On 10 January, our colleague Stephanie Kitts MRICS, Chartered Building Surveyor, will take on one of the hardest endurance events in the UK: the Montane Winter Spine MRT Challenger South. She is doing it to raise funds for Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) – the volunteer organisation she trains and serves with.
Everyone at Charles Garth is proud of Stef’s commitment to the community and the time she gives to a team that saves lives in some of the toughest conditions. Balancing demanding training, callouts, assessments and work is no small undertaking. Stef brings the same steady judgement, resilience and reliability to her search and rescue work that she brings to her surveying work, and we are proud to support her as she prepares for this notoriously difficult challenge.
The challenge ahead
The Montane Winter Spine MRT Challenger South is described as ‘notoriously difficult’ – one of the toughest events of its kind. It is a non-stop, 108-mile race along the Pennine Way from Edale to Hawes, with a 60-hour time limit. The route includes Kinder Plateau, Malham Cove and Pen-y-Ghent. Conditions can involve deep snow, storm-force winds and driving rain.
The race starts at 8am on Saturday 10 January 2026. We’ll be tracking Stef and the other competitors live on the Spine Race website.
Saving lives across West Yorkshire
A trainee member of CVSRT, Stef has already taken part in several planned searches and will start joining call-outs as a Probationary member in February, working towards becoming a full team member in the summer following assessment. CVSRT is a 100 percent voluntary team that supports the statutory emergency services across West Yorkshire.
Their work includes:
- Search and rescue planning and management
- Specialist medical treatment
- Steep ground and crag rescue
- Night and adverse weather search and rescue
- Body recovery
- Swiftwater and flood rescue
- Stretcher evacuation
It costs around £55,000 a year for the team to remain operational. All of this comes from community and business donations. There is no direct council or government funding, so raising funds through challenges like Stef’s is so important.
How to support Stef
If you are able to support Stef and the vital work of CVSRT, you can donate here: www.givey.com/stefsmountainrescuefundraiser.
Every donation, large or small, helps keep the team equipped, trained and ready to respond when needed. Givey passes on 100 percent of your donation directly to the charity, and your details remain secure.
Your support will help Stef reach her fundraising target and, more importantly, help CVSRT continue the work that so many people in the region rely on.
