Princess Kate’s already powerful Three Peaks Challenge has become even more remarkable after it emerged she was close to a real-life rescue drama while scaling Ben Nevis.
The Princess of Wales was climbing Britain’s highest mountain as part of her deeply personal charity challenge when members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team were called to help an exhausted hiker lower down the mountain. Catherine, who was near the 4,413ft summit at the time, was reportedly aware of the rescue through radio chatter from the team supporting her climb.
A smiling Kate at the top of Ben Nevis
Former soldier John Banfield, 87, scales Ben Nevis on Armed Forces Day
Deputy team leader Astie Cameron said the Princess of Wales was ‘absolutely amazing’
The hiker was 87-year-old John Banfield, a blind military veteran from Milton Keynes, who had successfully reached the summit of Ben Nevis on Armed Forces Day to raise funds for Blind Veterans UK. Guided by RAF veteran Gary Thomas, Mr Banfield completed the ascent in around five-and-a-half hours, an extraordinary achievement in itself.
However, on the descent, he became exhausted at Halfway Lochan and needed assistance. Two members of the mountain rescue team helped him safely off the hill using an all-terrain vehicle. It was a reminder of just how demanding Ben Nevis can be, even for experienced walkers and determined fundraisers.
Meanwhile, Catherine was more than 2,000ft higher up the mountain, accompanied by other members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team as part of her own challenge. Deputy team leader Astie Cameron later praised the Princess, describing her as “absolutely amazing” and noting that she completed the walk in just under five hours.
That pace would be impressive under any circumstances, but it carried added meaning given Catherine’s recent cancer journey. The Princess has spoken openly about the physical, emotional and psychological impact of life during and beyond treatment, saying her Three Peaks Challenge was not simply about endurance, but about giving something back.
The challenge saw Catherine take on the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours: Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon. The achievement was designed to support The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, an organisation she has described as deeply meaningful to her.
Photos shared after the final climb showed the Princess smiling with her family at the base of Snowdon, where Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined her to celebrate the emotional finish. The images quickly touched royal fans, who praised the Wales family’s visible support and Catherine’s resilience.
The newly revealed Ben Nevis rescue adds another layer to the story. While Kate was pushing through her own demanding route, the mountain’s risks were unfolding in real time nearby. For supporters, it highlighted not only the scale of her personal achievement, but also the vital work of the rescue teams who keep climbers safe in some of Britain’s most challenging landscapes.
In a week filled with heartfelt royal moments, Catherine’s mountain challenge has stood out as one of her most symbolic public acts since returning to a fuller rhythm of royal life. It combined family, recovery, service and gratitude — and now, with the rescue detail revealed, it has an added note of real-world drama from the slopes of Ben Nevis.
