On 31 August a team from Spectra Group, leading provider of specialist secure communications for austere locations, will be partnering with Inmarsat and Team Rubicon to complete the arduous Three Peaks Challenge. The team’s aim is to raise awareness and funds for the disaster relief charity, Team Rubicon UK.
The Three Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) are the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales. The challenge is to climb all of these within a single 24-hour period; 23 miles of hiking/running with a total ascent of 10,052ft (3064 meters). For the 19-strong team the event will be an unforgettable challenge; to complete all three mountains in 24 hours involves little rest, detailed planning and coordination, and great determination. After climbing and descending Ben Nevis, the teams will be hiking in the dark on Scafell Pike and in the peak heat of the day on Snowdon, struggling to get their rest whilst travelling between mountains in the back of a minibus. The logistical support crew also have a tough job – they will drive the team over 460 miles between mountains, using the time in between to refuel, restock and prepare food.
The challenge originated when, in 2015, Inmarsat committed to support Team Rubicon. As part of this, Inmarsat’s Damian Lewis deployed to the British Virgin Islands to support their disaster recovery after Hurricane Irma and on his return conceived #RunningforRubicon, a 12-month campaign consisting of monthly challenges, 3 of which are extreme solo events (Maratón Sierra Nevada, Oman Desert Marathon & Marathon Des Sables). August’s #RunningforRubicon challenge is the Three Peaks.
As the mobile phone signals on the mountains is sparse, the team will carry a BGAN E510 terminal for reliable, seamless broadband and voice communications. They will also take the opportunity to use Spectra’s SlingShot® system in combination with Inmarsat’s L-TAC™ service for On The Move voice and data radio communications. The combination of SlingShot and L-TAC provides strategic, secure and global BLOS COTM (Beyond Line of Sight Communications On The Move) by extending the reach of VHF and UHF radios and is ideal for the mountainous conditions. This collaboration will enable the team to communicate, track their movement on the mountains and provide live tweeting.
The strength of the ongoing partnership between Spectra, Inmarsat and Team Rubicon is truly demonstrated by the level of support the 3 organisations are providing to this challenge. Not only are Spectra and Inmarsat collaborating to provide essential communications for the team on the mountains, but Simon Davies (CEO Spectra Group), Paul Gudonis (President, Inmarsat Enterprise), Diana Goody (VP, Inmarsat G2) and Richard Sharp (CEO Team Rubicon UK) will also be joining the team for this event.
Simon Davies, CEO of Spectra Group, stated: “We partner closely with Inmarsat on a day-to-day basis and have SlingShot equipment on the shelf, held in readiness to assist a Team Rubicon deployment should it be required. Team Rubicon carry out vital work at the most difficult time and in the most arduous environments. This is what Spectra is all about and so this personal challenge was an obvious one to get behind.”
George Crisp, Project Manager for Inmarsat Global Government, event manager for the #RunningforRubicon campaign, as well as a member of the team taking part said: “I am delighted that our partner, Spectra, will be joining us on the Three Peaks Challenge to help us work towards a common cause of raising £70,000 for the charity and to put our satcom kit to the test in remote and rugged environments.
“We recently conducted a recce of Snowdon (which will be our final peak) and managed to complete the walk well within the required time. We are increasing in confidence that we’ll complete the challenge successfully (traffic between peaks permitting), but teamwork and discipline will be key.”
Donations to support the Team Rubicon Fund Raising can be made through TotalGiving: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/running4rubicon-threepeaks
Social Media accounts to follow for this event will be: @TeamRubiconUK; @3peakschallenge; @spectragroup; @InmarsatGlobal; @SoldierOnAwards.
https://www.threepeakschallenge.uk/
