I awoke (not that much sleeping has had) to the words in my head, “I am Spartan!!” I always find that a good battle cry when things get a bit tough….namely the cold in this situation. However, it turned out to be the right mindset with which to start the day as the UK’s highest peak had to be conquered! Some people plan and train for this sort of thing, but sometimes I think that ignorance is bliss. And I think in this case it was! Mind over matter. If you want something badly enough, you find that the mind is all powerful and will pull you through. I could be over dramatising things a tad though. Ben Nevis is a good and challenging climb but it’s hardly Everest. And with so many charity groups racing up and down with Scafell Pike and Snowdon yet to climb in the next few hours, it makes your efforts seem a tad feeble. The going was quite rough and with a full cover of snow on top and reaching the destination in trainers and in 2.5hrs (most people take about 3-4), it was worth the memorable photo moment that was had. And even though it wasn’t Everest, it bet the views from the summit were no less impressive. Glorious, rarefied place on the planet!