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alex@alexstaniforth.com

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Alex Staniforth

Alex Staniforth

Adversity Adventurer, Inspirational Resilience Speaker, Author of Icefall and Mental Health Activist

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Climb The UK

Taking mental health to the top of all 100 UK counties

On July 23rd 2017 I completed my biggest journey yet and raised over £25,271 for mental health charity Young Minds UK. Climbing to the highest point of all 100 UK counties in 72 days, with 48 ceremonial counties in England, 13 historic counties in Wales, 6 in Northern Ireland and 33 historic counties in Scotland.

4782

Miles cycled

484

Miles on foot

5

Miles kayaked

383871

Ascent (feet)

25721

Money raised

13

Times height of Everest

1

Flat tyres

72

Total days

#ClimbTheUK involved cycling between the highest points before walking up (sometimes cycling to them directly) and even kayaking across to the Isle of Wight before mountain biking to its’ highest point. I was entirely human-powered barring any essential ferries.

By touching every corner of the UK, the challenge gave the opportunity for people of all ages to get outside and take part, climbing their own county high point, or perhaps their first mountain. Over 1,000 students were engaged through six talks at schools and events mid-challenge.

Why Climb The UK?

My daily updates not only show-cased the wonders of UK adventure but shared an open account of mental ill health, helping to reduce the stigma; one conversation at a time. The extreme physical challenge aimed to break down the idea that mental illness is a sign of weakness – instead, talking about is the greatest sign of strength.

People see the adventurer, athlete and ‘confident’ person speaking on stage but need to see the human side too. Many are afraid to seek help and speak out, which is the first step to overcome mental health challenges. Even then, many still don’t get the understanding or support they desperately need. It took less time to complete Climb The UK than to get a proper assessment through the NHS mental health services. That isn’t good enough.

This is why I chose Young Minds UK to campaign, provide training, research and ultimately provide better support for young people facing mental illness.

Massive thanks to all who donated: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/climbtheuk


Try it yourself!

View the full list of UK counties and schedule for my county tops challenge #ClimbTheUK here>

You can still view the entire day-by-day route from my live tracker here>

What kit did you bring?

I was self-sufficient for the duration of the trip - see my blog post here for the full list: https://alexstaniforth.com/the-5000-mile-adventure-kit-list/

Where did you sleep?

I stayed mostly in youth hostels and camping in a tent (including wild camping) - with hotels, B&B accommodation and the luxury of friends or family spare rooms for a few of the nights.

How many miles a day?

My longest day was 18 hours, the biggest day on the bike was 122 miles, and up to almost 20 miles on foot! View my daily tracks here.

How many people joined you?

I had around 150 individuals supporting me at various stages of the challenge for walks, cycles, simply saying hello, or putting me up for the night. Huge thanks to each and every one of you!

 

 

How do you define a county?

Good question and not a simple answer. Each country in the UK has different classifications. I will be climbing the 48 ceremonial counties of England, 33 historic counties (shires) of Scotland, 6 former administrative counties of Northern Ireland and 13 historic counties of Wales. Confused yet? Some county tops were on the border of two counties, hence the list adds up to 97 rather than 100.

Kayaking?!

Yep! Over to the Isle of Wight, about 4km each way, with support from Tackt-Isle Adventures. I hired a mountain bike from them which was waiting for me on the beach, and I left my own bike at Lepe Country Park beach.

 

Did you have a support vehicle?

No. I carried my gear on the bike and only used motorized transport in the form of ferries to N Ireland, Orkney, Shetland and the Isle of Arran with a brief drive back to my route on the Isle of Wight when my bike broke. On two days I had some supplies carried by friends who were walking with me that day. Where speaking commitments meant I had to divert off route I always returned to the exact point I left off.

 

 

How fast did you go?

It was a mix of walking, running and cycling - usually walking up hills and running down them to save time. My average pace on the bike was around 13 mph.

 

Which was the hardest county?

Undoubtedly the Scottish ones... but you'll have to read my new book to find out more!

Can I have a go?

Go for it! However fast you go, whether you try all 100 or even a few of the county tops at your own pace - it's an amazing journey that showcases the best of the UK outdoors. I hope the info below is useful but I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.


 

How to Recover from a Major Endurance Challenge

How to Recover from a Major Endurance Challenge

September 28, 2017
Being knackered is something most of us will experience in some level, be it running a marathon, completing a major ...
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Who Tries, Wins!

Who Tries, Wins!

May 12, 2017
The week before a challenge is a feeling I know too well. You plan to have everything boxed off so ...
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I ain’t Prince Harry, but I am speaking out.

I ain’t Prince Harry, but I am speaking out.

May 8, 2017
You probably already realised, but I ain’t no Prince Harry. Sorry ladies. I’m just a lanky guy with a stammer ...
Read More
Climb The UK – A route to all 100 UK counties!

Climb The UK – A route to all 100 UK counties!

