Lichfield audiologist to create ‘Walking Sound Map’ of Yorkshire Dales while walking the Three Peaks Challenge in aid of We Love Lichfield

A husband and wife from Lichfield are preparing to hike the Yorkshire Three Peaks, in aid of We Love Lichfield and to raise awareness of hearing loss.

Laura Evans, principal audiologist at Cathedral Hearing and her husband Richard will be scaling The Yorkshire Three Peaks on Saturday 4^th July – a 24 mile route up and down Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, in under 12 hours.  While on the walk, Laura and Rich will be creating a sound map of the area – rather than an ‘Ordnance Survey Map’, theirs will be an ‘Outside Sounds Map’.

On the walk, they will record various sounds and afterwards create a visual and audio “map” showing different noises including wildlife, other walkers and the elements especially when their climb the peaks.

“Laura said, “I want to explain how even simple activities like going for a walk can be experienced differently by people with hearing loss. Imagine walking through beautiful countryside and finding it harder to follow conversations with other walkers or missing some of the sounds around you, such as birdsong and wildlife.”

And at the same time, they wish to raise money for Local community fund We Love Lichfield. It is the second walking challenge for Laura and Richard Evans in aid of We Love Lichfield having scaled Snowdon in 2025. They are looking for donations having already raised over £1000 since they started supporting the place-based community fund in 2024.

The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge is a 24-mile (38.6 km) circular route in the Yorkshire Dales National Park that summits three distinct peaks: Pen-y-Ghent (694m altitude), Whernside (736m altitude), and Ingleborough (723m altitude). The challenge is to complete this route, which includes over 1,585 metres of ascent, in under 12 hours.

Laura Evans said, “Supporting the local community is important to me.  I have seen first-hand the difference We Love Lichfield makes to the people of Lichfield and the surrounding villages and want to continue supporting this amazing cause.”

“We really enjoyed our Snowdon hike last year and wanted our next challenge. But this time I wanted the walk to help me reflect on the experiences of my patients.  Creating our sound map will help to build awareness and empathy for people with hearing loss and encourage those impacted to seek support”.

Donations can be made via Cathedral Hearing Three Peaks Challenge For We Love Lichfield