A former Army Major has completed an epic unsupported round of the Wainwrights.
Sip Powers has raised more than £15,000 for Combat Stress, a mental health services charity for those who have served in the military.
Months in the planning, Sip set off on August 1 at 6am and finished at 3pm on Saturday, 26th August at the Moot Hall, Keswick.
Called “Enduro 214”, he said it was mentally and physically the hardest thing he had ever done; completing 709.78km (440 miles) with 43,528m of ascent.
He is said to be only the sixth person to ever achieve the feat and the charity was chosen after he served in the military for 30 years, retiring in 2021.
As well as coping with the inclement weather, Sip had to manage type 1 diabetes and also has a stoma bag.
Sip said: “There were long sections when I was totally alone. At one point for four days I did not meet a soul which seems amazing in the Lake District.
“I was constantly wet through a lot of days.”
Friend and mountaineer Alan Hinkes set him off from Keswick and joined Sip for Arnison Crag above Patterdale, and then met him at the finish. Alan said: “I think it is an epic achievement, carrying a heavy 25kg (55lb) rucksack and surviving this wet August mostly alone in the fells.”
Combat Stress helps veterans with their mental health. For over a century, it has helped former servicemen and women deal with trauma-related mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It is on a mission to raise awareness that invisible injuries can be just as hard to cope with as physical ones.
You can donate to Sip’s cause by going to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Enduro-214
