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.
#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>
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/