Black Country climber James sets new record
An adventurer from the Black Country has climbed every mountain in England and Wales in just six months – the fastest known time.
James Forrest, 34, walked over 1,000 miles and ascended five times the height of Everest in his mission to stand atop all 446 2,000ft mountains in the two countries.
He completed the peak-bagging challenge solo and unsupported in his days off work, hiking up to 25 miles a day and sleeping wild in the mountains.
James, a freelance writer originally from Oldbury, reached his final summit – Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain at 3,209ft – on September 16.
He said: “I feel on top of the world to have finally completed this epic expedition.
“It has been the adventure of a lifetime and an incredibly tough challenge, both physically and mentally.
“Mountains are good for the soul. I love the freedom, the fresh air, the isolation, the unpredictability, the escapism – and this journey has let me experience these joys more than most.”
James has completed the ‘Nuttalls’, a list of 446 summits compiled in The Mountains of England and Wales by John and Anne Nuttall, who define a mountain as “any summit of 2,000ft or more which rises above its surroundings on all sides by at least 50ft”.
He has climbed 256 mountains in England and 190 in Wales since Thursday, March 16, travelling to numerous national parks including the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District, Lake District, Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons.
The 34-year-old, who studied journalism at City of Wolverhampton College and lived in Wilson Road, Oldbury, for six years before moving to Cumbria in the summer of 2016, said the biggest difficulty during his challenge was the weather.
He said: “The weather Gods have not been kind to me – it has rained on more than 50 per cent of my hikes.
“I’ve been pummelled by torrential rain and gale-force winds on more occasions than I wish to remember – and I’ve stood atop literally hundreds of mist-shrouded summits with no views whatsoever.
“It’s been a tough one mentally. Often I’ve felt like the last thing I want to do is head up high when the conditions are poor. But I've battled on, determined to achieve my goal, and I have found a perverse kind of pleasure in taking on Mother Nature and surviving.
“There have also been so many breathtaking moments in glorious weather. The mountain landscapes of England and Wales are simply stunning.
“Walking in the mountains and sleeping under the stars has been life-affirming.
“Every walk has been time well spent – time for wilderness and solitude, for self-reflection and quiet, for escapism and nature.
“Every mountain has brought me boundless happiness. I’d encourage everyone to spend more time outdoors – you won’t regret it.”
James, whose favourite mountains were Tryfan in Wales and Hopegill Head in England, has raised more than £500 for The British Mountaineering Council’s charity, the Access and Conservation Trust. The money raised will support the upcoming Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million campaign, which aims to protect the mountain landscapes of Britain.
To donate to James’ charity fundraising visit www.justgiving.com/challenge446.
Guidebook authors John and Anne Nuttall, who have a list of 288 completers on their website, have confirmed that James’ six month hike is the fastest known time to climb all 446 summits.
Anne Nuttall said: “Congratulation to James. Climbing the mountains of England and Wales is an impressive achievement, but to do it in six months is quite exceptional and as far as we know unique.
“When we climbed them all it was a labour of love and we are sure that James will also look at the summits as very special friends.”
James, who was supported in his challenge by Berghaus, is no stranger to adventure.
In 2014 he completed the ‘Wainwrights’, 214 mountains in the Lake District detailed in the iconic guidebooks by Alfred Wainwright, and in 2016 he quit his job and sold his house to go backpacking around the world.
He has now settled in Cumbria with his wife Rebecca Forrest, 35, and is making outdoor adventure part of his everyday life. Follow his adventures at www.jamesmforrest.com or on social media, @jamesmforrest on Twitter and @jamesmichaelforrest on Instagram.
