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As the National Three Peaks Challenge gets closer, my feelings right now are a mix of nerves and confidence. On one hand, this is a very difficult challenge with a fixed 24-hour timeframe, which is intimidating no matter how you look at it. On the other hand, I know I still have time ahead of me to practice and train. These recent training hikes have given me a solid baseline to work from, and that’s reassuring.

The last couple of weeks marked an important milestone for me. I recently completed a series of training hikes in the English Lake District, which is home to Scafell Pike, one of the three peaks I’ll be climbing in June. It was my first time back in the Lake District since moving to the UK, and it reminded me just how special that place is. Being so close to one of the actual peaks I’ll need to conquer made the whole endeavour feel very real.

For anyone who hasn’t been there before, the Lake District is much more than lakes. It’s a landscape of steep mountains, deep valleys, rocky terrain, shifting weather, and incredible views. I often describe it as a mini Rocky Mountains. You get wind, snow, exposed ridges, and long climbs, which makes it a fantastic training ground, especially when one of the National Three Peaks sits right there.

Over two days, we climbed two peaks, one at 903 metres and another at 736 metres. For context, Scafell Pike stands at 978 metres. Physically, those climbs were a really good reminder of what this challenge will demand. What stood out most was how tired my legs felt in between climbs, especially at the start of the second ascent. That moment when you begin climbing again and every muscle protests is exactly what I’ll face during the Three Peaks. The key lesson was that it is possible to hike through that fatigue. You just have to push onwards and upwards.

Mentally, the hikes were good preparation too. The terrain, elevation, and overall effort felt similar to what I expect on Scafell. The major difference, of course, will be doing three peaks in 24 hours, all of which are higher than the ones I climbed on this trip. That’s the part that keeps me humble.

One thing that did stand out during the hikes was the importance of good equipment. Hiking poles and the right gear make a real difference, especially when your legs are already tired. I’ll definitely be doing a thorough review of my kit before June. I was also pleasantly surprised by my post-Christmas level of fitness, although I know I still need additional training to be ready to tackle all three peaks in a single day.

Right now, my training looks a lot like real life. During the week, I’m in the gym, running, and playing squash. On weekends, when possible, I focus on longer hikes or endurance sessions. I try to balance aerobic fitness with leg strengthening, especially stairs, because both will be critical to climbing three mountains in 24 hours. Like most people, I’m fitting this in around a busy life, which means sometimes training is planned and sometimes it’s more ad hoc. The important thing is staying consistent and keeping momentum.

Looking ahead, there are some key dates on the calendar. I’ll be doing a Yorkshire Three Peaks training walk with my employer on January 31, followed by additional Lake District hikes in March. The full Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge is scheduled for May 15, which will be a major test and an important rehearsal. The National Three Peaks Challenge itself will take place over the weekend of June 12 to 14.

When training gets tough or inconvenient, I always come back to why I’m doing this. My biggest motivation has always been my family, especially my mother and aunt, who have both had kidney transplants due to polycystic kidney disease. I’m climbing so that one day other families, including ours, won’t have to be impacted by PKD.

Knowing that this challenge supports PKD research and patient programs is a massive motivation for me. I’ve seen firsthand what PKD can do: pain, dialysis, transplants, aneurysms, and my grandpa passing away far too young. Anything I can do to support research and programs for people living with PKD means a great deal to me. I want us to find a cure so other families don’t have to go through this.

I’m proud to take on physical challenges like this on behalf of the PKD community. I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be physically fit while living with PKD, and while I can, I want to use that ability to raise awareness and funds.

I’m also very excited that the fundraising page is now live. Being able to share this new challenge with the PKD community makes it feel even more real and gives me extra motivation to keep training. I hope that when people see my updates and photos, they see two things. First, that even with PKD, it’s possible to take on world-class challenges. And second, that no one is alone. All around the world, there are people dealing with PKD who have each other’s backs and are working toward a cure.

Sharing the training process matters to me just as much as sharing the final challenge. Whether it’s Kilimanjaro or the Three Peaks, these aren’t things you decide to do overnight. They require a serious commitment of time, money, and effort. That feels like a fitting reflection of the long road toward a cure. It’s worth all of that and more.

If I had to sum up where I am right now in one sentence, it would be this: “Just getting started, but excited to get on with it.” Looking ahead, I’m most excited about spending more time outdoors in beautiful places. When you work an office job, there’s nothing more refreshing than the great outdoors.

Thanks for following along. There’s a lot more to come!

Eric Hampel, January 2026

Support Eric's 3 Peaks Challenge!

More

• What's the National Three Peaks Challenge, anyhow?
• Browse our Peaks for PKD blog to read more about Eric's 2024 journey to Kilimanjaro, and his 2026 journey to the Three Peaks
• Learn more about polycystic kidney disease from our blog, "33 Things To Know About PKD"
• Support Eric's fundraiser for PKD research and patient supports