Intrepid Ben Dalton sets out this month on an epic challenge, tackling each of the Peak District’s 95 ‘Ethels’ in one continuous, unsupported journey – over just 10 days.
The 500km route means Ben – who will be wearing barefoot sandals throughout – will need to complete the equivalent of an ultramarathon every day to be successful.
The Ethels are a collection of prominent hills that span the length and breadth of the national park. Ranging in height from the tallest, Kinder Scout at 636m to the smallest, Harthill Moor at 272m, they are named after Peak District conservationist Ethel Haythornthwaite (1894–1986).
Ben’s challenge, from Friday 17th April – the national park’s 75th anniversary – to Sunday 26th April, will raise funds for Mental Health UK and environmental charity CPRE, which grew out of a local campaign group founded by Ethel Haythornthwaite.
“After researching the challenge extensively, I’ve found no record of anyone completing all the Ethels in a single journey,” says Ben. “What began two years ago as a late-night ‘I wonder if this is even possible?’ has turned into a fully mapped expedition and a year-long physical and mental training commitment.”
The route will cover roughly 50km per day across some of the Peak District’s toughest terrain. “I’ll be wild camping each night and not resupplying once I set off – making this a true self-supported endurance challenge,” adds Ben. “I’m aiming to raise £2,000, while also highlighting the mental health benefits of time spent outdoors and helping to promote the already growing interest in a more barefoot lifestyle.”
A posture therapist, Peak District-based Ben discovered the benefits of barefoot footwear while overcoming his own long-term knee pain. He has always relished a challenge but admits that this will be his most physically demanding yet. “Growing up, I was fortunate to take on some incredible adventures – from summiting Cotopaxi [Equador] to completing a 24-hour canoe journey down the River Severn,” he says. “Those experiences instilled a deep love for pushing my limits. As life moved on, my focus shifted. My wife and I renovated two houses and built a business together. Those projects gave me huge purpose but I realised that, without an adventure to work towards, a part of me felt missing.
“The Ethels Challenge became my way of proving to myself that the resilience and determination I used to pride myself on were still very much there. Living within the Peak District National Park, I already had a deep connection with the landscape. But once I started “collecting” Ethels, it opened up the entire national park to me in a new way. I began exploring areas I might never otherwise have visited and my appreciation for the incredible variety of the Peak District only grew.”
He adds: “Earlier in my career I worked in a corporate office with very little natural light and a 45-minute commute each way. Much of my life was spent indoors or sitting in a car.
“Weekends became my escape, where I would try to spend as much time outside as possible, but it was never quite enough to balance the rest of the week. Over time, my mental health began to suffer.
“Today my life has a much healthier balance between indoor and outdoor time, and the difference is profound. Solo hiking, in particular, has become my sanctuary. Even if it means walking through driving rain, it’s where I find clarity. Some of my best ideas, solutions to problems and moments of perspective have come while walking through the hills. It’s my most powerful form of meditation.
“The Ethels challenge, carrying everything I need on my back, adds another layer and makes the experience far more immersive. More than that, it reflects a philosophy I’m increasingly drawn to – simplifying life. There’s something powerful about stripping things back to the essentials and living, even temporarily, with only what you can carry. In many ways, that simplicity is the heart of the challenge.”
Learn more at www.benschallenge.com