Vegan mountaineering challenge starts this weekend

April 6, 2010

This coming Sunday the 11th of April, nine super-fit and disturbingly keen vegans from as far away as Helsinki will converge on the sleepy country town of Horton-in-Ribblesdale, to attempt the infamous Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge. This will be required to hike 38 km, and climb 1,600 m of elevation. Yet this grueling event is only an ‘entry examination’.

Those who pass will graduate to the far more arduous Vegan 15 Peaks Challenge on the 5th of June. Starting with the terrifyingly sheer slopes of Crib Goch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crib_Goch), at the equally terrifying time of 3:30 am, they will attempt to climb all 15 mountains in Snowdonia, Wales, above 3,000 feet. They will hike 48 km horizontally, and climb some 4,000 m of elevation. And they must do it all in a single day...

Apart from an obvious desire to experience severe and prolonged suffering, why are they doing this? The stunning mountain scenery is one good reason – Snowdonia has some of the UK’s most beautiful peaks, and they’re all really softies at heart. The free sponsored food is another, as several of them are definitely gluttons at heart. A range of wonderful vegan companies (http://www.vegan15peaks.info/pages/Sponsors.htm) are supplying them with delicious vegan sheese, sausage rolls, flapjacks, nourishing vitamin pills, and top-quality vegan hiking boots.

More importantly, however, they’re keen to highlight the major benefits of veganism for health and fitness, animals, and the environment. They’re also fundraising for a variety of extremely worthy charities, including Sea Shepherd UK (http://www.seashepherd.org/uk/uk.html), the Dr Hadwen Trust (http://www.drhadwentrust.org/), Animals Count (http://www.animalscount.org/), Tribe of Heart (http://www.tribeofheart.org/), Wildlife Aid (http://www.wildlifeaid.org.uk/) and BUAV (http://www.buav.org/).

Meet the team, and follow the survivors as their adventure unfolds, at www.vegan15peaks.info. Please consider sponsoring one or more of them, to strengthen their motivation to make it up and over those exhausting, final mountains!

Proudly brought to you by the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association: www.extremevegansports.org