Basingstoke men crawl up Ben Nevis on hands and knees

Adam Davies, Mark Davenport and Alex Rawson want to raise awareness of men's mental health

Three men have crawled up Ben Nevis on their hands and knees in aid of charity.

Adam Davies, Mark Davenport and Alex Rawson, from Basingstoke, wanted to raise awareness of men's mental health during their trek on Monday.

Two of the men made the summit after Mr Davies, a former Team GB gymnast, became ill shortly before the end.

Ben Nevis is Britain's highest mountain at 1,345m (4,413ft). The climb raised more than £1,700.

"When you are at your lowest point in life you feel like you're on your hands and knees," Mr Rawson told the BBC.

"So we thought to ourselves what's the best way to show we can go from our hands and knees and push our way through life and get to the top, and it's by going up Ben Nevis."

The trio used protective equipment on their journey, including knee pads, and were accompanied by a first aider.

The Basingstoke trio are using protective equipment, including knee pads

But during the final part of their adventure the men ran into difficulty in deep snow.

Mr Davies made it to about the 1,158m-mark (3,800ft) before bowing out.

Afterwards he said: "I'm still very happy but obviously health comes first. If I'm getting to the point where I don't feel right I've got to take it on the chin."

The other two ventured on but upon nearing the summit they walked the final stretch for "safety reasons".

When he reached the cairn marking the mountain's top, Mr Davenport said: "I am officially the tallest man in the United Kingdom, something I never thought I'd say."

Upon reaching the summit Mark Davenport said: "I am officially the tallest man in the United Kingdom."

The three have been friends for about 20 years after meeting at a local gymnastics club.

On his fundraising page, Mr Davies said: "All of us at some point in our lives have suffered with mental health.

"It is something we have been open about and therefore all share the same passion for, to help raise awareness and encourage others who are also struggling to come forward and open up."

Mr Davenport said: "This challenge [is] different, which means it stands out more, and we're hoping that by doing that we can reach out to other people."

The men live streamed their challenge on Instagram and TikTok.

Ben Nevis is Britain's highest mountain at 1,345m (4,413ft)

At one point Mr Rawson said he was feeling "pure pain" on one of his knees.

He was also heard to say: "This is the last time I'm going up any mountain - facts... Do not try this at home."

But he added: "Pain is temporary... emotional pain lasts a lot longer."

Earlier he told the BBC that training for the challenge included practising at home, which had confused his four-year-old son Austin.

"He goes 'Daddy, what are you doing?' He doesn't understand. He just thinks I'm acting like the dog."

The climb raised funds for Men's Minds Matter.

Alex Rawson, livestreaming from the mountain, said his knee was in "pure pain"

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