Ben Nevis Winter Ascent with Help for heroes

Stu Peacock recently guided a Help for Heroes team summit Ben Nevis to fly the Commonwealth Flag.

Emma Brien was with the group and wrote an excellent blog post. We have included some of the details below but please read the full post.

The big day arrived so quickly; before we knew it after 2 days of training, it was 2am on Monday 10th March. All 11 of us wrapped in multiple layers while the world slept to begin our ascent to reach the summit of Ben Nevis and raise the Commonwealth Flag; all you could see were 11 head torch lights paving the way.

Whilst we braved the cold, rain and snow, the moral between the group was on high form with the recurring same three-word swearing statement made by Paddy when he believed we were higher than we were! After scaling a frozen waterfall just beyond half-way loch, the views became outstanding. The snow covered mountains you could see spread for miles now that the night was drawing to an end. 

The delight amongst the team when we made it to the summit of Ben Nevis just before 10am was sensational and it was amazing to see nothing but snow everywhere you looked. Raising the Commonwealth Flag on Commonwealth Day was an achievement most dream of and to be a part of it was incredible, something I will never forget.

It was a lot harder to come back down then to go up! I caught glimpses of the views that no amount of pictures would ever give justice to, it was absolutely breathtaking. From the start to the end, the team spirit was always there and we couldn’t have been happier.

I would recommend anyone to climb Ben Nevis or to take on any challenge listed with Help for Heroes. To experience what I did with the wonderful men I met or to spend time in the company of the Summit for Heroes team really makes you realise how unbelievably inspirational they truly are. I wouldn’t trade that weekend for anything! To meet such amazing men and to see the positivity they portray is so overwhelming; they definitely put a lot of things into perspective and I wish them all the luck in the world for their continued training for Mt Everest.

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