Ingenious isolation plan sees Wakefield family scale the height of Mount Snowdon from safety of own home

A Wakefield dad has come up with an ingenious way to keep fit during the lockdown, by challenging his family to climb the equivalent height of Mount Snowdon on their staircase.
By Holly Gittins
Published 14th Apr 2020, 16:10 BST
Updated 14th Apr 2020, 16:11 BST
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Paul Batham came up with the idea last week, after realising that he would not be able to take his son Charlie on his planned birthday trip.

Charlie, 5, has applied for a Guinness World Record for his climbing achievements, which include completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks at the age of five years and three months.

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He had hoped to complete Mount Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales, before turning six next week, but rules around social distancing meant that the family had to cancel their plans.

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A Wakefield dad has come up with an ingenious way to keep fit during the lockdown, by challenging his family to climb the equivalent height of Mount Snowdon on their staircase.A Wakefield dad has come up with an ingenious way to keep fit during the lockdown, by challenging his family to climb the equivalent height of Mount Snowdon on their staircase.
A Wakefield dad has come up with an ingenious way to keep fit during the lockdown, by challenging his family to climb the equivalent height of Mount Snowdon on their staircase.

Not to be discouraged, dad Paul got to work measuring the family's stairs, and concluded that it would require just 387 trips up the stairs to reach the equivalent height of Mount Snowdon - a massive 1,085 metres.

By 11am yesterday, Paul, Charlie and mum Donna were ready to take on the gruelling challenge, which they finally finished shortly before 9pm.

Paul said: "Between us we climbed the stairs 1,161 times in a day. It took us all day to do it but we finally did.

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"We had to take it in turns, Charlie was doing it twice as fast. Even when we were done last night he ran up and down another six times.

Charlie and Paul Batham climbed the equivalent of Mount Snowdon on their staircase.Charlie and Paul Batham climbed the equivalent of Mount Snowdon on their staircase.
Charlie and Paul Batham climbed the equivalent of Mount Snowdon on their staircase.

"He's absolutely chuffed to bits. In his mind he's not bothered that he hasn't climbed Snowdon, he's climbed as high as Snowdon in a day.

"He's actually asked this morning if we can do Ben Nevis today.

"People say it sounds easy but after 10 times your heart's racing and your knees are going and you think 'I've got another 370 times to go."

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The family, from Altofts, hope that others will be inspired by their adventures,

Paul said: "I just thought it was an idea for other kids in the area, just to get some exercise, rather than getting all the kids sat down on the sofa watching TV all day.

"Even people with no garden can do it. Every time they go to the toilet just go up and down one extra time.

"We worked out that you probably go up and down 10 times a day so even just that, if you tally it up it starts adding up."

Related topics:WakefieldYorkshire Three PeaksWales