Bristol fell runner to scale 47 peaks non-stop for charity

A fallen runner is attempting to run up 47 mountains in Wales in 24 hours to raise money for a mental health charity.

Dan Beaumont, from Southville in Bristol, is hoping to complete all four of Britain’s classic downhill endurance tests, known as The Big Rounds.

On June 1, he will tackle Paddy Buckley in Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, which involves a total ascent of 28,543 ft (8,700 m) over 62 miles (100 km).

Mr Beaumont is backing charity Mind Over Mountains, which is hoping to raise £500,000 to expand its services in the South West.

“Given the UK’s unpredictable weather, navigating technical mountainous terrain and complex organizational and logistical challenges, this is an enormous project that excites and scares me at the same time,” he said.

“Essentially, in the running community, these crazy people create these runs and then a lot of other people try to do them.

“This is an ultra running round that was designed by Paddy Buckley in the early 1980s.

“I think only a few hundred people have managed to do it in less than 24 hours, so I’ve done my job,” he added.

Mr Beaumont will cross the peaks overnight and will only stop for four 15-minute breaks.

“I’ve been preparing for this kind of run for the last year and a half.

“The training involves going out a lot so I go to the Brecon Beacons, the Mendips, Pembrokeshire and the Gower Peninsula.”

Mr Beaumont said the weather conditions were ideal.

“Looking great this weekend, if maybe more on the hot side.

“But I purposely did three or four sauna sessions over five weeks to prepare for it.”

Mind Over Mountains runs therapeutic walks and weekend retreats in national parks including Dartmoor and Eryri.

Each walk includes mindfulness sessions and participants are accompanied by qualified coaches and counsellors.

Ian Sansbury, chief executive, said: “Our ambition is to make nature and activity-based wellbeing responses the norm in mental health care and support.”

Mr Beaumont said running helped him manage his own mental health.

“In my darkest moments, nature and the mountains were my refuge.”

Collectively, The Big Rounds comprise 152 mountain peaks, including the highest peaks in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Beaumont has already finished off Bob Graham in the Lake District and Denis Rankin in Northern Ireland and will attempt the final challenge, Charlie Ramsay, in Scotland in August.