Derek Radcliffe, 65, a member of the Lodge of Fidelity No.6001, is in the business of taking on challenges.
Between Tuesday, August 15th and late on Thursday, August 17th the former PE Teacher took on his latest challenge – trying to complete the circuit of the Yorkshire Three Peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough five consecutive times in less than 55 hours!
Derek, together with his youngest son Calum and former colleague Chris Carris, put themselves through this blistering exercise to raise funds to provide assisted places for under-privileged children at Nell Bank Children’s Outdoor Education Centre in Ilkley.
The Centre, which was formerly run by Bradford Council, is now managed by Nell Bank Charitable Trust.
And it proved to be a physically and mentally tough experience for the trio. One of the team Chris Carris completed the five-lap circuit while Derek succeeded in putting in four laps.
Derek said:
There were some dark and challenging moments for us all during the walk. I decided to miss one lap out because I was in urgent need of rest, while my son Calum was forced out after two laps because of severe blistering.
But I’m very proud of what we achieved and, although I was disappointed not to be complete five laps, I know I made the right decision to give myself a rest. If I’d carried on I would have risked having to be rescued and I didn’t want that to happen.
After Calum had to retire my other son Liam joined us and completed a lap alongside me.
We’re not sure how much we’ve raised as yet but people were very generous. We even had people we met on the walk open their wallets and give us some money.
During his time on Yorkshire’s Three Peaks, Derek reckons he covered 100 miles and climbed 6,400 metres (that’s 20,800 feet in ’old money’) in 62hrs 45 mins.
