Today marks the start of an extraordinary journey for Kendal-based adventurer and mental health advocate Alex Staniforth, who is setting out to climb every single mountain in England and Wales (446 in total) in just 50 days.
Even more impressively, he’s doing it entirely under his down steam, running and cycling more than 3,000km in a continuous, self-powered push with no vehicle transfers.
Dubbed the 446 Challenge, this monumental effort marks both Alex’s 30th birthday and the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Nepal earthquake, during which he survived being trapped on Everest as an avalanche claimed the lives of three of his Sherpa teammates.
Why this, why now?
"It just feels like the right time," Alex told us. "It’s been five years since I’ve done anything at this scale. You’ve got to keep raising the bar."
The scale and logistics of the project are, frankly, mad. Over 50 days (or less, he quietly hopes), Alex will tackle a total ascent of 86,000m – nearly 10 Everests’ worth – and rely on a support crew travelling by motorhome to sleep and resupply each night.
"I’ve got a full schedule which is pretty meticulous – it’s kind of a work of art," he said. "Every stage is pre-planned on Komoot, with only two rest days built in, but those are also a cushion for if things go wrong. So, I might not be resting much to be honest."
How to plan a mammoth challenge
Some parts have required military-level planning: "Mickle Fell and Long Fell are restricted access. You’re only allowed to climb them on like a Sunday afternoon, so we’ve had to juggle everything to hit those windows."
Despite the intensity, Alex is pacing himself carefully. "I’ll be taking it really slowly – walk the ups, run the flats and downs. If my heart rate’s too high, I know I won’t be able to sustain that for almost 50 days. It’s better to go slow and be out longer than to have a crazy burst and bonk."
Each day will vary wildly. The first is a 10k run followed by a 110-mile bike ride. Other stretches of the challenge are bike-less for multiple days.
In total, about 60% of the route will be on foot and 40% on two wheels, a stat which we balked at when we first heard it. "I was surprised myself! Some mountain ranges are so dense there’s no point getting back on the bike – I’ll have to stay high, follow ridges. One day is around 36 miles of running."
Will this break your body?
Alex is under no illusions about the toll this will take. "There’s a very fine line between an injury and a niggle you can run through. I wouldn’t advise anyone what’s what – you just have to learn that yourself.
"If anyone wants to get into challenges like this, you just have to build up to them, and you have to accept that it's always a risk. I talk to physios who are very familiar with these kinds of projects, because any normal doctor would just say 'stop, obviously' if they saw what I put my body through."
Mind Over Mountains
The challenge also aims to raise at least £100,000 for Mind Over Mountains, the mental health charity Alex co-founded in 2020. "The outdoors has always been my therapy, but it doesn’t fix everything. It actually took me longer to get mental health support than it did to cycle 5,000 miles. I wanted everyone to have access to what nature’s done for me."
The charity runs guided walking retreats around the UK, combining time in the hills with professional mental health support. Funds from the challenge will help expand operations into Scotland by 2026.
Alex is inviting the public to join him for sections of the journey, track his progress via a free app or simply follow along on Instagram and Facebook.
He’ll also be celebrating his birthday en route, with a 40km run. "I hate birthdays anyway," he laughed. "Someone will bring cake, hopefully. I’ll celebrate online and use it as a chance to get more donations."
Alex previously ran the National Three Peaks Challenge, which covered 452 miles in just over nine days. He's also become the fastest person to summit all 100 UK county tops – this man is getting every record he can out of this island.
The current record for summiting all 446 ‘Nuttalls’ (mountains over 610m in England and Wales) is held by James Forrest, who completed the list over a six-month period while juggling a full-time job. If Alex completes his attempt in under 50 days, it won’t just be the first continuous, human-powered push - it’ll be a serious benchmark for anyone daring enough to try and top it.
To find out more or support the challenge, visit Alex's event page on his website. You can donate directly on his JustGiving page.