Adventure
10 crazy British adventure records you need to break
There’s plenty to challenge you on these shores. If you've been inspired by Ross Edgley of late, here are some of the biggest home-grown adventures out there.
Despite the jellyfish, the freezing temperatures and a dissolving tongue, Ross Edgley made it back in one piece to Margate for his Great British Swim on Sunday 4 November, 2018, becoming the first person to swim around mainland Britain. An incredible feat.
Proving just how much Ross captured the imagination of a nation, the strongman was joined on his final leg by 300 open water swimmers. And should his efforts have inspired you - yes, you! - we thought we'd list some of the most daring escapades and most impressive records ever set on British soil.
Luckily, not all of the following escapades are quite as difficult as Ross's. So who knows...you may even decide to break a record yourself.
1. Ultimate Triathlon, 4,200 miles
Type: Distance record
Who: Sean Conway
Where: UK
Hazards: Extreme weather, jellyfish, lack of beard oil
Having become the first person to swim 900 miles up the coast of Britain in 2003, adventurer Sean Conway was suddenly thrust into the limelight, his ginger beard and wiry appearance making for a memorable adventurer. After 135 days at sea, Conway set his sights to land, cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End, before running the 1011 miles in 44 days.
“The physical challenge was gruelling, but came with unexpected rewards. What I learned was that anything is possible if you truly put your mind to it.”
2. Fastest Three Peaks Climb, 14 hours, 36 minutes
The swirling skies over Ben Nevis
© Steffen Schnur
Type: Speed record
Who: Bob Wiseman
Where: Wales (Snowdon), Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scaffell Pike)
Hazards: Lack of sleep, aching calves, altitude
On 23rd July, 2015, Scotsman Bob Wiseman became the fastest person to scale the heights of the National Three Peaks: Snowdon, Ben Nevis, and Scafell Pike. The challenge includes 23 miles of walking, 462 miles of driving, and a total ascent of 3064 metres. Completing all three peaks in under 24 hours is challenging enough, but Wiseman went one better, completing the trio in just over half that time – a truly momentous feat. Aged 37, Wiseman also managed to raise £1200 for MacMillan Cancer Support. Most surprisingly of all, this was his first attempt at the challenge. Naturally, months of strict training were essential.
“The idea came around because I have always wanted to climb the highest peaks in each country, so I figured I should make it a challenge to see how quickly I could do them. I feel great, even my legs, thanks to the hours of training I have put in!"
To rival Bob’s record, why not check out our guide to completing the Peaks in 24 hours or more. Or in this case, much less?
3. First Old Man of Hoy Highline, 180m
Schulz pictured high above the coast with Old Man of Hoy in the background
© Alexander Schulz
Type: Daredevil record
Who: Alexander Schulz
Where: Old Man of Hoy, Orkney Archipelago, Scotland
Hazards: Vertigo, crashing waves, tenacious winds, wobbly legs, falling to your doom
German adventurer Alexander Schulz changed the game in 2017 when he slacklined from the coast to the top of Orkeny’s infamous Old Man of Hoy. And not only did Schulz balance his way out to the top of the sea stack, he turned right around and came back, too. One wrong move, though, and he would have ended up among the rocks below. Ouch. Oh, and he did it all barefoot. No pressure now.
“We didn’t have the easiest conditions. The wind was quite gusty and the water moving below me was distracting. All the time you have to concentrate, like 100 percent. And then you eventually make it, to continue standing, balancing. And taking steps."
4. Fastest Time, Snowdon Race
Type: Speed record
Who: Kenny Stuart, Carol Greenwood
Where: Mount Snowdon, Wales
Hazards: Fatigue, gravity, sheep
Starting in Llanberis, the annual Snowdon Race demands participants run five miles up to the top of the mountain, and five miles back down, for a total ascent of 1,085 metres. In other words, it’s hell on your legs. And your lungs. And your mental capacities. Hats off, then, to fell runner Kenny Stuart, who completed the run in record time in 1985 (10 miles in 1:02:29).
It’s testament, perhaps, to just how difficult the race is that no one has yet beat him, although Carol Greenwood did set a new women’s record in 1993 at 1:12:48 – which averages an incredible 7.2 mph, up and down a mountain. A MOUNTAIN.
5. Fastest Channel Swim
Type: Speed record
Who: Trent Grimsey, Rebecca Lewis
Where: British Channel
Hazards: Cold, strong currents, jellyfish
Back in 2012, Australian athlete Trent Grimsey set a new record for swimming the English Channel, completing the 20.7 miles of the Dover Strait in 6 h 55 mins, beating the previous time of 6 h 57 mins held by Bulgarian Petar Stoychev. In order to break the record, Trent was kept up to date on his progress by his boat crew. On average, he swam over three miles an hour. Just try that in your local pool…
“It’s every marathon swimmer’s dream to not only swim the English Channel, but also hold the record,” said Grimsey. “I was starting to hurt a little towards the end but still managed to hold it together for a 6:55!”
