Steve's on top of the world after epic feat

A VETERAN leader of a lifesaving dale service has chalked off his final fell in a 27-year climbing quest.

Steve Owers, who heads the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team, (TWSMRT), climbed the last of Wainwright’s 214 Lakeland Fells late last month with friends and family in tow.

The 59-year-old began his effort in 1990 by climbing Helvellyn.

But it was only after he retired from the fire service eight years ago that he started made a concerted effort to finish them all.

Mr Owers said: “I decided to then as I had nothing else to do. I went through all the mountains I’d climbed and I’d done about 150 – I thought I’d get the other 64 and it’s taken me seven years.”

Mr Owers lives in Bishop Auckland but has spent most of the past 20 years volunteering for the TWSMRT, monitoring the dale’s uplands.

Away from work, his springer, Molly, has accompanied him on most of his Lakeland ascents in recent years and they have both bumped into many climbers and hikers attempting the same feat.

He added: “There are other people I have met where some of the fells are off normal walking routes – they might be the only person you see all day.

“When I did the last one on Saturday (September 23) they was a guy who took a few photos for us – he said he was doing his first fell after he’d just retired – it was humbling.”

Climbing all 214 fells has taken Mr Owers the length and breadth of the Lake District. However, its unpredictable weather and steep slopes can sometimes prove challenging for the most seasoned of climbers.

Mr Owers revealed there had been one or two hairy moments on a couple of climbs. He said: “One was on Helvellyn in wintery conditions – I was trying to find an exit onto the ridge, Striding Edge, and there was a big cornice.

“I went back to the summit retraced my steps and fortunately I found the right way down. Crinkle Crags was another one – it was a horrible day and we stopped for a break at the top of this gully where there was lots of scree.

“As I stood up the scree started to fall underneath me.

“One of my mates grabbed me by the rucksack otherwise I might have fallen two feet or 200ft.”

Despite finishing the list, Mr Owers will be returning west and he hinted he may begin ticking off the tarns and small lakes among the fells. He thanked his wife for all her support.

Mr Owers added: “My wife Linda is so patient and has never complained – if it were not for her I wouldn’t be able to do them.”