Making memories and mayhem in the mountains: A hike up Snowdon like no other

If you’ve never participated in the world’s highest egg and spoon race at the top of a mountain, stopped for a motivational talk on mind coaching midway up, or witnessed a pre-summit impromptu dance session to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, that’s probably because you’ve never been hiking with Lewis Ellis.
34-year old entrepreneur Lewis found fame on hit BBC show “The Apprentice”, and went on to found Hussel – the disruptive marketing agency based in Manchester. And true to form, his plan to climb mount Snowdon via the Llanberis path with a big group of people, several of whom had never met in real life before, was a day of unexpected delights. Memories were made, obstacles were overcome, and total strangers became firm friends.

The 25-strong group travelled from all across the UK to take part, and featured a mixture of keen hikers and fitness enthusiasts as well as those who’d never been on a long hike before, never mind up the highest mountain in Wales. But everyone shared the same common ambition: to reach the summit, to push themselves to new limits, to enjoy the positive effects of the great outdoors, and to have some fun along the way. And there was certainly no shortage of fun.
Bringing people together and overcoming adversity
Lewis’ reasons for creating interesting events and meet-ups stemmed from the desire to connect with others. “When I started the Hussel Society a few years ago, I was lost,” says Lewis. “I just wanted to find my crowd. Surround myself with business owners, people striving for success and not just those trying to escape life or get hammered. That being said, as I get busier I often let them slip and forget to arrange the next.”

While previous events have featured outdoor activities such as quad biking, this was the first group hike Lewis had organised. The hike “reminded me how important these events still are to me,” he said. “How important it is to bring people together to share knowledge and advice. And how if I ever let the events die I’d feel like a piece of myself died with it. These events bring others joy, force you to overcome adversity and awkwardness, and for me they challenge me to be creative whilst forcing me outside my comfort zone regularly.”
The creativity on this occasion included the aforementioned egg and spoon race – which, as if it was not already challenging enough at the top of a mountain, also had an added sting in the tail. Every person had to carry their own egg (unboiled) up to the summit, and keep it safe over several hours without it breaking during the steep and rocky ascent – a daunting feat which most actually somehow managed.
The eggsciting (sorry not sorry) climax was a hilarious and highly competitive race along the side of the Mount Snowdon visitor centre Hafod Eryri – 1065m above sea level – to see who would win the coveted GOAT trophy. It was a statue of an actual mountain goat, fittingly. Congratulations to winner Reece Ryan, a TV show host and actor who also had his own moving reasons for undertaking his first serious hike.
“Being up a mountain was the healing process I needed”
“So, I climbed Mount Snowdon – I actually did it,” said Reece, though he admitted that in the days leading up to the epic climb he found himself feeling quite nervous. “Now for a guy that never really gets nervous about anything, this was quite strange. I guess it’s the unknown, isn’t it? What’s it going to be like and will my body cope (I’m just recovering from pneumonia), and now I’m going up a mountain,” he said.
“Well, needless to say, climbing Snowdon is quite simply one of the greatest adventures of my life. I purposely broke away from the crowd and needed my own space – my own world and to be lost with my own thoughts and emotions. I’ve had a lot thrown at me recently. The breakdown of my 16-year marriage, the loss of my fur baby – my dogs are my life, and losing my little one has floored me – plus my grandad lost his battle with dementia, and it’s all been a lot to process and deal with. So to be totally alone, up a mountain in total silence, was the healing process I needed.

“The higher I climbed the deeper my thought process was,” said Reece. “I cried, I laughed out loud, sang my grandad’s favourite song, and just worked through so many issues that keep me awake at night. So it’s been an awakening. It’s been a healing process, and it’s been closure on some aspects.

“To be totally alone up a mountain in zero visibility fog is something to behold, and something quite majestic. You suddenly realise how small everything is, how things that seem important actually have very little value in everyday life. I’ve also learnt I’m stronger than I thought I was. Pushing through that pain barrier was tough, but we just have to keep climbing. One foot in front of the other, step by step and second by second; learn, heal, forgive, and move on. My body was wrecked for days, but would I do it again? Absolutely.”

Reece – and others – will soon get the chance to do it again. While Lewis doesn’t usually repeat an event, the Snowdon hike proved so popular that he has decided (or more accurately, been coerced by us all on the WhatsApp group) to arrange another mountain event. 9th November’s event “Scafell’s Got Talent” will see a big group trek to the top of England’s highest peak, where the twist will be a talent competition at the summit. It promises to be a lot of fun, as well as rewarding – and if you want to take part you’ll be joining a friendly and supportive group, whatever your own reasons and goals.