This page closes tonight. I just wanted to give one final huge THANK YOU! to everyone who helped me meet my target of £500 for the British Heart Foundation. I include my brother and his mate Andy who joined me for the climb, and the British band The Prodigy, whose tunes have helped get me up several mountains on my training treadmill at the gym. There's a list of those who reached into their pocket below- Each and every one played a part in getting me to the top of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike in the middle of the night, and Snowdon the following afternoon, all inside 24 hours. Now, what will I do next...?

Thank you for visiting my 'Climbing Ben Nevis (plus Scafell Pike and Snowdon) for the British Heart Foundation in memory of my father, Mike Smith (1940-2005)' fundraising page. Punchy title eh? Also, I hope you'll note that this climb has developed on from merely(!) Ben Nevis, and now includes the highest points of England and Wales too. In 24 hours. The Three Peaks Challenge!

Latest News: Well, I made it. The count-down timer was started as I took my hand off the trig point on Ben Nevis (2.38pm on the 30th of June) and was placed on Snowdon 23 hours and 39 minutes later, having also touched the one on top of Scafell Pike at 3am on the 1st of July. So, done with 21 whole minutes to spare! No blisters, except for a little one on my thumb from my walking pole, and all on one hour's sleep after finishing Scafell Pike at about 6am. I even got a quick shower between Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike, and another between Scafell Pike and Snowdon. More for the two other guys I was sharing the car and climbs with than myself; Well done to my brother Adam and his mate Andy for making it to the top of all three on a lot less training than me.

In fact, building it around my geocaching plans meant the pace was kept lower than needed, and I think I could soon be fit enough to do the whole, proper, serious version of the Three Peaks Challenge (from the bridge at Ben Nevis to the car park at Pen-y-pass) before too long; with the help of a dedicated driver, which I didn't have on this 3PC-lite version. Stay tuned for news on that (I'm thinking 2011 perhaps. No need to rush into anything!)

Tied to my weight loss plans (I was 132.8Kg -21stone- on January 1st, and 99.7Kg -15s 9lbs- the morning after Snowdon; a 25% loss in 6 months) this has been a great target to work towards; being fit enough for the Three Peaks Challenge. Knowing it was raising money for the British Heart Foundation also helped power me up the hills. Thank you again to everyone who contributed.... I'm sure other people, thinking I might not make it, may have waited until after the event to pop some money in my (BHF's) virtual bucket. I made it- now's your chance! :) 

Older News: I'm now *so* fit (111kg/17s6lbs this morning- April 11th. 80 lengths of the pool -2km- in 4 seconds under an hour, feeling pretty bouncy) that I decided to extend the climb of Ben Nevis into a full Three Peaks Challenge by going up Scafell Pike the following morning, and Snowdon later the same day so all three peaks are visited inside 24 hours. This will be the day before my brother's 40th birthday too, and he plans to join me. It'll be his first visit to Scotland and the Lakes, so a triple treat for him!  

To start, a little history: I first tried to climb Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain, in August 2003. I got to a little over 3000ft (2/3 of the way up) when I had to stop due to what doctors call Jelly Legs.

I eventually got to the top on my second attempt, June 25th 2005. This was just two days after my father's death from a heart attack, so it's not surprising he was very much in my thoughts as I stood beside the trig point at the top, surrounded by mid-summer snow, and caught glimpses of the amazing mountain landscape below through gaps in the cloud.

I climbed Snowdon with my father and brother as a kid, and again with a mate and a dog named Boo in 2004. In 2006 I took a group up Scafell Pike to complete my set, two days after giving blood, which may have been poor timing!

On June the 30th and July 1st this year (2009) I'm holding three geocaching(.com) events, one each at the tops of the three peaks and thought it would be a good idea to combine the climbs to reach them with some fundraising. With a family history of heart trouble (my father's father died at 59) I thought the British Heart Foundation was the organisation to support. Also, it's an investment for me(!) I cycled 60 miles for them in 2002's London to Brighton bike ride too, so we've got history.

Some facts and numbers: More people die climbing Ben Nevis than die on Everest (according to the sign at the bottom) and it's a 10 mile walk from parking to the top -via the so-called 'tourist' track- and back. Starting at 15m above sea level (50ft-ish), the top is at 1343m (just over 4,400ft) so unlike Snowdon and most other mountains in the UK, I get to climb the whole. Darn. Thing. I'm currently in training and have lost over 3 stone so far this year (typing this in early march) in an effort to be in much better shape than I was after Christmas (21stone! How? HOW? Oh, cake) to climb Ben Nevis.

The informative stuff: Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: British Heart Foundation gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Thank you for your support (presumptuous, but you know what I mean)