Alex Staniforth, a Kendal, UK-based adventurer and mental health advocate, has become the first person to summit all 446 mountains in England and Wales in a single, continuous, self-powered journey. Staniforth completed the feat in just 45 days, running up every summit and cycling between them, covering more than 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) and ascending over 328,000 feet (100,000 meters)—an elevation gain equivalent to climbing Mount Everest eleven times.
The challenge, which began in Dartmoor on May 16, traversed regions including the Brecon Beacons, North Wales, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland, and the Lake District, and finished on top of Helvellyn in the Lake District on June 30. It was undertaken to raise funds and awareness for Mind Over Mountains, the mental health charity founded by Staniforth in 2020. To date, his efforts have raised over £30,000 ($41,000) for the organization, which provides professional mental health support through nature-based programs.
“Starting in May 2025, I will be climbing all 446 mountains within England & Wales in one go – running and cycling over 2700km, ascending almost 10 times the height of Mount Everest, with a record target of 50 days.
This year will be 10 years since I survived the Nepal earthquake on Mount Everest, and my 30th birthday. Too many young people won’t reach that milestone, now that suicide is the biggest killer of people under 35 in the UK. That’s 5 young people on average, each day.
Being out in the mountains has helped me through my own darkest moments and struggles with depression, anxiety and bulimia since being a teenager. I think everyone should have access to the support they need.
The 446 Challenge will raise at least £100,000 for Mind Over Mountains – an ambitious and innovative mental health charity that I founded in 2020. We enable people to restore and sustain their mental health and wellbeing through a highly integrated practice that brings together walking in nature, mindfulness, and professional coaching and counselling.
This challenge will help Mind Over Mountains to hit their Project500 target of £500,000 to enable their 3 year strategy and support thousands more people across the UK.
£100,000 could fund at least 226 people to experience a weekend retreat, or 1,000 people to attend a day walk, with professional mental health support and respite in nature.
With your help we can move mountains!”
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Staniforth, who survived the 2015 Nepal earthquake while attempting to summit Everest, marked the tenth anniversary of that disaster—and his 30th birthday—by embarking on the 446 Challenge. He described the experience as a “dream come true,” emphasizing the importance of opening conversations around mental health, particularly among young people. “Too many young people don’t reach that milestone due to suicide. Five young lives every single day,” Staniforth told his sponsor, Inov8, highlighting the urgency of his cause.
Throughout the journey, Staniforth faced harsh weather, muscle injuries, and exhaustion. He slept each night in a motorhome driven by his partner and friends, and celebrated his birthday in the hills. The final ascent of Helvellyn was marked by clear weather and the support of family and friends, capping off a challenge that Staniforth acknowledged may not be attempted again soon. “It may take some time before anyone is brave enough to attempt to do it faster,” he told BBC Radio Cumbria.
The 446 Challenge, named for the 446 “Nuttalls”—mountains over 610 meters (2,000 feet) with at least 15 meters (50 feet) of prominence—aims to raise £100,000 for Mind Over Mountains’ Project 500 campaign, which seeks to expand access to nature-based mental health support across the UK. To donate, head to the GoFundMe page.
