Michelle Ellison is currently on a challenge of a lifetime.

MICHELLE ELLISON had always had a passion for the outdoors but it wasn’t until she was 31 that she really got the chance to explore. For her birthday that year she walked the Inca Trail and the rest is history as she has gone on to explore and travel more and more over the last few years.

Read on to find out about the latest challenge she’s set herself which will see her aim to reach the highest point of every European country (50 countries, 48 peaks).  Find out about the highs and the lows of the experience so far and what she has planned next in her life of adventure.

Where does your passion for adventure stem from and what have been some of your previous adventures?

As a kid growing up in New Zealand I loved camping and spending every day after school at the beach, but since spending my 20s in London I lost touch with the outdoors, spending many holidays on city breaks. The Amazon was always a dream of mine and became my 31st birthday reality. Walking the Inca Trail reconnected me with my love of the outdoors and camping. 

I suddenly realised the only person stopping me having an adventurous lifestyle was me. I saved up and took a sabbatical for 7 months, leaving the UK with the aim of spending all my money and having lots of fun doing it – I decided life was too short not too!  Everyday became a Saturday and I started challenging the concept of ‘I can’t’. 

I pushed what I thought was possible, which lead me to trekking unsupported in Patagonia, hiking The Lost City in Columbia, hiking the Santa Cruz trail in Peru, diving with sharks, saying yes to travel plans with strangers, learning to ice climb, jumping out of a plane and the list goes on. They may seem like small adventures to many, but they altered my world to what I thought I was capable of and left me with the question “what else could I do?”. 

Since returning to London I’ve found a way to have mini adventures while maintaining my career. I’ve since SUP boarded the length of the River Thames over 11 days and 330kms and SUP boarded the Great Glen Way, 99km from Inverness to Fort William.

Tell us about ‘The 48 Peaks’ and where you are currently on the challenge?

It’s a challenge that is taking myself, Tom and Andy to the highest point of every European country (50 countries, 48 peaks). The 48 Peaks idea was created from Tom and Andy’s competitive streak on the indoor climbing wall.  Add that competitive nature to their love of mountains and the idea was born.

Since November 2015 Tom, Andy and I have together summited the highest point of 18 countries, with Mt Elbrus being the most challenging climb in 2016 at 5642m, the highest in Europe.

What have been some of the highs and lows of the challenge so far?

Planning and committing to a two-year project across 50 countries with two mates, each of us in professional careers and having other interests, has been an interesting challenge.  Our lows are connected to things not going to plan, which is inevitable of course, but they’ve turned into the greatest laughs and lessons learnt, including the two hour challenge of digging our car out of snow with ice axes in the middle of no where.  Not being able to summit our second ever peak due to terrible weather and no contingency days for a second attempt.  Being fearful while we witnessed Andy suffer from worrying altitude sickness on the top of Mt Elbrus, while coping with treacherous weather conditions on descent. 

Highlights have included sharing our journey with 35 of friends and family who have joined us on the mountains, with the biggest trip seeing 30 of them climb Scafell Pike with us.  Learning new skills such via Ferrata in Germany, how to ice axe arrest on Mt Elbrus and how to walk across glaciers roped to one another in Iceland.  With my love for driving, between mountains we’ve been lucky enough to drive through some incredible countryside, all the while feeling privileged to go to places we wouldn’t have otherwise been.

What’s it like doing the challenge with two other men and having to share personal space and spend long hours of the day together?

Well I do have to put up with their legs being considerably much longer than mine, taking one for the team sitting in the middle seat on the plane, and running up behind them on a mountain – but then they do have to listen to all my crazy stories, so it kind of balances out.  But in all seriousness, in taking on an adventure I’ve learnt the importance of being in a team that can communicate well, sharing a similar vision and being able to deal with stressful situations, while still being able to have a laugh.   And I think we’ve nailed that, plus space is never an issue when you are surrounded by endless mountains.  At the bottom of the mountain its the most satisfying feeling after achieving another peak and being able to celebrate and share that experience over a pint with your mates.

When will you complete the challenge and could you tell us what you have been raising money for? How can our readers get behind and support you?

We are on target to complete our last 30 countries between January 2017 and October 2017, where we will be finishing on Snowdon celebrating with 48 friends, who will each represent every country we’ve climbed.

We are raising money for the Outward Bound Trust, who support disadvantaged young people in experiencing the outdoors. I have gained so much confidence being on a paddle board and in the mountains, so want to help enable young people share similar opportunities.

If you are reading this and feel the same we’d greatly appreciate you making a donation, which you can do at www.48peakslater.com/charity-partner/

To follow our journey or to get in touch, contact us at www.48PeaksLater.com
@48peakslater or www.facebook.com/48PeaksLater/

Do you have any other challenges or projects in the pipeline and if so what are they?

Thirty countries in ten months was enough I thought until I was accepted for a place in the London Marathon in April 2017. I greatly dislike running but I can’t say no to a challenge. And I won’t get through the year without finding time for another SUP journey, so watch this space!