User:Dan.campbell.keele

Fair Few Miles Challenge is the name given to a multi discipline endurance challenge based within the United Kingdom which involves cycling the length of the country, climbing the three highest mountains and kayaking a hundred miles to London within 14 days. The original team created completed challenge to support the Children with Cancer UK charity.

The Challenge
Cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End is commonplace as is climbing the three highest mountains but put both of these together then it is something that only a few people do each year. To make it unique the Fair Few Miles (FFM) team decided to undertake the Devizes to Westminster canoe race route to London making this a multi discipline challenge.

The Cycling
With the support of our sponsors team cycled approximately 100 miles each day but were able to reduce this to about 60 miles on the mountain days. For in-depth details see, www.fairfewmiles.co.uk/blog/editors-notes/. The cycle route took in some of the hardest mountain passes in the country,which include Glen Nevis pass in Scotland, Hardknott pass in the Lake District(see image) and Llanberis pass in Wales. We clocked up just over 1100 miles and climbed the combined heights of Mount Everest (8,848m), Ben Nevis (1,344m), Scafell Pike (978m) and Snowdon (1,085m) on our bikes.

The Kayaking
As a team we were more worried about the kayaking as it was predicted that we would have to paddle about one stroke every half a second or 90,000 strokes over the 100 miles. In hindsight, this was not the issue rather it was the 40 portages around the canal locks on the first day, which nearly wiped the team out and the average of five hours per night sleep. It was commented, why would you deadlift 30kg (kayak) from below your feet, then carry it for 100 metres to put it back into the water! How would you train for this in a gym?

The Map
http://www.fairfewmiles.co.uk/route.php

The Team
Now before you get the wrong idea we are not super fit athletes, personally I am nearly 40 years old and 33(kg) bags of sugar overweight or according to the Body Mass Index obese! Having no wrist or knee did not help either!