April 21, 2017
My latest challenge nears closer – reaching the highest point of all 100 UK counties on bike, foot and kayak ...
Read More
Climb The UK 2017

Climb The UK 2017

February 22, 2017
I’ve dedicated the last few years trying to climb the highest there is. A journey that gave me so much ...
Read More
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New Book – Another Peak

Published in July 2019, ‘Another Peak’ explores mental health challenges through outdoor adventure. It shares an insight into depression and eating disorders whilst rediscovering purpose following two Everest attempts and an expedition to climb Cho Oyu, before embarking on Climb The UK in 2017. Another Peak goes deeper into the peaks and troughs of mental health than ever before, giving hope and inspiration to help others find their own Everest.

       
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Alex’s Charity

Mind Over Mountains is a charity delivering life-changing outdoor experiences to restore mental health and generate the resilience to stay mentally well.

Read more and join us at:

www.mindovermountains.org.uk

Contact Alex

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07891 841376

alex@alexstaniforth.com

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alexstaniforth_

25. Ultra Runner, Adventurer, Motivational Speaker, Author & co-founder @mind_o_mountains mental health charity. Lake District, UK

Alex Staniforth
Bring on the races in amazing places. . Finally bi Bring on the races in amazing places.
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Finally bit the bullet and entered my first proper ultra - the 44-mile Grand Tour Skiddaw in August, which includes the summit of Skiddaw just for good measure. I'm an ultra-running amateur but after racing loads from 5km to marathon, I'm curious to see what I can do with some competition and focus. Just need to work all this into the training plan alongside various other daft challenge ideas. Anyone else got any races in the calendar yet?
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📸 Buttermere 10 mile race, 2017. 4th/188
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#running #trailrunning #buttermere #lakedistrict #lakes #ultra #ultrarunning #grandtourskiddaw #racing #running2021 #lockdownrunners #training #endurancelife #enduranceathlete #ultratraining #getoutside #mountainfuel #runningpics #runninginspiration
Take my advice – I don’t use it anyway! . Even Take my advice – I don’t use it anyway!
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Even for a professional speaker, I think most of us are bad at taking our own advice sometimes. Felt a bit out of place speaking (virtually) about resilience and well-being to senior doctors, ICU consultants and nursing staff at 3 NHS hospitals in Essex today. 12-hour days in full PPE with very sick patients makes my challenges look easy. My closest experience was the Nepal earthquake on Everest in 2015 and the aftermath at Base Camp, and that was only a few days.
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Healthcare staff are always pushing to put their patients first and sometimes we just need to hear from other people that it’s OK to stop and take a break - in fact, it’s essential. I can't imagine what it’s been like working in the NHS this last year. Privileged to give something back, if only the escape of a few uplifting adventure stories.
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Photo: @adam.day.photography when live events were a thing!
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#motivationalspeaker #everest #basecamp #resilience #earthquake #virtual #speaker #mentalhealth #nhsheroes #wellbeing
The simple freedoms. A week before lockdown #1 and The simple freedoms. A week before lockdown #1 and life as we knew it changed forever, all the bad news and anxiety started to get totally overwhelming. I dropped a message to my mate @cal_james95 who luckily had the same idea.
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With a decent forecast we grabbed the tent, headed up Holme Fell with no WiFi connection, and had an awesome sunrise across Coniston Water with our morning coffee and biscuits (Fox’s too - top shout). For a short while in nature the world seemed OK again and it was hard to believe so much was going wrong. Almost wish I’d stayed up there to wait for this whole thing to blow over, though I'd have probably ran out of biscuits by now...
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Those simple freedoms will be better than ever. Whatever happens on the news tonight, keep looking forward. What are you most looking forward to?
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#lockdown #wildcamping #coniston #holmefell #sunrise #lakedistrict #lakes #wildcamp #simplethings #exploremore #getoutside #ukadventure #throwback #freedom #sunrisepics
Self-care Sunday. First trail marathon of 2021 was Self-care Sunday. First trail marathon of 2021 was just what I needed.
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This month our friend @fredwnewton set the epic challenge to run 28 marathons in 28 days to raise money for our mental health charity, @mind_o_mountains. Sadly after 9 marathons (235 miles!) he had to make the tough, but right, call to stop having picked up an injury. Many people would have left it there and felt sorry for themselves. But Fred called out for other people to step in and complete the challenge for him.
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At least 60 people pledged to run half and full marathons, and to date he's raised over £4,800! As the charity founder it seemed only fair for me to join in too. Encouraging people to ask for help when they’re struggling and get outdoors is exactly why our charity exists. Taking people on the journey with you is an even bigger achievement. So, thank you Fred and the team for flying the flag. It was beautifully still around Grizedale Forest today (almost sweaty) and exactly what I needed. As was the @fellsidecoffee Cinnamon Roll afterwards.
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#BeMoreFred #TeamFred #marathons #sundaylongrun #mindovermountains #mountains #lakedistrict #coniston #lakedistrictuk #longrun #marathonrunning #conistonwater #grizedaleforest #grizedale #sunday
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