Extreme adventurer, mental health advocate, and award-winning charity founder Alex Staniforth is on track to complete an epic challenge this week.
His bid to climb all 446 mountains in England and Wales in one continuous, self-powered expedition in under 50 days reached the Lake District on Friday.
He has climbed over 270 mountains so far – including the 684m Bannerdale Crags twice as he missed the true summit on his first attempt.
Alex has raised over £26,600 for his mental health charity Mind Over Mountains, which he co-founded in 2020.
The challenge so far has seen him scale the equivalent of Mount Everest eight times and he is on track to complete the challenge this Sunday, June 29.
The challenge marks the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Nepal earthquake where Alex survived being stranded on Mount Everest while three of his Sherpa teammates lost their lives at Base Camp and coincides with Alex’s 30th birthday, a milestone he is determined to mark by taking on his most ambitious adventure yet.
The aim of the challenge combines Alex’s passion for the great outdoors with his mission to raise awareness around mental health.
The 446 Challenge is unique in scale, speed, and purpose. While adventurer James Forrest previously climbed all 446 summits within a record time of six months while holding down a full-time job, nobody has attempted to summit all 446 Nuttalls in the UK (peaks over 610m with at least 15m prominence) in a continuous, human-powered push.
Alex is running or cycling more than 2,900km with a total ascent of 86,000m – the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest almost ten times. He is travelling entirely by foot and bike, supported by a motorhome crew but without vehicle assistance between peaks. Each night, he is sleeping in the motorhome before continuing on with his challenge.
The funds will allow the charity to expand into Scotland by 2026 and enable 1,000 people to attend guided walks and retreats, combining mountain walking, mindfulness, and one-to-one coaching and counselling.
To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/446challenge
