Lake District Wainwright peaks record broken by Special Forces veteran

A Special Forces veteran has set a new record for a continuous hike of Alfred Wainwright's 214 Lake District peaks, solo and unsupported.

Christopher Gaskin completed the challenge in 11 days, beating the previous record of 14 days.

To cover the 325-mile (525km) route across the fells unsupported, Mr Gaskin had to carry all his own food and kit, only topping up water.

He said he had an incredible time and felt tired but "proud".

The Wainwrights 214 challenge, which Mr Gaskin called Project 214, involves climbing to the top of all 214 peaks featured in the guidebooks of Alfred Wainwright which put the Lake District on the map.

Mr Gaskin had to carry all his food, maps, cooking and camping equipment, water and clothing, as well as safety and first aid equipment, in a backpack weighing about 3 stone (20kg).

He has so far raised £5,000 for the Walking With The Wounded charity, which supports military veterans and their families.

Mr Gaskin said the challenge involved a total ascent of 95,000ft (28,956m), the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest four times.

"Not once did I feel hungry or suffer from loss of energy. My feet were wet from day one. I looked after them, but they get wet," he said.

"To do things that have never been done before, you need to go to places you have never been before.

"Thank you to everyone for your kind words and donations. What an incredible two weeks.

"It's time to rest, recover and plan the next epic adventure. We are capable of truly amazing feats, but first we must not be afraid to fail."

Mr Gaskin beat the previous solo record held by James Forrest who finished the challenge in 14 days and 11 hours in 2019.

However, Mr Forrest completed it self-supported, meaning that unlike Mr Gaskin he would have been able to access caches of supplies along the way.

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