GMAP's Location Planning Consultants Log Off For the Day & Take to the Yorkshire Dales to Raise Money for Charity
Last month, some of the GMAP Location Planners took a well-deserved break from providing location intelligence to our clients and logged out of MVPLUS to hike 24.5 miles in the Yorkshire Dales for charity Simon on the Streets!
Earlier this year, GMAP Analytics became 5-for-5 partners of Simon on the Streets. Simon on the Streets is a Leeds-based charity who offer emotional and practical support for the homeless and vulnerable across Leeds, Bradford & Huddersfield to enable them to achieve their goals. All their services are delivered on an outreach basis directly on the streets. They deliver outreach during the day, as well as in the evening and in the early hours of the morning when many of the most vulnerable are struggling.
Signing up for the Yorkshire Three Peaks was our first big fundraiser. We also boosted our fundraising activities, by holding a bake sale at our home in Nexus Leeds, and promoted our hike amongst the friends and families of the GMAP team.
The date was set for Sunday 17th July, and we were all prepared to go, until the July heat wave deterred our plans. Despite this, GMAP were determined to deliver and on Thursday 8th September we woke up at 4.30am and took to the Dales.
Firstly, we hiked up into the clouds to the top of Pen-y-Ghent. Following a quick break in the rain, we walked 12 miles to Ribblehead for lunch under the viaduct. The heavens opened at the top of Whernside, our 2nd peak, making it a precarious walk/slide down, but as we made our way to Ingleborough the sun came out and we ended our 3rd and final peak in glorious sunshine. When we arrived back at the car park in Horton in Ribblesdale at 6.35pm, we took off our squelching boots, assessed some very bruised ankles, and went for a pint at the local pub to celebrate that we had successfully completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks in under 12 hours, clocking up between 57,000 and 61,000 steps (depending on leg length)!