have struggled with for a long time, which I have often kept to myself.
I think its fair to say that for so many of us 2025 has been a struggle in many different ways. My trouble began in January, when I was suspended from my job of 4 years, before ultimately leaving.
During this time I really struggled to stay positive, I had lots of people to lean on but still felt like a burden. The friends I spoke to still had their own lives to live and their own problems to deal with.
After 3 months on the side lines I resigned and managed to start a new career.
Throughout 2025 my personal life has been up and down, bouncing between feeling like I had plenty of people to lean on and talk to, to feeling alone and withdrawing myself from society.
I thought I would end the year on a high, but December gave me a real knock to my confidence, after what felt like one of the worst weeks of my life, due to things that happened to me and my closest friends, I have found myself overwhelmed and withdrawing again.
I found that walking and hiking helps me to get out of my head and enjoy my own company for a while.
I have decided that I need a project to keep my mind focused, and as life has been an uphill struggle recently, I have decided that mountains are the perfect way to show that we can overcome those struggles.
This challenge is set to take all year, averaging 1 peak a week. If together we can raise £100 for each peak I reach, by the end of the year we will have raised £5,200 for CALM, which can make a huge difference to them and the people they support.
I will including the National 3 peaks (1 at a time) Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis in this, as well as the Yorkshire 3 peaks challenge. Along with numerous Wainwrights, Ethels, and Munros.
I will be posting all of this throughout the year on instagram at @the52peakschallenge. Any and all support is greatly appreciated, and thank you for staying and listening.
The challenge I have set myself.
52 mountains, hill, or summits, minimum of 600m above sea level. Ideally 1 a week, however I will take an average, as there will be some weeks where the weather or my health and fitness means I won't be able to. But also some weeks where I can do more than 1 in that week.
We’re Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), and we’re a suicide prevention charity. We’ve got loads of tools and resources to help people find the support they need, including a life-saving helpline for people who can’t see a way forward, have lost someone to suicide, or are worried about their friends or loved ones.
£12.20 is enough to fund one potentially life-saving call.