TWO women who took on the daunting challenge to climb all 214 Wainwright peaks in the Lake District over just four weeks have completed their quest.

Despite being confronted by numerous obstacles – mainly the great British weather – Sophie Cox and Jennie Pearce-Roberts, from Great Ayton, ticked off each peak and have now helped raise around £18,000.

They were prompted to test themselves to the limit as a means of raising funds in memory of their nephew, Joey Bedford, who died in June aged just ten months old.

The money raised will be used to support a charity which is still to be determined.

Each day, the women tackled several peaks, some days taking on more than ten. The heat of the first weeks of the challenge proved difficult due to heat exhaustion and possible dehydration, while subsequent weeks saw them subjected to Storm Ellen.

The final week was an intense push to finish the Wainwrights, including ones the had been forced to miss during the period of extreme weather making it too dangerous.

But the last climbs were all Wainwrights previously completed by the pair, so they had some experience of what they would face.

Ms Pearce-Roberts said completing the final Wainwright had been an emotional moment.

She said: "The month was incredible. When we finished we were on a high. The final day was the first sunny day in a while after days of rain and it felt really special.

"Our last one was Little Mell Fell, and that final descent was really emotional."

Ms Cox said that returning home to their day job – their own cleaning business – was tough.

She said: "Coming back to real life has been hard, but we've already started our new idea of walking the Cleveland Way. But we're taking that slowly, in sections because our knees and bodies haven't recovered from the Wainwrights yet!"

"The walking itself became quite easy, but the before and after care and preparation for every day was relentless, especially when we were exhausted from a long day."

Ms Pearce-Roberts added: "The most challenging part was the changing elements., from heat to storms. And we each hit a wall – for Sophie it was day five and me it was day six – where we just felt like we couldn't go on.

"Luckily, we had those moments on different days, so we could support each other. I think secretly we both agreed we couldn't do it but we pretended to be stronger for each other on our worse days.

"Then we just kept saying we'd see how the next day went, then visits from friends and family walking with us would be our milestones.

"Joey's grandparents put a pound into the Just Giving page for every Wainwright we did, but did it each day so the amount going up every day gave us a boost too.

"But, ultimately, it was Joey that kept us going because we knew however hard it was, nothing was as hard as what we and his family had already faced. We want to thank everyone who has supported us in anyway, from donating to walking with us, it is so appreciated."

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