A dog from Ripley has become the first to claim every mountain in England, according to its owner.
Jon Birtle, a civil engineer, and Bentley, a nine-year-old Yorkshire Jack Russell terrier, completed the challenge this month.
Mr Birtle said Bentley had become the first dog to ever climb all of the mountains in England.
Their escapades date back to 2019 when Mr Birtle turned 50 and wanted to “do something out of the ordinary”.
So to celebrate his landmark birthday, the pair set out to climb Pen-y-ghent in the Yorkshire Dales. They enjoyed the challenge so much Mr Birtle decided to attempt the other two Yorkshire peaks with Bentley.
After that, Mr Birtle began researching all of Yorkshire’s mountains.
After climbing all 41, he upgraded the challenge to taking on all 180 mountains in England above 2,000 feet (610 metres), which are classed as Hewitts.
The pair battled bad weather, lockdowns, exclusion zones and injuries to complete this feat.
Man and dog averaged a climb every three weeks over five years in an adventure that has taken them from the Yorkshire Dales to the Peak District, the Lake District and Dartmoor.
They trekked over 600 miles and Bentley has recorded over half a million steps. Their climbs have now achieved the equivalent of scaling Mt Everest more than 15 times.
Bentley on Scafell in Cumbria
Mr Birtle took a date stamped photo of Bentley on every summit and soon amassed a keen following on social media who watched their journey.
He said:
“Our last summit was a bit emotional. Five years ago I didn’t even like walking now we have climbed every mountain in England. There are plenty of times I have wanted to turn around and Bentley has been running up in front, so we have pushed on.”
“We are going to carry on doing something, I love it and Bentley lives for it. As soon as I get my backpack on, he knows we are going. He is always in front waiting for me up the mountains, it is good for us both. Bentley may be nine, but he is still fit, I’m probably going to have to retire before him.”
After each mountain climb, the pair finished the day in a pub to celebrate with a lager and a treat for Bentley.
Mr Birtle added:
“My favourites have been Pen-y-ghent, because it was our first and was a wonderful experience, and Fountains Fell, which we did twice because I loved it. The most challenging has been the harshness of the North Pennines where there are almost no paths — it is a bit like a maze.
“The mental health aspect has been great, all the pressures of life are left up at the top of the mountain – it is like a soul cleanser.”
Jon Birtle and Bentley at Crag Hill summit.
Mr Birtle said he is now looking at taking on more long walks and is considering a coast-to-coast route for his next challenge.
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