Meanwhile, back in 2010, Rebecca Lewis became the fastest British woman to swim the channel, completing the light swim in 8 hours, 35 minutes. But Lewis wasn’t satisfied, completing another swim on 3rd October 2018, in a time of 9 hours, 21 minutes. Which is faster than it takes us to get out of bed in the morning.
6. UK’s first 9b-graded climb
Type: Difficulty record
Who: Steve McClure
Where: Malham Cove, Yorkshire
Hazards: Rocks, vertigo, sore fingers
Steve McClure had been trying to climb a new route up Malham’s rock face for seven years when, in 2017, he succeeded in setting a new route, the UK’s first 9b-graded climb – officially the hardest climb in the country. Using existing routes, McClure ventured off the beaten (vertical) path to establish new links, and therefore a new path up the rock face. Not only does this take serious nerve, it also requires an incredible amount of determination, self-belief, and endless training.
“There are two ways to climb something that’s out of reach. You either raise your physical and mental game or you try and find easier sequences to climb the route more efficiently. For this route, I had to push both to the limit.”
7. Fastest Celtman trail race
Type: Triathlon speed record
Who: Johan Hasselmark, Susanne Buckenlei
Where: Wester Ross, Scotland
Hazards: Fatigue, more fatigue, and rain
Taking in the Torridon mountains, the Celtman is a triathlon unlike any other. Competitors must swim 3.4km in Loch Shieldaig, cycle 200km on Highland roads, and run 42km over two Munros (a mountain over 914.4 metres). The course, however, was no match for Johan Hasselmark who completed it in 11:41:30 back in 2014.
Susanne Buckenlei also holds the women’s record, at 13:55:33, accomplished back in 2012. A professional endurance athlete not to be messed with, Susanne also won the feared Norseman Xtreme Triathlon an incredible three times. Yikes.
The fact that no one has been able to beat either record in four years demonstrates just how much of a feat the Celtman trail race is. Speaking of feet, they must have been pretty sore, too.
8. Fastest Bob Graham Round
Type: Speed Record
Who: Killian Jornet, Jasmin Paris
Where: Lake District
Hazards: Fatigue, crags, rain, tea shops
Killian Jornet once dislocated his shoulder 20 miles into a 100 mile race. Then, he popped it back into place, ran the remaining 80 miles with it in a sling, and won the race. A month before that, he climbed Mount Everest twice in one week. Then, on 8th July 2018, he broke another record, completing the 63-mile self-navigated loop around the Lake District’s 42 highest peaks. The route en-tails 28,000ft of ascent, and the record was previously held by fell-runner Billy Bland in 1982 at 13:53, a time Jornet smashed almost an hour off to come in at 12:52. If you want to compete with Jornet, there’s one simple solution: become superhuman.
“With about five miles to go, I thought, ‘Now we can power to the finish'. To stop moving after all that time is always good. It made me realise what a good time Billy did it in.”
In the women’s race, Jasmin Paris completed a circuit in 15:24 in 2016. She also won the 2016 Skyrunner World Series, and the Ramsay Round, which is pretty hardcore.
9. British Pennyfarthing Record
Type: Speed record
Who: Mark Beaumont
Where: Herne Hill Velodrome, London
Hazards: fatigue, hipsters, Victorian machinery
In the most British of athletic achievements ever/real life Family Guy sketch, Scottish rider Mark Beaumont bashed out 21.92 miles on a penny farthing in one hour at the Herne Hill Velodrome this year, breaking a 127-year-old record. Did he complete it with a cup of tea in hand, a monocle over his eye, moustache waxed to within an inch of its life? It’s hard to say (definitely not), but nevertheless, we now know this little-known cyclist is a true British hero. Sadly, he was 290 yards short of the world record.
“I have been training hard around the parks of Edinburgh and you get some funny looks. The Hour Record is 22 and a half miles, which is pretty nuts on a penny farthing, but I have been quite enjoying not training for ultra-endurance – this is just me and my mates wanting to do something eccentric and daft."
10. Windermere 1-way
Type: Swimming Speed record
Who: Justin Palfrey, Sarah Ward
Where: Windermere, Cumbria
Hazards: Cold, fatigue, getting water in your eye
Back in 1997, Justin Palfrey became the fastest man on water. Or at least the water in Lake Windermere. At half the length of the English Channel, the 11 mile lake is Britain’s largest. Completing a single lap from Fell Foot to Ambleside, Justin finished his dip in 3:48:04.
The previous year (1996), Sarah Ward set a new female record at 3:53:30. The record for a there-and-back-again swim has since been set by David Cech, back in 2007, with a time of 8:44:01. Which is a lot of swimming.
And if you want something a bit more exotic, check out our top 10 daredevil adventures below
