On Friday May 29th, seven of us mad fools from Castle Hill Baptist Church (or 8 if we include Jess, the dog) set out at 6.40 am from Ingleton Youth Hostel in Yorkshire to attempt the 3 Peaks walk for Samaritan's Purse 'Turn on the Tap' campaign, which is all about providing accessible clean water for people in the Third World. We stood to gain about £1300 so, although feeling somewhat apprehensive about completing 24.5 miles in a day with about 5,500 feet of ascent, we were very keen to do it!

We actually started walking at about 7.15 am into the most clear, stunning morning I have experienced in years. The utter tranquility and beauty of the Pen-y-ghent rising above us, combined with birdsong and the gentle tramp of our boots, was almost heart-stoppingly lovely. You can see from the light that it was still early when we reached our first summit.

After that early and inspiring achievement, it was a long but very picturesque slog over to the iconic Ribblehead viaduct which marks the path to our second peak, Whernside. Our journey was enlivened for us by Chris and Karen plunging waist deep and higher into the bogs that lay on our route - but we weren't mean enough to record that on camera!

The most challenging point was the struggle to the top of Whernside during the hottest part of the day, but once having got there, the panoramic views and the sense that there was only one peak to go, not to mention lunch, were enough to fire us up for the remaining miles - though we were gutted to find that the pub at the bottom of Whernside was closed for cleaning!

No matter - we managed to find a tap to refill our water bottles and climbed Ingleborough in the balm of a velvety evening, rather glad, I think, that the route is largely paved and the boggy section had a boardwalk. We were having a wonderful time but energy was running low and we weren't complaining about path improvements! And we were exceedingly grateful to Karen for her extremely delicious and sustaining flapjack - the thought of it is making my mouth water right now!

We strolled (!) back into Horton in Ribblesdale at around 8.30pm, very stretched, rather sore but very, very pleased and feeling immensely privileged to have experienced such a wonderful walk in God's beautiful creation - and to have raised lots of money at the same time!