Sowerby Bridge cyclist hopes to inspire others after pedalling equivalent height of Mount Everest up Cragg Vale

Matt Eames, 32, cycled up Cragg Vale 30 times in May, covering a total of 570 miles, and climbed 41,500 feet.

Matt wanted to raise money for the charity CIRCA, which supports children with Crohn’s disease, which he has himself.

Matt had his bowel removed and a colostomy bag fitted in September 2010, and had intended to do the cycle in September as a 10 year anniversary challenge but brought it forward when he got furloughed from his job as a waiter in Leeds.

Matt has had Crohn’s since he was eight. Ten years ago he had a sub total colectomy with ileostomy. Prior to the operation he was virtually housebound as he was going to the toilet 20-30 times a day.

”The op changed and saved my life. I wish I had done it earlier,” he said.

“Since my op I’ve accomplished things I never thought my disease would allow me to do.

”I’ve put on weight and muscle, become confident in myself, got and held a job I love for seven years, married the love of my life and bought a house.

”So I thought I’d think big with the challenge to match how big I feel these accomplishments are for me.”

Having been inspired by other fundraisers like Captain Sir Tom Moore, and working out that if he cycled up Cragg Vale 30 times it would be 8850m of vertical height gain, two metres more than Mount Everest, Matt set off on May 1 to ride the hill - the longest continual gradient in England - 30 times in 31 days.

”One of the biggest achievements in my recovery was being able to cycle up this hill, so I wondered if I could use that as a basis for a challenge,” he said.

”The first week was tough! I can do the 19 miles round trip but doing it every day was a shock and the hill seemed to get steeper each day.

”Cragg Vale isn’t a steep hill but it’s a long, energy sapping drag. I played about with my fuelling and after the first week I’d worked out that bananas and battenberg was my perfect food source whilst on the ride.

”After that the next two weeks were a breeze. I felt incredible.

”The sun was out almost everyday and the lockdown meant that there was zero traffic on the roads.

”I felt both proud and really grateful to be riding in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside everyday.

“I managed to do 19 days in a row before taking my rest day. I’d done a mixture of dawn and sunset rides and the amount of nature I was noticing was incredible. Deer, fox and little owls were almost daily.

”My mood soon changed after my rest day. Attempt 20 was the worst day I’ve ever had on a bike.

”The sun had gone, it was freezing and the windy was over 40mph. I was pretty much at a standstill on the way up.

”When I checked my trip computer I had gone up at 11mph and down again at 7mph, that’s how strong the wind was.

”The forecast for the day after was just the same and as I didn’t fancy a repeat I had another rest day meaning I’d have to do the hill twice on one day in order to complete my challenge.

”After the crazy couple of days wind the sun returned. My final nine days were all 20 plus degrees with barely any wind, perfect conditions.

”As it turned out May ended up being the hottest and sunniest May since records began, couldn’t have timed it better.

”I decided to leave my double run until the last day. It was tough but I managed the 38 mile double run and even had the bonus of an ice cream van being at the top for my final accent.

”I sat having an ice cream at the top having accomplished my own personal Everest and felt blessed that my body enabled me to do it.

”I thought to myself that 10 years ago I couldn’t even watch a full football match without spending ages in the loo, now I can do this.”

Matt has raised £500 so far, but wants to reach £1,000.He added: “I never thought I’d be able to achieve such an endurance based challenge, the fact that I managed it and enjoyed it so much has made me for the second time regret not doing it earlier.

”I think that Crohn’s and colitis can be a mental barrier as well as a physical condition.

”So if you want to do something but don’t think your disease will allow it, just give it a go. You might be surprised.

“I hope this provides some motivation to those struggling with Chron’s and colitis.

”Things will get better if you believe they will, there is so much support available out there especially from CICRA.

”I would be incredibly grateful to anybody that could sponsor me and make a donation on my behalf to this wonderful charity.”

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so by visiting https://www.cicra.org/donate/.