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 Vauxhall Four Peaks Challenge
£405,562.74! An Amazing Effort!!
This incredible total was pledged by the 55 teams who took on the 2004 Vauxhall Four Peaks Challenge – and had a fine time doing it! The weather forecast was awful, but the weather gods were looking down on us, and in the end it was merely rather damp at times (challenge speak for ‘it chucked it down!’) but spirits were high as our intrepid teams crossed the finish line at Carantouhill in balmy sunshine.
The 2004 event has been billed as the best yet and saw some great competition between the fastest teams, some incredible fund raising totals, lots of personal battles through the pain of blisters, aches and strains and finally a fantastic party to celebrate the Challenge end. Well done to all the teams on their fabulous achievement.
 2004 was the year of the returners, with no less than 7 of the 12 award winners, defending previously held titles. Everyone’s a winner on the Four Peaks Challenge but special congratulations go to the prize winners: Only Fools & Black Horses who broke all records by defending their title in consecutive years, knocking an impressive 1 hour off their 2003 time and won the Challenge Award with a climbing time of 7hrs 45min and a pledged total of £24,000. Grand Old Dukes also broke all challenge records and pledged a staggering £78,000 and ran off with the Most Funds Raised Award. Reivers Revenge came first on Nevis and Carantouhill and second on Helvellyn and Snowdon to win the Fastest Time Award by completing in 7hrs 41mins. The Wooden Tops returned on winning form to win the Veterans Award with a total climbing time of 10rs 11mins and £8,005 raised whilst the The Quick Chicks took the Ladies Award in a time of 10hrs 46mins and £5,500 raised.  Team Walon were the rightful winners of the Sponsors Award with a climing time of 10hrs 36min and an impressive £20,260. The Plodders did anything but plod and were the Ben Nevis Award winners with a climbing time of 2hrs 49mins. Peaked 2 Soon didn’t, and won the Helvellyn Award with a climbing time of 1 hour 18 minutes whilst Four Peaks Ache! showed fine form and took the Snowdon Award with a climbing time of 1hr 57mins. www.4peaksake.com won the Carantouhill Award with a time of 2hrs 45mins. The Four King Peakers defended their title of the battle of the car park to take the Best Dressed Vehicle Bowl. Last but by no means least the Wooden Spoons were once again awarded to GG Teasers who completed all four mountains with a total climbing time of 17hrs 19mins and pledged £3,900.
Congratulations to you all but the real winners will be the young and disadvantaged who will benefit from Wooden Spoon Society projects all over the country.
Thank you one and all!
 All our teams worked incredibly hard both raising funds and climbing hills but none of it would be possible without the generosity of our sponsors. A big thank you to Keith Michaels, Emma Franklin, Tim Calvert and Ian Allen at Vauxhall Motors and Scott Jancey, Kelly Barr and the team at Vauxhall Demonstration Centre who transported us in such style, Karrimor who clothed us, Maureen Harding and all at Irish Ferries who ferried us to Ireland (& back!), Walon UK who made sure our name was always in print and Groupama who insured our success.
Thanks must also go to our subsidiary sponsors, Buxton Water who kept us hydrated, Rexel who provided the briefing packs, Panavision and Audiolink who kept the marshals in touch, Bodyfactor who kept us fit and Cadbury’s who supplied us with essential rations!
 And finally to our avid supporters including John, Gordon the staff at the Nevis Centre in Fort William who provide a great send-off, John, Ruth and Richard and all their colleagues for a very welcome pitstop and excellent breakfast at the Threlkeld Cricket Club, Tracy & staff at the Royal Victoria Hotel and Jane at Janie’s Café, our Darlings Eileen & Joe Cronin who once more provided endless tea and sympathy at the bottom of Carantouhill, Yvonne Foster at the Rysdale Hotel, Ambleside who provided welcome beds, Eileen Daly of the Killarney Mountain Rescue who provided the BBQ, Viv O Shea and her team at VMR for printing the shirts so efficiently, Merv & Paul who provided the set and sound for the prize giving and Michael Brennan and his staff at the Hotel Europe, a fabulous hotel to finish at! And lastly to Fiona Roger at Glen Nevis, Dave Russell at Helvellyn, and Peter Trumper at Snowdon who provide advice, guidance and support to ensure the challenge’s respect for the environment.
We thank you all and hope to enjoy your continued support next year!!!
 And Finally..... None of this would be possible without the help of our band of volunteers who give up their time and energy to make the event what it is. This year we saw many old faces and a few new ones. Thanks must go to Robin, Angela, Sarah & Kerry who timed and scored the teams, Alan S our head chef; Steve, Ian, Pete, Paul S, Dale, Sara, Mike E, Andy, James, John S, Sean, Henry and Derek who did some car parking, some kit checking and a lot of standing on mountains. Thanks also to Richard, Ted, Mike C, Mike F and Paul C who marshalled Helvellyn and Carantouhill and to Neil, Maureen & Paula for their help in Ireland.
 The medical team of Ian, Sarah and Sandra did a fantastic job patching, strapping and sympathising and the massage team of Norman & Maria amongst the hardest worked with all that rubbing.
A special mention this year goes to Ian Richards who virtually completes the Four Peaks every year in his quest to photograph teams, and to Phil who tries to be in the places Ian isn‘t!
David A the Treasurer did lots of supervising and even more counting the pennies and looks forward to receiving even more in the coming weeks! Many thanks to all the marshals who give up their time and make the effort to make this event the success it is - see you all next year!
2005 Vauxhall Four Peaks Challenge
Event: 30 June - 2 July 2005
Contact: Challenge Office, 01889 582 889
For a full report on the 2003 event, please click here
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