What Are The National 3 Peaks?
For most parts of the UK (and most of the rest of the world except for Yorkshire), a mention of 'doing the 3 Peaks' tends to mean the National version of the 3 Peaks challenge.
This is a common challenge involving summit attempts on the highest peaks in each of Scotland, England and Wales. The aim is usually to complete the three in under 24 hours. The three mountains included are:
- Snowdon (North Wales)- 1085m
- Scafell Pike (England) - 978m
- Ben Nevis (Scotland) - 1344m
How I Approach The Challenge
On the one hand, it's nice to know you've completed the challenge according to the original 'rules' and get all three summits ticked off inside the 24 hour cutoff and that would generally be the intention.
Where this plan can have issues is that the three mountains are quite far apart and a fair amount of driving is involved. While much of this driving is done when the roads are quieter we have no control over that so the simple logistics and risk of heavy traffic and road closures may cause delays. Many past attempts (by others) have involved driving in excess of the speed limit which is not something I'll entertain either.
On top of that, the weather is always a big factor in any attempt on any mountain and in spite of the popularity of these ones they are still serious undertakings which deserve to be respected. As such there may be weather conditions that create delays or even postponements.
The upshot is that while I'll plan the attempt with a hope to complete inside 24 hours, it may also be that this doesn't happen and I won't compromise safety for a time limit.
There is an option which is becoming more popular. We can stretch the challenge and make it a more leisurely one where each mountain is attempted on consecutive days with stays in small hotels each evening. This makes for a much more sociable trip which for many is simply nicer to do.
The Details
These are popular mountains and it's common to see a broad mix of individuals and groups on each one. Most will be out in small groups walking (some particularly enthusiastic people will run it), some will be in larger groups and it is often used as a charity challenge which might include dozens of people split into multiple smaller groups.
Mostly you'll see other people on the way but it shouldn't (hopefully) be crowded.
Due to the larger nature of this challenge and the logistics involved I run this in the same manner each time. To begin with I limit the group to a maximum of 12 people. There will always be 2 guides with the group on the hills. There may be additional safety cover and an additional driver. The group will travel together in a minibus.
I leave larger events for the big companies. They can be cumbersome for local services, car parks etc so smaller groups are much preferred.
We typically start with Ben Nevis followed by Scafell Pike and then finish with Snowdon. We will maximise the daylight hours for the challenge so as to spend as little time as possible on the mountains in darkness (much better for the driving to be in the dark if possible).
This challenge is for capable hillwalkers and as such the plans tend to work out well. If you're unsure if you have the fitness for this challenge I can help out with training advice.