Yorkshire airman to complete 20-day, 500-mile Three Peaks trek for charity
Even for a military man, it’s a daunting mission: a 500-mile trek across country with belongings in his bag in the midst of winter when temperatures may well be below zero.
But Howard Kniveton of the RAF is confident he will conquer his trek in under 20 days and help a very worthy cause in the process.
“I expect by the end I will be feeling it,” said the 23-year-old. “But I am in training and I think I’ll be fine.
“I’m confident that I’ll enjoy it but I know it will also be a tough challenge.”
The young man from Rotherham said he came up with the idea simply because he had not done much charity work since his school days and wanted to find a cause he could help.
He is an active member of the RAF regiment and says he is reasonably fit anyway but he is putting in extra miles to prepare for his trek which begins on January 15.
He will march across the UK from Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in the Lake District, and finally Snowdon in Wales.
It would be a tough job in the summer but he expects the wintry weather to take a toll.
It should take between 15 and 20 days to complete.
To make the journey even more challenging, he will be walking the entire way unaided, will live out of a rucksack and tent and consuming rations to sustain himself. He will post military-style food packs to post offices on the route.
He has set up a fundraiser and has a £5,000 target with £600 raised so far, all donations will go to the SSAFA, the armed forces charity which provides welfare and support to veterans and their families.
This is his way of demonstrating a huge appreciation to those who have served before and generations who will serve in the years to come.
His brother Patrick is helping him to promote the charity hike and hopes he can boost the total.
Since 1885, the SSAFA has, thanks to the public's support, provided welfare and wellbeing assistance tailored to the Armed Forces community.
Howard said: “Self-supported means just that. Starting at the summit of Ben Nevis mid-January, I’ll be hiking all the way to Scafell Pike and on to Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) – a journey of over 500 miles.
“As a serving member of the RAF Regiment, this challenge is deeply personal to me, and my primary goal is to raise as much awareness and support as possible for the vital support provides to serving personnel, veterans, and their families.”
He added that every step of this journey represents “the strength, resilience, and unity of our Armed Forces family. It’s going to be tough — 500 miles across rugged terrain, unpredictable weather, and long days on the move.
“But this fundraiser is my way of showing solidarity and appreciation for those who’ve served before me, those serving now, and those who will serve in the future.”
He said he has been training hard, steadily increasing the number of miles he can cover and says he is confident he can complete the challenge.
"There is no doubt it will be tough, especially with the winter weather, but I am looking forward to it.”