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3 Mountains

24 Hours

1 Incredible Cause

Taking on the Three Peaks Challenge for the Alzheimer’s Society

First things first. Let’s meet Matt…

I’m Matt, a digital marketing consultant from Birmingham. You might be asking, how do I know Evoke Telecom? I have been their web developer for just over two years.

Now, onto the challenge ahead. On the 31st of July, I’ll be doing the Three Peaks. “Mountaineer” would be a generous word for me. I keep reasonably active, I like having a challenge in the diary, and when this one came up I said yes before I’d properly thought it through.

Training for 3 Mountain, Three Peaks Challenge. A team of hikers posing together during a charity mountain climb fundraiser to support the Alzheimer's Society dementia charity.

Photos taken during our practice hike in Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd.

What made you sign up for the 3 Mountains in 24 hours, National Three Peaks Challenge?

For us, it’s personal. What started as training sessions with a shared personal trainer turned into something more, a group of friends now taking on this challenge together. One of the team’s mums is living with dementia, and between the four of us, we’ve all watched someone we love navigate it in some way. That shared experience is what makes this more than just a project. It’s why we’d rather do something than sit with it

That’s where the Alzheimer’s Society comes in. The money goes directly toward ground-breaking research, day-to-day support, and the incredible carers who hold families together when a diagnosis lands. Those carers shoulder an enormous amount, and being able to give something back to them is a huge part of why we’re taking on this challenge.

There’s a practical side too. I wanted a goal I could commit to in public, and once four of you have signed up and people have started donating, you’re locked in.

Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours sounded mad enough to be worth doing. The date got set, and that was that.

Fundraisers celebrating at a mountain summit during a training walk for the National Three Peaks dementia charity challenge.

What’s going on behind the scenes?

More than people realise. The 24 hours everyone hears about is really three climbs stitched together by a lot of driving, and the driving is where the challenge is won or lost. We’ve been working out travel times between the peaks, who’s behind the wheel, where we sleep (if we sleep), and how to keep four bodies fed and moving when one of the climbs lands in the middle of the night.

Then there’s the fundraising and fitting all of it around work and normal life. Some weeks that balance goes well. Other weeks a session gets shifted to 6am because it’s the only gap I’ve got.

What does the training actually look like?

Our team leader Zach, and a personal trainer (he runs ZJ Personal Coaching), built me a 12-week plan, and it’s opened my eyes. There’s a lot more to it than weekend walks up hills.

The backbone is hiking, often set up as “hike or stairmaster” so I can still train when the weather turns. That builds toward full-pack hikes and back-to-back days, which teach my legs to climb again when they’re already tired. Running sits alongside it, everything from easy jogs to hill runs and hill intervals, and it’s done more for my engine than I expected. The strength work gets specific too: legs, knees and ankles take priority, with core and hip flexor sessions to keep me steady on the way down.

The descents are the part nobody warns you about. Going down trashes your quads far more than going up.

Around week 9 I got out for a practice peak, a full day on a real mountain, and a night hike to get used to walking in the dark with a head torch. The last few weeks ease off on purpose, with lighter legs sessions, easy jogs and a couple of gentle walks, so I turn up fresh rather than fried.

A group of charity fundraisers trekking along a rugged outdoor trail, preparing for the National Three Peaks challenge in support of an Alzheimer's dementia charity.

How are you handling nutrition?

Day to day I’ve kept it simple so the food side runs itself. Breakfast is Huel, then I have Frive for my other two meals, both calorie controlled and high in protein. Having it sorted in advance means I hit my protein without losing half my evening to cooking, and the training takes enough out of me as it is.

The challenge itself is a different game. You burn through a huge amount across 24 hours, and you have to eat before you feel like you need to, because once you’re hungry on the hill you’re already behind. So I’ve been practising eating little and often on the move, then topping up in the car between peaks, even when food is the last thing I fancy.

A team of fundraisers smiling together before a training walk for the Three Peaks challenge supporting an Alzheimer's dementia charity.

Have you bought any new kit?

Two items specifically, On-Cloud Hiking boots, and also Trekking Poles (they make a big difference)! On top of that: a proper head torch for the night section, waterproofs that hold up in the wet, and a few extra layers, because the top of Ben Nevis can be cold even in July.

Best bit of advice so far?

Train your descents and look after your feet. Everyone obsesses over getting up the mountain, then the downhills and a couple of blisters are what really do the damage. The other one came from Zach: trust the plan on the low days, because those are the sessions that count.

Are you doing it with anyone else?

I’ve got three teammates in this with me: Zach, Casandra and PJ. Having the others alongside me is half the reason I’ll get round. On the days motivation dips, knowing they’re out training too is usually enough to get me moving.

We’re Backing Matt and Here’s How You Can Make Your Support Go Even Further

Here at Evoke Telecom, we think it’s incredible what Matt and the team are setting out to achieve, and having chatted to Matt behind the scenes, we know just how much effort and preparation he’s putting in to give himself the best possible chance of completing the challenge. We’re cheering from the sidelines and following every step of his journey — but we wanted to do a little more than just watch.

As a way of adding extra momentum behind the fundraising, Evoke Telecom will match any pledge with up to £25 that’s made from 12th June and includes the message “Go Matt.” It’s our way of helping turn support from friends, family, and colleagues into even more impact for the Alzheimer’s Society.