Five former Royal Marines set out to conquer Snowdonia

Five former Royal Marines from North Devon are preparing to take on the challenge of conquering all 15 mountain peaks in Snowdonia in less than 48 hours to test their endurance and raise money for two veterans’ charities.

The men will face the brutal challenge while carrying 65-litre backpacks, following a 33-mile terrain with 10,000-plus feet of elevation. Not only did they choose this difficult route to prove that they have what it takes to make the “hard steps” but also because they know their suffering pales in comparison to that of many of their fellow veterans and their families.

They will be raising funds for the Root Cause Project, a non-profit organisation supporting veterans and serving personnel in North Devon to rest, reflect and enhance their wellbeing and mental health, using the restorative force of nature, and RMA, the Royal Marines Charity.

Roy Goddin, 54, known as ‘Doc’ because of his role as medic, said this was a valuable expedition “in the sense that it needed to be something that the ordinary person wouldn’t attempt, but also to show we still have the mustard to take the hard steps We felt that our suffering would make us work harder to get the job done and it might make the public contribute to our chosen causes”. 

Lee ‘Babs’, 47, videographer and photographer, added: “Root Cause helped me a lot and just like the others, we’re all members of the RMA, the Royal Marines Charity, which is another worthwhile cause, and the challenge is worth putting my boots back on for.”

Undoubtedly, this trek will break some records, but the overall goal for the men is to prove that they can still push their limits. 

Roy added: “Firstly, it’s an ultimate test of endurance and mental fortitude and a personal goal for all of us is to show we can still yomp like the best of them. For us it’s less about beating any records, especially as they tend to get set by the young. We have an average age of 56 so we would like to think we are breaking the mould at the very least. Most of us have joints that scream, so it’s not normal for most people, but then again, we all agree we’re not normal.”

Clive ‘Mags’, 50, photographer and pace setter, said: “The goal is to complete it with a smile on our faces, getting to know the team along the journey.”

Phil ‘Dora’, 61, who is looking after navigation, said: “The overall goal for me is just to complete it.”

Phil ‘The Map’, the group’s mountain lead, said: “I just want us to finish as a team and help support and raise awareness for both organisations.” 

Lee added: “I think we're pushing our mental limits as much as our physical stamina for the task. The latter is easy but pushing yourself mentally when you're exhausted, cold and wet, that takes it to a different level.”

To complete the challenge, the men will need to cover 21 miles on the first day to break the back of it before finishing the last 12 miles on the second day. Overall, it should even out to about 2.3 mph. Lee joked that this is a “blistering pace, and I mean that literally”.

Having trained with more weight than they need, the men, who have a good base of aerobic fitness, have also spent a great deal of time in the gym to build stamina and leg strength through a series of circuits, weight training and cardio. They also have experience of hiking in the mountains for prolonged periods such as the tors of Dartmoor, selecting the toughest routes they can. 

On top of this, they are heading to Snowdonia this month to get used to the terrain. 

Roy said this was “to lay to rest any misgivings we might be harbouring, even though we won’t admit them”. 

Lee added: “I’ve ditched the car for now and walk everywhere. The challenge and training has forced me to take a good look at my overall health, as since leaving the Marines I have done jobs that have made me more sedentary and having a goal has forced me back into good habits.”

Their training days have seen a mixture of heat, wet and cold, with some sleet. The challenge on the day will be a combination of wet and heat, with heat being the biggest risk as not only will they have to consume a lot of water but the rocks can become slippery, increasing the risk of injury. There is also the wind, which will obviously make it “hair raising” as Roy explained.

 But it also “cools you quickly, which can lead to hyperthermia even in the middle of Summer.” Phil ‘Dora’ adds: “We have to deal with whatever gets lobbed our way on the day. It’s hard to train for what if, so we train for everything and hope for the best scenario.” 

Equipment needs to be appropriate and sufficient but also manageable in terms of being lightweight, efficient and specialised. They are taking a full med kit, ropes, crampons, trackers and hopefully a satellite phone for communications. 

Then there is clothing, which has been packed for wet and windy conditions, as well as food that is specific to ensure they have the correct nutrition and it doesn’t take water away from them to be digested. 

Lee said: “When I started training, I had everything but the kitchen sink. As we have trained, I've begun to ditch or change some items. The first hike made me suffer - thanks to the lads for getting round me on the day.”

Challenges around the terrain will be the constant ascent and descent, with some technical scrambling, loose scree and a knife edge arete at the top of one of the mountains. The perfect conditions would be a dry overcast day, with great visibility and a small amount of wind. 

However, this being Wales and given the unpredictability of the mountains, this is extremely unlikely. 

Roy said: “We will probably have to compromise on one of the above, but not visibility.” 

He added: “Joking aside, we know that Snowdonia has an average of eight deaths each year, mostly on Crib Goch. But we have a solid group of guys, with experience and more importantly, great teamwork. We are not individuals; we’re a unit that works as one.”

The men take off to Snowdonia, to include The Snowdon Massif, The Glyderau and The Carneddau, on June 20 and finish on June 21, which is the King’s birthday, 

Roy said: “We plan to have a few well-earned beers to toast the King's birthday, although we'll probably just end up falling asleep quite quickly.” 

Moving forwards, they have some ideas for the next challenge. Roy hopes to swim the Arctic circle next year. As a group, they are also looking at competing in a few ultra races of 50 miles plus and cycling the liberation route from Normandy to Berlin, which is 844 miles.

If you would like to contribute to the causes for which the men are raising money, the online link is: 

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/5-veterans-15-peaks-48-hours