Conquering Pen Y Fan

Conquering Pen Y Fan: Our 2023 Charity Challenge

.Last weekend, the intrepid explorers at Code Red came together from Woking, Cornwall and even Boston to climb to the highest point in the Southwest of the UK, hoping to raise funds for the incredible Woking & Sam Beare Hospice.

We headed to Cardiff on Friday and spent an afternoon at Mountain Yoga to prepare us for the challenge ahead.

We thought we were fairly competent at breathing, having done so our whole lives, but the breathwork class taught us otherwise! It turns out that a few small adjustments to your breathing can improve your sleep and focus while also lowering stress and anxiety levels. We immediately put that to the test in the cold-water plunge pool at around 7°C or 44°F.

There’s got to be something to that breathwork stuff, as 4 of us were so determined to stay in the pool the longest that the instructor had to kick us out after 13 minutes! We dried off and warmed up with a wonderful yoga class. And with views like this and such lovely company, it was easy to feel relaxed.

The next morning, we armed ourselves with Lucozade and Mars bars and got ready to climb Pen Y Fan. After preparing for the worst, the Welsh weather surprised us with clear skies and sunshine. This made the already beautiful landscape even more spectacular.

The hike wasn’t easy – facing cramps, blisters, and realising that what we thought was the peak was only halfway. But with some determination and teamwork, we all made it to the top!

Code Red team at the top of Pen Y Fan

Code Red team at the top of Pen Y Fan

Naturally, the rest of our day was pretty sedentary, with a celebratory pub lunch and some well-deserved drinks. Things got more animated during a pub quiz made by our own Ben Brown and an intense game of Articulate!

Our weekend climbing Pen Y Fan was a great opportunity for team building for our international gang. But most importantly, it has helped us raise funds for the incredible Woking & Sam Beare Hospice. You can read more about the charity and our  fundraising efforts on our charity page. Please give anything you can to our JustGiving page to help them continue their vital work.

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